Chilenoperla puelche Vera

Vera, Alejandro, 2012, A new species of Chilenoperla (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae) from the Andes of South America, Zootaxa 3268, pp. 63-68 : 64-68

Chilenoperla puelche Vera , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–10 )

Type material. Holotype male adult: CHILE: IX Región, Captrén Lookout, Conguillío National Park (38°28’S 71°42’O) 2 November 2007, leg. A. Vera. Allotype female adult: CHILE: IX Región, Río Palguín, Villarrica National Park (39°23’S 71°47’O) 18 September 2008, leg. A. Vera. Paratypes: 5 male adults, 4 female adults, CHILE: IX Región Curacautín Manzanar (38°28’S 71°39’O) 23–25 September 2004, leg. A. Vera; 1 male adult, Palguín Creek “Salto de la China ” (39°24’S 71°46’O) 18 September 2008, leg. A. Vera.

Other material. 4 male adults, 1 female adult, CHILE: IX Región Curacautín Manzanar (38°28’S 71°39’O) 23–25 September 2004, leg. A. Vera; 2 male adults, Palguín Creek “Salto de la China ” 18 September 2008, leg. A. Vera; 2 male adults, 1 nymph with pharate male, creek east of Manzanar (38°28’S 71°39’O) 16 September 2007, leg. A. Vera.

Description of adults. Morphometric mean ± standard deviation in mm (holotype): body length males 10.0±1.0 (10), females 10.9±0.3; antenna length males 9.0±0.7 (8.93), females 9.8±1.8; anterior wing males 10.1±0.4 (10), females 11.2±0.6. (n= 14 males; 7 females). Color generally brown, varying from dark to light, sometimes orange. Head ( Fig. 1 ) light brown to orange, with darker, labrum, maxillary and labial palps, antennae, occiput and a hexagonal region between the ocelli; six warty muscular impressions: one rhomboidal pair between the lateral ocelli and the antennae, one triangular pair over the clypeus and another similar pair anterior to the frontoclypeal suture. Thorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) square, narrower than the head; anterior and posterior angles rounded; borders not reinforced; lateral margins flat and expanded, especially in the anterior half; medial warts and transverse striae slightly raised. Mesonotum and metanotum shiny; posterior margins convex and straight, respectively. Legs slender, dark, the medial region of the tibia light (may be yellowish), articular membranes of the coxae yellowish to orange. Wings ( Fig. 2 ) with few interrupted transverse veins. Anterior wing light brown, transverse veins bordered by wide, parallel white regions; posterior wing very light brown in the costal and apical regions, with white bands around the transverse veins, the rest of the wing translucent, the CuA with a long fork.

Male abdomen ( Figs. 3 a–c, 4, 8): Sternites I to VIII with a medial rectangular plate, II–IV with a pair of anterior plates separated medially. Tergites VIII and IX with concave anterior and posterior margins. Tergite IX ( Fig. 3 a–c) extended laterally and united with subgenital plate; anterior margin with a slight medial cleft; subgenital plate ( Fig. 3 a) convex, with prominent posterior margin and rounded tip. Tergite X light brown (may be yelloworange) with a triangular membrane in the anterior margin ( Fig. 3 b); anterior sclerites with anterior and posterior margins which converge towards the medial dorsal line, each with a dark, ovate, not prominent dorsal tuberculum ( Fig. 3 b, c); central and lateral sclerite fused ( Fig. 3 b), in dorsal view the anterior margin convergent and blunt; posterior margin prominent, convergent, apex rounded; in lateral view flat dorsally, apex wide and truncated ( Figs. 3 , 4 ); posterior sclerite visible in dorsal view, strip-shaped with rounded apex, inserted into posterior margin of central sclerite ( Figs. 4, 8 ), in lateral view triangular with apex directed ventrally ( Fig. 4 ), separated ventrally from the central sclerite by a membranous region ( Fig. 8 ); epiproct long, narrow, curved dorsally, apex flat, sharp laterally, bilobed dorsally ( Fig. 6 ), dorsal margins with 5–6 sharp teeth directed posteriorly ( Fig. 7 ), with a prominent sclerotized ventral keel, and a small lobule towards the base; paraprocts ( Figs. 3 a–c, 4, 5) long, apex sharp, apical fourth convergent and curved dorsally. Phallus consists of four lobules, two lateral and conic; one dorsal, medial, flattened and little prominent; and one ventral, cylindrical and truncated. Cerci short with 6–7 segments ( Figs. 3 a–c, 5).

Female abdomen ( Fig. 9 a–c): Segments II–VI not sclerotized dorsally or laterally, segments VII–IX with a narrow dorsolateral reinforcement in the posterior border. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 9 b, c) large, covering half of segment IX, posterior margin with a broad V-shaped notch; segment IX sclerotized, but sternal region membranous medially ( Fig. 9 b): segment X forms a sclerotized ring with wide, rounded posterior margin covering the first two segments of the cerci in dorsal view ( Fig. 9 a); three pairs of dark, circular spots, one dorsal, one lateral near the posterior margin and one ventral in front of the paraprocts ( Fig. 9 b and c); paraprocts triangular, long, apex rounded and slightly curved medially; cerci short and six segmented ( Fig. 9 a–c).

1 2 3

Nymph (final instar). Morphometrics: body length 10.0 mm, antenna length 5.0 mm. Abundant soil particles adhered as camouflage, soft integument, with head, legs and abdominal segment X sclerotized. Its morphology is almost indistinguishable from that described for C. elongata ( Vera 2008) . Recognized only by the presence of more numerous longer setae, especially those located on the first third of the antennae, which almost twice the diameter of the segment, slender and flexible, whereas in C. elongata antennal setae are short (similar to the diameter of the segment) and strongly curved towards the antenna ( Fig. 10 ).

Etymology. Puelche , indigenous word of the Mapudungun language which refers to the “east people” and is used for indicating the east wind which blows through the mountains and is frequently followed by rain in the season in which the specimens were collected in the Región de la Araucanía.

Remarks. Chilenoperla puelche is known from four localities in the Andes Mountains of Chile, between 38° and 39° south latitude. Adults have been found in the beginning of September. In two streams in the northern part of its distribution it was sympatric with C. elongata .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Chilenoperla puelche, female genitalia, A. dorsal, B. ventral, C. lateral.

FIGURE 10. Nymph, final instar. First third of the antennae. A. C. puelche, B. C. elongata.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Chilenoperla puelche, male. 1. Head and pronotum, dorsal (holotype). 2. Wings. 3. Genitalia (holotype), A. dorsal, B. ventral, C. lateral.

FIGURES 4 – 8. Chilenoperla puelche, male. 4. Epiproct and posterior sclerite, lateral (holotype). 5. Paraproct, SEM. 6. Epiproct, dorsal and lateral. 7. Epiproct. 8. Posterior sclerite.