Afroptera obtusa ( Tjeder, 1967 ) Abdalla & Mansell & Sole, 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 : 57-58

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4635.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E1AC3BD4-6FCB-49F9-8069-624760C2CAF7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5922886
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DBDF51-A761-FF89-FF0D-F924368D5D5C
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Afroptera obtusa ( Tjeder, 1967 )
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Afroptera obtusa ( Tjeder, 1967) comb. nov.

( Figs 94 View FIGURES 90–95 , 126 View FIGURES 125–126 , 136 View FIGURES 133–140 , 156 View FIGURES 155–156 )

Synonymy

Nemopterella obtusa Tjeder, 1967: 477 View in CoL .

Etymology. Unknown, most likely from the Latin word obtuse (broad) due to its broad forewings.

Type locality. South Africa, Western Cape Province. Koup Siding , 33°07’31’’S 21°16’11’’E GoogleMaps .

Type depository. SAMC .

Diagnosis. Afroptera obtusa and A. pilosa are morphologically very similar, due largely to similar black pubescence on the thorax ( Fig. 94 View FIGURES 90–95 ), the yellow colour of the head and reddish yellow of the vertex. They can be distinguished from each other by broader forewings with a short rounded apex in A. obtusa ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 133–140 ), whereas in A. pilosa the forewings are elongate and the apex is much narrower than A. obtusa ( Fig. 140 View FIGURES 133–140 ).

Type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape Province. Holotype ♂, SAM–NEU–A001253, Koup Siding, Laingsburg [33°07’31’’S 21°16’11’’E], C.P. (white printed label) / Mus. Expd., / Oct.1952 (white printed label) GoogleMaps / Holotypus ♂, Nemopterella obtusa Tjed., Bo Tjeder 1966 . (Red handwritten label). ( SAMC) .

Distribution and habitat. This species was collected from localities in the Western Cape Province ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 155–156 ). The collection site is in the Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo vegetation unit in the Succulent Karoo Biome ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006). The habitat is hilly, with mud and sandstone soils in plains, with low succulent scrubs, scattered tall shrubs with white grass mostly on the plain. It receives predominately winter rains with an average above 200 mm per year ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006).