Phanoperla testacea (Hagen)

Mason, Denise & Stark, Bill P., 2015, Notes On The Genus Phanoperla Banks From Sri Lanka And India (Plecoptera: Perlidae), Illiesia 11 (4), pp. 29-40 : 36-37

Phanoperla testacea (Hagen)

( Fig. 21 )

Perla testacea Hagen 1858:475 .

Lectotype ♂, designation Zwick, 1982a, (Museum of Comparative Zoology), Ceylon [Sri Lanka]

Phanoperla testacea: Zwick, 1982a:115

Material examined. SRI LANKA: Kandy District,

Kabaragala, Millomalai, 22-23 March 1975, S. Karunaratne, P.B. Karunaratne, 1♂ ( USNM). Nuwara Eliya District , Kande-ela, 14 March 1973, Baumann, Cross, 1♂ ( USNM). Nuwara Eliya District, stream below Lover’s Leap, 2 April 1979, M.D. Hubbard, T . Wigesiuhe, 2♂ ( USNM). Nuwara Eliya District , Horton Plains, 5 April 1978, M.D. Hubbard, T . Wigesiuhe, 1♂ ( USNM) .

Comments. The P. testacea -group proposed by Zwick (1982a) includes six formally recognized species and two recognized by informal designation ( Table 1 ). Zwick (1982a) noted the male “…Ceylonese members of this group, the testacea -group sensu stricto, are the most difficult species in the genus…” to distinguish. He further indicated that specimens of females with eggs are essential for species recognition in the group. All specimens of P. testacea and P. wedda (see below) in this sample were consistent in lacking a sternal brush on segment 8, and in having one on segment 7 ( Fig. 21 ), but the number of Rs veins, the details of the median patch of sensilla basiconica on tergum 9 and the aedeagal features varied, at least subtly, as detailed by Zwick (1982a). It seemed probable, given the number of male specimens we examined from sites where female specimens of P. wedda dominate, that Zwick’s (1982a) indication, regarding the presence of sternal brushes on male abdominal segment 8 for Sri Lankan members of the testacea- group, might be in error. This has been confirmed now for small samples of P. limosa , P. srilanka , P. testacea and P. wedda (P. Zwick, pers. com., and our observations). Unfortunately, we have not had an opportunity to check this character for specimens of P. ceylonica , consequently we have not included this species in our revised key (below) to Sri Lankan and Indian Phanoperla males.

Figures

Figs. 19-21. Phanoperla adult structures. 19. P. peniculus head and pronotum. 20. Putative P. peniculus female abdominal sterna 8-9. 21. P. testacea male abdominal sterna 7-9 showing ventral brush on sternum 7.