Neoperla sjostedti Klapálek, 1909

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 : 161

78. Neoperla sjostedti Klapálek, 1909

The species is well defined morphologically and by DNA. However, since the amount of material suitable for molecular study differed much between the included three morphs, coverage is therefore very unequal. Two of the morphs fit the types of historical nominal species and are recorded as N. sjostedti sjostedti Klapálek,1909 and N. sjostedti needhami Lestage, 1921 , respectively. Both vary and females cannot reliably be identified. Male morphology suggests the taxa are essentially allopatric, with a suspected contact zone at Tukuyu, near Lake Malawi in the Great Rift Valley ( Fig. 458 , arrow) where intermediate morphs possibly occur.

Of the third morph only the female is known, DNA and morphology agree between the eight individuals which form a homogeneous block within the complex. The morph is briefly described but not named.

Figures

FIGURE 458. Distribution map of N. sjostedti sjostedti and N sjostedti needhami. The type localities of N sjostedti, N. bottegoana and N. needhami are identified by the initials of the names. Other specimen records concern only males, the arrow indicates the possible contact zone between the 2 subspecies.