Afroptera nigrosetosa Abdalla & Mansell & Sole 2019, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Abdalla, Ishtiag H.
name: Mansell, Mervyn W.
name: Sole, Catherine L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Neuroptera
Nemopteridae
Afroptera
Afroptera nigrosetosa

description: Afroptera nigrosetosa (Tjeder, 1967) comb. nov.
(Figs 70, 91, 112, 122, 145, 153)
Synonymy
Nemopterella nigrosetosa Tjeder, 1967: 480.
Etymology. Unknown, but probably derived from the Latin words nigra (black) and setosus (seta) (black setae) for the black pubescence on the prescutum and abdominal venter.
Type locality. South Africa, Northern Cape Province, Soebatsfontein, 30°07’08’’S 17°35’27’’E.
Type depository. TMSA.
Diagnosis. Morphologically similar to A. sabuleti, with slender forewings, blackish abdomen and the same pubescence patterns on the abdomen and thorax. However, A. nigrosetosa is typified by the yellowish brown vertex with a pair of round spots near the eye margins (Fig. 145), while in A. sabuleti the vertex is reddish yellow without spots.
Size (mm). Male: body length 9.8 (8.6–11.5); forewing 23.0 (20–25.8); hind wing 53.0 (45–60.9); antenna 19.3 (15.1–22.6). Female: body length 12.4 (11–14.1); forewing 22.9 (19.3–25.6); hind wing 51.6 (42.3–60.3); antenna 13.6 (12.9–15). (N = 56).
Type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province. Holotype ♂ (Fig. 112), TMSA02069, HOLOTYPE Neu 043, Nemopterella nigrosetosa Tjeder (red printed label) / SOEBATSFONTEIN [30°07’08’’S 17°35’27’’E], 13–14.11’33, G.van Son (white printed label) / Holotypus ♂ Nemopterella nigrosetosa Tjed., Bo Tjeder 1966 (red handwritten label). Paratypes: 2♂ 14♀, same data as holotype. (All TMSA).
Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province. 2♂ 26♀, TMSA00762, Soebatsfontein [30°07’08’’S 17°35’27’’E], 13– 14.11.1933, G.van Son / Nemopterella nigrosetosa Tjeder, 1967, Det. M.W.Mansell 2013; 4♀, TMSA00767, same locality IV.54, A.J.T.Janse; 1♂, Omsberg Water, TMSA00769, Richtersveld, 23.ix.1991, M.Krüger leg. (All TMSA); 5♂, NEUR09617, Lang Hoogte Mine Office, 29°32’S 17°23’E, 100m, 30.x.1996, A.J.van Wyk; 1♂, NEUR09768, same locality and collector, 9.x.1996; 1♂, NEUR09769, same locality, 16.x.1996, J.duG. Harrison; (All SANC).
Distribution and habitat. This species is only known from the Northern Cape Province (Fig. 153), and has been reported from localities mainly centred in the Namaqualand Hardeveld and Richtersveld Bioregions in the Succulent Karoo Biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). Generally, both areas are dry (semi-desert) typified by winter rains. The topography in the former bioregion is primarily undulating plains rich in heuweltjies, covered in low dwarf succulent shrubs of Heuweltjieveld vegetation type, while in the latter the habitats vary from rocky outcrops to sand dunes covered in leaf-succulent shrubs.
Remarks. This species is sympatric with Nemia lata Tjeder in the Soebatsfontein area.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 1-89 in Zootaxa 4635 (1) on page 55, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4635.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3335102