Afronurus cervina (Braasch & Soldan, 1984)

Figs 1A-E, 2A-E, 3A-E, 4A-E, 17A, B

Cinygmina cervina Braasch & Soldán, 1984: 196, figs 14-32, original description (male and female imago, nymph); Venkataraman and Sivaramakrishnan 1989: 118, figs 7, 10 (nymph).

Afronurus cervina - Boonsoong and Braasch 2013: 85.

Material examined.

13 nymphs, Chanthaburi Prov., Rattanaburi resort, 12°31'39.9216"N, 102°10'38.9064"E 41 m, 4.V.2023, B. Boonsoong leg. (ZMKU); 5 nymphs, Kanchanaburi Prov., Huai Pilok, 1 4°39'52.7"N, 98°33'00.3"E, 132 m, 31.I.2019, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 4 nymphs, Kanchanaburi Prov., Ban Tao Tan, 14°38'58.199"N, 98°34'55.8006"E, 166 m, 31.I.2019, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 7 nymphs, Tak Prov., Oum Yom, 16°48'15.7"N, 99°00'08.3"E, 249 m, 26.XII.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 24 nymphs, Ratchaburi Prov., Bor Klueng, 13°31'27.3612"N, 99°14'39.3606"E, 180 m, 24.XI.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 9 nymphs, Loei Prov., Nam Thob, 17°15'36.50"N, 101°34'52.90"E, 376 m, 17.XII.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 17 nymphs, Ratchaburi Prov., Kang Som Maew, 13°24'22.32"N, 99°6'43.74"E, 207 m, 24.XI.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 6 nymphs, Phetchaburi Prov., Huai Sat Yai, 12°38'13.5"N, 99°30'59.34"E, 162 m, 25.II.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU); 7 nymphs, Prachuap Khiri Khan Prov., Huai Sam Rong, 12°3'49.68"N, 99°37'38.76"E, 103m, 25.II.2018, W. Anuntaya leg. (ZMKU) .

Description.

Nymph. See Braasch and Soldán (1984: 196-197, 199, figs 17-32, original description).

Adult. See Braasch and Soldán (1984: 196-197, 199, figs 14-16, original description), Braasch (1990: 8).

Diagnosis.

Nymph of Afronurus cervina (Fig. 1A) has unique characteristics such as a brown abdomen with pale mark and tergites III-IX with two pairs of longitudinal marking on median and lateral. Markings fused on tergites VIII-IX whereas tergite X is dark (Fig. 1B), and no marking on sternites (Fig. 1C). In addition, no marking on anterior margin of head (Fig. 1D). Gill V (Fig. 2A) and gill VI (Fig. 2B) obliquely rounded, triangular, with small projection, and gill VII (Fig. 2C) broad, asymmetrically oval. Marking pattern of hind femur as Figs 1E, 2D. Bristles on the dorsal face of the hind femur are blunt in shape (Fig. 2E).

Adult of Afronurus cervina can be distinguished from other Afronurus species by its abdominal patterns, dark brown in a band down the middle and yellow along the margin, tergites III-VIII with a pair of thick stripes on the submedian, all tergites with a longitudinal median dark band (Fig. 3A, B). Genital plate emarginated, penis lobes enlarged with terminal edge jagged, between each lobe with cone shaped tubercle (Fig. 3C). The titillators are short, canine tooth-like (Fig. 17A, B). Subanal plate of female adult tongue-shaped and slightly truncated at tip (Fig. 3D). Fore and hind wing as Fig. 3E.

Eggs.

Chorionic surface of the egg with large KCTs (knob-terminated coiled threads) or equatorial KCT (eKCT) and small KCTs or polar KCT (pKCT) (Fig. 4A). Both poles were covered with dense pKCTs. Equatorial areas were smooth (Fig. 4B) surrounded with eKCTs and micropyle (M) between eKCTs (Fig. 4C).

Distribution.

Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Loei, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi and Tak provinces (Fig. 18).

Remarks.

Afronurus cervina was found for the first time in Ho Chi Min, Vietnam (Braasch and Soldán 1984), then reported in Ban Nam Tok (Chiang Rai province) by Braasch (1990). In this study, we found A. cervina at several localities along the northern to southern regions of Thailand. Afronurus cervina was found underneath the cobble substrate in slow running water, but can live in wide range of habitats, such as disturbed areas (as in Nakhon Nayok province) and head water streams (as in Loei province). The optimal altitude is between 24 to 527 meters. The abdominal pattern of nymph of A. cervina is quite similar to A. palawanensis (Braasch and Freitag 2008), but it can be distinguished by the markings on the anterior area of the head (Braasch and Soldán 1984).