Neoperla caeleps, Zwick & Zwick, 2023

Zwick, Peter & Zwick, Andreas, 2023, Revision of the African Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlinae) based on morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 5316 (1), pp. 1-194 : 71-72

26. Neoperla caeleps n. sp.

( Figs. 150–153 )

Type material. J holotype: Republic of Guinea, Loffa (aff. Diani) W de Boola [8.19°N, 8.67°W], 8.3.88 ( SMNS, gift Élouard; NEOP 068, slide Z17.020). ♁ paratype, mis-associated paralectotype of N. africana Klapálek : N. Kamerun Joh.-Albrechtshöhe III. 96 L. Conradt S. \ africana Klapálek \ CYTYPE [sic! print, red paper] \ COTYPUS [print, white paper] \ det.P. Zwick 1980 Neoperla sp. T [handwritten on photoprint] (pinned, genitalia on pinned plastic-slide; NMCZ). ♁ paratype: S. O. Kamerun, Lolodorf L.Conradt S. ( NMCZ, Klapálek det. africana; penis slide Z19.109, abdomen in microvial). ♁ paratype: Republic of Cameroon, Kumba, Loaiasis Res. Cent. VIII–XII_1952 coll. Nicholas ( USNM _142). ♁ paratype: Republic of Ghana,Western region, Ankasa game prod. Reserve 10–16.12.93 St. 12 J. Kjaerendsen & T. Andersen light trap; NUFU-project ZMBN Ref. No. 3 ( NEOP 067).

♁ paratype: Republic of Liberia, 8 mi NW Belefuanai [7.26N, 9.43W], S fork S.Paul R., 11.8.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413048 ) .

Habitus. WL 10.0– 12.2mm. Yellow, separate black ocellar rings (the holotype) or ocelli on a common brown spot. Flagellum brownish, tibiae and tarsi infuscate. Cercus (distal part missing) yellow.

Male ( Figs. 150–153 ). Pale caudal half of T7 with well delimited triangular sclerite, tip narrow and triangular, projecting over flat T8. Some SB along sides and at tip of process. Sclerite on T8 tongue-shaped, SB in a longitudinal line have forward-directed tips, like a saw. T9 as usual, with pale median area behind the divided antecosta, low pilose lateral humps and a sclerotised median furrow behind which lies the flat heart-shaped epiproct. Mediobasal callus of HT10 tongue-shaped, tip of HT10 slender, slightly curved, moderately pointed. HT-tips bent down, almost concealed by lateral humps of T 9 in lateral view ( Fig. 150 ).

Penis a slender firm tube curved dorsad, several sharp backward-pointing spines on a small membranous cushion at dorsodistal tip ( Figs. 151–153 ). Endophallus little longer than tube, curved into the opposite direction ( Fig. 153 ), ventrally protruding base with two paramedian patches of sharp spines ( Figs. 151–152 ). Distally from a short bare area the dorsal face of endophallus has a loose cover of large sharp spines, those near tip smaller.

Female. Unknown.

DNA ( Figs. 491–492 , 494). The male holotype from Guinea and a male paratype from Ghana were sequenced for the COX1 DNA barcode fragment and with the genome-skimming approach, respectively. They cluster together with maximum support (100/100/100) and the species is very strongly supported (75.4/99/99) as sister to N. plicata n. sp..

Etymology. The Latin noun caeleps designates a man without wife.

Figures

FIGURE 491. Codon-model maximum likelihood phylogram based on 83 largely complete mitochondrial genome sequences only (mt-NT). Statistical support values (SH-aLRT, UFBoot) from this and other analyses summarised by squares as explained in the figure. Terminal labels include information on the species, type status, gender, originating country, unique sequence identifier (NEOP###), sequencing approach and total basepairs of 13 mitochondrial, protein-coding genes. Clades of particular interest highlighted with colours that correspond to the clades in other trees. HT = holotype; PT = paratype; PCR = Polymerase Chaine Reaction; WGS = Whole Genome Shotgun.

FIGURE 492. Simplified overview of codon-model maximum likelihood phylogram based on 356 mitochondrial genome and COX1 DNA barcode sequences (all-NT). Terminal labels include information on the species only. Clades of particular interest highlighted with colours that correspond to the clades in other trees. The full tree is shown in Figs 493-498.

FIGURES 150–153. Neoperla caeleps n. sp., male HT (NEOP068) from Loffa: 150, abdominal tip, tergites numbered, not to scale, 151, apex of partly everted penis, the scale is 100µm. 152, paratype from Ghana (NEOP067). 153, PT from Lolodorf, everted penis. 151, 152 to the same scale. ce, cercus; E, epiproct; HT10, hemitergite 10.