Sphaeronemoura songshana Li &Yang

Li, Weihai & Yang, Ding, 2009, Species of the genus Sphaeronemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from continental China, Zootaxa 2004, pp. 59-64 : 60

Sphaeronemoura songshana Li &Yang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 , 14 )

Diagnosis. Males of this species are characterized by tergum 8 having a large posterior plate that partially overlaps tergum 10 and the epiproct with a long curved flagellum gradually tapering to a filiform tip. Females are characterized by a saddle–shaped pregenital plate with a rectangular posterior emargination flanked by posterolateral lobes.

Male. Forewing length 6.4–6.7 mm, hindwing length 5.5–5.7 mm. Head ( Fig. 1 ) brown, wider than pronotum, with dark epicranial suture, compound eyes and ocelli dark; antennae much longer than forewing, labial palpi pale brown. Pronotum ( Figs. 1–2 ) subrectangular with slight variation in shape, corners obtusely angled. Gills brown, typical for genus. Wings subhyaline, evenly brownish. Abdomen yellow brown to dark brown, with hairs mostly pale.

Terminalia ( Figs. 3–7 ): Terga 8–10 weakly sclerotized. Tergum 8 concaved at anterior margin, distinctly expanded posteromedially to form a large trapezoidal patch with a slight posterior indentation, slightly overlapping tergum 10. Tergum 9 with a large emargination posteromedially, the concavity fringed with many tiny spines medially and sublaterally. Sternum 9 with claviform vesicle having a slightly swollen tip; hypoproct subpentagonal, relatively small compared to other Amphinemurinae genera, tapering toward conical tip, where it is sometimes fused with inner lobe of paraproct. Tergum 10 convex at anterior margin, with longitudinal membranous area medially and two small humps at lateral margins. Cerci slightly sclerotized and longer than wide, becoming narrower and curving inward subapically. Epiproct short and broad basally and in dorsal view becoming narrower in its apical third. Dorsal sclerite weakly sclerotized, swollen and curved downward in lateral view and slightly scaled apically. Flagellum long and curved, grooved medially, gradually tapering to a filiform tip. Ventral sclerite strongly sclerotized, rectangular at base with sparse, short, black spines ventrally, distinctly narrowing apically to form a long flagellum. Paraprocts divided into three lobes: outer lobes distinctly sclerotized, forming a curved slender strip enlarged at its tip and less sclerotized with a fringe of dense hairs; median lobe mostly sclerotized, covered with many hairs, bearing conical projection that is slightly swollen apically; inner lobe simple and sclerotized, sometimes fused with the tip of the paraproct proximally.

Female. The specimen was collected from the same scenic spot, Longmenjian, as one of the male paratypes. As the male is wide–spread in Beijing, we tentatively assign it as conspecific to the males instead of a different one. Forewing length 9.0 mm, hindwing length 7.6 mm. Terminalia ( Fig. 14 ): Sternum 7 with saddle–shaped pregenital plate, transversely enlarged, rectangular emargination medially and produced as papillate projections sublaterally that nearly reach the posterior margin of sternum 8. Subgenital plate quadrate, heavily sclerotized, with two equally sclerous kidney–shaped patches posterolaterally, seated between the projections of the pregenital plate.

Type material. Holotype male ( CAU), CHINA: Beijing, Yanqing, Songshan, 40˚27' N, 115˚57' E, 1400 m, 2005. VI.19, Weihai Li. Paratypes: 2 males, same data as holotype; 1 male, same as holotype but 2003. V.15, Yingjiang Zhang. 1 male, Beijing, Mentougou district, Longmenjian, Guigu, 39˚56' N, 116˚05' E, 2004. VI.4, Xingyue Liu; 1 female, Beijing, Mentougou district, Longmenjian, 40˚00' N, 115˚26' E, 2005. VII.4, Hui Dong.

Distribution. China (Beijing).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality, Mt. Songshan.

Remarks. The new species is closely related to S. plutonis ( Banks, 1937) from Taiwan in having a similar prominent plate extended from the posterior margin of tergum 8. The flagellum of the epiproct in S. songshana is filiform apically and the tip of the cercus is curved medially and tapered apically. Conversely, the flagellum of the epiproct in S. plutonis is thick and somewhat broad and the tip of the cercus is blunt and truncate ( Shimizu and Sivec 2001: 394, Figs 1 A–C). Additionally, the female of S. songshana has a sclerotized, quadrate subgenital plate on sternum 8 while S. plutonis has a mostly membranous subgenital plate ( Shimizu and Sivec 2001: 395, Fig. 2 A).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Sphaeronemoura songshana sp. nov. (male). 1. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 2. Variation of pronotum, dorsal view. 3. Terminalia, dorsal view. 4. Terminalia, ventral view. 5. Epiproct, dorsal view. 6. Epiproct, lateral view. 7. Right paraproct, caudal view.

FIGURES 14 – 15. 14. Female terminalia of Sphaeronemoura songshana sp. nov., ventral view. 15. Female terminalia of Sphaeronemoura Cn – Y, ventral view.