Neobarombiella frohnorum, Bolz & Wagner, 2012

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2012, 3463, Zootaxa 3463, pp. 1-112 : 85-86

Neobarombiella frohnorum sp. n.

( Figs 149–152)

Etymology. Named after Anna-Maria and Norbert Frohn, Helmut Bolz’s grandparents.

Total length. 4.35–4.85 mm (mean: 4.58 mm) (n=8).

Head. Frons, vertex and labrum yellow, labial and maxillary palpi brownish-yellow. Antenna yellowishbrown, brown from fifth antennomere to apex ( Fig. 149); length of second to third antennomere 0.59–0.67 (mean: 0.62), and length of third to fourth antennomere 0.63–0.69 (mean: 0.65) ( Fig. 151). Eyes large and with short interocular distance ( Fig. 149), width of eye to interocular distance 0.52–0.59 (mean: 0.55).

Thorax. Pronotum yellow; less distinctly trapezoidal; pronotal width 1.44–1.64 mm (mean: 1.54 mm), pronotal length 0.64–0.76 mm (mean: 0.72 mm), and pronotal length to width 0.44–0.49 (mean: 0.47). Elytron yellow with fine dark sutural margins, superficially punctuated; elytral length 3.20–3.65 mm (mean: 3.43 mm), elytral width 2.10–2.30 mm (mean: 2.22 mm), and maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.63–0.68 (mean: 0.65) ( Fig. 149). Meso- and metathorax yellow, legs yellow, tarsomeres brown; length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.47–0.50 (mean: 0.49).

Abdomen. Yellow.

Male genitalia. Median lobe short, slightly conical in ventral view, apex with a U-shaped incision, flanked by one pair of sclerotized ridges ( Fig. 150). Down-curved in lateral view, apically elongate with ventral sclerotized ridge; endophallic brush completely covered by tectum and median lobe, lacking sclerotized spiculae.

Diagnosis. Neobarombiella frohnorum sp. n. can best be characterized by its slender body and antennomeres, colouring, and the superficial punctuation of the elytra. The only species that are similar in appearance, and occur syntopically, are N. grotefendi sp. n. and N. budongoensis sp. n. Neobarombiella grotefendi sp. n. is smaller, total length 3.35–3.80 mm (4.35–4.85 mm in N. frohnorum sp. n.); has more coarsely punctuated elytra; and a small but characteristic median lobe ( Figs 149, 150, 157, 158). Neobarombiella budongoensis sp. n. has longer, more slender antennomeres and a different third to fourth antennomere ratio, 0.80–0.84 (0.63–0.69 in N. frohnorum sp. n.) ( Figs 131, 151).

Distribution. Recorded from a single location in Zambia.

Type material. Holotype, male: “N. W. Rhodesia, Mwengwa., 27°40’E. 13°S., 1.i.1914., H. C. Dollman / H. C. Dollman, Coll. 1919-79 / Holotype, Neobarombiella frohnorum, Bolz & Wagner 2010 / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1880, specimen data, documented, 10.III.2011 ” ( BMNH; Fig. 152). Type locality: Zambia, Mwengwa , 13°00'S / 27°40'E .— Paratypes: nine specimens with the same label data as the holotype are paratypes ( BMNH) .