Neofilchneria cheni Zhang, Li & Li, 2024

Zhang, Yao, Li, Wenliang & Li, Weihai, 2024, A new species of Neofilchneria (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) from China, with supplementary information on N. wanglanga Chen, 2019, Zootaxa 5447 (2), pp. 282-288 : 283-288

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5447.2.9
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D68118ED-8A40-4E05-89E4-D99881B8EEB4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11119648
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B0B32D-FFCC-FFE3-FF70-F980FE96FED3
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Neofilchneria cheni Zhang, Li & Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Neofilchneria cheni Zhang, Li & Li , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 )

Adult habitus ( Figs. 2–3 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ). Body generally dark brown. Head mostly dark brown, occiput medially interrupted by a narrow yellow stripe, posterolateral margins with two fringed dark areas ( Figs. 2a, 2c View FIGURE 2 ). Triocellate, anterior ocellus smaller than posterior ocelli. Antennae evenly dark brown, approximately half the length of the body. Maxillary and labial palpi lighter brown ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ). Submental gills pale and finger-like ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ). Meso- and metanota dark brown. Mesosternum Y-arms meeting anterior corners of furcal pits ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ). Abdominal sterna are dark brown except for progressively smaller, paired light posterolateral areas on segments 1–4 ( Fig. 2b View FIGURE 2 ). Macropterous; wings light brown, veins brown ( Figs. 3a–3b View FIGURE 3 ). Legs generally brown, tibia slightly banded basally and subapically. Abdominal segments generally dark brown. Cerci brown ( Figs. 2a–2b View FIGURE 2 ).

Male ( Figs. 3–4 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 ). Body length 16.1 mm; forewing length 14.1 mm, hindwing length 11.1 mm. In the forewing, an irregular net present near the apex; six crossveins present between C and ScP; RP with four apical branches; nine crossveins present between M and CuA; eight crossveins present between CuA and CuP; AA1 unforked; AA2 with three branches ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ). In the hind wing, the apical net simpler than that in the forewing; RP with four apical branches; anal area large, with nine anal branches ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ).

Pronotal median band brownish to brown, indistinct in coloration; pronotal field covered with brown callosity ( Fig. 2c View FIGURE 2 ). Tergum 9 with a depressed, membranous posteromedian area ( Fig. 4a View FIGURE 4 ). Sternum 9 unmodified, posterior margin light brown ( Fig. 4b View FIGURE 4 ). Tergum 10 divided into two finger-like hemiterga, covered with ventroapical patch spinules. Hemitergal lobes in dorsal view are far set ( Fig. 4c View FIGURE 4 ); in lateral view the hemitergal lobes are distinctly upcurved ( Fig. 4e View FIGURE 4 ). Median area of hemiterga with a deep membranous slit ending before base of epiproct, below where basal anchor, lateral arms, and lever arm are located and partly exposed; paragenital plates brown and divergent near base of epiproct; basal anchor and lateral arms forming a V-shaped sclerite ( Fig. 4c View FIGURE 4 ), anterior to the paragenital plates the sclerite originates from the base of the lever arm ( Fig. 4e View FIGURE 4 ). Epiproct in dorsal view nearly rod-like, with round anterior and posterior margins, posteromedial margin fringed with short setae ( Fig. 4d View FIGURE 4 ); in lateral view, the epiproct is elongate with an anterior hook, long lever arm present inside the membranous pouch near the hinged base of epiproct ( Fig. 4e View FIGURE 4 ).

Aedeagus generally long and tubular with a pair of enlarged mesolateral swellings; apical portion covered with spinules except for a bald dorsoapical portion ( Figs. 4f–4h View FIGURE 4 ).

Female ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Body length 19.2 mm; forewing length 19.1 mm, hindwing length 16.3 mm. Color pattern generally similar to male, but the pronotal medial band is yellow brown ( Fig. 5a View FIGURE 5 ). Subgenital plate originating from posterior margin of sternum 8, covering anterior half of sternum 9. Subgenital plate long, lateral margin nearly straight with weak constriction at midlength; the wide apex with a shallow arcuate notch, the lateral lobes nipple-like. Sternum 9 generally pale with two dark brown round markings. Paraprocts subtriangular ( Fig. 5b View FIGURE 5 ).

Type Material. Holotype male ( HIST), CHINA: Hubei Province, Shennongjia Forestry District, Shennong peak Scenic Area , 2576m, 31.4569 ° N, 110.1919°E, 13.VI.2023, leg. Xulong Chen. GoogleMaps Paratype female ( HIST), same data and date as holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The species is named after Mr. Chen, collector of the types.

Distribution. China (Hubei Province).

Diagnosis. The new species resembles N. wanglanga Chen, 2019 from Sichuan Province of southwestern China by sharing similar color patterns and abdominalia terminalia but can be distinguished in the adult male stage by the elongate rod-like epiproct in dorsal view, the more upcurved and separated hemitergal lobes, and aedeagal characteristics. For N. wanglanga , the epiproct is elliptical and apically notched in dorsal view and claw-like in lateral view (see figs. 5B–5G in Chen 2019), the hemitergal lobes are moderately curved and reaching apically, and the aedeagus bears a pair of closely set, erect basoventral lobes. The females are also distinctive as follows: the apex of subgenital plate in N. wanglanga is deeply notched and the lateral lobes are subtriangular and slightly hooked whereas the plate in the new species has a shallow distal notch with nipple-like lateral lobes (comparing fig. 7B in Chen 2019 with Fig. 5b View FIGURE 5 ). In addition, the new species is similar to N. erberi Zwick, 1980 in the shape of the hemitergites and the shape of the base of the epiproct, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the rod-like epiproct in dorsal view and anterior hook in lateral view. In N. erberi , the epiproct is subtriangular in dorsal view and without the hook in lateral view (comparing figs. 23f– 23g in Zwick, 1980 with Figs. 4c–4e View FIGURE 4 ).

Remarks. The type locality is located in the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve’s Shennong Peak Scenic Area. All specimens were collected from a rocky path beside the creek, which has a moderately fast flow and rocky or stony substrate.