Bambara thomasi, Darby, Michael, 2014

Darby, Michael, 2014, Studies of Madagascan Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) 4: The genus Bambara including eight new species and the first account of blindness and aptery in the genus, Zootaxa 3895 (2), pp. 151-169 : 166-169

Bambara thomasi sp. n.

(Figs. 7, 24, 34, 35)

Habitus Fig. 7. Length +/- 0.700µ. Colour yellowish brown. Antennae length +/- 238µ. Pronotum length 156µ min, 193µ max, 176µ mean; width 308µ min, 336µ max, 325µ mean; ratio length'breadth 1.85. Detached elytron (single example available only) length 447µ, width 227µ; ratio length/width 1.97; Fig. 24. Ratio elytra length/ pronotum length 2.54.

FIGURES 47–56. 47–50 Aedeagi. 47, B. lanquidula ; 48a & b, B. merina ; 49a & b, B. verecunda ; 50 B. opaca ; 51–52. B. merina . 51, spermatzoon showing arrangement of coils; 52, 7th abdominal ventrite. 53–56 B. verecunda . 53, with elytra removed to show metanotum and abdomen, x 490; 54, head to show absence of eyes, x 1780; 55, mesoventrum, x555; 56, metcoxal plates x555.

Male: aedeagus very small, without any clear distinguishing features. Female: spermathecae Figs. 34, 35.

MAP. Map of Madagascar showing principal towns, rivers and collection sites.

Etymology. Named after my younger son who has been very helpful to me in the field. Diagnosis. The form of the spermatheca which will quickly separate this species.

Type data: Holotype: ♀, Ambohitantely S.R., ABT/ Sept/2011/01, sifting forest litter under Pandanus , S. 18°11'45.1" E.47°17'13.4", 1604 m, 1.ix.2011, L.S.Rahanitriniaina ( BMNH). Paratypes: 4 exs [4] (some fragmentary) same data as holotype.