Neoperla teresa, Stark & Sivec, 2008

Stark, Bill P. & Sivec, Ignac, 2008, New Species And Records Of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) From Vietnam, Illiesia 4 (3), pp. 19-54 : 39-41

Neoperla teresa sp. n.

( Figs. 67‐71 , 118‐120 )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ from Vietnam, Nghe An, ca. 25 km SW of Con Cuong, 100m upriver of Khe Moi River Forestry Camp, 18 ° 56’ N, 104 ° 49’ E, 308 m, 5 June 1995, B. Hubley, J. Swann, ROM 956161 ( ROM) . Paratypes: Vietnam: Nghe An, ca. 25 km SW Con Cuong, Khe Moi River Forestry Camp, tributary of Khe Moi River , 18 ° 56’ N, 104 ° 49’ E, 308 m, 7 June 1995, J. Swann, ROM 956177 , 2 ♀ ( ROM). Same site but 4 June 1995, B. Hubley, J. Swann, ROM 956158 , 1 ♀ ( IEBR) .

Adult habitus. Biocellate. Head mostly brown but with pale areas forming incomplete M‐ line, covering clypeus and surrounding tentoria near ocelli ( Fig. 67 ). Pronotum brown with paler areas scattered on disc. Wings tinted brown with dark brown veins and pale costal area. Hind femora pale basally, dark brown apically, tibiae dark brown.

Male. Forewing length 8.5 mm. Process of tergum 7 wide, broadly rounded on posterior margin and set forward from tergal margin and margined by a Ushaped pigment bar. Tergum 8 mesal sclerite wide, obscure and bearing a few sensilla. Tergum 9 with a few mesal sensilla basiconica but lateral patches obsolete ( Fig. 68 ). Hemitergal processes slender. Aedeagal tube moderately slender, sclerotized dorsally and bearing a ventrolateral patch of minute spines near apex ( Fig. 69 ). Aedeagal sac slender, longer than tube and armed over much of surface with fine spines; largest spines grouped along dorsal margin in an irregular double row in the apical third of sac with ca. 20 spines in each row; other moderately large spines form lateral rows extending from near bases to near midlength of sac.

Female. Forewing length 10 mm. Subgenital plate unproduced, posterior margin of sternum 8 straight ( Fig. 71 ). Main body of vagina more or less spherical but with a dark brown triangular sclerite in base of spermathecal stalk ( Fig. 70 ); spermathecal stalk very slender, then expanded into a curved, sausage‐ like chamber.

Egg. Oval. Length ca. 0.27 mm, width ca. 0.18 mm, collar rim width ca. 0.05 mm. Collar sessile but surrounded by wide, smooth rim ( Figs. 118‐120 ). Striae very narrow, ca. 12 primary striae visible in lateral aspect; area between primary striae packed with several irregular rows of anastamosed secondary striae; primary striae connect to collar rim and to follicle cell impressions on lid. Sulci narrow with a single row of coarse punctations between any pair of striae. Lid small consisting of two or three rows of follicle cell impressions; FCIs deep, walls smooth, and with floors having ca. 15‐22 punctations.

Larva. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name, used as a noun in apposition, honors Teresa Heinz Kerry in recognition of her indomitable spirit, wise “opinions” and her strong support of environmental issues.

Diagnosis. This petite, dark brown species with banded femora is distinct from known congeners by virtue of the unusually shaped and margined process on male tergum 7. The female subgenital plate is reduced, the spermathecal stalk bears a basal, triangular sclerite, and the egg has a pattern of primary striae enclosing groups of secondary striae each separated by a regular row of coarse punctuations. Several females of a similar small brown species were collected together with the type series of N. teresa but these females have two dark bands on the hind femora and the spermathecal stalk indicates they belong to a species in the N. clymene complex. These females are described below as species VN‐ A.

Figures

Figs. 67‐71. Neoperla teresa. 67. Head and pronotum, 68.Male terminalia, 69. Aedeagus, 70. Vagina and spermatheca, 71. Female terminalia.

Figs. 118‐123. Egg micrographs. 118‐120. N. teresa. 118. Egg, 119. Collar, 120. Lid. 121‐123. N. yao. 121. Egg, 122. Collar, 123. Lid.