Afroptera munroi 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 munroi

description: Afroptera munroi (Tjeder, 1967) comb. nov.
(Figs 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 74, 92, 111, 116, 144, 147, 152)
Synonymy
Nemopterella munroi Tjeder, 1967: 470.
Etymology. The species was named after H.K.Munro (Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria) who collected the type specimens.
Type locality. South Africa, Northern Cape Province. Houmoed, 29°18’53’’S 19°32’47’’E.
Type depository. TMSA.
Diagnosis. Afroptera munroi resembles A. longicornis and A. brinkmani by having similar pubescence patterns on the thorax and abdomen. It can be distinguished from A. longicornis by its shorter antennae (Fig. 111), indistinct lateral stripes on pronotum and mesonotum (Fig. 92) and less rounded apex on the forewings (Fig. 116). It is distinguished from A. brinkmani by the smaller body size, less concave vertex and the yellowish hind margin of the vertex (Fig. 144).
Size (mm). Male: body length 10.2 (8.3–13.8); forewing 24.3 (21.1–27.6); hind wing 54.9 (42.7–63.5); antenna 20.9 (16.5–24.1); Female: body length 11 (9–12.3); forewing 23.5 (20.5–25.5); hind wing 49.8 (43.2–56.8); antenna 12.9 (9–12.3) (N = 139).
Type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province. Holotype ♂, TMSA02068, HOLO- TYPE Neu 98, Nemopterella munroi Tjeder (red printed label) / Houmoed, N.W. Cape [29°18’53’’S 19°32’47’’E], 20.X.1955, H.K.Munro (white handwritten label) / Holotypus ♂, Nemopterella munroi Tjed, Bo Tjeder 1966 (red handwritten label). (TMSA). Paratypes: 5♂ 1♀, NEUR08902, Gelykswerf, Richtersveld, C.P., x.1956, H.K.Munro (white printed label) / Paratypus, Nemopterella munroi Tjed., Bo Tjeder 1966 (red handwritten label). (SANC). 1♂ 3♀, SAM–NEU–A001225, Aggeneys, Bushmanland Btw Springbok and Pella (white printed label) / Paratypus, Nemopterella munroi, Bo Tjeder 1966 (red handwritten label). (SAMC).
Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape Province. 5♂, TMSA 00759, Houmoed, [29°18’53’’S 19°32’ 47’’E], 20.X.1955, H.K.Munro; 2♂ 5♀, TMSA 00730, Richtersveld, Omsberg Water, 23.ix.1991, M.Krüger (All TMSA). 1♂ 1♀, NEUR 08917, Richtersveld, Gelykswerf, x.1956, H.K,Munro; 16♂ 6♀, NEUR 08913, Richtersveld near Rosyntjieberg, 28°24’S 17°11’E, (2817Ac), 350m, 11.x.1974, M.W.Mansell, H.D.Brown; 4♂ 2♀, NEUR 12583, Kelkiewyn Farm, Calvinia District, 31°12’01’’S 19°41’33’’E, 22–23.x. 2013, 681m, C.H.Scholtz; 3♂ 1♀, NEUR 12343, same locality, 1.x.2015, C.H.Scholtz / Nemopterella munroi Tjeder, 1967 ♂ Det. M.W. Mansell 2016; 2♀, NEUR 11812, same locality, 1.x.2012, J.B.Ball, M.W.Mansell; 1♂ 2♀, NEUR 11811, same locality, 25.x.2011, C.H.Scholtz; 3♂ 1♀, NEUR 10895, same locality, 26.ix.2010, C.H.Scholtz; 2♂ 1♀, NEUR 10226, Nu- welande Farm, Calvinia District, 31°10’50’’S 19°40’08’’E, 664m, 15.x.2009, J.de Klerk; 14♂ 17♀, NEUR 00710, Groblershoop, 26°53’44’’S 21°59’04’’E, 6–9.x.1986, C.G.E.Moolman, Collected at light; 1♂, NEUR 09822, Nam- aqualand, Steinkopf [29°15’11’’S 17°43’52’’E], 3.ix.1986, R.Mijburgh. (All SANC). NAMIBIA, Karas District. 18♂ 2♀, NEUR 08904, S.W.AFRICA, Diamond Area no 1, nr Aurusberg, 300m, 27°32’S 16°10’E, (2716Ca), 22.x.1974, M.W.Mansell, H.D.Brown; 2♂, NEUR 08903, same locality, 23.x.1974, M.W.Mansell; 10♂ 7♀, NEUR 08941, Hohen- fels, 28°30’S 16°37’E, 100m, 21.x.–5.xi.1994, C.J.Klok. S.L.Chown, C.H.Scholtz. (All SANC).
Distribution and habitat. This species is known from the Northern Cape Province and Namibia (Fig. 152). The distribution is centred in the Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and Desert Biomes. In the Succulent Karoo Biome, the species range falls mainly within the Central Richtersveld Mountain Shrubland and Hantam Karoo vegetation units in the Richtersveld and Trans-Escarpment Succulent Karoo Bioregions, respectively (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). In the former vegetation unit, the topography of the area is steep and montane in some parts with deep canyons and large valleys in others. It is characterised by loamy sands, sandy and loam soils. It receives winter rains with an average of 60–299 mm per year (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). The vegetation cover mainly consists of succulent shrubs, low shrubs and herbs. The range of distribution also extends northwards into southern Namibia along the Orange River. The Hantam Karoo vegetation unit is dry and lies between Nieuwoudtville and Calvinia, vegetated with dwarf karoo shrubs and succulent plants. It receives predominantly winter rains with a MAP 190 mm (Mucina & Rutherford 2006). In the Nama Karoo Biome, the species seems to be associated with two different habitats in the Bushmanland Bioregion. It has been reported from the Bushmanland Sandy Grassland and Bushmanland Arid Grassland vegetation units where the vegetation cover comprises mainly Stipagrostis grass species (Mucina & Rutherford 2006).
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 pages 53-55, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4635.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3335102