Afropone orapa

The eyes of Afropone species are large and well developed placed in the front portion of the head capsule in A. oculata females, and in the rear portion of the head capsule in A. (?) orapa males. Based on the preserved areas of known fossils, the mandibles of both species are short and rounded, without a distinct masticatory margin. Females of A. oculata are elongate being approximately 12 millimetres (0.47 in) long and have eyes which are 2.5 times as long as they are wide. The fore wings are narrow and 4.5 times longer than their width. As with other portions of the body both the mesosoma and petiole regions are narrowed. A. (?) orapa is smaller than A. oculata with a total body length of approximately 7 millimetres (0.28 in). Overall the antennae are filiform and are composed of flagellomeres that are twice as long as wide. The scape at the base of each is generally short.

== References ==

Afropone oculata was described from two fossils, the holotype specimen number BP/2/28072a/2, identified as a female, and an additional poorly preserved fossil, number BP/2/26631-17. Afropone (?) orapa was based on a single holotype male, specimen BP/2/26628/1, and tentatively placed into the genus based on overall morphology. The specimens are mostly complete with variation in the quantity of detail, and are preserved as compression fossils in shale. The shales and mudstones of the Orapa site were rapidly deposited in a crater lake formed as the result of a large volcanic eruption in the Cretaceous. The sediment originated as an epiclastic kimberlite and derives from rapid weathering and decomposition of the sides of the kimberlite crater. Of the four major sedimentation types that have been observe at Orapa, fossils are found in only two, the granular mass flows and the fine-grained sediments: woody debris fossils are found in the granular mass flows, but well-preserved fossils are only recovered in the fine-grained sediments. The fossil-bearing stratum was uncovered during mining of the underlying diamond-bearing rocks at the site. Radiometric dating of the kimberlite pipe reported in 1977 gave an age in the general range of 84 to 92 million years ago. …