Bambara lanquidula, 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 : 160

Bambara lanquidula sp. n.

(Figs. 4, 20, 30, 47)

Habitus Fig. 4. Length +/- 673µ. Colour light brown/yellow. Width across eyes 208µ min, 211µ max, 210µ mean. Antennae +/- 256µ long. Pronotum length 185µ min, 197µ max, 191µ mean; width 338µ min, 339µ max, 339µ mean; ratio width/length 1.77. Detached elytron length 368µ min, 377µ max, 372µ mean; width 210µ min, 220µ max, 215µ mean; ratio length/width 1.73, Fig. 20. Ratio mean elytra length/mean pronotum length 1.95.

Male: aedeagus without any clear features to reliably distinguish it from other Bambara , Fig 47.

Female: spermatheca Fig. 30.

Etymology. From the Latin meaning somewhat faint or limp and referring to the insect's appearance.

Diagnosis. Based on the form of the spermatheca and the elytra. There is a possibility of confusion with edwardi if the spermatheca alone is studied but in lanquidula it is more broadly rounded. Additionally lanquidula is a smaller and paler species with antennae that are broadest at or close to the humeral angle whereas those of edwardi are widest at or near the middle (viewed when detached).

Type data: Holotype: ♂, Ranomafana N.P., sifting, S. 21°14'51" E.47°24'13", 1079 m, 16–18.xi.2010, P. Banar ( BMNH). Paratype: ♀, same data as holotype.

FIGURES 17–25. Elytra. 17, B. problematica ; 18, B. edwardi ; 19, B. merina ; 20, B. lanquidula ; 21, B. secubita ; 22, B. opaca ; 23, B. verecunda ; 24, B. thomasi ; 25, B. dybasi .