Protonemura auberti, Illies, 1954

Vinçon, Gilles, Reding, Jean-Paul G. & Ravizza, Carlalberto, 2021, Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from the Italian Alps, Zootaxa 4985 (4), pp. 493-512 : 494

Re-description of Protonemura auberti

Morphological diagnosis. A medium-sized Protonemura species. Body length of males 5–7 mm, females 7–9 mm. Males and females macropterous. General color light reddish-brown; head dark; antennae and legs light brown-colored. Forewings smoky brown. Cervical gills short, without pre-apical constriction ( Fig. 9 ). Sclerotized base of the median lobe of the paraprocts of adult males piriform; sclerotized stem arising like a tapering extension from the inner upper edge of the sclerotized median lobe ( Figs. 5–7 ).

Males ( Figs. 1–8 ). Tergites 8 and 7 with several rows of strong spines on each side of posterior margin, medially interrupted; tergite 6 with two to four smaller spines in one row on each side ( Fig. 4 ). Hypoproct terminated by a finger-shaped expansion ( Fig. 6 ). Ventral vesicle ovoid-shaped ( Figs. 5, 6 ). Inner lobe of paraprocts hidden by hypoproct. In ventral and lateral view, sclerotized base of median lobe of the paraprocts reniform or piriform ( Figs. 5–7 ). Sclerotized stem arising like a tapering extension from the inner posterior edge of the sclerotized median lobe ( Figs. 5–7 ). Sclerotized stem thick at its base, progressively thinning out at its apex ( Figs. 5–7 ). Sclerotized stem long and regularly curved, largely extending over the membranous field ( Figs. 5–7 ), and with one or two, rarely three, apical spines ( Fig. 1 ). Membranous field often with a dark thorn. Outer lobe sclerite (OLS) with a large median part ( Fig. 8 ) from which three branches originate: a narrow basal branch turning around the cercus (= OLS1; Fig. 8 ; cf. Fig. 7 ), a second, short and thick branch (= OLS2; Fig. 8 ) located between the cercus and the membranous field of the median lobe, and finally a short and small, sometimes invisible without the cercus removed, sclerite that arises from the second branch (= OLS3; Fig. 8 ; Kis 1974, fig. 99C). Epiproct with a median widening in lateral view ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Tip of epiproct short and strongly bent upwards, with a wide gap between the tip and the upper median part of the epiproct ( Figs. 1, 2 ; Illies 1955, fig. 29C). Tip of epiproct with a small, transparent, globulous extension, flanked by two short and thick dark thorns on each side, visible only by transparency through the cuticle ( Fig. 2 ). Tip of epiproct with a dark oval-shaped sclerite, in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 ). Ventral sclerite of the epiproct with a median bulge bearing a row of spines pointing backward and not extending beyond the tip of the ventral sclerite.

Females ( Figs. 10–12 ). Pregenital plate of sternite 7 brightened, triangle-shaped, with posterior margin not extending over sternite 8 ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Subgenital plate wide, with a ribbon-shaped sclerotized band, slightly bulging out in its median part and blunt at its edges ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Vaginal lobes of the subgenital plate large and bulbiform, partly covering sternite 9 and extending nearly to the edge of sternite 8 ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Vaginal lobes medially separated by a deep V-shaped notch ( Figs. 10, 12 ). In lateral view, genital plate slightly bent downwards, and vaginal lobes protruding ventrally ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Protonemura auberti female. 9. cervical gills. 10. subgenital plate and vaginal lobes, ventral view. 11. vaginal lobes, lateral view. 12. subgenital plate and vaginal lobes, ventral view

FIGURES 5–8. Protonemura auberti. 5–6. male terminalia, ventral view. 7. male, paraproct median lobe with sclerotized stem. 8. male, paraproct outer lobe with trifurcated sclerite

FIGURES 1–4. Protonemura auberti, male. 1–2. epiproct, lateral view. 3. male terminalia with epiproct, dorsal view. 4. male terminalia, dorsal view