Afrachilus montanifynbosensis, Stroiński & Brysz & Szwedo, 2025

Stroiński, Adam, Brysz, Alicja M. & Szwedo, Jacek, 2025, Afrachilini trib. nov. of Achilidae from Southern Africa (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 1026, pp. 275-303 : 280-293

Afrachilus montanifynbosensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 1–11

Diagnosis

Smaller than Afrachilus mirabilis ; anterior margin of head arcuate (anterior margin of the head more acute in A. mirabilis ); mesonotum with median carina present in anterior and median section (anterior carina present only in median section of mesonotum in A. mirabilis ), metatibio-tarsal formula is 8: 8: 8 (metatibio-tarsal formula 9: 9: 9 in A. mirabilis ); subvaginal plate subquadrate (subvaginal plate subrectangular with distinctly rounded apex in A. mirabilis ).

Etymology

Specific epithet derived from the habitat wherefrom the examined material originates.

Type material

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; “ Western Cape, Gifberg Pass summit, Vanrhynsdorp ; 31°45ʹ S, 18°42ʹ E; 360 m a.s.l.; 9 Oct. 2002; M. Stiller leg.; sweeping, low grass, forbs & restios, at FM tower; National Coll., of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.”; SANC.

Paratypes ( 9 ♀♀)

SOUTH AFRICA – Northern Cape • 1 ♀; “Northern Cape, Vanrhyns Pass , summit view, Nieuwoudtville; 31°22′ S, 19°01′ E; 7.x.2002; 832 m a.s.l.; leg. M. Stiller leg.; Sweeping grass, forbs, shrubs, around parking, area at view point; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.”; SANC • 1 ♀; “Van RHYN’S-, PASS; 4-5.11’33; leg. G. van Son ”; TMP . – Western Cape • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; SANC • 1 ♀; “ Western Cape, Prov. Wiedouw, Farm foot, Gifberg Pass, SE Vanrhynsdorp ; 31°44′ S, 18°46′ E; 3–10.x. Oct. 2002; 120 m; leg. M. Stiller; swept off Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis , Asteraceae ; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.”; SANC • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MAIG • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; “Swept off Nylandtia scoparia , Polygalaceae ; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.”; SANC • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; “Swept off Diosma hirsute , Rutaceae ; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr. ”; SANC • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; “Swept off, Galenia africana , AIZOACEAE ; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.; SANC • 1 ♀; “ Western Cape, Prov. Driehoek, Farm Cedarberg, SE of Clanwilliam ; 32°26′ S, 18°13′ E; 1200 m; 13.x.2002; leg. M. Stiller leg.; Swept off Leucadendron pubescens , Proteaceae ; National Coll. of Insects, Pretoria, S. Afr.”; SANC .

Note

The coordinates on the label of the specimen collected 13 Oct. 2002 are wrong. The correct coordinates are 32°26ʹ S, 19°11ʹ E (M. Stiller pers. com.)

Description

COLORATION ( Fig. 1A–F). General coloration brownish-ochraceous, with darker anterior part of body: head, pronotum and mesonotum. Vertex with anterior section dirty apricot hue to light penny brown, median and posterior section dark blackish-brown; lateral margins in posterior section ivory, two ivory stains at anterolateral angles, posterior margin ivory medially to brownish posteriad; acrometope caramel, aneumetope light caramel, kateumetope ivory, with two light tawny fuzzy stains; upper portion of postclypeus ivory, lower portion tawny, anteclypeus tawny mediad, lighter laterad; lora ivory in upper section, more tawny in lower section, margins light caramel; lateral portion of head capsule and antennal fovea ivory, scapus ivory at base with caramel ring in upper section, pedicel dark caramel. Pronotum with disc blackish in anterior section, penny brown near posterior margin; median and lateral carinae of pronotum ivory, lateral portions of pronotum blackish-penny brown posteriad, pustulae ivory; pectoral lobes light caramel dorsally to ivory ventrad. Mesonotum, tar-black, with five elongated stains of a burnt orange hue located along the posterior margins and at the tip of the scutellum. Tegmina semitransparent, veins with alternation of walnut brownish-ivory and whitish hues, costal area and anterior apical cells with oblique, alternate tawny – whitish transparent stains, membrane light tawny, fourth apical cell with irregular chocolate colored elongated spot. Legs dark straw to tawny, apical teeth of metatibia and basi- and midmetatarsomere dark chocolate-blackish. Abdominal sternites ranging from dark-straw to light tawny laterad, median portions chockolate brown, posterior margins ivory to light straw; median section of pregenital sternite with subtriangular caramel stain and caramel lateral portions; subvaginal plate dirty ivory; gonoplacs light tawny, anal tube light tawny-caramel.

MEASUREMENTS. Body with wings 4.2–5.4 mm in length.

APPEARANCE. Body distinctly dorso-ventrally flattened, tegminal membranes overlapping. Head with compound eyes, slightly narrower than pronotum. Coryphe (vertex) with same wide at posterior and at anterior lateral angles and 1.46–1.63 times as wide as long in mid line slated.

HEAD ( Figs 1A–D, 2A–F, 3A–F, 4A–F). Anterior margin of coryphe angulately convex, lateral margins sinusoidal, converging anteriad; posterior margin slightly concave, elevated, reaching ⅔ of the compound eye length; all margins carinate; disc of vertex concave, divergently strigate, with median carina almost reaching anterior margin. The acrometope with two lateral compartments, elongately triangular, lower margin of acrometope distinctly arcuate, almost fused with upper carina between acrometope and coryphe (vertex). The frons (eumetope) divided by transverse carination; upper portion, aneumetope with subvertically costulate sculpture; lower portion, kateumetope with strigate sculpture; kateumetope with arcuate incision above the frontoclypeal suture, and median eminence, prolonged to postclypeus. The genal suture indistinct, posterior margins of lora marked by coloration. The frontoclypeal suture angulately-arcuate. The postclypeus subhexagonal, convex, weakly and sparsely striolate; the anteclypeus about twice as long as wide at base, more convex in upper section, the clypellus elongately triangular. The rostrum reaching to the anterior margin of metacoxae, apical segment shorter than subapical, apical segment more than 3 times as long as wide. The compound eye kidney-like, with median indentation to half of its width, without subocular callosity; lateral ocellus adjacent to compound eye, behind its anterior margin. Base of antenna elevated below compound eye, adjacent to it; scapus short; pedicel with plate organs with elevated spikes on its whole length; flagellum about as long as pedicel.

PRONOTUM ( Figs 1B, D, 2B–C, E–F, 3C, F). Slightly wider than head with compound eyes, measurements: total length in middle 0.15–0.16 mm. Disc of pronotum more than twice as wide as long in middle, median carina complete, the lateral carinae of disc not reaching posterior margin, diverging posteriad, disc of pronotum rugulate; lateral portions declivous, rugulate, with pustules, laterad of lateral carinae of disc; carina collateralis not distinct behind the compound eyes, reaching posterior margin, area pectoralis (‘pronotal lobe’ auct.) shagreened, minutely granulate, anteroventral margin slightly thickened; posterior margin slightly elevated, in higher plane than disc of vertex (coryphe).

MESONOTUM ( Figs 1B, D, 2B, D–F). Measurements: length 0.9–1.1 mm, width 0.87–1.03 mm at the level of lateral angles, diamond-shaped, disc flattened, in slightly lower plane than disc of pronotum; disc of pronotum reticulate-scabrous-verruculate anteriorly, rugulate between lateral carinae, transversely wrinkled apicad, near mesoscutellum, the mesoscutellum wrinkled; the lateral margins of mesonotum declivous, reticulate-scabrous-verruculate; the median carina almost complete, obsolete in posterior portion; the lateral carinae subparallel, reaching posterior margin of mesonotum.

TEGULA. Short, ecarinate.

LEGS ( Figs 1A, E, 7C–F). The metacoxa with distinct conical meracanthus; metafemur shorter than metatibia, laterally flattened. The metaleg circular in cross section, widening apicad, no subgenual or lateral spine, apical row of 8 teeth in line; basimetatarsomere the longest, longer than combined length of mid- and apical metatarsomeres, with 8 apical teeth with subapical platellae, except the lateral ones; midmetatarsomere about as long as apical metatarsomere, with 8 apical teeth with subapical platellae, except the lateral ones; apical metatarsomere with small claws and wide pulvillus.

TEGMEN ( Figs 1A–B, 2A–B, 5A–F, 6A–C, 7A–B). Measurements 4.15–4.45 mm long, 0.95–1.05 mm wide at apex of clavus; the costal margin slightly thickened, merely curved at base; anteroapical angle obtusely rounded, apical margin widely rounded, posteroapical angle obtusely rounded, tornus straight, claval margin straight, the angle between A 2 and tornus ca 165°; apex of clavus not reaching ⅔ of tegmen length; the basal cell narrow, about 8 times as long as wide; the stem ScP+R+MP leaving basal cell at same point, with a short stalk, less than half of the basal cell length; the stem ScP+R subparallel to costal margin, merely diverging mediad, first branching of ScP+RA distinctly apicad of apex of clavus, slightly apicad of mp-cua veinlet; branch RP with arcuate base, reaching margin with 3 terminals, basad of anteroapical angle of tegmen; the stem MP slightly sigmoid, forked on membrane, distinctly apicad of apex of clavus, apicad of ScP+R forking, branch MP 1+2 arcuate, with two terminals reaching margin at anteroapical angle, branch MP 3+4 not forked, reaching apical margin; the stem CuA straight, parallel to claval margin, forked slightly apicad of claval veins junction; branch CuA 1 directed mediad, then, after mp-cua veinlet, posteriad with shift on membrane reaching margin basad of posteroapical angle; branch CuA 2, sigmoid, then shifted on membrane, reaching margin at posteroapical angle; claval vein CuP distinct, claval fold prolonged on membrane, not reaching veinlet icu; claval veins Pcu and A 1 fused apicad of half of clavus length, apicad of ⅔ of tegmen length; apex of clavus obtuse; appendix with transverse wrinkles, wider in anterior and apical portion of membrane; postcostal and radial cell of similar width; cell C1 open, call C3 short, closed with apical imp veinlet on membrane; cell C5 long, nearly 4 times as long as cell C3, closed by apical veinlet icu on membrane; first veinlet rp-mp on membrane, apicad of claval apex, second veinlet rp-mp 1+2 short, apicad of stem MP forking; first veinlet mp-cua 1, apicad of apex of clavus, slightly basad of stem ScP+R forking; sclerotised macula on fourth apical cell.

HING WING ( Figs 1F, 6D). Membranous, shorter than fore wing, with distinct anal lobe, separated by incision; costal margin arcuate at base then almost straight, with the small connecting apparatus lobe at level of ScP+R forking; basal cell present; the stems ScP+R and MP leaving basal cell at point, the stem ScP+R parallel to costal margin, forked in apicad ⅓ of hind wing length; branch ScP+RA short reaching margin well basad of apex; branch RP shifted mediad, then curved, reaching margin basad of hind wing apex; the stem MP straight, diverging mediad, then shifted, reaching margin with two terminals, forked well apicad of veinlets rp-mp and mp-cua 1; stem CuA forked slightly apicad of half of hind wing length, with the two terminals CuA 1 and CuA 2 reaching margin; stem CuP slightly sinuate, diverging in apical section from postcubital fold; Pcu sinuate, A 1 forked at ⅓ of its length, A 2 arcuate, slightly thickened, not reaching margin of anal lobe, median field present, intersecting mp-cua 1 veinlet; cell C1 open, longer than cell C3; cell C3 subtriangular, slightly longer than wide; cell C5 the largest and the longest, open, with margins distinctly diverging towards margin.

ABDOMEN. Flattened, with sternites not divided medially.

MALE TERMINALIA. Male unknown.

FEMALE TERMINALIA ( Figs 8–11). The pregenital sternite ( Figs 8E–F, 9A–B, 10A), almost rectangular in ventral view, with anterior margin almost straight with small wide incision medially; posterior margin almost straight. The anal tube ( Figs 8A–D, 10B–D), in lateral view triangular and bit extending posterior margin of gonoplac; in dorsal view cup-like, upper posterior margin weakly concave, medially shallowly convex; posterior-ventral margin deeply concave; the epiproct distinctly shorter than the paraproct, in dorsal view triangular with median split, not extending ventro-posterior margin of anal tube; the paraproct fusiform, distinctly longer than epiproct and distinctly extending posterior-ventral margin of anal tube; anus placed distinctly after the middle. Whole anal tube and with numerous long setae. Gonoplac ( Figs 8A–B, 9B–D, 10E–F) unilobate, well sclerotized, fully covering gonapophysis VIII; posterior margin with numerous setae (bristles) and membranous part forming close line/margin. Gonapophysis VIII ( Fig. 10 G–I) wide, distinctly tapering distally; anterior connective lamina (ACL) with two strongly sclerotized arms, apically with 5 strong teeth of similar sizes, apical part strongly curved ventrad. Endogonocoxal process as long as gonapophysis, unilobate; endogonocoxal lobe narrowly sclerotized apically with short bluntly process oriented basally. Gonospiculum as in Fig. 11A–C. Subvaginal plate ( Figs 8E–F, 9A–C, 10G) well sclerotised, in ventral view, subquadrate with posterior margin widely arcuate. Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 11D) with membranous single elongate pouch, without visible cell but with sclerotized plates on whole wall; sclerite of bursa absent. Spermatheca well developed; ductus receptaculi narrow and smooth, distinctly shorter than diverticulum ductus; diverticulum ductus with very long smooth and narrow (but wider than ductus receptaculi) ductus and with ovoid and smooth bulla apically ( Fig. 11D).