Leuctra astridae, Graf, 2005

Graf, Wolfram, 2005, Leuctra Astridae, A New Species Of Plecoptera From The Austrian Alps., Illiesia 1 (8), pp. 47-51 : 47-49

Leuctra astridae , sp. n. ( Figs. 1-4 )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ from Austria, Styria, Ennstaler Alpen, Gesäuse , 1570 m a.s.l., Paratypes: 12 ♂, 4 ♀, 24.8.04, leg. E. Weigand; 28 ♂, 28 ♀, 23.7.05, leg. A. Schmidt-Kloiber, E. Weigand & W. Graf; all material in coll. W. Graf, Vienna, except 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ paratypes, deposited at the Linzer Landesmuseum, Linz.

Adult habitus. General colour of body and appendages dark brown. Length of body 5.5-6.9 mm. Length of forewing 3.5-3.9 mm.

Male. Tergites I-V simple, caudal part weakly sclerotized. Anterior edge of tergites VI and VII entirely sclerotized, with a largely membranous central area, which takes a rectangular form in tergite VI, tergite VII with an additional semicircular area anteromedially. Antecosta of tergites VIII and IX interrupted for one third of tergite width, free ends sharp, tergites largely membranous medially. Tergite IX mostly membranous with two connected subtriangular dark areas posteromedially which cover half of the tergal width. Anterior margin of tergite X bilobed, posterior margin trapezoidally notched. Epiproct mushroom-shaped with a broadly pigmented stalk in the form of two half-moons ( Fig. 1 ). Cerci simple, cylindric. Sternites simple, sternite IX with vesicle. Specilla slightly longer than paraproct styles and rounded apically in lateral view. Paraproct styles thin and straight in posterior view, basal outer margins of paraproct slighty convex. Lateral lobes of paraprocts significantly elongated dorsally ( Fig. 2 ).

Female. Sternites I-V simple, with paired, small caudal sclerotizations. Sternite VIII rectangular and large, divided posteriorly for two third of its length by a well delimited, narrow notch, which separates two conical, short lobes ( Fig. 3 ). A transversal pigmented area exists below the subgenital plate similar to L. festai .

Both sexes are brachypterous, the wings do not exceed the posterior edge of segment VII ( Fig. 4 ).

Armature of spermatheca seems to be very similar to L. festai ( Ravizza & Ravizza Dematteis 1980) .

Affinities. Leuctra astridae as well as its congener, Leuctra festai both belong to Leuctra hippopus -group, occitana – subgroup which can be characterised as

follows: male either with two paired processes or lacking any processes ( Ravizza 2002). The following southwestern distributed species can be associated with it: L. cyrnea cyrnea CONSIGLIO & GUIDICELLI, 1975 ( Corsica) , L. cyrnea incudensis VINÇON & RAVIZZA, 2000 ( Corsica) , L. khroumiriensis VINÇON & PARDO, 1998 ( Tunisia) , L. maroccana AUBERT, 1956 (Ibero- Maghreb), L. medjerdensis VINÇON & PARDO, 1998 ( Tunisia) , L. occitana DESPAX, 1930 (Southern France, Iberia, Pyrenees), L. sartorii VINÇON & PARDO, 1998 ( Tunisia) , L. thomasi ZWICK & VINÇON, 1993 (Pyrenees) , L. vaillanti AUBERT, 1956 ( Morocco) .

Males of Leuctra festai and L. astridae lack any processes and both species differ in the following features:

The male of L. astridae has lateral lobes of paraprocts which are dorsally elongated and which are two and a half times longer than wide. The lateral lobes of L. festai do not exceed the paraproctal base. The outer margins of the paraprocts are slightly curved in L. astridae , whereas they are rectangular and more straight in L. festai ( Fig. 5 ). In females, L. astridae has a deeply notched subgenital plate which is rectangular; the lobes are conical and finger shaped. L. festai has a short cleft dividing the smaller and more plain lobes. Its subgenital plate is obtuseangled ( Fig. 6 ). Both sexes are brachypterous in L. astridae , in L. festai the wings are longer and reach the tip of the abdomen.

Figures

Fig. 1. Leuctra astridae sp. n. male abdomen, dorsal view.

Fig. 2. Leuctra astridae sp. n. male abdomen, dorsal view, paraprocts.

Fig. 3. Leuctra astridae sp. n. Subgenital plate of female.

Fig. 4. Leuctra astridae sp. n. Adult habitus.

Figs. 5-6. Leuctra festai: 5. Male paraprocts, 6. Female subgenital plate.