Neoperla ivanloebli, Zwick & Zwick, 2023

Zwick, Peter & Zwick, Andreas, 2023, Revision of the African Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlinae) based on morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 5316 (1), pp. 1-194 : 39-41

11. Neoperla ivanloebli n. sp.

( Figs. 56–58 )

Material studied: République de Côte d’Ivoire, holotype ♁: Mont Tonkui, 9.VI.1977, I.Löbl [~ 7.64°N, 7.45°W; 1057m] ( SMNS, slide Z19.25) .

Habitus. WL 12.3mm, Rs with 3 terminal branches. Dorsal side of dusty ochre colour. Head light on occiput, infuscate in front, except pale tentorial calluses and M-line. Pronotum greyish ochre. Postnotal suture a thin blackish U on meso- and metanotum. Base of abdomen light, segments 7–10 brown, HT10 blackish. Antenna, legs, and cercus greyish ochre, wings slightly turbid. 4

Male ( Fig. 56 ). Antecosta T7 medially connected to a transverse sclerotised strip in the anterior third of tergite. A pale transverse field in the middle separates it from the large dark caudal sclerite which is wide in front, caudally strongly restricted and projects over T8 as a flat dark process with truncate tip, both corners pointed. Lower face of process with a few SB. A bare dark brown band on T8 slightly widens caudally. T9 anteromedially membranous, pilose caudo-lateral humps with some SB. The median furrow of T9 leads to a broad sclerite in front of the pentagonal epiproct with a long caudal tip. Mediobasal calluses of HT10 broad, truncate. Anterior process of HT10 slender, a little angled, tip sharply pointed. Sternites unmodified.

Penis a long straight tube with wide base ( Figs. 57–58 ). The membranous apex with a laterodistal patch of sharp spinules. Retracted endophallus inside the tube visible as a long narrow band. Everted endophallus thick, curved strongly ventrad, tip almost touching the penis tube. A long basal section is bare, distally the convex dorsal face and the sides are densely covered by slender spines, none on the concave ventral face.

4 Meanwhile faded, pale

Female. Unknown.

DNA. No data.

Etymology. Named for the collector, Dr. Ivan L̂bl, Geneva.

Notes. Close relatives of N. ivanloebli are not known. The dark pigmentation of caudal segments is unusual and the two tips on the process of T7 are unique. Penis and endophallus follow a widespread general pattern, details and especially the angled sharply pointed HT10 are distinctive. The flatness of the T7 process resembles the transvaalensis -group and is plesiomorphic. Flat band-shaped sclerites on T8 occur in that group but also in others. N. ivanloebli also has a curved endophallus which is spiny only on the convex face and insofar is similar to species in the africana -group.

Figures

FIGURES 56–58. Neoperla ivanloebli n. sp., male holotype: 56, dorsal view of segments 6–10 (not to scale); 57, contracted penis; 58, artificially everted penis; 57 and 58 to the same scale.