Apochrysa leptalea

Apochrysa leptalea (Rambur)

(Figs 7A, 9C)

Hemerobius leptaleus Rambur, 1842: 429.

Apochrysa leptalea (Rambur, 1842) — Schneider, 1851; Kimmins, 1952; Tjeder, 1966; Brooks & Barnard, 1990; Winterton & Brooks, 2002.

Osmylus picteti Navás, 1912b: 748.

Common name. ‘Fine delicate lacewing’.

Diagnosis. Forewing with few small irregular markings midway along inner and middle gradate series; hind wing with larger ovoid spot midway along inner gradate series and smaller spot on cross-vein further along gradate series, darker venation and faint suffusion in end-twigging marginally along the posterior part of hind wing; both wings with three gradate series; forewing RA with RA-RP cross-veins simple, lacking interconnecting cross-veins; basal half of forewing with irregular cross-veins connecting RP branches; inner-most gradate series of hind wing sharply curved anteriorly at midpoint in a distinct sigmoid shape; hind wing with distinct ovoid marking midway along inner gradate series; end-twigging present along most of posterior margin of both wings.

Comments. Apochrysa leptalea is in the group of Afrotropical species characterised by a hind wing with the inner-most gradate series arranged in a sigmoid shape with a distinct ovoid marking mid way along the gradates, and the posterodistal margin having suffuse infuscate shading. These characters, along with the presence of three gradate series in both wings differentiates A. leptalea from other Apochrysa species. Apochrysa leptalea is known from southern South Africa. The holotype of H. leptalea is housed in the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique—Bruxelles. The type of O. picteti is listed by Navás as “ Cabo de Buena Esperanza”.