Styloperla starki Zhao, Huo et Du, 2019

Zhao, Meng-Yuan, Huo, Qing-Bo & Du, Yu-Zhou, 2019, A new species of Styloperla (Plecoptera: Styloperlidae) from China, with supplementary illustrations for Styloperla jiangxiensis, Zootaxa 4608 (3), pp. 555-571 : 555-564

Styloperla starki Zhao, Huo et Du , sp. nov.

Styloperla jiangxiensis, Stark & Sivec 2007: 13 . (misidentification).

Type material: Holotype Ƌ: China, Zhejiang Province, Longwang Mountain Nature Reserve, Longwangshan hydropower station, 861m, 2009-V-17, leg. Xue Hai-Yang. Paratypes: 28³³, 4♀♀, same data as the holotype ; 10³³, 2 ♀♀, Zhejiang, Mt. Moganshan, Biwu Village , 2009-V-16, leg. Xue Hai-Yang; 38³³, 5♀♀, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve, Administrative Office side , 2009-V-19, leg. Xue Hai-Yang; 8³³, 1 ♀, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve, Glacier canyon, 742m, 30°22′7.39′′N, 119°26′4.42′′E , 2011-VII-27, leg. Wang Ji-Rui; 11³³, 6 ♀♀,, Kaihua Coun Zhejiang, Lin′an City, Taihuyuan Nature Reserve , 933m, 30°24.25′N, 199°33.683′E, 2017-V-4, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Shen Yue, Wang Ji-Rui ; 4³³, 4 ♀♀, Zhejiang, Xianju County, Danzhu Primitive For- est, 162m , 2017-V-6, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Shen Yue, Pan Zhi-Xiang; 3³³, Zhejiang, Kaihua County, Qianjiangyuan Forest Park, 681m, 29°23.427′N, 118°12.461′E , 2018-IV-24, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Gao Peng; 1³, 4♀♀, Jiangsu Prov- ince, Yixing City, Yixingzhuhai , 146m, 31°9.893′N, 119°41.898′E , 2018-V-27, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Zhao Meng- Yuan ; Jiangsu , 2³³, 1 ♀, Liyang City, Nanshanzhuhai , 2018-V-28, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Zhao Meng-Yuan .

Adult habitus: General color pale brown. Antennae, palpi, legs, veins and cerci dark brown. Head mostly palebrown; biocellate, area between ocelli to frontoclypeal area dark brown. Median occiput with noticeable shadow band. Pronotum wider than long, pale brown, completely margined with an impressed black line; two sides of black middle line with irregular brown rugosities, typically of this genus (Fig. 1). Wings hyaline, veins dark brown.

Male: Forewing length 11.0–14.0 mm, hindwing length 9.5–12.5 mm, body length 10.5–13.2 mm. Abdomen pale brown, triangular dark spots present medially and becoming smaller on terga 3–8 (Fig. 2). Tergum 10 with a thin median sclerite. Sternum 9 with a patch of fine fusiform, medial hair brush ( Figs. 3 –5). Basal cercal segment swollen, near the apical margin with a prominent long process, that terminates with a pair of small spines and a pair of ventral, subapical spines.Cercal segments 1–4 bear small clusters of mid-dorsal multispines (Figs. 6–7).

Aedeagus membranous, tongue shaped and flat, bearing regular spiral striae and a pair of ventral sclerites; Apex of the sclerites blunt, partially sclerotized and divided outward distinctly; each apical flap armed with several rows of minute spines (Figs.8–11).

Egg: Described by Stark & Sivec (2007).

Mature nymph: Body length approximately 19.3 mm. Head width 2.0 mm. Body general color brown, slightly sclerotized and bearing dense fine hairs; maculation of head and pronotum similar to adult ( Figs. 14 –16). Pronotum rectangular, with rounded corners. Anterior mesothorax and metathorax rounded; wing pads short and slightly inward. Femora relative smoothly but tibiae with a line of setae. Abdomen segments with fringe of bristles on posterior margin. Paraprocts fingerlike and tapered, membranous dorsally but slightly sclerotized in ventral (Figs. 17–18). Cerci long, about 40–50 segmented, with posterior circlets of short setae.

Material examined: Three nymphs, Zhejiang, Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve, Yiliting, 2018-IV-22, leg. Huo Qing-Bo, Gao Peng.

Etymology: The scientific name is in honor of Dr. Bill P. Stark, Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi for his many substantial contributions to world stonefly taxonomy.

Remarks: Adults typically emerge on the streamside rocks. Apparently, adults imbibe water from raindrops or dew ( Figs. 19 –20). The alimentary canal of adults examined contained a dark green bolus of plant origin, indicating that adults may feed on vegetation.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Styloperla starki Zhao, Huo et Du, sp. nov. Male terminalia, dorsal view.

FIGURE 14. Styloperla starki Zhao, Huo et Du, sp. nov. Mature nymph, dorsal view.

FIGURE 19. Exuvium of Styloperla starki Zhao, Huo et Du, sp. nov. on the rocks along an unnamed stream in Danzhu Primitive Forest, Xianju County, Zhejiang Province, China.