Suwallia talalajensis Zhiltzova, 1976

Li, Weihai, Murányi, Dávid & Shi, Li, 2015, New species records of Suwallia Ricker, 1943 (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae) from China, with description of the nymph of S. decolorata Zhiltzova & Levanidova, 1978, Zootaxa 3994 (4), pp. 556-564 : 561-563

Suwallia talalajensis Zhiltzova, 1976

( Figs. 1 b, 5)

Suwallia talalajensis Zhiltzova, 1976 : Levanidova & Zhiltzova 1976. Presnovodnaia fauna Chukotkogo poluostrova, Akademia Nauk SSSR Trudy Biologo-pocvenogo Instituta, Vladivostok, 36(139): 25; Alexander & Stewart 1999. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 125: 220; Teslenko & Zhiltzova 2009. Key to the Stoneflies (Insecta, Plecoptera ) of Russia and Adjacent Countries. Imagines and Nymphs: 86.

Material examined. 1♂ ( HNHM): CHINA: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Genhe City, Hanma National Nature Reserve, Central Protection Station at bridge of Bonuo River, 1.viii.2014, leg. Li Shi, Mingrun Tian, Yuxuan Zhu, Xuefeng Gao and Chao Chen.

Description of the Chinese specimens. Male ( Figs. 1 b, 5). Head pale with subquadrate pigmentation in ocellar triangle and two brown spots on frons. Pronotum with thin dark lateral margins and darker longitudinal median stripe ( Fig. 5 a); the median abdominal stripe ends at the posterior margin of tergum 8 ( Fig. 1 b).

Terminalia ( Fig. 5 ). Tergum 9 with wide brown to dark brown medial pigment ( Fig. 5 b), posterior margin produced into a triangular protrusion in lateral view ( Fig. 5 d). Tergum 10 with a sclerotized “turtle-like” medial area before base of epiproct; large, paired longitudinal lateral sclerites nearly touching epiproct, lightly sclerotized. Hemitergal processes nearly straight and directed posteriorly ( Figs. 5 c–d). Epiproct covered with dense fine hairs ( Fig. 5 c). Aedeagus is membranous and lacking distinct armature, basal portion robust and nearly parallel-sided, apical part upcurved and triangular in outline, the apex beak-like in lateral view ( Fig. 5 e).

Diagnosis and remarks. In addition to characteristic head pattern and epiproct, the aedeagus of this species lacks armature. Terga 9 and 10 also has distinct pattern not mentioned by Alexander & Stewart (1999). This character is helpful in providing identification. Our male specimen still shows slight variation as compared to Russian specimens in some details of pigmentation of tergum 9 and median sclerite of tergum 10 (compared to figs. 524–527 in Teslenko & Zhiltzova 2009). No larvae were associated with the adult male and are still unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal view of male habitus—a: Suwallia decolorata Zhiltzova & Levanidova, 1978; b: Suwallia talalajensis Zhiltzova, 1976.

FIGURE 5. Male of Suwallia talalajensis Zhiltzova, 1976 — a: Head and pronotum, dorsal view; b: Terminalia before eversion, dorsal view; c: Tergum 10, dorsal view; d: Terminalia before eversion, lateral view; e: Extruded aedeagus, lateral view.