Neoperla flagellata Li & Murányi, 2012

Li, Weihai, Li, Guoquan Wang Wenliang & Murányi, Dávid, 2012, Review of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Guangdong Province of China, Zootaxa 3597, pp. 15-24 : 15-18

Neoperla flagellata Li & Murányi , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Male. Forewing length 14.5–14.9 mm, hindwing length 13.5–13.8 mm. General body color brownish. Distance between ocelli slightly wider than diameter of the ocellus. Head slightly wider than pronotum, lateral margins pale, medial portion brownish except a dark brown rectangular ocellar patch and a subtriangular patch on frons ( Fig. 1 ); compound eyes dark; antennae brown. Pronotum brownish, lateral margins pale ( Fig. 1 ); wing membrane subhyaline, veins brown; legs yellowish brown with knees darker. Abdomen brownish, hemiterga darker.

Terminalia . Tergum 7 with a proximal pair of sclerotized, upraised, nipple-shaped, processes and a distal subquadrate process on posterior margin, covered with small sensilla basiconica ( Figs. 3 & 4 ). Tergum 8 with a recurved triangular process, fringed with small spines at its distal margin ( Fig. 3 ). Tergum 9 without sensilla patches. Hemitergal processes of tergum 10 with a parallel-sided wide basal half which produces a triangular outline in lateral aspect ( Figs. 3 & 4 ). Aedeagal tube curved ventrad apically ( Figs. 2 & 5 ), dorsal surface sclerotized and less so on ventral surface. Aedeagal sac about 2X as long as tube, basal one fourth forming a loop; loop base with a cluster of small spines which extend into 1–3 irregular rows of small to large dorsal spines, with a sub-linear row of large subapical spines forming a complete ring section; a pair of uneverted flagella occur in sac apex ( Figs. 5–9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type Material. Holotype: male, China: Guangdong Province, Yingde County, Shimentai, 24.4283 N, 113.3022 E, 2003. III. 27, D. Yang. Paratypes: 3 males, same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the unusual pair of apical flagella of the aedeagal sac.

Distribution. China (Guangdong Province).

Diagnosis and remarks. The male of N. flagellata is characterized by a dark brown rectangular ocellar patch and subtriangular patch on the frons ( Fig. 1 ) and the expanded parallel-sided bases of the hemitergal processes ( Fig. 3 ). The aedeagal sac basally has a cluster of small spines that is extended into 1–3 irregular rows of small to large dorsal spines, a sublinear row of large subapical spines forming complete ring section, apex bearing a pair of flagella ( Figs. 5–9 ). The aedeagus of the new species is most similar to that of N. monacha Stark and Sivec, 2008 known from Cao Bang Province of Vietnam, but sac armature of this species is different. In N. monacha , the sac lacks a cluster of small spines at the base but form an irregular row of large spines. The sac of N. monacha also lacks a subapical spine ring, apical spines, and flagella ( Stark and Sivec 2008, fig. 14), structures present on the aedeagal sac of found in N. flagellata . Additionally, both species are distinguished by the dorsal maculation of the head and the general shape of terminalia , especially of the process of tergum 7, triangular in N. monacha and wide and subquadrate in N. flagellata .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Neoperla flagellata Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (male). 1. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 2. Aedeagus before eversion, lateral view. 3. Terminalia, dorsal view. 4. Terminalia, lateral view.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Neoperla flagellata Li & Murányi, sp. nov. (male). 5 - 6. Aedeagus of holotype, lateral view. 7. Apex of sac (with not fully extruded flagellum), lateral view. 8. Aedeagal sac of paratype with slight variations of armatures, lateral view.