Revision of the southern African genera Nemopterella Banks and Nemia Navás (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae), with descriptions of new genera and species
Author
Abdalla, Ishtiag H.
Author
Mansell, Mervyn W.
Author
Sole, Catherine L.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-07-12
4635
1
1
89
journal article
26219
10.11646/zootaxa.4635.1.1
de5c3cc9-9773-4e79-aaaf-0e964d7262f8
1175-5326
3335102
E1AC3BD4-6FCB-49F9-8069-624760C2CAF7
Afroptera munroi
(
Tjeder, 1967
)
comb. nov.
(
Figs 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
,
39, 40, 41
,
74
,
92
,
111
,
116
,
144
,
147
,
152
)
Synonymy
Nemopterella munroi
Tjeder, 1967: 470
.
Etymology
. The species was named after H.K.Munro (Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria) who collected the
type
specimens.
Type
locality.
South Africa
,
Northern Cape Province
.
Houmoed
,
29°18’53’’S
19°32’47’’E
.
Type
depository.
TMSA
.
Diagnosis.
Afroptera munroi
resembles
A. longicornis
and
A. brinkmani
by having similar pubescence patterns on the thorax and abdomen. It can be distinguished from
A. longicornis
by its shorter antennae (
Fig. 111
), indistinct lateral stripes on pronotum and mesonotum (
Fig. 92
) and less rounded apex on the forewings (
Fig. 116
). It is distinguished from
A. brinkmani
by the smaller body size, less concave vertex and the yellowish hind margin of the vertex (
Fig. 144
).
Size
(mm). Male: body length 10.2 (8.3–13.8); forewing 24.3 (21.1–27.6); hind wing 54.9 (42.7–63.5); antenna 20.9 (16.5–24.1); Female: body length 11 (9–12.3); forewing 23.5 (20.5–25.5); hind wing 49.8 (43.2–56.8); antenna 12.9 (9–12.3) (N = 139).
Type material examined.
SOUTH AFRICA
,
Northern Cape Province
.
Holotype
♂
,
TMSA02068
,
HOLO- TYPE
Neu
98,
Nemopterella munroi
Tjeder
(red printed label) /
Houmoed
, N.W.
Cape
[
29°18’53’’S
19°32’47’’E
],
20.X.1955
,
H.K.Munro
(white handwritten label)
/
Holotypus
♂
,
Nemopterella munroi
Tjed, Bo Tjeder 1966
(red handwritten label). (
TMSA
)
.
Paratypes
:
5♂
1♀
,
NEUR08902
,
Gelykswerf
,
Richtersveld, C.P.
,
x.1956
,
H.K.Munro
(white printed label)
/
Paratypus
,
Nemopterella munroi
Tjed., Bo Tjeder 1966
(red handwritten label). (
SANC
).
1♂
3♀
, SAM–NEU–A001225,
Aggeneys
,
Bushmanland Btw Springbok
and
Pella
(white printed label)
/
Paratypus
,
Nemopterella munroi
, Bo Tjeder 1966
(red handwritten label). (
SAMC
)
.
Other material examined
.
SOUTH AFRICA
,
Northern Cape Province
.
5♂
,
TMSA
00759, Houmoed, [
29°18’53’’S
19°32’ 47’’E
],
20.X.1955
, H.K.Munro;
2♂
5♀
,
TMSA
00730, Richtersveld, Omsberg Water,
23.ix.1991
, M.Krüger (All
TMSA
).
1♂
1♀
,
NEUR
08917, Richtersveld, Gelykswerf,
x.1956
, H.K,Munro;
16♂
6♀
,
NEUR
08913, Richtersveld near Rosyntjieberg,
28°24’S
17°11’E
, (2817Ac),
350m
,
11.x.1974
, M.W.Mansell, H.D.Brown;
4♂
2♀
,
NEUR
12583, Kelkiewyn Farm,
Calvinia District
,
31°12’01’’S
19°41’33’’E
,
22–23.x.
2013
, 681m, C.H.Scholtz;
3♂
1♀
,
NEUR
12343, same locality,
1.x.2015
, C.H.Scholtz /
Nemopterella munroi
Tjeder, 1967
♂
Det. M.W.
Mansell 2016
;
2♀
,
NEUR
11812, same locality,
1.x.2012
, J.B.Ball, M.W.Mansell;
1♂
2♀
,
NEUR
11811, same locality,
25.x.2011
, C.H.Scholtz;
3♂
1♀
,
NEUR
10895, same locality,
26.ix.2010
, C.H.Scholtz;
2♂
1♀
,
NEUR
10226, Nu- welande Farm,
Calvinia District
,
31°10’50’’S
19°40’08’’E
,
664m
,
15.x.2009
, J.de Klerk;
14♂
17♀
,
NEUR
00710, Groblershoop,
26°53’44’’S
21°59’04’’E
,
6–9.x.1986
, C.G.E.Moolman, Collected at light;
1♂
,
NEUR
09822, Nam- aqualand, Steinkopf [
29°15’11’’S
17°43’52’’E
],
3.ix.1986
, R.Mijburgh. (All
SANC
).
NAMIBIA
,
Karas District
.
18♂
2♀
,
NEUR
08904, S.W.AFRICA, Diamond Area no 1, nr Aurusberg,
300m
,
27°32’S
16°10’E
, (2716Ca),
22.x.1974
, M.W.Mansell, H.D.Brown;
2♂
,
NEUR
08903, same locality,
23.x.1974
, M.W.Mansell;
10♂
7♀
,
NEUR
08941, Hohen- fels,
28°30’S
16°37’E
,
100m
,
21.x.–5.xi.1994
, C.J.Klok. S.L.Chown, C.H.Scholtz. (All
SANC
).
FIGURES 107–110.
Holotypes of
Afroptera
spp with their associated labels. 107,
A. aequabilis
(Tjeder)
♂; 108,
A. longicornis
(Tjeder)
♂; 109,
A. olivacea
(Tjeder)
♂; 110,
A. apicalis
(Tjeder)
♂.
Distribution and habitat.
This species is known from the Northern Cape Province and
Namibia
(
Fig. 152
). The distribution is centred in the Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and Desert Biomes. In the Succulent Karoo Biome, the species range falls mainly within the Central Richtersveld Mountain Shrubland and Hantam Karoo vegetation units in the Richtersveld and Trans-Escarpment Succulent Karoo Bioregions, respectively (
Mucina & Rutherford 2006
). In the former vegetation unit, the topography of the area is steep and montane in some parts with deep canyons and large valleys in others. It is characterised by loamy sands, sandy and loam soils. It receives winter rains with an average of
60–299 mm
per year (
Mucina & Rutherford 2006
). The vegetation cover mainly consists of succulent shrubs, low shrubs and herbs. The range of distribution also extends northwards into southern
Namibia
along the Orange River. The Hantam Karoo vegetation unit is dry and lies between Nieuwoudtville and Calvinia, vegetated with dwarf karoo shrubs and succulent plants. It receives predominantly winter rains with a MAP
190 mm
(
Mucina & Rutherford 2006
). In the Nama Karoo Biome, the species seems to be associated with two different habitats in the Bushmanland Bioregion. It has been reported from the Bushmanland Sandy Grassland and Bushmanland Arid Grassland vegetation units where the vegetation cover comprises mainly
Stipagrostis
grass species (
Mucina & Rutherford 2006
).