Afrania brachyptera (Schaum, 1853) stat. restit.

(Fig. 7)

Agonoscelis brachyptera Schaum, 1853: 357 (description, faunistics). Syntype (s): Mozambique (ZMHB?).

Strachia Wahlbergi Stål, 1854: 220 (description, faunistics): Syntype (s): South Africa: ‘Habitat in tractibus fluvii Limpopo’ [= in arcs of the river Limpopo] (NHRS). Synonymised by Stål (1865: 181) with a question mark, but treated as valid species by Stål (1876: 85), syn. restit.

Agonoscelis brachyptera: Dohrn (1859): 12 (catalog).

Strachia Wahlbergi: Dohrn (1859): 17 (catalog).

Agonoscelis brachyptera: Schaum (1862): 37−38, Pl. II: Fig. 2 (redescription, figure of habitus).

Afrania Wahlbergi: Stål (1865): 180 −181 (redescription, new combination, new synonymy, faunistics); Walker (1867a): 234 (catalog, faunistics).

Sala colorata Walker, 1867b: 405 (description). Syntypes (2 unsexed specimens): ‘E. Africa. Presented by Earl Russell’ (BMNH). Synonymised by Distant (1900b: 390).

Afrania Wahlbergii (incorrect subsequent spelling): Stål (1876): 60, 85 (key to genera, catalog).

Afrania brachyptera: Stål (1876): 85 (catalog; as valid species); Distant (1889): 386 (faunistics); Lethierry & Severin (1893): 151 (catalog, as synonym of wahlbergi); Kirkaldy (1909): 98 (catalog, as synonym of wahlbergi); Robertson (2009): 215 −216 (catalog, as synonym of wahlbergi).

Afrania Wahlbergi: Lethierry & Severin (1893): 151 (catalog); Distant (1898): 297, 306, 311 (faunistics); Distant (1900b): 390 (new synonymy); Distant (1900c): 434 (new synonymy).

Sala colorata: Lethierry & Severin (1893): 207 (catalog); Distant (1900b): 390 (new synonymy); Distant (1900c): 434 (new synonymy).

Afrania Wahlbergi: Schouteden (1909): 56 (listed); Jeannel (1913): 39 (distribution); Schumacher (1913): 55 (faunistics); Courteaux (1922): 269 (faunistics).

Afrania wahlberg i: Kirkaldy (1909): 98, 371 (catalog); Robertson (2009): 215 −216 (catalog).

Material examined. BOTSWANA: Shakawe-Camp, 22.−24. ii.1998, 1 ♀, U. Göllner lgt. (ZMHB).— DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Katanga: Elisabethville [= Lumumbashi], I.G. 12.204, 24. xii.1938, 1 ♂, H. J. Brédo lgt. (ISNB).— MALAWI (Nyasaland): Nyassa, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Distant Coll. (BMNH); Chiromo, no date, 1 ♀, R. C. Wood lgt., Uvarov det. (BMNH); Chiromo, 400 ft [= 122 m a.s.l.], 17.–20. iv.1910, 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Fort Johnston, 1 spec., P. Rendall lgt., Distant Coll. (BMNH); Kondowe to Karonga, vi.1896, 3 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, A. Whyte lgt. (BMNH); Lingadzi, nr. Domira Bay, 1700 ft [= 518 m a.s.l.], 1. vi.1915, 1 ♀, W. A. Lamborn lgt. (BMNH); Lower Shire Valley, nr. Chikawa, 600 ft [= 183 m a.s.l.], 12.–16. iv.1910, 1 ♂ (newly hatched), S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Malperera, no date, 1 ♂, H. Malcolm Ross lgt. (BMNH); between Mvera and L. Nyasa, 12.–21. x.1910, 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Domira Bay, W. shore L. Nyasa, 18.–21. x.1910, 4 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Mlanje, 21. i.1913, 1 ♂, 22. i.1913, 1 ♂, 24. iii.1913, 1 ♂, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Mlanje Boma, 2,400 ft [= 732 m a.s.l.], 26.–30.iv. and 3.–5. v.1910, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, S. A. Neave (BMNH); W. shore of L. Nyasa between Domira Bay and Kotakota, 1 ♀, 29.x.–3. xi.1910, 1 ♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); Angoniland, Brit. Cent. Af., 1 ♀, C. B. C. Storey lgt. (BMNH).— MOZAMBIQUE: Beira env., Manga, 27. vii.1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Haut Nhamapaza, Forêt, S d. de Maringoué, vi.1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Prov de Gorongoza, Tendos du Sungoué et Riy Vunduzi, 40 m a.s.l., 1907, 1 ♀, G. Vasse lgt. (MNHN); Vallée du Pompoué, vii.1929, 1 ♂, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Zambéze, Chiramba, 3. ii.1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Zambéze, Nova Choupanga prés Chemba, v.1928, 1 ♀, 5. vi.1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Zambéze, Sijal, 1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Zambéze, Tambara, ii.1929, 1 ♀, P. Lesne lgt. (MNHN); Zambéze, 1882, 1 ♂, Durand lgt., J. Martin 1898 det. (MNHN); E, Lumbo, ix.1983, 1 ♀, F. Králík lgt. (ZJPC).— SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng: Transv[aal], Pret[oria] Mus[eum], 1 ♀, Distant Coll. (BMNH); Transvaal, Pretoria, feeds on lucerne, 20. xii.1915, 1 ♂, C. Fuller lgt. (BMNH). KwaZulu-Natal: Natal, St. Lucia Park, Charter’s Creek (28°12′S 32°26′E), 2. xii.1995, 1 ♂, Koch lgt. (ZMHB); Weenen, iii.1925, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, xi.1928 – iii.1929, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀, H. P. Thomasset lgt. (BMNH).— TANZANIA: Tanganyika: Ilonga, 17. x.1962, 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, E. S. Brown lgt. (BMNH); Kondoa, 1885, 4 ♀♀, Bloyet lgt. (MNHN); Tanganyka, Lake Nyassa, 9°30´S 34°00´E, 1,600 ft [= 488 m a.s.l.], 28. viii.1958, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Cambridge E. African Exped. (BMNH); Songea, 1100 m a.s.l., 28.iv.−2. v.1936, 1 ♀, Zerny lgt. (NHMW). Zanzibar: Zanzibar 77/4, no details, 1 ♀ (BMNH).— UGANDA: N, Parages du Rodolphe, 1905, 1 ♂, M. de Rothschild lgt. (MNHN).— ZAMBIA: Haut-Zambéze, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, E. Foa lgt., J. Martin 1898 det. (MNHN); N. E. Rhodesia, Niamadzi R., Nr. Nawalia, 2,000 ft [= 610 m a.s.l.], 17.–22. viii.1910, 2 ♀♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); N. E. Rhodesia, near Petauke, 2,400 ft [= 732 m a.s.l.], 18.–20. ix.1910, 2 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); N. E. Rodesia, Upper Luangwa R., 27.vii.–13. viii.1910, 1 ♂ 3 ♀♀ 3 larvae, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); N. E. Rhodesia, Luwumbu Valley, Upper Luangwa, 2,500–3,500 ft [= 762−1067 m a.s.l.], 19.–26. vii.1910, 5 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ 3 larvae, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH); N. E. Rhodesia, Mid Luangwa V[alle]y, 3– 1,800 ft [= 0.9− 549 m a.s.l.], 23.–31. viii.1910, 4 ♂♂ 1 ♀, S. A. Neave lgt. (BMNH, 1 ♂ NMPC); N. E. Rhodesa, L. Bangweulu dist., N’Salushi Island, from rough grass, 16. xi.1946, 1 ♀, M. Steele lgt. (BMNH).— ZIMBABWE: Matopos NP, 3.−7. i.1995, 1 ♂, W. Howorka lgt. (NHMW); Mashonaland, Umpuli Riv., 1 ♂ 1 spec., G. W. Marshall lgt., Distant Coll. (BMNH); Matabele, 1 ♂, Distant Coll. (BMNH).

Distribution. Angola (Schumacher 1913, as ‘ Angola: Sumpfgebiet des Maschi von Sambala bis Ra-unga [= marshland of Maschi (= Kwando river) environs from Sambala to Ra-unga (?= Rundu)’], Botswana (new record), Democratic Republic of the Congo: Katanga (new record), Kenya (Courteaux 1922), Malawi (Distant 1898; this paper), Mozambique (Schaum 1853, 1862; this paper), Namibia (Schumacher 1913, as ‘Deutsche Sambesigebiet’), South Africa (Stål 1865, Walker 1867a, Distant 1898; this paper), Tanzania: Tanganyika, Zanzibar (new record), Uganda (new record), Zambia (Schumacher 1913, as ‘West-Barothe [= Western Barotseland]’; this paper), Zimbabwe (Distant 1889, 1898; this paper).

Note. Agonoscelis brachyptera was briefly described by Schaum (1853) from Mozambique; detailed description and colour figure of habitus were published later by Schaum (1862). Stål’s description of Strachia Wahlbergi from South Africa, Limpopo Province, though published with year 1853, actually appeared a year later (Stål 1854: 220). Stål (1865: 181) treated Agonoscelis brachyptera as a synonym of Afrania wahlbergi with a question mark, but Stål (1876: 85) listed Afrania brachyptera as a valid species without any comment. Lethierry & Severin (1893) and Kirkaldy (1909) catalogued Afrania wahlbergi Stål, considered as published in 1853, with Afrania brachyptera Schaum as its junior synonym, because attributed to Schaum (1862), not to Schaum (1853). Robertson (2009) listed ‘ Strachia wahlbergi Stål, 1853 ’ and ‘ Agonoscelis brachyptera Schaum, 1853 ’ as its junior synonym. With respect to the principle of priority, Afrania brachyptera (Schaum, 1853), stat. restit., must be considered the valid name for the species, with Afrania wahlbergi (Stål, 1854), syn. restit., being its junior synonym.