Bambara dybasi Johnson 1985

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 : 157

Bambara dybasi Johnson 1985

(Figs. 9, 25, 41)

A single female with a spermatheca apparently identical to that illustrated in the type description: Ankarafantsika NP, AKF/09/2011, sifting forest litter, S. 16°18'09.9" E.46°48'39.3", 87 m, L.S. Rahanitriniaina & R. Raveloson (BMNH).

dybasi was described from Mauritius by Johnson who at the same time noted that he had seen specimens collected by H. Franz from Madagascar ( Johnson, 1985). Because the Brno specimen was in a collection of 29 examples of the very variable problematica confirmation of the determination was sought by comparison with specimens identified by Johnson in the MM. These proved to be two paratypes and two specimens from Madagascar, Marojejy NP, coll. H. Franz, 18 May 1969. The paratypes were slightly smaller and darker than the Brno specimen (and the Franz specimens) but no further external morphological differences were detected. Unfortunately both Franz specimens had been dissected but no spermathecae were detected in the dissections. Neither of the paratypes from Mauritius had been dissected but a slide was made of the spermatheca of the specimen from the Black River gorge, which was distorted but apparently similar to the type illustration.

Habitus (paratype) Fig. 9; elytron (Brno specimen) Fig. 25; spermatheca (Brno specimen) Fig. 41 .

Figures

FIGURES 36 – 46. Spermathecae. 36 – 40, B. opaca; 41, B. dybasi; 42, B. testacea (after Dybas 1966); 43, B. frosti (after Dybas 1966); 44 – 46, B. merina.