Neobarombiella pakhassana ( Laboissière, 1931 ) Bolz & Wagner, 2012

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2012, 3463, Zootaxa 3463, pp. 1-112 : 66-67

Neobarombiella pakhassana ( Laboissière, 1931) comb. n.

( Figs 106–109)

Barombia pakhassana Laboissière, 1931: 53 .

Monolepta gossypiperda Bryant, 1947 584 syn. n.

Total length. 2.20–3.15 mm (mean: 2.75 mm) (n=32).

Head. Head and maxillary palp black or brownish-black. Antenna yellowish-brown, darker from fifth antennomere to apex ( Fig. 106); length of second to third antennomere 0.75–0.83 (mean: 0.80), and length of third to fourth antennomere 0.75–0.86 (mean: 0.81; Fig. 108). Eyes small and widely separated ( Fig. 106), width of eye to interocular distance 0.44–0.54 (mean: 0.50).

Thorax. Pronotum glossy black, with very fine, sparse punctuation; strongly trapezoidal; pronotal width 0.82–1.14 mm (mean: 0.99 mm), pronotal length 0.44–0.60 mm (mean: 0.53 mm), and pronotal length to width 0.49–0.57 (mean: 0.54). Elytron entirely black, irregularly and coarsely punctuated, elytral length 1.70–2.35 mm (mean: 2.05 mm), elytral width 1.20–2.00 mm (mean: 1.52 mm), and maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.69–0.77 (mean: 0.73; Fig. 106). Meso- and metathorax black; legs entirely yellowish-brown; and length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.44–0.51 (mean: 0.48).

Abdomen. Entirely black.

Male genitalia. Median lobe short and slender, almost parallel-sided, narrowing slightly towards apex in ventral view ( Fig. 107); apex with small incision, flanked by single pair of sclerotized ridges; ventrally elongated and sclerotized in lateral view; endophallic brush fully covered by tectum and median lobe, lacking significant spiculae.

Diagnosis. Well characterized by its small size, dark body colour and restricted distribution in southern Africa. All other Neobarombiella species with an entirely black exoskeleton are usually larger and occur in western and Central Africa. Neobarombiella punctata ( Fig. 77) and N. punctatolineata ( Fig. 48) have rather similar colouring to N. pakhassana , but are allopatrically distributed. The elytral punctuation is irregular in N. pakhassana , but at least partially linear in the two former species. Neobarombiella nigrita also has similar in colouring but is known only from the Ivory Coast to the Congo Basin, and has truncate elytron ( Figs 24, 27, 106). N. emma sp. n. is most similar to N. pakhassana and they occur syntopically, N. emma sp. n. is larger and has slender elytra, total length 3.40–4.40 mm (2.20–3.15 mm in N. pakhassana ); and the width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.55–0.65 (0.69–0.77 in N. pakhassana ) ( Figs 106, 141).

Distribution. Southern Africa, recorded from Botswana, Mozambique, north-eastern Namibia, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces in the north-eastern parts of South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe ( Fig. 109).

Type material examined. Barombia pakhassana . Lectotype, male: “Museum Paris, Zambèze, Nova Choupanga, Prés Chemba, P. Lesne 1928 / 30. Décembre / Barombia pakhassana , m, V. Laboissière – Dét. / Cotype / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1233, specimen data, documented, 20.IX.2004 ” ( MNHN; Fig. 110). Laboissière’s description is based on “nombreuse” specimens. Since none of them fulfils the conditions for a holotype, a lectotype is here designated. Type locality: Mozambique, Nova Chupanga, 18°02’S / 35°36’E .— Paralectotypes: 122 specimens with the same label data as the lectotype are paralectotypes (116 ex., MNHU, 6 ex. MZCP) .

Monolepta gossypiperda . Lectotype, male: “N. W. Rhodesia:, Livingstone, Zambesi R., 3.iii.1913., H. C. Dollman. / Monolepta , gossypiperda, Bry, G. E. Bryant det. / H. C. Dollman, Coll. 1919–79 / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1037, specimen data, documented, 15.II.2004 ” ( BMNH; Fig. 111). Bryant listed nine specimens collected by H. Dollman from Livingstone in iii.1913 as types, without designation of a holotype. A lectotype is here designated. Type locality: Zambia, Livingstone, 17°51'S / 25°52'E .— Paralectotypes: eight specimens with the same label data as the lectotype are paralectotypes ( BMNH) .

Other material examined. Botswana. 15 ex., San-ta wani, 19°27'S / 23°38'E, III .1993, M. Uhlig ( MNHU); 2 ex., Chobe Safari Lodge , 17°48'S / 25°08'E, III .1993, U. Göllner ( MNHU); 1 ex., San-ta Wani Safari Lodge , 19°27'S / 23°38'E, III .1993, U. Göllner ( MNHU) .— Malawi. 1 ex., Nyasaland, L. R . District, I.1950, M. H. Breese, gregarious on “bush” vegetation ( BMNH); 1 ex., Makoka, Zamia , II.1996, feeding on Sesbania, M. L. Cox det. 1996 ( BMNH) .— Mozambique. 4 ex., Manica Pr., Chitobe , 20°48'S / 32°57'E, XII .2005, Gussmann, Müller ( TMSA); 1 ex., Gorongosa Nat. Pk. , 18°58'S / 34°21'E, XII .2005, Gussmann, Müller ( TMSA) .— Namibia. 1 ex., Grootfontain , 19°32'S / 18°07'E, III .1987, R. Oberprieler ( SANC); 7 ex., Zambesi riv., Caprivi, I.1995, F. Kantner (CKa); 1 ex., Kavango, 18°14'S / 21°43'E, III .1994, M. Uhlig ( MNHU); 3 ex., Mahango Park , 18°9’S / 21°42’E, II.1998, U. Göllner ( MNHU) .— South Africa: Free State. 1 ex. OFS Clarens , 28°31’S / 28°25’E, II.1980, S.J. van Tonder ( SANC) ; South Africa: Gauteng. 4 ex., near Pretoria , 25°36'S / 28°21'E, XII .1996, Grobbelaar / Stals / Stiller ( SANC); 1 ex., Tswane , 30°49'S / 29°56'E, III .1973, A. Prinsloo ( SANC) ; South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal. 1 ex., Ndumu Game Reserve , 26°54'S / 32°17'E, XII .1992, Endrödy Younga ( TMSA); 17 ex., Nduma Store , 26°55'S / 32°18'E, XII .1992, Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA) ; South Africa: Limpopo. 1 ex., Limpopo River, Pafuri, 22°23'S / 31°13'E, II.1994, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 3 ex., Kruger Park, Pafuri Res. Camp, 22°25'S / 31°12'E, I.1994 – I.1995, C. L. Bellamy / Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA); 1 ex., Duiwelskloof , 23°42'S / 30°06'E, I.1987, V . M. Uys ( SANC); 13 ex., Transvaal, Hans Merensky Nat. Res. , 23°42'S / 30°44'E, I.1987, R . Oberprieler ( SANC); 37 ex., Vienna Game Farm, Hoedspruit , 24°17'S / 30°58'E, I.1991, B. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 2 ex., Transvaal , Lapalala Wilderness , 23°53'S / 28°20'E, I.1991, B. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 1 ex., Lekgalameetse Nat. Res. , 24°05'S / 30°15'E, XII .1995, F. Koch ( MNHU); 1 ex., Vienna Game Farm, near Hoedspruit, 24°17'S / 30°58'E, I.1991, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 2 ex., Nwanedi Resort, 22°38'S / 30°24'E, II.1994, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 7 ex., Kruger Park , Nyandu Sands , 22°38'S / 31°23'E, II.1994, Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA) ; South Africa: Mpumalanga. 1 ex., Kruger Park, Satara , 24°23'S / 31°46'E, II.1988, B. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 19 ex., Kruger Park, Pretorius Kop, 25°06'S / 31°23'E, II.1995, Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA); 29 ex., Kruger Park, Skukuza, 24°59'S / 31°38'E, C. L. Bellamy / Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA); 8 ex., Transvaal, Manyeleti G. R ., 24°38'S / 31°28'E, XI.1987, van Viegen ( TMSA) .— Zimbabwe. 16 ex., Gatooma, Dept. of Agric. S. Rhodesia , I.1947, feeding on Cotton ( BMNH) .