Neobarombiella congoensis, Bolz & Wagner, 2012

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2012, 3463, Zootaxa 3463, pp. 1-112 : 78-79

Neobarombiella congoensis sp. n.

( Figs 133–136)

Etymology. Named after the area in which it occurs in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Total length. 2.41–3.10 mm (mean: 2.81 mm) (n=12).

Head. Frons, vertex and labrum brownish-black, labial and maxillary palpi brown. Antenna yellow, brownishyellow to brown from third or fourth antennomere to apex ( Fig. 133); length of second to third antennomere

0.75–0.83 (mean: 0.81), and length of third to fourth antennomere 0.75–0.83 (mean: 0.77) ( Fig. 135). Eyes large with short interocular distance ( Fig. 133), width of eye to interocular distance 0.47–0.57 (mean: 0.54).

Thorax. Pronotum brownish-black, slightly trapezoidal, pronotal width 0.76–0.94 mm (mean: 0.87 mm), pronotal length 0.36–0.48 mm (mean: 0.45 mm), and pronotal length to width 0.47–0.55 (mean: 0.51). Elytron brownish-black, coarsely punctuated ( Fig. 133); elytral length 1.80–2.45 mm (mean: 2.09 mm), elytral width 1.10–1.50 mm (mean: 1.29 mm), and maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.55–0.65 (mean: 0.60). Meso-, metathorax brown, legs yellowish-brown; and length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.53–0.54 (mean: 0.53).

Abdomen. Entirely brown.

Male genitalia. Median lobe short, slightly conical in ventral view, apex with deep, V-shaped incision which is flanked by one pair of sclerotized ridges; strongly down-curved in lateral view, apex beak-like; endophallic brush protruding slightly, with one pair of poorly sclerotized spiculae ( Fig. 134).

Diagnosis. Neobarombiella congoensis sp. n. is best characterized by its slender body shape, irregular punctuation of the elytra, and colouring. Neobarombiella sculptipennis and N. multistriata are similar in appearance, but have distinct striate elytral punctuation in common ( Figs 112, 125, 133). They also both have dark greenish or bluey metallic colouring, whilst N. congoensis sp. n. is entirely black and non-metallic.

Distribution. Recorded from the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Type material. Holotype, male: “alto Uelle. Congo B, fl. Duru. III.1927, F. S. Patrizi / Mus. Civ., Genova / Holotype, Neobarombiella congoensis, Bolz & Wagner 2010 / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1876, specimen data, documented, 10.III.2011.“ ( MCSG; Fig. 136). Type locality: Congo, Haut-Uele, 3°45'N / 28°02'E .— Paratypes: Democratic Republic of the Congo. 16 ex., Alto Uele , Yakuluka, 4°20'N / 28°48'E, IV.1927, F. S. Patrizi ( MCSG) ; 1 ex., Alto Uele, fl. Duru, 3°45'N / 28°02'E, III .1927, F. S. Patrizi ( MCSG) .