Anacroneuria perplexa Stark, 1998

Gutiérrez-Fonseca, Pablo E. & Springer, Monika, 2011, Description of the final instar nymphs of seven species from Anacroneuria Klapálek (Plecoptera: Perlidae) in Costa Rica, and first record for an additional genus in Central America, Zootaxa 2965, pp. 16-38 : 31-33

Anacroneuria perplexa Stark, 1998

Figs. 19–20

Description. Body length: 7–11 mm. Head ( Fig. 19 ): mostly pale, only anterior margin brown; without m-line. Pronotum: oval, as wide as mesothorax; uniform brown with thin, well defined pale midline. Surface covered with fine short setae, lacking bristles. Margins completely fringed with thick bristles, somewhat variable in length. Meso- and Metanotum: anterior half with pale, rounded area; wing pads dark brown in all instars. Dorsal surfaces covered with fine short setae, and only few scattered thick bristles in anterior and lateral lines. Margins completely fringed with thick bristles, somewhat variable in length. Foreleg ( Fig. 20 ): Posterior margin with dense fringe of long setae. Femur with area of thick bristles posterodorsally; scattered short and medium-sized spines on dorsal surface; basal posterior patch composed of small spines along margin.

Distribution. Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, México.

Local distribution ( Fig. 21 ): Southern Caribbean lowlands.

Reared specimens. Limón: Río Estrella, Pandora, 20 m, 9.x.2009, Gutiérrez, 3 3, 2 Ƥ; Río Estrella, Abaste, 41 m, 9.x.2009, Gutiérrez, 1 3.

Additional material examined. Limón: Río Brenes, arriba desembocadura, 500 m, 27.iii.2000, ANAI, 8 3, 8 Ƥ; same, 25.i.2000, ANAI, 1 3; same, 27.iii.2000, V. Salgado, 1 3, 1 Ƥ; Río Estrella, boca cuen, 29.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 5 Ƥ; Río Cerere, debajo reserva, 250 m, 14.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 4 Ƥ; Río Suruy, casa amarilla, 40 m, 4.iii.2000, ANAI, 5 3, 7 Ƥ; Río Niño, San Rafael, 100 m, 18.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3; Río Yorkin, arriba desembocadura río Brai, 500 m, 27.iii.2000, V. Salgado, 4 3, 19 Ƥ; same, puerto, 100 m, 16.iv.2000, ANAI, 15 3, 10 Ƥ; Río Rancho Grande, 300 m, 4.v.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 2 Ƥ; Río Tsui, 200 m, 15.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3; same, 15.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3; Río Gavilán, Río Shiroles, 100 m, 4.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 2 Ƥ; same, 4.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 2 Ƥ; Río Niño, San Rafael, 100 m, 18.iv.2000, ANAI, 1 3; Río Yorkin, arriba desembocadura río Brai, 100 m, 27.iii.2000, V. S a l g a d o, 4 3, 19 Ƥ; Río Suruy, casa amarilla, 40 m, 4.iii.2000, ANAI, 5 3, 3 Ƥ; Río Rancho Grande, 300 m, 4.v.2000, ANAI, 1 3, 2 Ƥ; Río Yorkin, puerto Yorkin, 100 m, 16.iv.2000, ANAI, 15 3, 10 Ƥ.

Habitat and substratum. Submerged leaf litter packs in current and underneath small or medium sized rocks, in wide and shallow (<50 cm) streams and rivers.

Diagnosis. A. perplexa can be easily distinguished from all other species associated to date by its particular head and thorax color pattern ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 21. Map of Costa Rica showing distribution of Anacroneuria perplexa.

FIGURES 19 − 20. Anacroneuria perplexa, 19. Head and thorax (pro, meso and meta notum); 20. Foreleg.