Marthamea bayae Vinçon, Lamine, Lounaci & Reding, 2019

Lamine, Smail, Lounaci, Abdelkader, Reding, Jean-Paul G. & Vinçon, Gilles, 2019, Marthamea bayae, a new species of stonefly from Algeria (Plecoptera: Perlidae), Zootaxa 4603 (2), pp. 311-326 : 312-315

Marthamea bayae Vinçon, Lamine, Lounaci & Reding , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–18 ; 29)

Morphological diagnosis. Males and females macropterous. Body length of holotype male 12 mm; wing length 15 mm. General color of mature specimen brown ( Fig. 1 ); pale yellow in freshly emerged specimens (Fig. 4). Head light brown, with a dark triangular mark between the three ocelli ( Figs. 1 & 4). Pronotum trapezoidal, with sharp upper angles and rounded anterior margin; lower margin slightly constricted in middle ( Figs. 1 & 4).

Forewings: length 15 mm. Wings transparent, light yellow in color. Costal field with 20 cross veins; no cross veins near the junction of ScP and RA. Single cross vein “ra-rp” between RA and RP. Single cross vein “rp-ma” between RP and MA. Cross veins “ra-rp” and “rp-ma” nearly aligned. Seven cross veins between M and CuA ( Fig. 9 ). Hind wings: no cross veins between CuA and M. No cross veins between anal veins AA1 and AA2. Large whitish pterostigma at the beginning of the junction of ScP and RA.

Adult male. Tergite 5 undivided, with slightly bilobed sclerotized posterior extension that covers medially the membranous tergite 6 (Figs. 2, 3 & 7). Tergites 6 to 9 medio-dorsally interrupted by a membranous portion covered by numerous spinules (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7). Tergite 6 with rounded posterior membranous area and two small lateral groups of spinules on each side of the median extension of tergite 5 (Figs. 2 & 3). Tergite 7 with rounded posterior membranous area and a large median semicircular brown mark covered with numerous spinules (Figs. 2, 3 & 7). Tergite 8 with rounded posterior membranous area and a smaller median brown mark hidden under hemitergite 10 (Figs. 2, 3 & 7). Tergite 9 narrow with small median brown mark hidden under hemitergite 10 (Figs. 2, 3 & 7). Tergite 10 with two detached lobes: a large spatulate dorsal lobe and a long and slender finger shaped ventral lobe (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7). Tips of both lobes with strong spines (Fig. 6). Each hemitergite with a basal rounded callus with strong spines mainly on its outer edge (Figs. 2 & 3). Sternites 6 and 7 each with a strong setal brush, a smaller one also on sternites 5 and 8 ( Figs. 5 & 29). Sternite 9 tongue-shaped and extending backwards, covering entirely sternite 10 and base of cercus in ventral view ( Figs. 5 & 29); its lower edge slightly sclerotized, with several long setae (Figs. 2, 3, 5 & 29). In lateral view, abdominal segment 10 narrow ( Figs. 5 , 6 & 7). Cercus with whorls of long hairs, much longer than the width of each segment (Figs. 2, 3, 5 & 7).

Penial armature could not be extruded from specimens preserved in ethanol and remains therefore unknown.

Female adult. Adult females of M. bayae sp. n. were not available for this study, but a distinctly bilobed female subgenital plate ( Fig. 18 ) was clearly visible after the removal of the larval skin of female pharate larva of the new species.

Larvae. Body length of the mature larva: 14 to 19 mm. General color: tawny with yellow spots ( Figs. 10 , 11 & 12). Gill tufts present on thoracic segments (as in Fig. 19 ); front corners of postmentum continuous, without transverse lines separating each front corner from the main plate-like part (as in Fig. 19 ; compare with Zwick 2004, Fig. 6); no medio-dorsal row of setae on tergites (Fig. 16); no fringe of medio-dorsal swimming hairs at the base of cerci ( Figs. 14 , 15, 16 & 23); presence of a postocular fringe of setae forming a half-circle around the lower margin of the eye ( Figs. 10 & 17) and intersected by the setation of the occipital fold. Lacinia with apical and subapical tooth; ventral edge of lacinia below apical tooth convex. Marginal setae below subapical tooth arranged in several rows. Upper part of the head yellow and lower part tawny, except a yellow spot between eyes and posterior ocellus ( Figs. 10 & 12). M-line scarcely visible. Dark triangular mark between the three ocelli ( Figs. 10 & 12). Pronotum elliptical, completely fringed with short marginal setae ( Figs. 10 & 12). Sides of pronotum yellow, flanked by a dark band ( Figs. 10 & 12). Center of pronotum with a dark hourglass shaped stripe, flanked by irregular darker patterns on yellowish ground ( Figs. 10 & 12). Mesonotum and metanotum with typical markings (Fig. 12). Abdominal tergites 2 and 3 with two elliptical patches on tawny ground; tergites 3 to 9 with four patches, two larger in the center flanked by two smaller patches on the sides (Fig. 11). Tergite 10 nearly triangular, tawny colored, with two small yellow patches in the upper part and one larger yellow patch in its lower part (Fig. 11). Paraprocts short, as long as wide, with flattened apex (Fig. 15). Anal gills with very few tufts (Fig. 15), not visible in dorsal (Fig. 11) or lateral views ( Figs. 14 & 16). Femora long and slender (Fig. 13).

Eggs. Eggs were removed from a pharate female larvae. Chorion smooth. Ca. 0.40 mm long. Shape oval (Fig. 8). Base slightly truncated with well-marked collar and transparent umbrella shaped attachment disk (Fig. 8).

Type material. Holotype male: ALGERIA, Tell Atlas, Kabylia, Djurdjura Massif , Tizi Ouzou Province, brook 1 km downstream of Col de Tirourda , sampling station TR1 (Fig. 34), 36.29069°, 4.21537°, 1120 m a.s.l., 25.0 6.2018, leg. S. Lamine, deposited in the MZL (catalogue number: GBIFCH00658114) . Paratypes: Tell Atlas , Kabylia , Djurdjura Massif , spring brook near Ighzer Ifrane about 500 m downstream of brook Thizibert, Col de Chellata, sampling station IF, 36.535605°, 4.468425°, 1290 m a.s.l., 29.0 4.2015, 1 m, leg. A. Lounaci, deposited in the MZL (catalogue number: GBIFCH00658102); Tell Atlas, Kabylia, Djurdjura Massif, torrent 200 m downstream of Arbaïlou spring, 3 km upstream of village Ath Agad, sampling station ST1 ( Fig. 31 ), 36.29105°, 4.09578°, 920 m a.s.l., 0 6.0 6.2008, 3 Lf, leg. A. Lounaci, deposited in the MZL (catalogue number: GBIFCH00658099) .

Other material: Additional specimens are held in the collections of Gilles Vinçon (GVC), Smail Lamine (SLC), Abdelkader Lounaci (ALC) and Jean-Paul G. Reding (RC): ALGERIA, Tell Atlas, Kabylia, Djurdjura Massif, Sampling station ST4 (Fig. 32): temporary brook Assif Ouacif, 500 m upstream of the city of Ouacif, 36.31251°, 4.12167°, 380 m a.s.l., 0 6.0 6.2008, 2Lf (leg. A. Lounaci; RC); Sampling station AI: torrent about 3 km from main town of Illilten, 36.30380°, 4.23405°, 1010 m a.s.l., 0 3.0 7.2010, 4Lf (leg. A. Lounaci; RC); 0 2.0 4.2014, 13L (leg. A. Lounaci; GVC); Sampling station AA: torrent 500 m upstream of village Ath Atsou, 36.29445°, 4.22125°, 1080 m a.s.l., 25.0 4.2015, 2L (leg. A. Lounaci; ALC); Sampling station TR1 (Fig. 34): Tizi Ouzou Province, brook 1 km downstream of Col de Tirourda, 36.29069°, 4.21537°, 1120 m a.s.l., 0 8.0 5.2013, 2L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); 0 6.0 5.2014, 3L (leg. S. Lamine; ALC); Sampling station TR2: spring brook, located 1,2 km upstream of village Tirourda, 36.29295°, 4.21104°, 1045 m a.s.l., 0 6.0 5.2014, 2L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); Sampling station SA1: brook located 1,5 km downstream of spring Addardar (Sahel), 36.33359°, 4.29459°, 1170 m a.s.l., 12.0 6.2013, 11L (leg. A. Lounaci; GVC), 1Lm (leg. A. Lounaci; RC); Sampling station SA2: torrent located 2 km downstream of spring Sahel, 36.33532°, 4.29531°, 1000 m a.s.l., 0 7.0 4.2012, 1L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); Sampling station D1: torrent located 500 m downstream of spring Thahemalt-Boudhrar and 6 km south of Ain El Hammam, 36.31025°, 4.20225°, 900 m a.s.l., 10.0 4.2013, 6L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); 23.0 4.2014, 22L (leg. S. Lamine; ALC); 0 8.0 5.2013, 1L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); Sampling station D2 (Fig. 33): brook located 2 km downstream of village Ath Hamsi, 36.32391°, 4.16595°, 350 m a.s.l., 20.0 5.2011, 6L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); 20.0 5.2014, 9L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC); 26.0 5.2014, 11L (leg. S. Lamine; SLC).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Dr. Baya Fadel, partner in life of Gilles Vinçon.

FIGURE 2. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, dorsal view, tergites 5 to 10 (holotype).

FIGURE 3. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, dorsal view, tergites 5 to 10 (holotype).

FIGURE 4. Marthamea bayae sp. n., freshly emerged adult male, head and pronotum.

FIGURE 6. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, lateral view, paraprocts (holotype).

FIGURE 7. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, base of cerci and paraprocts (holotype).

FIGURE 8. Marthamea bayae sp. n., egg.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, head and pronotum (holotype).

FIGURE 5. Marthamea bayae sp. n., adult male, lateral view, paraprocts and tergites 5 to 10 (holotype).

FIGURE 9. Marthamea bayae sp. n., venation of forewing (holotype). Wing darkened by software for illustrative purposes.

FIGURE 10. Marthamea bayae sp. n., larva, head and pronotum, dorsal view.

FIGURE 14. Marthamea bayae sp. n., larva, base of cerci, lateral view.

FIGURE 18. Marthamea bayae sp. n., pharate female larva with bilobed subgenital plate, ventral view (cuticle of abdominal segments 7 to 10 removed).

FIGURE 19. Marthamea vitripennis, larva, submentum, ventral view. Aliakmonas river, Axios - Loudias - Aliakmonas National Park, Greece.

FIGURE 31. Sampling station ST1, torrent 200 m downstream of Arbaïlou spring, near village Ath Agad, 36.29105°, 4.09578°, 920 m a.s.l.