Protonemura ruffoi Consiglio, 1961

Yasri-Cheboubi, Nabila, Vinçon, Gilles & Lounaci, Abdelkader, 2016, The Nemouridae from Algeria (Insecta: Plecoptera), Zoosystema 38 (3), pp. 295-308 : 297

Protonemura ruffoi Consiglio, 1961

Protonemura ruffoi Consiglio, 1961: 179 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Central Algeria. Kabylian Djurdjura, NE Tizi Ouzou, Ath Agad village, Thaânsrine district, Ighzer Ath Agad brook Ouacif tributary Aissi tributary, 920 m, III.2010, 8 larvae ; VII.2010, 90 larvae (coll. H&L) ; 16.IV.2012, 1♂, 2♀ ( YN) ; 500 m above Ouacif village, Ouacif river Aissi tributary, 380 m, V.2010, 11 larvae ; VII.2010, 33 larvae (coll. H&L). Tizi n’Kouilal Pass below Main-du-Juif Mount , brook, 1300 m, 16.IV.2012, 1 ♂, 2♀ ( MNHN) ; 3. V.2013, 1 ♂, 1♀ (coll. NY).

Great Kabylia. Addekar village, between Tagma Pass and Kebouche Adekar, below Djebel Toukra (1450 m), second brook right side of road, 1100 m, 17.IV.2012, 23 ♂, 12 ♀ (coll. NY), third brook right side of road, 1000 m, 17.IV.2012, 1♀ (coll. NY).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Protonemura ruffoi is a west Mediterranean species not known from the Iberian Peninsula ( Lounaci & Vinçon 2005). It extends to Sicily and the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. In Sicily, it occurs between 970 and 1600 m a.s.l. ( Consiglio 1961). It was reported by Aubert (1956) as Protonemura tyrrhena in the Kabylian Djurdjura (1400 m) and the Blidean Atlas (Fig. 11). Lounaci & Vinçon (2005) reported it from the Kabylian Djurdjura between 480 and 1680 m. We collected it in the Kabylian Djurdjura (Fig. 12), between 380 and 1300 m. It is a crenophilic species. The adults emerge in spring.

Protonemura drahamensis Vinçon & Pardo, 2006 ( Figs 4 ; 5 )

Protonemura drahamensis Vinçon & Pardo, 2006: 2 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Eastern Algeria. El Kala, Algerian slope of Khroumir mountains : Ech chaba El Waara, brook below Djebel Haddada, Haddada village ( Fig. 5 ), 180 m, 7. V.2010, 40 larvae ; 25.III.2011, 132 larvae ; 23.IV.2011, 20 larvae ; 3.III.2012, 1 ♂; 24.III.2012, 3 ♂, 2 ♀ ( MNHN) ; 2.V.2012, 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (coll. NY). Bougousse district , below Djebel Ghorra (1200 m), forest house of El Ghorra, 5 tributaries of Bougousse r. flowing in Mexna dam: Ghorra brook 1, 900 m, 3.V.2012, 1♂, 3♀ (coll. NY), Ghorra brook 2, 900 m, 3.V.2012, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (coll. NY), Ghorra brook 3, 900 m, 3.V.2012, 2♀ (coll. NY), Ghorra brook 4, 950 m, 3.V.2012, 1♂, 9♀ (coll. NY), Ghorra brook 5, 950 m, 3.V.2012, 5 ♂, 2 ♀ (coll. NY) .

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — P. drahamensis is an endemic species occurring in Central Maghreb (W Tunisia and E Algeria) (Fig. 11). In Algeria, it is restricted to the El Kala region (Fig. 12). In the Kabylian Djurdjura, it is replaced by P. ruffoi . In Tunisia, it occurs in brooks and brooklets at moderate altitudes 350-600 m of the Khroumirian mountainous massif ( Vinçon & Pardo 2006). We collected it up to 950 m a.s.l. The adults emerge in spring.

DIAGNOSIS. — Protonemura drahamensis is assigned to the corsicana group, characterized by a terminal filament at the apex of the epiproct. Nevertheless, this filament is hardly visible in this species since it is often retracted in the epiproct apex ( Fig. 4A, B ). It is very similar to P. ruffoi in all aspects; P. ruffoi differs by the longer, permanently exposed terminal filament of the epiproct ( Consiglio 1961: fig. 2) and by the slender median and outer lobes of paraprocts, with the styles lying on the soft part of the median lobe and extending near the tip of the outer lobes ( Consiglio 1961: figs 3, 11). Protonemura drahamensis differs very noticeably by the shorter stiles of paraprocts, freely arching over the median lobe ( Fig. 4 C-E). The female of P. ruffoi has a large pregenital plate on sternite VII instead of the narrow, rounded pregenital plate of P. drahamensis ( Fig. 4F ).

Figures

FIG. 4. — Protonemura drahamensis Vinçon & Pardo, 2006 ♂: A, epiproct, lateral, B, dorsal; C, abdominal tip, ventral view; D, paraprocts, ventral; E, lateral; F, ♀ sternite VII-IX, ventral; G, lateral (Vinçon & Pardo 2006). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 5. — Collecting site of Protonemura drahamensis Vinçon & Pardo, 2006: Ech chaba El Waara brook, 180 m, El Kala National Park, El Taref, Eastern Algeria.