Protonemura algirica algirica Aubert, 1956

Vinçon, Gilles, Mur, vid & nyi, 2009, Contribution To The Knowledge Of The Protonemura Corsicana Species Group, With A Revision Of The North African Species Of The P. Talboti Subgroup (Plecoptera: Nemouridae), Illiesia 5 (7), pp. 51-79 : 62-64

Protonemura algirica algirica Aubert, 1956

( Figs. 6 , 13-14 , 28-33 )

Nemoura (Protonemura) algirica Aubert, 1956:424 . (original description from Algeria and Morocco); Aubert 1961 (partim):218. (new records from Morocco). Protonemura algirica: Raušer, 1963:804 . (comparative drawings, distribution map); Aubert, 1964a:72. (comparison); Aubert, 1964b:291. (initiation of the P. corsicana species group); Illies, 1966:223. (catalog); Berthélemy, 1973:1544. (distribution); Zwick, 1978:33. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Nicolai, 1985:249. (biogeography and composition of the P. corsicana group); Gagneur & Aliane, 1991:323. (distribution); S{nchez- Ortega & Azzouz, 1998:452. (new records from Morocco, but probably belonging to P. berberica or P. dakkii sp. n.); Vinçon & S{nchez- Ortega, 1999:233. (comparison); Zhiltzova, 2003:227. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Vinçon & Zhiltzova, 2004:193. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Lounaci & Vinçon, 2005:(new records from Algeria, ecology, distribution); Mur{nyi, 2007:28. (comparison, distribution).

Material examined. Algeria, Atlas de Blida: Oued Chiffa, ‚ Ruisseau des Singes‛ brook, ‚ Rocher des Singes‛ , 23-VI-1953, 2♂ 1♀ (written Paralectotypes on the label, Vaillant leg, Aubert coll. ZML) . Algeria, Kabylie: Tala Guilef , 16-IV-1953, 1♀ (written Paralectotypes on the label, Vaillant leg, Aubert coll. ZML) ; Djurdjura Massif , Oued Aïssi, 480 m, 30-IV- 1985, 2♂ 1♀; 14-V-1985, 2♂ 1♀ - 1♂ ( HNHM) ; 23-IV- 1986, 2♂ 1♀; 25-VI-1986, 3♂ 6♀; 20-IV-1993, 2♂ 2♀, 1♂ larva (larva pharate, but terminalia of the larval skin missing); Oued Aïssi, 140 m, 21-VIII-1985, 7♂ 8♀ (Lounaci leg, CGV) ; Central Djurdjura Massif, Tikjda , small torrent, 1470 m , 20-IV-1993, 4♂ 4♀, 2♂ nymph; Eastern Djurdjura Massif , Assif Sahel, 1000 m , 17-V- 1994, 1♂ nymph (Lounaci leg, CGV) .

Male genitalia ( Figs. 13-14 , 28-31 ). Paraprocts: Median lobe with a rather long sub-triangular base and a long blade-shaped expansion. Outer lobes sclerite widely enlarged at the tip; with about two spines on the dorsal expansion and one or two spines on the ventral expansion ( Fig. 31 and Aubert 1956: Fig. 18 , Raušer 1963: Fig. 3b ); few scattered spines (1- 3) are sometimes located between the dorsal and ventral expansions. Epiproct: Strong, with its sides about parallel, ending abruptly in a rounded tip; well visible terminal filament rather short, bifid at the tip ( Figs. 13 , 28 ). In side view the terminal filament is about parallel to the epiproct ( Fig. 14 ). Ventral sclerite with a prominent bulge partly covered with two rows of long spines forming a ‘V’ shape in ventral view. Sternite IX: Vesicle long and narrow ( Fig. 29 and Aubert 1956: Fig. 16 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 32-33 ). Subgenital plate wide, bilobed. Vaginal lobes mostly hidden by the subgenital plate and partly visible on each side of the plate. Sternite VII without postero-median pigmented pregenital plate.

Mature larva. Body shape, coloration and proportions similar to the larva of Protonemura algirica bejaiana ssp. n., as described below, and agreeing with the original description ( Aubert 1956). Distribution and type of pilosity also similar, though the overall bluntness of the bristles appears not so pronounced.

Affinities. In the males, Protonemura algirica algirica is mainly distinguished from P. talboti by the shape of the epiproct, ending abruptly in P. algirica and progressively in P. talboti . The apex of the outer lobe of the paraprocts is also a good distinctive character. P. dakkii sp. n. is distinguished from P. algirica by the terminal filament of the epiproct rising upwards and by the apex of the outer lobe of the paraprocts carrying a group of spines only on its posterior edge. In the females, the subgenital plate of P. algirica is thicker than that of P. talboti or P. dakkii sp. n. On sternite VII, the postero-median pigmented plate is lacking in P. algirica and present in P. talboti , P. dakkii sp. n. and P. berberica . Affinities of the larva are given below, for P. algirica bejaiana ssp. n.

Geographical distribution and ecology. Protonemura algirica algirica is known with certainty only from the central part of Algeria (Atlas of Blida and Djurdjura) ( Fig. 6 ). Its presence in eastern Algeria ( Aubert 1956: Aurès Massif) should be confirmed by the capture of males. The Tunisian specimens belong to P. algirica bejaiana ssp. n. The Moroccan specimens from the Rif belong to P. berberica or P. talboti (Aubert, S{nchez- Ortega and Berthélemy collections), those from the Middle Atlas belong to P. dakkii sp. n. or P. talboti (Aubert, Berthélemy and Dakki collections) and those from the High Atlas remain problematic since the Moroccan paralectotypes ( ZML) are presently lost and since all our specimens from the High Atlas belong to P. talboti . Therefore, the occurrence of P. algirica in Morocco is uncertain and needs to be confirmed. In the Djurdjura Massif (Kabylia), P. algirica algirica occurs in different kinds of mountain water courses (480–1300 m). The emergence period is from spring to summer (IV– VIII) ( Lounaci & Vinçon 2005).

Figures

Figs. 5-6. Distribution of the species of the Protonemoura corsicana group. 5: Protonemura corsicana subgroup; 6: P. talboti subgroup, P. consiglioi subgroup and P. spinulata subgroup.

Figs. 7-15. Epiprocts of the North African species of the Protonemura talboti subgroup. 7-8: Protonemura dakkii sp. n.; 9-10: P. talboti (Nav{s, 1929); 11-12: P. berberica Vinçon & S{nchez-Ortega, 1999; 13-14: P. algirica algirica Aubert, 1956; 15: P. algirica bejaiana ssp. n. (7, 9, 11, 13: lateral view; 8, 10, 12, 14-15: dorsal view; scale 0.5 mm).

Figs. 28-33. Terminalias of the imago of Protonemura algirica algirica (Aubert, 1956). 28: male terminalia, dorsal view; 29: male terminalia, ventral view; 30: male terminalia, lateral view; 31: male paraproct, ventrolateral view; 32: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, ventral view; 33: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, lateral view (scales 0.5 mm; scale 1: Fig. 31, scale 2: Figs. 28-30, 32-33).

Figs. 16-21. Terminalias of the imago of Protonemura talboti (Nav{s, 1929). 16: male terminalia, dorsal view; 17: male terminalia, ventral view; 18: male terminalia, lateral view; 19: male paraproct, ventrolateral view; 20: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, ventral view; 21: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, lateral view (scales 0.5 mm; scale 1: Fig. 19, scale 2: Figs. 16-18, 20-21).

Figs. 1-4. Apex of the male’s epiproct of the Protonemura corsicana group. 1: the terminal filament and the apical part of the dorsal sclerite, dorsal view; 2: the terminal filament and the apical part of the dorsal sclerite, dorsoapical view; 3: the terminal filament, the apical part of the dorsal sclerite and the spiny bulge of the ventral sclerite, lateral view; 4: the terminal filament, the dorsal sclerite and the spiny bulge of the ventral sclerite, apical view (1-2, 4: Protonemura berberica Vinçon & S{nchez-Ortega, 1999; 3: P. talboti (Nav{s, 1929); scale 0.02 mm).