Neefia montana, Bellamy, C. L., 2003

Bellamy, C. L., 2003, The Madagascan Coraebini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae): Part 4, New genera and species, Zootaxa 174, pp. 1-19 : 8-11

Neefia montana , sp. nov.

(Figs. 4, 12, 14, 16, 20)

Description of Holotype. Small, 5.1 x 2.1 mm; body blue­green above including frontovertex of head and genal angle, upper surface of pronotum and elytral disc and on perimeter of abdominal ventrites, with a faint purple reflection present on humeri and on either side of scutellum; ventral portion of head below supra­antennal groove, thoracic ventrites and disc of abdominal ventrites black; legs black with faint blue­green reflection on distal end of femora; small narrow elongate area on lateral pronotal explanate area with short recurved white setae; one large elytral fascia extends from humeri to before middle, densely covered with orange setae; metacoxal plate with dense short recumbent off­white squamae on widened lateral third; surface imbrications elevated most strongly on pronotum; large, round deep punctures on head and pronotum, following imbrications; punctures on elytral more shallow, more elongate; punctures on underside small, shallow. Pronotum slightly more than 1.7 times wider than long, widest at about anterior 1/3; anterior margin biarcuate on either side of angulate median lobe; posterior margin bisinuate, median lobe truncate, rounded laterally; lateral margin slightly diverging from posterior margin to subparallel margin before narrowing to anterior angles. Genitalia as in Fig. 20.

Variation. The two female paratypes are 5.2 x 2.3 mm and 5.8 x 2.5 mm respectively. The smaller of these has the vertex, the elytral disc, the humeral and scutellar regions with purplish reflections, while the larger paratype is colored nearly identical to the holotype.

FIGSURES 1 ­ 9, dorsal habitus: Fig. 1, Dejongiella cavifrons ( Fairmaire, 1904) ; Fig. 2, Neefia semivestita , n. sp.; Fig. 3, Neefia magna , n. sp.; Fig. 4, Neefia montana , n. sp.; Fig. 5, Neefia gracilis , n. sp.; Fig. 6, Neefia humeralis , n. sp.; Fig. 7, Neefia rufofascia , n. sp.; Fig. 8, Neefia rufovestita , n. sp.; Fig. 9, Neefioides rufobasalis ( Fairmaire, 1897) .

11 Specimens examined. Holotype (MNHN); Madagascar Nord, Mont[agne]. d’Ambre, xii.1967, Vadon et Peyrieras; 2 paratypes, same data as holotype. Paratypes deposited in TNSC and CLBC.

Etymology. This species is named for its montane habitat.

Remarks. At the time the original color habitus figures were drawn, this species was not yet recognized and no such figure is available, but a photograph of the holotype is included. It comes nearest to N. semivittata and can be distinguished from that species as indicated in the species key below, from the difference between the male genitalia and by the restricted northern locality of this species.