Neobarombiella suturalis ( Laboissière, 1923 ) Bolz & Wagner, 2012

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2012, 3463, Zootaxa 3463, pp. 1-112 : 56-58

Neobarombiella suturalis ( Laboissière, 1923) comb. n.

( Figs 46, 88–91)

Barombia suturalis Laboissière, 1923: 190 .

Total length. 3.45–4.65 mm (mean: 4.30 mm) (n=11).

Head. Frons, vertex and labrum yellow, vertex with small, medial, basally situated, black longitudinal line. Labial and maxillary palpi dark brown or black. Antenna brownish-yellow, becoming darker from the fourth antennomere to the apex ( Fig. 88); length of second to third antennomere 0.50–0.63 (mean: 0.55), and length of third to fourth antennomere 0.70–0.79 (mean: 0.74; Fig. 90). Eyes large with short interocular distance ( Fig. 88), width of eye to interocular distance 0.52–0.61 (mean: 0.56).

Thorax. Pronotum yellowish-brown, pronotal width 1.38–1.66 mm (mean: 1.54 mm), pronotal length 0.64–0.84 mm (mean: 0.75 mm), and pronotal length to width 0.45–0.52 (mean: 0.47). Elytron yellow in 80% of specimens examined, or brown in rest; dark brown outer elytral margins sharply delimited and very narrow; dark brown sutural margins broad in 80% of specimens examined, and narrow in rest; rarely (10% of specimens examined) with small diagonal brownish spot on humerus and another elongate-ovate medial spot alongside suture; slender, stark and coarsely punctuated; elytral length 2.60–3.60 mm (mean: 3.29 mm), elytral width 1.90–2.70 mm (mean: 2.27 mm), and maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.66–0.73 (mean: 0.69) ( Fig. 88). Meso- and metathorax yellowish-brown or brown, legs yellowish-brown, metatibia twice as long as basi-metatarsus, length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.45–0.53 (mean: 0.49).

Abdomen. Yellowish-brown or brown.

Male genitalia. Median lobe short and slightly conical in ventral view, with one pair of poorly sclerotized ridges alongside deep apical incision, elongate apically in lateral view; endophallic brush covered by tectum and medial lobe, lacking distinct sclerites or heavily sclerotised protrusions ( Fig. 89).

Diagnosis. Neobarombiella suturalis is best distinguished by its peculiar colouring, namely the black, basally situated, medial longitudinal line on the vertex, and the coarsely punctuated elytra. Although N. nigrita can have similar colouring, it has characteristically truncate elytron ( Fig. 24). Neobarombiella flavicollis is sometimes similar to N. suturalis but is duller in colour, and has more slender antenna and finer elytral punctuation. Neobarombiella medvedevi sp. n. ( Fig. 165) occurs syntopically with N. suturalis ( Fig. 88) but has sparsely punctuated elytra, lacks outer elytral and sutural margins, and is generally more slender, width of both elytra to length of elytron, 0.57–0.65 (0.66–0.73 in N. suturalis ); smaller eyes, width of eye to interocular distance, 0.42–0.52 (0.52–0.61 in N. suturalis ); and a longer pronotum, pronotal length to width 0.52–0.56 (0.45–0.52 in N. suturalis ). Neobarombiella cornuta sp. n. can also be similar to N. suturalis , but its more slender antenna and characteristic sclerotized hook at the apex of the median lobe provide characters allow separation of these species ( Figs 138, 139), as N. suturalis has shorter, broader antennomeres and no hook at the apex of the median lobe ( Figs 89, 90).

Distribution. Only recorded from Sierra Leone and Mali to the Ivory Coast ( Fig. 46).

Type material examined. Lectotype, female: “Ht. Sénégal, Badoumbé , Dr. Nodier, I à V-1882. / Type / Barombia , suturalis, m., V. Laboissière – Dét. / Le Moult Vend., via Reinbek, Eing. Nr. 1, 1957 / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1247, specimen data, documented, 26.IV.2006 “ ( ZMUH; Fig. 91). Type locality: Mali, Badoumbé, 13°30'N / 10°13'W .— Paralectotype: two specimens with the same label data as the lectotype are paralectotypes ( MNHN, MRAC). A lectotype is here designated .

Other material examined. Ivory Coast. 7 ex., Mont la Dent , 7°25'N / 7°34'W, II.1908, Kassebeer & Hilger ( ZFMK); 1 ex., Bouake, 9°37'N / 7°25'W, Capt. Le Magnen ( MNHN).— Sierra Leone. 5 ex., Tabuna Valley, 9°31'N / 12°26'W, X.1983, S. W. Murzin (CMe) .