Protonemura albanica Raušer, 1963

Murányi, Dávid, 2007, New and little – known stoneflies (Plecoptera) from Albania and the neighbouring countries, Zootaxa 1533, pp. 1-40 : 26-29

Protonemura albanica Raušer, 1963 ( Figs 70–85 )

Protonemura albanica Raušer, 1963 — Raušer 1963: 802 –804. ( Albania, Uji i Ftohtë: ♂ holotype, Ψ allotype; Albania, Borsh: 1Ψ paratype)

Topotypes: ALBANIA: Tepelenë County, Kendrevicë Mountains, Uji i Ftohtë (Cold water), karst springs 7 km S of Tepelenë, N 40°15.011’ E 20°03.548’, 165 m, 12.10.2004, leg. ZF, JK, DM: 1♂ 1Ψ, 6 larvae, 3 exuviae (1 larva prepared for SEM), 1♂ 1Ψ, 2 larvae (CPZ); Sarandë County, Çikë Mountains, Borsh, Ixvor Spring, N 40°03.429’ E 19°51.277’, 100 m, 13.10.2004, leg. ZF, JK, DM: 2 larvae; same locality, 11.05.2006, leg. LD, JK, DM: 1♂ 5Ψ, 1 larva.

Other material: ALBANIA: Tepelenë County, Kendrevicë Mountains, stream and spring in a gorge 2 km W of Progonat, N 40°12.467’ E 19°55.499’, 740 m, 11.10.2004, leg. ZF, JK, DM: 1Ψ; Delvinë County, Gjerë Mountains, Syri i Kaltër (Blue eye spring), karst springs 7 km W of Muzinë, N 39°55.286’ E 20°11.330’, 155 m, 13.10.2004, leg. ZF, JK, DM: 1♂, 9 larvae, 1♂ 1Ψ, 1 larva (CGV); same locality, 12.05.2006, leg. LD, JK, DM: 3♂ 4Ψ.

Description of the mature larva: Body relatively slender, body length 8.0– 10.5 mm. General colour brown. Pilosity distinct. Scales present only in the dorsal midline of the femora and on tarsi. Legs typical for the genus, tibiae slightly longer than femora; width of hind femora less than one third of its length. Head stout, with distinct dark patches on the frons. Pronotum subtrapezoidal, corners rounded, slightly narrowing towards the posterior margin; its length four fifths of its maximum width. Cervical gills simple, the longest one equivalent to the width of the fore coxa ( Fig 72 ). Wing pads of length typical for the genus, abdomen relatively slender, first 5 abdominal segments divided by pleura. Posterior margin of sternite IX of the mature male larva triangular, weakly pointed; paraprocts not pointed ( Fig 70 ). Genital opening well visible on the mature female larva, placed under the anterior half of sternite VIII ( Fig 71 ). Cerci long, with more than 35 segments; segment sides nearly parallel, segments 13–17 are slightly longer than wide.

Pilosity: Head with dense, stout bristles, thin hairs and sensilla. Antennal segments with short pilosity. Pronotum with dense, stout bristles, thin hairs and sensilla. Margin of the pronotum bearing bristles with their apex divided in three teeth, the longest ones are <1/15 the pronotum’s width (Fig 73). The bristles on the anterior corners of the meso and metanotum are as long as the marginal bristles of the pronotum. The setae placed in lines on the wing pads are short. Legs with dense setation. All femora bear both short and long, acute bristles and thin hairs. Long bristles occur mostly on the outer surface; on hind femora they are only placed on the apical half. Bristles not in a regular arrangement; the longest ones reach one third the femur width on all legs (Figs 74–75). Bald median line is conspicuous on the dorsal surface of all femora, covered with rounded scales. Tarsi relatively slender, covered with thin hairs, metatarsi with triangular scales on the dorsal surface; apical spike of tibiae short. Tergal segments with scarce, short bristles and dense, thin hairs. Paired spines on the posterior margin apparent, on tergite V they reach two thirds of the segment’s length (Fig 76). Distal margin covered with tiny triangular spikes around the row of bristles. Cercal segments with acute bristles (Figs 77–78). The apical whorl is a set of 15–18 strong, acute spikes and a few short setae. Longest bristles reach more than two thirds of the segment’s length on segments 13–15.

FIGURES 73–78. Larva of Protonemura albanica Raušer —73: marginal setae of pronotum; 74: hind femur; 75: bristles and spikes of the femora; 76: bristles on tergite V; 77: cercus, basal segments; 78: cercus, 15th segment —scale 0.1 mm.

Affinities: Raušer (1963) pointed out that P. albanica , P. talboti Navás and P. algirica Aubert are closely related taxa. Since that time many other members of the Protonemura corsicana group sensu Aubert (1964) have been described ( Fig 104 ), and P. albanica more closely resembles in epiproct and paraproct structure to species from North Africa, Lebanon and Iran (especially to P. talboti , P. algirica , P. libanica Aubert and P. hassankifi Aubert ) than species described from Aegean isles ( P. malickyi Zwick , P. cressa Zwick and P.

androsiana Pardo & Zwick) and from the northwestern Mediterranean area species to be consistent. Up to now, larvae of 11 species of the P. corsicana group have been described, but there are no features that should characterize the group. Although all of them have simple, short cervical gills, the pilosity is rather variable from very short ( P. cressa Zwick ) to very long ( P. phoenicia Sivec & Dia ).

Remarks: Apparently, this species is endemic to southwest Albania, living in major karst spring systems. Hitherto, it was known only from the types, which seem to be lost (pers. com. P. Zwick). Herein, I designate topotypes for males, females and larvae. The male paraproct shows some differences from the original description, as the outer lobe has an unsclerotized apical lobe and bears two spikes on its outer projection. Although these differences are not so important and the redescription of the imago is not necessary, drawings of a topotypic male and female are presented herein ( Figs 79–85 ). Description of the matured larva is also based on topotypic specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 70 – 72. Larva of Protonemura albanica Raušer — 70: terminalia of matured male larva, ventral view; 71: terminalia of matured female larva, ventral view; 72: cervical gills — scale 0.5 mm, Fig 72 not to scale.

FIGURES 79 – 85. Imago of Protonemura albanica Raušer — 79: male terminalia, dorsal view; 80: male terminalia, ventral view; 81: male terminalia, lateral view; 82: male paraproct, ventro – lateral view; 83: female terminalia, ventral view; 84: female terminalia, lateral view; 85: female vaginal complex — scales 0.5 mm, Figs 82 and 85 not to scale.

FIGURES 103 – 105. Ditsributional maps — 103: Nemoura brevipennis group; 104: Protonemura corsicana group; 105: Chloroperla zhiltzovae