Siccanda arenaria ( Tjeder, 1967 ) Abdalla & Mansell & Sole, 2019

Abdalla, Ishtiag H., Mansell, Mervyn W. & Sole, Catherine L., 2019, Revision of the southern African genera Nemopterella Banks and Nemia Navás (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae), with descriptions of new genera and species, Zootaxa 4635 (1), pp. 1-89 : 19-21

Siccanda arenaria ( Tjeder, 1967) comb. nov.

( Figs 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 , 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 33)

Synonymy

Nemopterella arenaria Tjeder, 1967: 463 .

Etymology. Unknown, but probably from the Latin arenarius (of sand) referent to the dry sandy area in which this species occurs.

Type locality. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province. Vioolsdrif , 28°50’S 17°39’E .

Type depository. TMSA

Diagnosis and description. As in genus.

Type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province: Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 29 ), TMSA02061 , HO- LOTYPE Neu 97, Nemopterella arenaria Tjeder (red–printed) / VIOOLSDRIF [28°50’S 17°39’E], 6-10.VIII.1961, van Son [G] & Vari [L] (white – printed) / Holotypus ♂, Nemopterella arenaria, Bo Tjeder, 1966 (red – handwritten). ( TMSA) .

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province: 8♂, NEUR10212 , Keimoes , 28°44’07’’S 20°56’19’’E, 24.viii.2009, C.Deschodt, Handnetted ; 13♂ 1♀, NEUR11813 , Koms Farm , 28°44’08’’S 20°56’15’’E, 730 m, 13.viii.2013, M.W.Mansell, J.B.Ball ; 2♂ 3♀, NEUR10212 , same locality but 23.ix.2013, P.de Vos ; 8♂, NEUR12534 , same locality but 12–13.viii.2014, J.B.Ball, Handnetted ; 2♂, NEUR09822 , Namaqual- and, Steinkopf [29°15’11’’S 17°43’52’’E], 3.ix.1986, R.Mijburgh (All SANC) . NAMIBIA, Karas District: 6♂, TMSA02199 , Farm Bergland, Gaapmouth into Fish River , 27°27’S 17°44’E, 826 m, 18.vii.2005, T.Bird / Nemopterella arenaria Tjeder, 1967 ♂, det. M.W.Mansell 2014; 1♂ 3♀, TMSA02196 , Witput Farm , 27°26’S 17°42’E, 571 m, T.Bird / Nemopterella arenaria Tjeder, 1967 ♂, det. M.W.Mansell 2014 (All TMSA) .

Distribution and habitat. This species is endemic to South Africa and Namibia ( Fig. 33 ). In South Africa, the species is known from localities in the Northern Cape Province that mainly fall within the Nama Karoo and Desert Biomes. The collection sites are in the Lower Gariep Broken Veld and Northern Nababiepsberge Mountain Desert vegetation units in the Bushmanland and West Griqualand and Gariep Desert Bioregions (Mucina & Ruth- erford 2006). The habitat in the former vegetation unit is characterised by extreme aridity and summer rains. The topographic featuress are plains with sparse low hills and mountains; vegetated mostly by dwarf shrubs, perennial grasses, herbs and scattered low trees. While in the latter vegetation unit the habitat is montane interspersed by deep valleys, mostly vegetated by succulent trees, leaf-succulent shrubs and perennial herbs. It receives predominantly late summer / early autumn rains with mean annual precipitation 45–70 mm ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006).

The species has also been recorded from sites located within the extension of the Nama Karoo Biome in Namibia.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Holotype, Nemopterella arenaria Tjeder, type species of the genus Siccanda with associated labels.

FIGURES 20–24. Siccanda arenaria (Tjeder). 20, Abdomen, lateral view; 21, Apex of male abdomen; 22, Parameres and gonarcus; 23, Gonarcus dorsal showing bases of the Parameres; 24(a), Anal area; 24(b), Pterostigma in forewing. Abbreviations as in Figs 3–7.

FIGURES 25–27. Siccanda arenaria (Tjeder). 25, Antennal apex; 26, Head; 27, Apical white portion of hind wing.

FIGURES 32–33. Distributions of Nemopterella and Siccanda spp. 32, N. cedrus sp. nov and N. kabas sp.nov; 33, Siccanda arenaria (Tjeder).