Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden 1911

Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911

Figs 1, 5–7

Afrius kolleri Schouteden, 1911: 180; lectotype herein designated.

Afrius kolleri – Schouteden 1963: 399; 1972: 106. — Gillon 1972: 352; 1974: 219. — Thomas 1994: 151. — Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004: 20. — Robertson 2009: 22 –23.

Types examined

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • Afrius kolleri Schouteden, 1911; lectotype ³ (here designated); labels: “Holotypus”, “MUSÉE DU CONGO Galli-Koko Kasai R. CARLIER”, “ Afrius Stål kolleri Schout. ”, “ Afrius kolleri n. sp. ”; Fig. 5 A–B; RMCA • Paralectotype ♀; labels: “Paratypus”, “MUSÉE DU CONGO LUKOMBE. 6.X.08 A. Koller ”; Fig. 5 C–D; RMCA.

Diagnosis

Scutellum longer than wide, postfrenal lobe narrow; humeral pronotal angles not emarginated; male abdomen with setose patches on segments V and VI, parameres triangular, without two distinct lobes.

Redescription

BODY. Pentagonal elongated, reddish to brown, usually with black stripes on head, pronotum, scutellum, and corium.

HEAD. Quadrate, as long as wide or slightly wider than long, uniformly punctured; mandibular plates equal or slightly longer than clypeus, and slightly wider than clypeus, with margins straight to slightly sinuous; clypeus black; ocelli surrounded by subquadrate black spots; antennomeres usually black, proportion of lengths of antennomeres: V> IV> III = II> I; labium robust, reaching metasternum; proportion of lengths of labiomeres: II> I> III> IV.

THORAX. Pronotum hexagonal, uniformly punctured, wider than long, with 1+1 black transversal stripes on cicatrices, 1+1 black vertical spots on humeral angles and 3 longitudinal stripes on disc; cicatrices flat, black, sometimes with a central red spot, demarcated by punctures; anterior margin concave; lateral margins sinuous, crenulated on anterior half; humeri triangular, not emarginated. Scutellum longer than wide, uniformly punctured, reaching an imaginary line connecting middle of connexival segments V, partially or entirely emarginated in black and with one triangular black central spot along frenal lobe; postfrenal lobe narrow, narrower than corium at same region. Corium longer than scutellum, reaching connexival segment VI. Protibiae slightly expanded (Fig. 5).

MALE ABDOMEN. With setose patches on segments V and VI; parameres uniramous, triangular.

Male

MEASUREMENTS (n = 3). Head length 1.95 ± 0.20 (1.72–2.07); width 2.07 ± 0.06 (2.02–2.15); pronotum length 2.76 ± 0.23 (2.52–2.98); width 4.86 ± 0.40 (4.53–5.32); scutellum length 3.23 ± 0.13 (3.08– 3.33); width 2.90 ± 0.09 (2.80–2.96); length of antennomeres: I 0.31 ± 0.05 (0.27–0.37), II 1.05 ± 0.07 (0.97–1.12), III 1.08 ± 0.04 (1.05–1.12), IV 1.34 ± 0.06 (1.30–1.38); V 1.50 ± 0.00 (1.50–1.50); length of labiomeres: I 0.86 ± 0.03 (0.84–0.90), II 1.16 ± 0.03 (1.12–1.18), III 0.92 ± 0.02 (0.90–0.93), IV 0.92 ± 0.02 (0.90–0.93); length of abdomen 5.12 ± 0.17 (5.00–5.24); width 4.56 ± 0.15 (4.45–4.67); total length 10.11 ± 1.00 (9.00–10.97).

GENITALIA. Genital plates cylindrical (Fig. 6A, D, I, gp). Parameres long, uniramous, head triangularly elongated, dorsally directed, extended beyond pygophore (Fig. 6 A–H, par). Phallus. Thecal shield and basal theca subequal in length (Fig. 6L, N–O, ts, bt). Vesica shield-shaped in dorsal view (Fig. 6 P–R), golf club-shaped in lateral view (Fig. 6 L–O, v), with apex rounded and a central elevated microsculptured portion (Fig. 6 L–O, m), this central portion rounded in lateral view, subtriangular in dorsal view; ductus seminis with uniform diameter (Fig. 6 L–R, ds). Apices of conjunctival lobes with inconspicuous sculptured process (Fig. 6L, O–P, sp).

Female

MEASUREMENTS (n = 5). Head length 2.20 ± 0.09 (2.06–2.30); width 2.20 ± 0.12 (2.05–2.35); pronotum length 3.33 ± 0.24 (3.06–3.63); width 5.81 ± 0.31 (5.56–6.03); scutellum length 3.94 ± 0.27 (3.71– 4.30); width 3.34 ± 0.26 (3.07–3.75); length of antennomeres: I 0.35 ± 0.01 (0.33–0.37), II 1.18 ± 0.07 (1.12–1.25), III 1.18 ± 0.08 (1.12–1.27), IV 1.47 ± 0.13 (1.31–1.62); V 1.42 ± 0.0 (1.42–1.42); length of labiomeres: I 1.04 ± 0.13 (0.90–1.23), II 1.27 ± 0.07 (1.20–1.35), III 1.00 ± 0.08 (0.93–1.12), IV 0.98 ± 0.10 (0.83–1.08); length of abdomen 6.40 ± 0.45 (6.03–7.09); width 5.59 ± 0.34 (5.40–6.20); total length 11.98 ± 0.86 (11.12–13.22).

GENITALIA. Gonocoxites VIII slightly longer than wide, posterior margins sinuous (Fig. 7 A–B, gcVIII). Median and inner ducts of vesicular area slightly widening to apex (Fig. 7 C–D, md, id).

Distribution

Democratic Republic of the Congo (Schouteden 1911), Ivory Coast (Gillon 1972), Ethiopia, Uganda (Thomas 1994), Cameroon (Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004) (Table 1, Fig. 1).

Remarks

This species is apparently most similar to A. (Afrius) purpureus because they both present glandular patches on the abdominal venter of males, parameres that are not divided in two rami and vesica microsculptures.

The description of Afrius kolleri was based on an unspecified number of specimens of both sexes (Schouteden 1911). We examined two specimens at RMCA: a male labelled as holotype and a female labelled as paratype. Since no holotype was designated in the original description, both of them must be considered as syntypes; accordingly, we hereby designate the male specimen as lectotype.