Demoulinia crassi, : Gillies, 1990

Kluge, Nikita J., 2020, Demoulinia Gillies 1990 and two unnamed genera of the plesiomorphon Protopatellata (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 4820 (3), pp. 438-464 : 451-453

Differences between D. crassi and D. insularis (= D. assimilis)

Denticles on claw. According to the original descriptions of the Madagascar species D. insularis and D. assimilis , they both differ from D. crassi by edentate claws, while claws of D. crassi have small denticles ( Figs 35–37 ). More careful examination of the holotype of D. insularis , done by Luke Jacobus, and the type series of D. assimilis , done by Jean-Luc Gattolliat, reveals that claws of these larvae have vestigial denticles ( Fig. 38 ), which are much smaller than denticles of D. crassi .

Denticles on paraproct. The paraproct of D. crassi is caudally stretched into a narrowed projection, so that the median margin of the distal part of the paraproct has a shallow concavity; marginal denticles located on the caudal projection of paraproct, are turned medially ( Fig. 43 ); in contrast to this, in D. insularis (= D. assimilis ) the paraproct has a more usual structure, with the median margin entirely convex and all marginal denticles directed caudally ( Fig. 44 ; Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 1998: fig. 10; Gattolliat 2003: fig. 10). Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty (1998), distin-guished D. insularis from D. crassi «by ... numerous small spines of the paraproct», but did not report the source of information about the paraproct structure of D. crassi . Actually, spines (denticles) on the paraproct of D. crassi are also numerous and small, but differently directed ( Fig. 43 ).

Shape of tergalii. Tergalii of D. crassi are so greatly widened that tergalii III–V have their anal lobes projected proximad of the base ( Figs 47–49 ), while tergalii of D. insularis are less widened ( Gattolliat 2003: fig. 12).

Figures

FIGURES 32–38. Larval legs of Demoulinia spp. 32–37, D. crassi: 32, exuviae of hind leg; 33, inner side of fore tarsus; 34, femoral-tibial of hind leg, focus on anterior side; 35–37, claws. 38, D. insularis (holotype), fragment of claw with subimaginal claws inside (arrow shows row of vestigial denticles on inner side).

FIGURES 39–44. Exuviae of larval abdomen of Demoulinia spp. 39–43, D. crassi: 39, lateral and posterior area of abdominal tergum VII; 40, anterior-lateral area of abdominal sternum VI; 41, caudalii; 42, fragment of cercus; 43, paraproct. 44, D. insularis (holotype), median margin of paraproct (scale bar refers to Figs 39, 40, 42, 43).

FIGURES 45–51. Demoulinia crassi, tergalii I–VII.