Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi, 2021

Mo, Raorao, Wang, Ying, Wang, Guoquan, Li, Weihai & Murányi, Dávid, 2021, Two new species and three new provincial records of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Nanling Mountains, China, Zootaxa 5040 (2), pp. 195-214 : 206-211

Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi , sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–14 )

Adult habitus ( Fig. 11 ). Body color generally brown. Head pale, with a dark brown subtriangular spot on frons and a dark brown subtriangular ocellar patch; palpi brown; antennae generally brown, scape darker; biocellate, the distance between ocelli ca. 2.0 X as wide as the diameter of the ocellus; head slightly wider than pronotum. Pronotum pale brown and rectangular, with scattered, brown rugosities and dark midline; corners rounded. Wings brownish and transparent, veins brown; legs brown; cerci pale.

Male ( Figs. 11b–11d , 12 ). Forewing length ca. 12.3 mm. Tergum 7 with a trapezoidal posteromedial process covered with sensilla basiconica. Tergum 8 with an erect tongue-shaped process, fringed with small distal spines. Tergum 9 with two paramedial patches of long hairs. Hemitergal processes of tergum10 up-curved, finger-like. Aedeagus mostly membranous, hook-like ( Fig. 12 ). Aedeagal tube mostly straight, only dorsal surface sclerotized; ventroapically with an erect, medially bifurcated Y-shaped lobe; arms of the lobe are without spines and as long as stalk of the lobe. Aedeagal sac slightly longer than tube, curved ventrally and forming an open loop, fully covered with brown spines, spines are larger but scarcer dorsoapically; apical part gradually tapering to a nipple-like tip.

Female ( Fig. 13 ). Forewing length ca. 14.5 mm. Habitus generally similar to male. Sternum 8 slightly sclerotized in most parts; posteromedial area strongly sclerotized, produced into a short but distinct subtriangular subgenital plate with a shallow posterior notch.

Eggs ( Fig. 14 ). Length 363–373 μm, width 213–215 μm (N=6). Elongate oval in shape with 78–82 outer striae connecting collar and lid; striae set closely with fine sulci between them. Hatching line inconspicuous. Micropyles sessile, dispersed between striae, set on subequatorial line. Collar and lid sessile without distinct flange, lid slightly wider than collar; both surrounded by two rows of regular follicle cell impressions (FCIs) at junction of striae and fully covered with fine punctations; anchor not studied.

Type Material. Holotype: male ( HIST), China: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin City , Xing’an County, Maoershan National Nature Reserve , Grand Canyon , N 25°51’ 27’’, E 110°28’0”, 523 m, 2020.VI.20, light trap, Mo, Lai et al . Paratype: 1 female ( HIST), same locality and date as holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the similarity to the closely related species, Neoperla delphina Li, Mo & Wang, 2020 .

Distribution and ecology. China: Guangxi, Maoershan National Nature Reserve ( Fig. 15 ). The type locality is the same river in Maoershan where N. chebalinga was collected.

Remarks. The new species is assigned to the Neoperla diehli subgroup of N. montivaga species group ( Mo et al. 2020b, Zwick 1983, Zwick & Sivec 1985). It is most similar to N. delphina Li Mo & Wang, 2020 which is known from Guangxi. Both species share similarities in male terminalia and aedeagal structure. It may be separated from N. delphina by its head pattern lacking a distinct posterior notch, by the aedeagal tube having a straight Y-shaped lobe in lateral view, by the aedeagal sac being fully covered by tiny spines and with a nipple-shaped tip. In N. delphina , the head pattern has a triangular posterior notch; the apical half of Y-shaped lobe of aedeagal tube is strongly curved backward; the aedeagal sac is covered with tiny spinules only in the apical half, and in having a finger-like tip. The female subgenital plate of the new species is short and subtriangular with a small posteromedial notch, while in N. delphina , the female subgenital plate is longer, triangular, and with an obscure apical emargination.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (male). a. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. b. Terminalia, dorsal view. c. Terminalia, oblique lateral view. d. Terminalia, lateral view. e. Adult habitus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 12. Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (male). a. Aedeagus, lateral view. b. Aedeagus, oblique ventral view. c. Aedeagus, oblique dorsal view.

FIGURE 13. Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (female). a. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. b. Terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 14. Neoperla similidelphina Mo, Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (eggs). a. Entire egg, lateral view. b. Lid, lateral view. c. Lid, apical view. d. Collar, lateral view. e. Collar, oblique apical view. f. Micropyles (indicated by arrows).

FIGURE 15. Distribution of the Neoperla species discussed in this paper. Black: localities out of Nanling Mountains. Red: Huaping National Nature Reserve. Blue: Maoershan National Nature Reserve. Green: Mangshan National Nature Reserve. Yellow: Chebaling National Nature Reserve.