Flavoperla furcomaculata, Liu & Yan & Li, 2019

Liu, Hao, Yan, Yanhua & Li, Weihai, 2019, Two new species of Flavoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Shaanxi Province of China, Zootaxa 4614 (2), pp. 395-400 : 395-396

Flavoperla furcomaculata sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Adult habitus. Male adult color yellowish brown ( Fig. 1 ). Head pale with a large, subquadrate medial dark brown patch between ocelli, anterolaterally extending along obscure M-line, lightly pigmented and bearing a smaller brown area forward of M-line; compound eyes black, ocelli with dark rings; antennae brownish, scape darker but distal flagella becoming paler ( Figs. 1–2 ). Pronotum brown and sub-rectangular except laterally paler, with scattered brown markings and two dark brown lines along anterior and posterior margins ( Fig. 2 ). Wings hyaline, veins dark; legs pale brown with dark claws.

Male. Body length 8.5–8.7 mm; forewing length 10.0– 10.2 mm; hindwing length 8.6–8.9 mm. Hammer brown basally with Y-shaped anterolateral extensions; apical half mostly unpigmented, tapering to a nipple-like brown apex with many spinules; the apex slightly swollen and curved upward in lateral view ( Figs. 4–5 ). Sternum 9 slightly sclerotized with a broadly rounded apex. Epiproct sclerite brown and triangular, was divided by a narrow, longitudinal and membranous band; anterior margin located between bases of paired triangular spines ( Fig. 3 ). Paraprocts slender, curved forward and hooked at tips ( Fig. 3 ). Dorsum of everted aedeagus bearing two vertical sclerites medially ( Fig. 7 ), sub-rectangular in ventral view, about 2X longer than wide, with a pair of flat basolateral processes; mesolateral portion swollen ( Fig. 6 ), dorsally with a downward “mouth-shaped mark” in caudal view ( Fig. 9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Larva. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male ( HIST), CHINA: Shaanxi, Qinling Mountain, Huoditang of Pinglianghe Forestry Station at Ningshan County, 18.7070 N, 108.8247 E, 2012. VII.12, light trap, Weihai Li . Paratypes: 5 males, same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the furcated large brown dorsal patch on the head. Latin “Furca” means fork and “macula” means a spot.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi). The light trap attracted six males of the new species and the types of Haploperla choui Li & Yao, 2013 (in: Li et al., 2013), Neowuia qinlinga ( Li & Murányi, 2015) and F. triangulata sp. nov.

Remarks. Flavoperla furcomaculata sp. nov. is related to F. triangulata sp. nov. sharing a similar hammer and epiproct. However, the distinct head patterns and the shapes of the everted aedeagi of both species are distinctive. Among species that can be compared, F. furcomaculata and F. triangulata sp. nov. appears most similar to F. hmong Stark & Sivec, 2008 by having a comparable nipple-like and upturned hammer, but epiprocts are different. In F. hmong , the epiproct is quadrangular (fig. 7 in Stark & Sivec 2008), the epiprocts of the two new species described herein are triangular and subtriangular, respectively. Flavoperla furcomaculata and F. triangulata sp. nov. have also apically hooked paraprocts similar to F. dao Stark & Sivec, 2008 and F. pallida Stark & Sivec, 2008 . However, in the latter two species, the unpigmented hammer differs from the two new species, and dorsal head markings of the Vietnamese species are reduced and pale (figs. 1 & 11 in Stark & Sivec 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Flavoperla furcomaculata sp. n. (male). 1. Adult, dorsal view.

FIGURES 2–9. Flavoperla furcomaculata sp. n. (male). 2. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 3. Terminalia, dorsal view. 4. Sternum 9, ventral view. 5. Sternum 9, lateral view. 6. Aedeagus, ventral view. 7. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 8. Aedeagus, lateral view. 9. Aedeagus, caudal view.