Nebrioporus banajai ( Brancucci, 1980 )

Toledo, Mario, 2009, Revision in part of the genus Nebrioporus Régimbart, 1906, with emphasis on the N. laeviventris-group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Zootaxa 2040, pp. 1-111 : 79-80

Nebrioporus banajai ( Brancucci, 1980)

Fig. 36

Potamonectes banajai Brancucci (1980: 106) (orig. descr.); Brancucci (1984: 235).

Nebrioporus (s. str.) banajai ( Brancucci, 1980) ; Nilsson & Angus (1992: 287); Nilsson (2001: 170; 2003: 66).

Type locality. Saudi Arabia > Khaybar > Wadi Ghamra, 660 m.

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( NHMB) "17 Km before Khaybar, Wadi Ghamra, 660 m, 25. IV. 1979, KAU- HNHM Exp. N. Hedjaz " . Paratypes: 26 ♂♂ and 40 ♀♀, same data as holotype, in NHMB, BMNH, KAUJ, FPR, GWW, MBBA, SRF, HF .

Description. TL 4.7–5.5 mm; MW 2.4–2.5 mm. Oblong-oval, rather convex. Colouration reddish-yellow on on head and pronotum, yellow on elytra, with black markings.

Head reddish-yellow. Mouthparts reddish, with last article of maxillary palpi dark; antennae testaceous with articles 5-11 apically darkened. Genae black.

Pronotum transverse, maximum width at the base. Sides poorly rounded, distinctly bordered, posterior angles almost acute. Posterior side sinuate, angle between pronotum and elytra almost invisible.

Elytra oblong-oval, with maximum width just behind the middle of the length, covered by a fine yellow pubescence. Longitudinal rows of punctures visible.

Dorsal colouration ( Fig. 36a,b): pronotum with a fine dark band on posterior side, and two poorly developed discal spots. Elytra with dark patterns similar to those of Iranian specimens of N. lanceolatus (see below).

Underside black. Surface covered by dense but poorly impressed punctuation. Reticulation hardly visible between the punctures. Sternites with an apical comb of setae.

Legs reddish-yellow, with pro and mesotarsi darkened. Metatarsal segments darkened apically.

Male: Protarsi slightly dilated. Anterior claws ( Fig. 36d–e) unequal, both much shorter than in N. lanceolatus (see below): the outer is slightly longer than the fifth protarsal segment; the inner is very short and curved. Median lobe of aedeagus and parameres as in Fig. 36f,g.

Female: Lateral sides of pronotum more rounded and more finely bordered. Subapical spines on elytra a bit more developed than in males ( Fig. 36c), elytral apex poorly produced.

Notes. Comparing N. banajai with the types of Deronectes arabicus from Jeddah, it is clear that the latter are N. lanceolatus , due to the similar dorsal dark pattern and the long male foreclaws. Therefore, these records of N. lanceolatus for Arabia are not to be referred to N. banajai . Although it seems likely the two species live in the same territory, at this stage the data is insufficient to determine whether they are sympatric or are completely isolated from each other.

Distribution ( Fig. 51). Saudi Arabia. Known only from the type locality.