Neoperla nigromarginata Li & Zhang

Li, Wei-Hai & Zhang, Sheng-Quan, 2014, Two new species of Neoperla (Plecoptera, Perlidae) from Dabie Mountains of China, ZooKeys 438, pp. 45-55 : 46

Taxon classification Animalia Plecoptera Perlidae

Neoperla nigromarginata Li & Zhang sp. n. Figs 1-2

Type material.

Holotype. male (HIST), China: Henan Province, Xinyang City, Xin County, Liankangshan National Nature Reserve, Laomiao Protection station, 31°64,39'N, 114°87,95'E, light trap, 17 June 2014, W.H. Li. Paratypes: 4 females (2 in CAU), the same locality and data as holotype.

Adult habitus.

Distance between ocelli slightly wider than diameter of the ocellus. Head pale yellow to brownish with black areas, slightly wider than pronotum, with a black rectangular area covering ocelli, a large black anterior spot and two small lateral spots present on frons (Fig. 1a); compound eyes black, antennae dark brown except several basal segments which are brown; maxillary palpi dark brown. Pronotum with black median areas of rugosities and lateral margins around the kidney shaped pale disc area (Fig. 1a); wings subhyaline, veins dark brown; legs dark brown with femora and inner part of tibia brownish to brown (Fig. 1e). Cerci dark brown, basal segments brown.

Male. Forewing length 11.8 mm. Tergum 7 with an anteromedian pair of sclerotized, upraised, nipple-shaped processes and a distal subquadrate process on posterior margin, covered with small sensilla basiconica (Fig. 1b). Tergum 8 with a recurved tongue shaped process, fringed with small spines at its distal margin (Figs 1b). Tergum 9 without patches of sensilla basiconica. Hemitergal processes of tergum 10 with a swollen wide base medially curved with sharp tip (Fig. 1b). Aedeagal tube nearly straight, with basoventral and dorsal sclerites. Aedeagal sac membranous but basal half heavily sclerotized ventrally (Figs 1d, 2b). Sac about as long as tube and curved ventrally forming a right angle to tube, dorsal surface with 2-3 irregular rows of numerous small spines (Fig. 2a); lateral surface of sac with a large patch of numerous small spines at subapcial region (Fig. 2b); a pair of flagella present more evident in uneverted sac apex in dorsal view (Fig. 2a).

Female.

Forewing length 13.4-14.0 mm. General color pattern similar to male. Sternum 7 slightly sclerotized except the posterior margin slightly produced forming sclerotized subgenital fig. Subgenital fig a small dark brown tab with slightly emarginate tip (Fig. 1f). Sternum 8 moderately sclerotized medially, posterior margin slightly produced in a narrow wide lobe.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the dark lateral margins of pronotum.

Distribution.

China (Henan Province).

Diagnosis and remarks.

The new species is a typical member of the Neoperla montivaga species group as defined by Zwick (1983). The new species has similar head pattern, terminalia and paired apical flagella of the aedeagal sac with Neoperla flagellata Li & Murányi, 2012 and Neoperla tuberculata Wu, 1937 (Figs 1-4, 7 in Li et al. 2012, Figs 5 and 10 in Li et al. 2013). However, Neoperla nigromarginata is easily distinguishable from the latter two species by the distinctively pigmented pronotal lateral margins, short aedeagal sac (nearly as long as tube) with only dorsal spine patch at base and absence of a sac loop (Figs 1a, 2). In Neoperla flagellata and Neoperla tuberculata , both have long aedeagal sac (at least 1.5 × as long as tube) forming a loop with lateral spine patches at base of aedeagal sac (Figs 5-9 in Li et al. 2012b, Figs 5 & 11 in Li et al. 2013a).