Genus Navorillina Fennah
Navorillina bothrops Fennah
Genus Navorillina Fennah 1964: 160
Type species: Navorillina bothrops Fennah 1964 (by original designation)
Known species: The type species, from Central Australia (see discussion below), is the only one known in this genus.
Comments: This species has the tegmina narrowing appreciably towards the apex. The frons is also uneven, with three low rounded humps, one in the centre and one against each eye.
The type locality given for this species, Central Australia: Navorillina, is unknown. No locality matching this name can be located on any map/atlas of Central Australia available to the author of these pages, including a search of the Auslig online locality search facility at https://anzlic.org.au/. A re-examination of the original data labels (by M.D. Webb, BMNH, to whom I am very grateful for the following information) has revealed that the type series was originally three specimens on the one mount. One (the holotype) has been remounted on its own and the data label copied in the same hand as the determination label. This was presumably done by R.G. Fennah who interpreted the locality as Navorillina when he designated the holotype. However, the original data label has a printed "Central Aust." and, in a different hand to the holotype labels, a handwritten locality which has the pin passing through the first part of the word. The collector was "Capt. S.A. White". Musgrave (1932) lists two papers published by Capt S.A. White, a prominent South Australian ornithologist who collected insects as well as birds. The papers describe two excursions White made into Central Australia, providing maps of the routes taken. On White's (1914) route is "Moorilyanna N Well" situated along the Alberga River, west of Mt Chandler which is in the northern part of South Australia at 26° 57'S 133° 16'E. The first part of this name up to the first 'l' could be correct for the data label which was written by A.M. Lea from information sent by White so it is also possible that a mistake in transcription could have been made by Lea. Musgrave (1932) notes that the insects collected were sent to specialists with the Coleoptera going to A.M. Lea who published on them in 1914 (Lea 1914) including the note "the bugs have been sent to Mr. Distant (of the British Museum), but the manuscript relating to same has not yet been received".
Navorillina bothrops Fennah