Aphorma Hodkinson, 1974

Aphorma Heslop-Harrison 1949: 783, 800; Heslop-Harrison 1952: 965; nomen nudum, no type species designated.

Aphorma Hodkinson 1974: 76.

Type species: Aphalara bagnalli Laing, 1929, by original designation.

= Leprostictopsylla Li 2011: 376.

Type species: Leprostictopsylla jiuzhaiensis Li, 2011, by original designation and monotypy. Synonymized by Burckhardt et al. 2018: 14.

Diagnosis: Adult. Head, in lateral view, deflexed 45–90° from longitudinal axis of body (Fig. 1B); in dorsal view slightly narrower than thorax, moderately transverse. Vertex rhomboidal; covered in areolate-rugose microsculpture; separated from genae by transverse carina (Fig. 2D); coronal suture fully developed; genae weakly produced ventrally but not enlarged into processes; frons parallel-sided to narrowly triangular; median ocellus not visible in perpendicular view to vertex; subgenae differentiated into separate sclerites (Fig. 3D); compound eyes, in dorsal view, hemispherical, adpressed to head. Clypeus pear-shaped, moderate-sized, rounded ventrally, hardly visible in lateral view as it is hidden by genae. Antenna about as long as head width; flagellum with simple setae; segment 3 longest, shorter than segments 4–5 together; segments 4, 6, 8, and 9 bearing each a subapical rhinarium lacking a wreath of spines. Thorax moderately slender; dorsal outline, in lateral view, weakly curved. Pronotum, in dorsal view, almost straight, subrectagular; propleurites subrectangular, divided by perpendicular suture into subequal epimeron and episternum. Metapostnotum medially with blunt tubercle. Mesosternum narrower than head, subrectangular, less than twice as wide as long laterally; anterior margin weakly concave; pleurosternal suture hardly visible; basisternum large, oval to rhomboidal; katepisternum large antero-laterally, not bent dorsad laterally; angle between arms of precoxale obtuse.Pro- and mesotibiae cylindrical.Metacoxa with long or short subacute horn-shaped meracanthus. Metafemur with the three ventral sense organs in the middle; apex lacking stout long setae. Metatibia longer than metafemur, widened apically; bearing seven or eight slightly irregularly spaced apical sclerotized spurs and a few thorn-like setae postero-apically (Fig. 7B). Both metatarsal segments relatively short, subequal in length. Forewing oblong-oval or subtrapezoidal; costal and anal margins subparallel or weakly widening towards apex, 1.7–2.3 times as long as wide, coriaceous; vein C + Sc weakly strongly convex, slender, distinctly delimited from cell; costal break absent; pterostigma reduced (Fig. 8A); nodal line not visible; veins R as long as or shorter than M + Cu; vein Rs weakly sinuous; vein M much longer than its branches; vein Cu 1a strongly curved towards anal margin; veins M 1 + 2 and M 3 + 4 perpendicular to wing margin apically; anal break adjacent to apex of vein Cu 1b; surface covered in flattened tubercles forming cellular pattern (Fig. 8D). Hindwing about as long as forewing; with one to three costal setae proximal to costal break and two indistinct groups distal to costal break, three to four dense setae proximally, and three to four spaced setae distally; vein R + M + Cu indistinctly trifurcating, base of vein Cu indistinct. Abdominal base with a sclerotized area on either side covered in spines (Fig. 8L, M). Aedeagus with simple proximal portion bearing many weak folds subapically; apex of distal portion not differentiated from stem. Female subgenital plate lacking apical process.

Last instar immature. Antenna seven or eight segments; lacking sectasetae or lanceolate setae on antennal flagellum. Mid- and hindlegs without massive peg-like setae. Dorsal body surface lacking minute clavate setae. Precaudal abdominal tergites lacking densely spaced simple setae or sectasetae. Anus in terminal position; with additional pore fields developed.

Comments: Represented by only one species in the molecular analyses (Fig. 10; Supporting Information, File S4); supported by one synapomorphy in the morphological analysis (Fig. 11). The synonymy of Leprostictopsylla with Aphorma by Burckhardt et al. (2018) is confirmed here. Included available species, distribution, and host plants are summarized in Table 3 and Supporting Information, File S3.