Helenatropos abrupta Lienhard 2005

Helenatropos abrupta Lienhard, 2005 Fig. 1

Helenatropos abrupta Lienhard, 2005a: 691; description of female from St Helena.

TYPE MATERIAL: MHNG and BMNH, 3♀ (holotype and two paratypes), mentioned by Lienhard (2005a).

NEW MATERIAL: MHNG and BMNH, 83, 11♀, South Africa, Cape Town, Table Mountain National Park, mostly from pine plantations, sometimes from "Fynbos" shrubland, collected by leaf litter extraction (12 individuals), pitfall traps (3 ind.), sugar-baited ant traps (3 ind.) and on Protea log (1 ind.), leg. C. Uys or C. Uys & M. Picker, May, October, November 2008 and January 2009.

FIG. 1 Helenatropos abrupta Lienhard, male: (a) Hypandrium. (b) Phallosome. (c) Right paraproct.

DESCRIPTION OF MALE: Colouration and general morphology as described for the female by Lienhard (2005a). Sclerotized metanotal winglet-like lobes of males usually almost touching each other medially as in most females from South Africa and from St Helena [Note: In the holotype figured by Lienhard (2005a: figs 1, 6) these lobes are exceptionally well-separated medially]. Epiproct simple, paraproct nearly triangular (Fig. 1c), its dorsal part sclerotized, its membranous ventral part strongly shortened. Hypandrium heavily sclerotized, basally with a well-developed hypandrial brush, consisting of about 20 acuminate setae (Fig. 1a). Phallosome simple (Fig. 1b), lacking conspicuous internal sclerotizations, parameres distally bifurcate, their posterior part with an anteriorly curved tip. Measurements (3 MNHG 7987, µm): BL = 1700; F = 330; T = 436; t1 = 130; t2 = 47; t3 = 56.

DISCUSSION: This species was tentatively considered as a St Helena endemic by Lienhard (2005a). However, in the discussion of the original description it is mentioned that soil-dwelling psocids of the African continent, at present rather poorly investigated, could represent a more or less recent source of colonization for the island of St Helena.

During an ecological research project in the Table Mountain National Park numerous specimens of H. abrupta were recently collected in South Africa (see material mentioned above). The South African females are identical to the St Helena specimens, therefore both populations have to be assigned to the same species. The existence of this species on the island of St Helena is probably due to introduction from South Africa, probably along with the creeping plant Carpobrotus edulis (Aizoaceae) which was brought to St Helena from South Africa in the 19 th century. The type material was collected on St Helena in pitfall traps set among mats of this creeper.

The monotypic genus Helenatropos Lienhard is characterized by a series of striking autapomorphies (see Lienhard, 2005a: 695). The presence of a forked sensillum on P 4 in both sexes (see Lienhard, 2005a: fig. 4, 1998: fig. 26i), of a well-developed hypandrial brush (Fig. 1a) and of a simple phallosome with distally bifurcate parameres (Fig. 1b) could indicate a relatively close relationship to the genus Lepinotus Heyden. However, the phylogenetic position of Helenatropos within the Trogiidae could only be elucidated by careful analysis of the 9 other genera of this family, which is not the purpose of this paper; these genera are listed by Lienhard & Smithers (2002) and Li Fasheng (2002).