Sphaeronemoura hainana, Li, Weihai, Yang, Juan & Yang, Ding, 2016

Li, Weihai, Yang, Juan & Yang, Ding, 2016, Two new species of Sphaeronemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Oriental China, Zootaxa 4208 (3), pp. 293-300 : 297-299

Sphaeronemoura hainana sp. n.

( Figs. 2 & 4 )

Diagnosis. The median lobes of male paraproct are thumb-like with apical half membranous, basal half darkly sclerotized. Male flagellum of the epiproct is gently curved, apex gradually getting acute and the ventral sclerite is medially enlarged in dorsal view.

Description. Body length 6.0– 6.1 mm, forewing length 8.4–8.6 mm, hindwing length 7.3–7.4 mm. Head dark brown, antennae brown. Pronotum dark brown with slight rugosities, cervical gills light brown, generally sausagelike, medially enlarged but slightly tapering to triangular apex ( Fig. 4 e). Legs brownish, tarsi lighter; wings brownish, venation slightly darker. Abdomen brownish, terminal segments dark brown. Pilosity generally short except some long hairs on terminalia.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 2 , 4 a–d & 4f): Hypoproct mostly dark brown covered with many hairs, nearly one third of the width of sternum 9, basally wide and medially tapering toward upcurved nipple-like tip; vesicle claviform, slightly more than 2X longer than wide, without mesal constriction, surface with many granules ( Figs. 2 b, 2c & 4b). Paraproct ( Figs. 2 b, 2g & 4d): inner lobe slender and triangular, sharpened apically, much longer than median lobe; Median lobe with strongly sclerotized projection but distal portion lightly sclerotized, thumb-like with rounded apex. Outer lobe is a curved sclerotized strip, basal half adhering to basal cercus, apical half enlarged, with thin darkly sclerotized anterior margin ( Fig. 2 g), slightly curved backward distally. Cerci cylindrical with dense hairs, nearly 2X longer than wide, slightly curved inward but unmodified ( Figs. 2 a–2c & 4a–c). Tergum VIII slightly sclerotized and unmodified. Tergum IX brown with a dark dumb-bell shaped pigmentation, anterior and posterior margins with wide but shallow indentation, with sparse small posteromedial spinules ( Figs. 2 a & 4a). Tergum X mostly sclerotized, antecosta forming a black bar anterior to the usual median membranous concavity below epiproct, the concavity is narrow, lateral sides covered with sparse spinules ( Figs. 2 a, 2c, 4a & 4c). Tergal projection of tergum X paired, each situated on the mesolateral side of concavity beneath the apex of epiproct, forming a sloping sharp spine on a triangular sclerite in dorsal view ( Figs. 2 a, 2c & 4a). Epiproct ovum-shaped in dorsal view, apex rounded and gently indented. Dorsal sclerite divergent into a short and thin sclerite in lateral view after a strongly sclerotized trapezoid base; medially membranous and lightly scaled. Ventral sclerite basal portion parallel with dorsal sclerite, but slightly enlarged medially before inserted in dorsal sclerite, apically bilobed with paired curved sclerites, ventral ridge and teeth obscure in lateral view. Flagellum gently curved once in dorsal and lateral views, but the apex slightly down curved giving an S–shaped structure in lateral view, medial groove terminating at apical 1/3, apex is lightly pigmented ( Figs. 2 c–f, 4c & 4f).

Female: unknown.

Larva: unknown.

Type material. Holotype ( HIST) ♂: CHINA: Hainan, Baisha County, Yinggeling Natural Reserve, tributary of Changhua River , N 19°23.34', E 109°44.11', 430 m, 2013. III.30, leg. Wang Yuyu & Jiang Yunlan . Paratype: 1 ♂ ( CAU), same data as holotype.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The name refers the type locality, Hainan Province, the island province of China and is the southernmost region of China.

Remarks. The new species seems related to S. malickyi Sivec and Stark, 2010 from Thailand in having a similar epiproctal flagellum. but the male of S. malickyi readily differs from the new species by the median lobes being longer than inner lobes of paraproct and thumb-like outer paraproctal lobes.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Sphaeronemoura hainana sp. n. Male. a: terminalia, dorsal view; b: terminalia, ventral view; c: terminalia, lateral view; d: terminalia, laterodorsal view; e: epiproct, dorsal view; f: epiproct, lateral view; g: paraproct, caudal view.

FIGURE 4. Sphaeronemoura hainana sp. n. Male. a: terminalia, dorsal view; b: terminalia, ventral view; c: terminalia, oblique lateral view; d: paraproct, caudolateral view. e: cervical gills, lateral view; f: epiproct, dorsal view.