Neoperla larvata, 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 : 143-144

66. Neoperla larvata n. sp.

( Figs. 380–385 )

Type material: Holotype ♀, Republic of Sierra Leone, Pampana près de Magburaka [8.67°N, 11.96°W], 5.2.89 (slide Z16/76, NEOP 238 , J.M. Élouard, SMNS).

Republic of Sierra Leone, 1♀ Pampana près de Magburaka [8.67°N, 11.96°W], 5.2.89 (slide Z21/33) .

Central African Republic: Surroundings of Bayanga , sur plate-forme à 40 m du sol dans un kungu, à 50 m du camp 21– 23.10.2008, 03°01’49.5”N, 16°08’31.7”E, 21– 23.10.2008: 1♁ Paratype ( NEOP240 ) , 1♁ Paratype ( NEOP 241 ) , 1♀ Paratype ( NEOP239 ) . Republic of Guinea: 1♀ Paratype, Republic of Guinea, Kolenté à Simbareya [9.93°, -12.60°], 3.2.89 ( NEOP237 , slide Z16/59, SMNS) .

Additional material studied: Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1♀, Musée du Congo Yambata II/ III-1914 De Giorgi \ R. det. M 5891 (pinned slide; MRAC). République de Côte d’Ivoire: 1♀, Coll. Mus. Tervuren Côte d’Ivoire: Danané 26-VII-1966 D. Thys & W. Verheyen (pinned slide; MRAC). Republic of Ghana, 5♁, 4♀, Western Reg., Ankasa Resource Res., Nkwanta Camp 05°16.566’N 002°18342’ 7–8 Jun 2005 K.B.Miller, colr. ( BYU). 1♀, Slide GH.01_10 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. 1♁, 1♀ (Slides Z21.41, 21.42), Ghana, Volta region, Agumatsa waterfalls, Wli, St. 10 19.11.1993 J. Kjaerendsen light trap; Ref. No. 2. 5 ♁ Ghana Volta Region, Wli Falls, Afegame, St. 10, 08.03.1993 J.S.Amakye & J. Kjaerendsen light trap; NUFU-project ZMBN Sample no. 1; 3♁, 1♀, Ghana Volta Region, Wli Falls, Afegame, St. 12, 07.03.1993 J.S.Amakye & J. Kjaerendsen light trap; NUFU-project ZMBN Sample no. 1; 1♁, 2♀ Ghana Volta region, River Menu at Mensu 18.11.1993 J. Kjaerendsen light trap. Republic of Guinea. 1♀, Guinée, Konkouré à Linsan [11.62°N, 12.66°W] 29.01.1987 (slide Z16/152); 5♀, Niandan, Bambaya, 25.10.1984 (slide Z86/12); 1♀ Guinea, Samou, Grde Chute 13.2.1986, J.M.Gibon (all SMNS, gift Élouard). République de Côte d’Ivoire: 2♀: 15 km N Lakota, 20–21 Oct.1971, black light trap, J.A.Gruwell ( USNM). 2♁, Férédougouba 04.03.85 PL Baterte; 1♀, same locality, 30.3.85; 1♀, Cavally à Gu’é, Région de Toulépleu [6°35N, 8°25E] 01.02.1988 (all ex coll. Élouard, SMNS). 1♁, Elfenbeinküste, Boa ca 10 km obh. Mündung in den Sassandra, B.Statzner, 19.4.1977 ( SMNS, Slide 86/24). 1♁: N'Zi Fluss oberhalb Strassenbrücke von Katiola [8.124, -5.100] nach Dabakala [8.23, -4.571], nahe Dorf Tinbé, B.Statzner, 12.1.1977 (Z21.38); 1♀: N'Zi-River, ca. 10 km N Bocauda 25.01.1977 B.Statzner; 1♀: Cavally R. (blackwater) nr Taȉ [~ 5.87°N, 7.45°W] 02.07.1977 B.Statzner (all SMNS). Republic of Liberia. 1♁, 8♀, Liberia, 8 mi NW Belefuanai [7.26N, 9.43W], S fork S.Paul R., 11.8.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413055); 1♀ Liberia, 36 mi S Voinjama [8.42N, 9.75S], 13.8.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413052). 1♁: Liberia, Suakoko, Feb. 20, 1952 [ USNM, in ETOH, from photographs by W.H. Li]; Suakoko, light trap, C.C.Blickenstaff: 1♁, 19.12.51; 3♁, 31.1.52; 2♀, 14.3.52; 1♁, 1♀, 10–20.3.52; 2♁, 3♀, 3–9.5.52; 1♁, 7.11.52 (all USNM, pinned). 1♁, Liberia, Mt. Coffee, II-1897 Mrs. Sharp; 1♁, Liberia, Mt. Coffee, 27-II-1897 R.P.Currie (both in ETOH, USNM). Federal Republic of Nigeria. 1♀: 21 mi W Kaduna [10°33‘N, 7°27‘E], 650 m, 11.9.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413050). 1♁ (Z21.34), 1♁: Ikom [6°5’N, 8°37’E], Ogoja Prov., Nigeria. 6–7.I.1949 at light B.Malkin (Z21.34; ZMBerlin). 12♁, 1♀, NIGERIA: Benin 1-IV-75 JTMedler ( BYU). Republic of Sierra Leone. 1♀, Kaba à Gotamba, Kilims Nat. Pk. 04.02.1988; 1♀, F. Rokel à Makaba [8.40652, -11.84601] 08.02.1985; 5♀, Pampana près de Magburaka [8.67°N, 11.96°W], 5.2.89 (slide Z16/76; all SMNS, ex coll. Élouard); 1♀, Northern Province, Kondembaia, 22.11.1984 W. Rossi (gift R.Fochetti; slide SMNS 98/3). Togolese Republic: 1 ♁ (Z21.40) 2 ♀ (Z21.39), Sio à Kati [6.88, 0.85], 24.11.1985; 3 ♀, Tététou [7.00, 1.50, on] (Mono R.), 25.11.1985; 2 ♀, Amoutchou, 28.11.1985; 2 ♀, R. Mono, Ngonlutu, 29.11.1985; 5 ♀, Kpassi (Mono R.), 30.11.1985; 1 ♀, R. Mono, 01.12.1985; 4 ♀, Tchamba [9.03N, 1.42E], 02.12.1985 (all V. Landa, SMNS).

Habitus ( Fig. 380 ). Male endophallus and eggs same as N. heideae n. sp., species are externally indistinguishable.

Female ( Figs. 381–383 ). Similar to N. heideae n. sp. but differs by a long and narrow tail-like section of the SSt with scattered tiny hooklets instead of normal scales like in the basal part of the SSt. The nail on S8 is conical ( Fig. 381 ) and especially in some specimens from Ghana and Togo narrow and sharply pointed ( Figs. 382–383 ).

Variation. The relation between the length of the wide scaly part of the SSt and the narrow section with sparse spicules varies but could not be quantified. The nail is always conical but its width and also the width of the base vary. A single female from Guinea has slender eggs (NEOP237, Fig. 384 ) but the chorion structure is the same as in stout eggs of N. heideae n. sp.

DNA ( Figs. 492 , 497). The female holotype from Sierra Leone, two female paratypes, and two male paratypes from Guinea and the Central African Republic were sequenced for the COX1 DNA barcode fragment, representing the wide geographic spread of this species. The monophyly of the species is very strongly supported (94.1/100/100) as is its sister relationship to N. heideae n. sp. (99.2/100/100) .

Etymology. The name alludes to the circumstance that the quasi-identity of males with N. heideae n. sp. for some time masked (Latin larva, a mask) the existence of the present species.

Figures

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 373–385. Neoperla heideae n. sp. and N. larvata n. sp. N. heideae: 373, 374, abdominal tip and contracted penis of a misassociated paralectotype of N. excisa Klap. from Lolodorf (to the same scale), with the label in Sütterlin script; 375, contracted penis, dorsal view, 376, everted endophallus (from Libamba); 377, ♀ situs from near Kama (D. R. Congo); 378, ♀ situs (D. R. Congo, Odzala N.P., NEOP242); 379, egg (Sangmelina,Cameroon). N. larvata: 380, everted endophallus (CAR, Bayanga, NEOP240); 381, ♀ situs, sternites 8 and 9 labeled (Ghana, Ankasa Res.); 382, ♀ situs (Togo, Kati); 383, ♀ situs (Ghana, Volta R., Z21.41); 384, egg with detail, Guinea, Simbareya (NEOP237); 385, aberrant contracted penis, ♁ from Ivory Coast, Boa. The scales are 100µm; tergites, HT10 and cercus labeled. a, anchor; mi, micropyle; n, nail; sa, spermatheca; SSt, spemathecal stalk; V, vagina.