Paraleuctra qilianshana Li & Yang

Kong, Fanbin, Yang, Ding & Li, Weihai, 2013, Discovery of the genus Paraleuctra (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) from Palearctic China, with description of P. qilianshana sp. nov., Zootaxa 3702 (4), pp. 391-396 : 391-396

Paraleuctra qilianshana Li & Yang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–19 )

Male. Forewing length 6.3 - 6.5 mm. Wings light brown, veins dark and venation typical of genus. Body color generally dark brown to black ( Fig. 1 ). Terga 8-10 with distinctly sclerotized anterior margin. Tergum 9 with a sclerotized rod like median spot ( Fig. 2 ). Vesicle of anteromedian margin of sternum 9 tongue-shaped and circular in outline, covered by dense bristles ( Figs. 13 & 19 ); subgenital plate nearly rectangular, with truncate apex ( Figs. 4 & 9 ). Tergum 10 cleft, with a large posterior concave medially ( Fig. 2 & 6 ). Cercus deeply medially forked, upper prong is longer and thicker than lower prong ( Figs. 10 & 13 ), a thumb-like projection present at midlength of upper prong, the projection slightly constricted medially, ca. 2X longer than wide ( Figs. 16-17 ). Epiproct forming a slender hook, typical of genus ( Figs. 3 & 7 ). Subanal probe slender and slightly enlarged medially, most of dorsal and ventral surfaces scaled or rugose ( Figs. 7-8 , 11-12, 14 ), apex and lateral sclerotized surfaces smooth, a small upraised spine present apically ( Figs. 7 & 18 ).

Female ( Fig. 5 ). Forewing length ca. 7.0 mm. General color similar to male. Subgenital plate base dark with brown crescent shaped lateral horns; lobes brown and partially overlapping sternum 9, laterally nearly parallelsided, posterolateral corners rounded, posterior margin with a rounded median notch. Sternum 9 mostly membranous but bearing a large U shaped sclerite ( Fig. 5 ).

Type Material. Holotype: male ( CAU), China: Gansu Province, Zhangye City, Sunan County, Qilianshan National Nature Reserve, Longchang River Protection Station, 2800-3000 m, Konggangmu, 38.8036 N, 99.3420 E, 2011. VII.8, leg. Xiao. Zhang. Paratypes: 2 males and 1 female ( HIST), Gansu Province, Sunan County, Qilianshan National Nature Reserve, Longchang River Station, Dongliugou Gully, 38.8036 N, 99.3420 E, 2011. VII.7. leg. Weihai Li; 1 male and 1 female ( CAU), Gansu Province, Sunan County, Qilianshan National Nature Reserve, Longchang River Station, Xiliugou Gully, 38.8036 N, 99.3420 E, 2011. VII.8, leg. Weihai Li.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the mountain range where the type series was collected.

Distribution. Presently this species is only known from the northern piedmont of the Qilianshan Mountains, Gansu Province of China.

Diagnosis and Remarks. The new species is a member of P. sara species group sensu Stark & Kyzar (2001). However, the shape of cercal projection of the upper prong in P. qilianshana distinguishes it from all other known species of the group. In the Chinese species, the projection is elongate and slender in P. qilianshana but short and triangular in P. orientalis Chu , P. tianmushana Li and Yang and P. cervicornis Du and Qian. Paraleuctra sinica Yang & Yang lacks a cercal projection. Additionally, the origin of the cercal projection differs in these four species. In P. orientalis and P. tianmushana the projection is located at base of the upper cercal prong, whereas in P. qilianshana , the origin of the projection is the same as in P. cervicornis , but the lower cercal prong of the latter species has a blunt tip.

Paraleuctra qilianshana could be also placed in P. cercia group as recognized by Shimizu (2000) and is very similar to P. cercia ( Okamoto 1922) , but in species included in the group, the apex of male subgenital plate has a deeply excavated hind margin ( Shimizu 2000); in P. qilianshana the subgenital plate is entire. The male subgenital plate of P. cercia tapers medially to a narrow apex and the lower prong is more slender in ventral view (Fig. 867 of Zhiltzova 2003). The difference in the cercal projections is also apparent ( Figs. 19 -21 of Shimizu 2000 and figs. 16-17).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Paraleuctra qilianshana sp. nov. 1. Male habitus, lateral view. 2. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 3. Male terminalia, lateral view. 4. Male terminalia, ventral view. 5. Female terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Paraleuctra qilianshana sp. nov. (male). 6. Terminalia, dorsal view. 7. Terminalia, lateral view. 8. Subanal probe, ventral view. 9. Subgenital plate, ventral view.

FIGURES 10 – 15. Paraleuctra qilianshana sp. nov. (male). 10. Cerci and subanal probe, caudal view. 11. Subanal probe apex, dorsal view. 12. Detail of subapical part of subanal probe, dorsal view. 13. Terminalia, ventral view. 14. Base of subanal probe, ventral view. 15. Terminalia, lateral view.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Paraleuctra qilianshana sp. nov. (male). 16. Cercus, lateral view. 17. Cercal projection, lateral view. 18. Subanal probe apex, lateral view. 19. Vesicle, ventral view.