7. Aphelopus vernonensis Olmi, 2009

(Figs 13E, G)

Aphelopus vernonensis Olmi 2009b: 449 .

Description. ♀. Fully winged; body length 1.4–1.7 mm. Head black, except mandible testaceous; antenna brown, except scape and pedicel testaceous; mesosoma black; metasoma brown; legs testaceous, occasionally with metacoxa and metafemur darkened. Antenna filiform; antennomeres in following proportions: 5:4:4:4:4:4:4:4:4:6. Head dull, granulate; frontal line absent; occipital carina complete; POL = 6; OL = 4; OOL = 3.5; OPL = 1.5; TL = 3; greatest breadth of posterior ocellus shorter than OL (2:4). Mesoscutum dull, granulate. Notauli complete and posteriorly separated (minimum distance between notauli about as long as OL) or incomplete and reaching about 0.3–0.6 × length of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum and metanotum shiny, unsculptured. Metapectal-propodeal disc reticulate rugose; propodeal declivity with two longitudinal keels and median area smooth, not rugose. Forewing hyaline, without dark transverse bands; 2r-rs&Rs vein shorter than in other Aphelopus species (as in Fig. 13G). Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

♂. Fully winged; body length 1.6–2.2 mm (holotype 1.6 mm). Head black (occasionally brown), except man- dible and clypeus testaceous (occasionally mandible, clypeus, malar space and anterior third of frons testaceous; in specimens from Madagascar, 21°15.05’S 47°24.43’E, head black, except mandible testaceous and clypeus brown); antenna brown, except scape testaceous (in ♂ from Madagascar, 22°53.19’S 44°41.53’E, scape and pedicel testa- ceous); mesosoma black, occasionally brown; metasoma brown; legs testaceous, occasionally with stalk of metafemur darkened. Antenna filiform; antennomeres of holotype in following proportions: 3:3.5:4:4:4:5:5:5:5:8 (in large specimens 5:4.5:4:5:6:7:7:7:7:10). Head dull, granulate; in holotype frontal line present only in anterior half of frons (occasionally frontal line complete; in specimen from Madagascar, 21°15.05’S 47°24.43’E, frontal line absent in front of anterior ocellus, present in rest of frons); occipital carina complete; POL = 6; OL = 3; OOL = 3; OPL = 2; TL = 2; greatest breadth of lateral ocelli as long as OPL. Mesoscutum dull, granulate. Notauli incomplete, reaching about 0.3–0.5 × length of mesoscutum (in specimen from South Africa, 29°39.23’S 30°27.41’E, notauli reaching about 0.7 × length of mesoscutum; in specimens from South Africa, 28°29.72’S 23°57.85’E, and Madagascar, 21°15.05’S 47°24.43’E, notauli reaching about 0.8 × length of mesoscutum). Mesoscutellum dull, granulate. Metanotum shiny, unsculptured. Metapectal-propodeal disc and propodeal declivity reticulate rugose; occasionally propodeal declivity with two complete longitudinal keels. Forewing hyaline, without dark transverse bands; 2r-rs& Rs vein vein shorter than in other Aphelopus species (Fig. 13G). Basivolsella (Fig. 13E) with lateral distal process, with 1–2 subdistal bristles and distal lateral process. Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

Material examined. Type: ♂ holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 250 m, 30°17.4’S 30°36.9’E, 24.I–10.V.2006, MT, M. Mostovski leg. (NMSA) . Other material: KENYA: Central Prov., Mt. Kenya, Ragati, 6800 ft., 25.VIII.1983, F. Buna leg. , 1♂ (AMNH); Coast Prov., Taita Hills, Ngangao Forest, 3.36100°S 38.34186°E, 1848 m, 22.VIII–5.IX.2012, MT, indigenous forest, R. Copeland leg. , 1♀ (NMK); Western Prov., Kakamega District, Kakamega Forest, Kisere Forest Reserve, 00°23.73’N 34°53.165’E, 5400 feet, XI.2001, Manfred Kraemer & Co ., 1♂ (MOLC). MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana, Marojejy National Park, Manantenina river, 27.6 km 35° NE Andapa, 9.6 km 327° NNW Manantenina, 14°26.06’S 49°45.36’E, 775 m, 11–14.XII.2005, MT, rainforest, B.L. Fisher et al. leg., BLF13383 , 1♂ (MOLC), 1♀ (CAS); Antsiranana, Montagne d’Ambre National Park, 12°30’52’’S 49°10’53’’E, 960 m, 21–28.I.2001, MT, M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger & R. Harin’Hala leg., MA- 01-01A-01 , 1♂ (MOLC); Ranomafana National Park, Belle Vue at Talatakely, 21°15.99’S 47°25.21’E, 1020 m, 10– 21.III.2003, MT, secondary tropical forest, R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-09C-56 , 1♂ (MOLC); same locality label, 4–12.II.2002, MA-02-09C-15, 2♂♂ (CAS); same locality label, 2–10.I.2002, MA-02-09C-10, 1♂ (MOLC); same locality label, 28.V–6.VI.2003, MA-02-09C-62, 1♂ (CAS); same locality label, 13–23.VI.2002, MA-02-09C-32, 1♂ (CAS); same locality label, 12–19.II.2002, MA-02-09C-16, 1♂, 1♀ (CAS); same locality label 22–28.XI.2001, MA-02-09C-04, 1♀ (CAS); Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, Vohiparara, at broken bridge, 21°13.57’S 47°22.19’E, 1110 m , 15–22.XI.2001, MT in high altitude rainforest, R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-09A-07, 2♂♂ (CAS); Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, Vohiparara, 21°13.67’S 47°22.19’E, at broken bridge, 1110 m , 25.VII–3.VIII.2002, MT, high altitude rainforest, R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-08A-36, 1♂ (CAS); Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana, JIRAMA water works, 21°14.91’S 47°27.13’E, 690 m , 15–22.XI.2001, MT near river, R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-09D-03, 1♂ (CAS); Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, radio tower at forest edge, 21°15.05’S 47°24.43’E, 1130 m , 15–25.VII.2002, MT, mixed tropical forest, R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-09B-35, 1♂ (MOLC); same locality label, 9–20.III.2003, MA-02-09B-55, 1♂ (CAS); same locality label, 15–21.XII.2001, MA-02-09B- 07, 3♂♂ (CAS), 2♀♀ (CAS, MOLC); same locality label, 22–28.XI.2001, MA-02-09B-04, 3♂♂ (CAS); same locality label, 27.IV–7.V.2003, MA-02-09B-59, 1♂ (MOLC); same locality label, 14–21.I.2002, MA-02-09B-12, 2♂♂, 1♀ (MOLC); same locality label, 27.VI–7.VII.2003, MA-02-09B-65, 1♂, 1♀ (CAS); Toliara, Zombitse Na- tional Park, near ANGAP office, 22°53.19’S 44°41.53’E, 840 m , 9–19.XI.2001, MT, deciduous spiny forest, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker & R. Harin’Hala leg., MA-02-13A-02, 1♂ (CAS). SOUTH AFRICA: Free State, Sterkfontein Dam, 28°29.72’S 23°57.85’E, 1780 m , 10.XII.2005, YPT, M. Mostovski leg., 1♂ (NMSA); KwaZulu-Natal, Ash- burton, 29°39.23’S 30°27.41’E, 11.IV–11.V.2006, MT, G. Whiteley leg., 1♂ (MOLC) .

Hosts. Unknown.

Distribution. Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa.