Sphaeronemoura hamistyla ( Wu, 1962 )

Li, Weihai & Yang, Ding, 2009, Species of the genus Sphaeronemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from continental China, Zootaxa 2004, pp. 59-64 : 61-63

Sphaeronemoura hamistyla ( Wu, 1962)

( Figs. 8–13 )

Nemoura hamistyla Wu, 1962:142 . Type locality: Jinping, Yunnan. Mesonemoura hamistyla ( Wu, 1962) . Baumann 1975: 15

Sphaeronemoura hamistyla ( Wu, 1962) . Shimizu & Sivec 2001: 394 Diagnosis. The males of this species are characterized by an epiproct with a long, curved flagellum that is more or less swollen apically, by a dorsal sclerite of the epiproct forming a nearly rectangular base, and by the presence of a pair of prominent black spines on tergum 10 that flank the epiproct. The pregenital plate of the female is fan–shaped and the subgenital plate is mostly membranous ( Wu, 1962: Plate II, Fig. 16).

Male. Forewing length 6.0– 6.2 mm, hindwing length 4.9–5.1 mm. Head brown to dark brown, antennae brown, at least as long as forewing, compound eyes dark, mouthparts brown, labial palpi yellowish brown. Thorax brown, pronotum subtrapezoidal with slight rugosities, legs brownish to dark brown. Gills typical for genus. Wings transparent to dark brown. Abdomen brown, hairs on abdomen mostly pale.

Terminalia ( Figs. 8–13 ): Tergum 8 weakly sclerotized, asymmetrically produced posteromedially forming a slender plate with an obscure notch. Tergum 9 weakly sclerotized, except anterior margin heavily sclerotized, with two sloping patches with many tiny spines and hairs paramedially. Sternum 9 with slender vesicle; hypoproct subpentagonal, distinctly tapering subapically, with semicircular tip. Tergum 10 weakly sclerotized except anterior and posterior margins more heavily sclerotized, a longitudinal membranous area present below epiproct, with a sharp spine located on each elevated midlateral margin. Cercus slightly sclerotized, longer than wide and slightly incurved medially. Epiproct subrectangular basally with round tip. Dorsal sclerite sclerotized along lateral sides, concaved apically with paired triangular subapical sclerites, and slightly scaled in lateral view. Flagellum long and curved, grooved medially, more or less swollen apically. Ventral sclerite is strongly sclerotized and subquadrate basally, strongly becoming narrow medially to proximal side, slightly expanded ventrally with a black, stout spine also seen in dorsal view. Outer lobe of paraproct with a dark strip originated from base of cercus, terminating with an enlarged tip. Median lobe sclerotized and broad basally, forming a slender apical bulge. Inner lobe sclerotized and triangular, with pointed tip, mostly adhering to median lobe.

Material examined. Male (Holotype) ( IZCAS), CHINA: Yunnan, Jinping, Hetouzhai, 22˚47΄N, 103˚12΄E, 1956. V.11, Keren Huang. 1 male, Yunnan, Longling, Xiaoheishan, 25˚08΄N, 99˚10΄E, 2006. V.18, Xingyue Liu. 1 male, Yunnan, Jinping, Kuihe, 24˚23΄N, 103˚4΄E, 2006. V.18, Junhua Zhang.

Female. The pregenital plate fan–shaped and the subgenital plate is mostly membranous ( Wu, 1962), but unknown in other details.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Remarks. The body of the holotype of this species is damaged, but the terminalia are in relatively good condition for identification. However, there were discrepancies between the original description, the drawings of Wu, and the actual type as noted also by Sivec (1981). We provided new information on variation for comparison. However, in our specimens, the tergum 8 is asymmetrically produced posteromedially forming a slender plate with an obscure notch, like that of S. formosana , a character complex that was not mentioned in the original description and in the key presented by Shimizu and Sivec (2001). Furthermore, the female of the species is not available to us and the original drawing may neglect the features of the subgenital plate.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 13. Sphaeronemoura hamistyla (Wu, 1962) (male). 8. Terminalia, dorsal view. 9. Terminalia, ventral view. 10. Epiproct, dorsal view. 11. Epiproct, lateral view. 12. Flagellum of epiproct and elevation of tergum 10, lateral view. 13. Terga 8 and 9, dorsal view. (9 – 12 from holotype).