Nephax sofadanus Pearman, 1935

Lienhard, Charles & Baz, Arturo, 2011, Redescription of the genus Marcenendius Navás (Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’: Amphientomidae) with a key to western Palaearctic amphientomids, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (3), pp. 451-466 : 463

Nephax sofadanus Pearman, 1935 Fig. 6 e-h

Nephax sofadanus Pearman, 1935: 134 (syntypes, male, figs).

Nephax sofadanus Pearman, 1935 : Lienhard, 1988: 369 (further description, male and female, designation of lectotype, figs); Lienhard, 1998: 139 (diagnosis, figs).

DISTRIBUTION: N. sofadanus is an eastern Mediterranean species known from the following countries. Israel ( Pearman, 1935; Lienhard, 1988). Cyprus ( Lienhard, 1998). Greece: Cyclades islands of Iraklia and Paros ( Lienhard, 1988); several unpublished records (leg. K. Thaler and C. Lienhard, material in the MHNG) from Crete and Dodecanese islands (Rhodes and Karpathos). Croatia: several localities near Split (leg. T. Radja, material in the MHNG).

DISCUSSION: All specimens of N. sofadanus known at present are brachypterous, they usually live under stones in open places incompletely covered by xerophytic shrub vegetation (e. g. Greek "phrygana" vegetation). Adults are rather well camouflaged by their mottled wing pattern due to scales, while nymphs are always "naked" ( Lienhard, 1998: plate 9h). A nymphal camouflage by dust particles has never been observed. The dorsal pilosity on thorax and abdomen is normal, neither corkscrew hairs as in Marcenendius nor glandular hairs as in nymphs of some other psocids are present (see discussion of Marcenendius fortunatus , above).

Figures

FIG. 6