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 remifera
(
Westwood, 1874
)
comb. nov.
(
Figs 76
,
97
,
124
,
149
, 150, 151)
Synonymy
Nemoptera remifera
Westwood, 1874: 179
.
Halter remifera
(Westwood)
:
Kirby 1900: 458
.
Etymology.
Unknown.
Type
locality.
South Africa
,
Western Cape Province
.
Uncertain
locality: “
Cape
of Good Hope”.
Klaarstroom
,
Prince Albert District
,
33°20S
22°33E
, subsequently designated as
type
locality by
Tjeder (1967: 490)
.
Type
depository.
BMNH
.
Diagnosis.
This species can easily be distinguished from its congeners by the rounded apex of the forewings (
Figs 149
, 150), the very short antennae and the extremely small rounded apical antennal segment that ends in a distal membranous part (
Figs 76
,
149
).
Size
(mm). Male: body length 9.5 (7.5–11.5); forewing 21.4 (19–23.8); hind wing 46.5 (41–52); antenna 14 (13–15); Female: body length 11–12; forewing 21–23.5; hind wing 44–50; antenna 12–13. (N = 7).
Type material.
Holotype
♀
(not examined).
Other material examined.
SOUTH AFRICA
,
Western Cape Province
.
1♂
4♀
, SAM–NEU–A001275,
Rooinek Pass
[
33°19’56’’S
20°55’34’’E
], C.P /
Nemopterella remifera
Westw
.,
♀
, det. Bo Tjeder 1966;
1♀
,
SAMC00177
,
Klaarstroom
,
Prince Albert
[District], C.P /
Nemopterella remifera
Westw.
, det.
Tjeder
1966. (
All
SAMC
)
.
1♂
,
NEUR09829
,
Prince Albert Dist.
,
Tierberg Research Station
,
33°07’39’’S
22°16’26’’E
,
4.x.1988
,
W.R.J.Dean
,
Light.
(
SANC
)
.
Distribution and habitat.
Afroptera remifera
is currently known from localities in the Succulent Karoo Biome in the
Western Cape Province
,
South Africa
(
Fig. 151
). The ranges are mainly in the Rainshadow Valley Bioregion with features of the Prince Albert Succulent Karoo vegetation unit (
Mucina & Rutherford 2006
). See description of the habitat under the distribution of
A. exigua
.
Remarks.
This species was originally described by
Westwood (1874)
and is in BMNH.
Tjeder (1967)
, in his taxonomic notes, mentioned that he was informed by Dr. D.E.Kimmins that the female
holotype
is in bad condition, with damaged meso- and metanotum and one of the hind wings being complete. Tjeder therefore resorted to redescribing the species using a female specimen from Klaarstroom, Prince Albert District, after which Kimmins compared it with the type specimen and confirmed their similarity. Our revision of this species is consequently based on Tjeder’s material that is in SAMC,
Cape
Town,
South Africa
.