Afroptera Abdalla & Mansell, 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 : 21-22

Genus Afroptera Abdalla & Mansell gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E8B813D6-7EF4-41F1-AB14-239F3EAB8BF1

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the words Africa for the continent of Africa and part of the name Neuroptera since the genus is endemic to Africa.

The generic name Afroptera is feminine, despite the species name ( munroi ) being masculine, as it was named after Hugh Kenneth Munro ( Tjeder 1967).

Type species ( Fig. 111 ). Nemopterella munroi Tjeder, 1967 , designated here.

Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized species distinguished by: (1) Forewings hyaline without spots or shading between Cx, shading over proximal Cx towards wing base ( Fig. 38b ); (2) Subcostal and radial areas never shaded ( Fig. 38b ); (3) Pterostigma distinct comprising a single costal cell with yellowish brown or dark brown colour ( Fig. 38a ), adjacent costal cells before and after pterostigma never tinged ( Fig. 38a ); (4) Number of costal cells less than 30; (5) Hind wings with whitish area bearing white setae ( Fig. 41 ); (6) Apical segment of antennae partly or mainly membranous ( Fig. 39 ); (7) Fifth abdominal segment with pair of pleuritocavae ( Fig. 34 ); (8) Anal area never tinged ( Fig. 38 b ).

Description. Size (mm). Male: body length 6.1–12.8; forewing 15.9–27.8; hindwing 31.7–64.8; antenna 11– 27.4; Female: body length 8.5–14.1; forewing 17–26.3; hindwing 35.2–60.0; antenna 9.4–18.7.

Head. Small to medium-sized, without pubescence, with long rostrum, broad vertex and well defined epicranial and postfrontal sutures ( Fig. 40 ). Vertex much broader in females than males. In some species, vertex may have two yellow rounded spots near eye margins. Frons above antennae slightly elevated without transverse yellow spots as manifest in Nemia , Nemopterella and Siccanda . Eyes protruding, either large where their diameter equals length of genae or small less than length of genae and always widely separated. In males, antennae may be short not reaching pterostigma or long reaching beyond pterostigma or same length as forewings, covered with short setae arranged in circles over antennal surface. Apical segment of antennae partly or mainly membranous with narrow sclerotised, pigmented setaceous area at base of segment and along dorsal surface of membranous area ( Fig. 39 ). In females, antennae short not reaching pterostigma with apical segment typically ending in short, acute membranous portion.

Thorax. As in Nemopterella but mid and lateral stripes indistinct or with unstriped thorax in some species. Thorax in males with long hairs while in females hairs are short and sparse. Legs as in Nemopterella .

Forewings. As in Nemopterella but proximal Cx in most species distinctly shaded brown or dark brown, with costal cells never shaded. Subcostal, radial and anal areas never tinged. Number of Cx less than 30. Pterostigma distinct comprising a single costal cell with brown or dark brown colour, adjacent costal cells before and after pterostigma usually not tinged except in some species females adjacent cells partly tinged. Hind wings with black setation from wing base to dark area with white setae in apical white portion.

Abdomen. As in Nemopterella but longitudinal midstripe only present in a few species, dorsum uniformly brown in most, dark brown or blackish with yellowish, reddish or reddish yellow hind margins to tergites ( Fig. 34 ). Lateral abdominal stripes ill-defined in most cases or appearing as brown or greyish brown shading along lateral margins of tergite. Male and female genitalia as in Nemopterella .

Figures

FIGURES 111–114. Holotypes of Afroptera spp with their associated labels. 111, A. munroi (Tjeder) ♂; 112, A. nigrosetosa (Tjeder) ♂; 113, A. pruinosa (Tjeder) ♂; 114, A. sabuleti (Tjeder) ♂.

FIGURES 34–38. Afroptera munroi (Tjeder). 34, Abdomen, lateral view; 35, Apex of male abdomen; 36, Parameres and gonarcus; 37, Gonarcus dorsal view showing bases of the parameres; 38(a), Pterostigma in forewing; 38(b), Anal area in forewing. Abbreviations as in Figs 3–7.

FIGURES 39–41.Afroptera munroi (Tjeder). 39, Antennal apex; 40, Head; 41, Apical white portion in hind wing.