Neoperla hubeiensis Li & Wang

Li, Weihai, Wang, Guoquan & Lu, Wenyan, 2012, Species of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Hubei, China, Zootaxa 3478, pp. 32-37 : 32-36

Neoperla hubeiensis Li & Wang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 , 11–12 )

Male. Forewing length 9.5–9.8 mm, hindwing length 8.6.–8.8 mm. General body color brownish. Distance between ocelli nearly as wide as diameter of the ocellus. Head slightly wider than pronotum, mostly brownish and lateral margins pale, with a dark brown triangular area covering ocelli and a small triangular brownish spot on anterior portion of frons ( Fig. 1 ); compound eyes dark; antennae brown. Thorax mostly brownish but pronotum paler with three brown longitudinal median stripes and scattered, brown markings ( Fig. 1 ); wing membrane subhyaline, veins brown, Rs 3 branched; legs yellowish brown. Abdomen brownish, hemiterga darker.

Terminalia . Tergum 7 with posterior margin produced into a raised quadrate process, covered with dense small sensilla basiconica ( Figs. 2, 4 ). Tergum 8 with an erect tongue-shaped process, fringed with small spines at its distal expansion ( Fig. 2 ). Tergum 9 without sensilla patches. Sternum 9 mostly pigmented ( Fig. 3 ). Aedeagal tube outline sinuous, darkly sclerotized, basoventral membranous area with two eye-like spots. Aedeagal sac semicircular, about half of tube length; a bifurcate spine is evident through sac cuticle ( Figs 5 , 11–12 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type Material. Holotype: male, China: Hubei Province, Jingshan County, Lulin, Tianmenguan village, 31.2836 N, 113.0814 E, light trap, 2010. VII.11, Qifei Liu. Paratypes: 3 males, same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the province from which the new species was collected. Distribution. China (Hubei).

Diagnosis. The male of this species is characterized by a dark brown triangular area covering ocelli ( Fig. 1 ). The aedeagal tube is sinuous and darkly sclerotized. The aedeagal sac is semicircular, about half of tube length and possesses a bifurcate spine discernable through sac cuticle ( Figs. 5 , 11–12 ). The new species seems similar to N. flavescens Chu, 1929 known from Zhejiang and Henan provinces, N. biprojecta Du, 2000b from Zhejiang and N. duratubulata Du, 1999 from Fujian in having similar terminalia and aedeagus. It may be separated from these species by the aedeagus with a semicircular sac lacking a finger-shaped subapical projection. This species is also similar to N. yangae Du, 2000b from Zhejiang, but can be distinguished from the latter by the sinuous aedeagal tube and relatively longer sac (ca. ½ tube length). In N. yangae , the aedeagal tube is simply curved ventrally, the sac is short (ca. ¼ tube length), and a cluster of sensilla basiconica are present on posteromedial portion of tergum 6 according to Du (1999) description and his Fig. 6 .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Neoperla hubeiensis sp. nov. (male). 1. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 2. Terminalia, dorsal view. 3. Sternum 9, ventral view. 4. Terminalia, lateral view. 5. Aedeagus before eversion, lateral view. (arrow pointing at tube base and fully extruded sac, respectively)

FIGURES 11 – 14. 11 – 12. Aedeagus of Neoperla hubeiensis sp. nov. (male). 13 – 14. Neoperla cavalerieri (Navás). (male). 13. Aedeagus, lateral view. 14. Basoventral spines of sac (not fully extruded), ventral view.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Neoperla cavalerieri (Navás). (male). 6. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 7. Terminalia, dorsal view. 8. Terminalia, lateral view. 9. Aedeagus, lateral view. 10. Basoventral spines of sac, ventral view.