Leuctra malcor, Murányi, Dávid, 2007

Murányi, Dávid, 2007, New and little – known stoneflies (Plecoptera) from Albania and the neighbouring countries, Zootaxa 1533, pp. 1-40 : 7-11

Leuctra malcor sp. n. ( Figs 12–23 )

Type material: Holotype male: ALBANIA, Tropoja County, Prokletije Mountains, Rrogam, spring system of the Valbonë River, N 42°24.620’ E 19°49.366’, 1457 m, 0 6.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM ( HNHM: PLP1929). Allotype female: Same locality and date ( HNHM: PLP1930). Paratypes: Same locality and date: 37♂ 2Ψ, 1 larva, 2 exuviae ( HNHM: PLP1931, 1 exuviae partly prepared for SEM), 3♂ 3Ψ, 1 larva ( CPZ), 3♂ 3Ψ, 1 larva (CGV).

Other material: ALBANIA: Malësia County, Madhë Mountains, Vermosh River E of Vermosh, N 42°34.999’ E 19°44.241’, 1011 m, 0 4.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 1♂; Malësia County, Madhë Mountains, karst cave spring close to Cem River, 2 km S of Gropa e Sëlces, N 42°31.937’ E 19°39.052’, 900 m, 0 4.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 1♂, 12 larvae, 1 exuviae; Tropoja County, Shijë Stream at its confluence with Valbonë River, 11 km S of Bajram Curri, N 42°17.927’ E 20°01.731’, 220 m, 0 7.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 1♂.

Diagnosis: Male: bell–shaped membranous area on tergite VII reaching the well sclerotized antecosta. Tergite VIII antecosta with a shallow indentation in its median quarter, above the slightly raised, bifurcate posteromedial process. Tergite X with a wide notch on the posterior margin. Base of styles connected to a subrectangular lateral expansion with an apical, undulate process. Sternite IX has a vestigial vesicle. Female: subgenital plate has wide and large lobes, their posterior margins being sinuous, outer sides of the lobes not pigmented.

Description: Small sized species, brachypterous or macropterous. Body length: ♂ holotype 6.0 mm, other males 5.0– 7.5 mm, Ψ allotype 8.5 mm, other females 7.5–8.5 mm; forewing length: ♂ holotype 3.5 mm, other males 3.5–7.0 mm, Ψ allotype 4.5 mm, other females 4.5–5.0 mm. General colour brown. Head, antennae, palpi and pronotum brown. Pronotum as long as wide and with dark, granulated ornamentation; darker patches also visible on the head. Legs light brown, tarsal segments darker. Wings hyaline, venation brown. Body covered with short pilosity.

Male abdomen: Antecosta of terga II and IX divided. Tergite I medially and posteriorly membranous, tergite II anteriorly membranous, terga III–VI entirely sclerotized. Terga VII–X modified and tergite VIII with bifurcate, V–shaped process posteriorly ( Figs 12–13 ). Transverse row of four pigmented spots on terga II– VII. Tergite VII with well sclerotized antecosta, its median third forming a thin ridge; bell–shaped membranous area well delimited in its anterior half, sides sinuous. Tergite VIII: antecosta with a shallow indentation with acute edges on its median quarter; part of the tergite between the indentation and the posteromedial process lighter than the rest of the tergite. Posteromedial process dark brown, not erect in side view, its width is about one fifth of the segment’s width, its length is half the segment’s length. The two teeth of the posteromedial process are longer than wide and separated by a space as wide as the width of one of them. Posterior margin between the posteromedial process and the segment sides straight. Tergite IX mostly membranous, antecosta divided for about half the segment’s width, with sharp ends. Posteromedial sclerite wide, its posterior end concave, anterior end with a median hollow and two projections at its sides, lateral margins convergent. Anterior margin of tergite X bilobed anteriorly, posterior margin with wide, deep triangular notch. Epiproct large, rounded, sclerotized only at its sides, stalk very short. Cerci normal, covered with long setae. Paraprocts with their base undulate and not sharply separated from the apex which is gently curved in lateral view and ending in a thin, sharp tip. Base of paraprocts connected to a subrectangular lateral expansion with an apical, undulate process. Specilla a bit longer than the paraprocts, gently curved in lateral view and ending in a rounded tip ( Fig 15 ). Sternite IX: vesicle vestigial, but present; the sternite has a well delimited light area medially, beginning at the base of the vesicle and reaching the posterior margin at its two conspicuous indentations ( Fig 14 ).

Female terminalia: Terga I–VII membranous, terga I–VIII with transverse row of four pigmented spots. Tergite VIII medially sclerotized, tergite IX more widely sclerotized, tergite X completely sclerotized. Sterna I–VII simple, sterna II–VII with one subrectangular median sclerite and two small anterior sclerites that are fused with the median sclerite on sternite VII. Subgenital plate with two wide, large lobes, separated by a lightly pigmented notch that narrows posteriorly ( Figs 16–17 ). At the base of the lobes, the median bulge is small and narrow, erect in side view. Lobes are darker than the rest of the subgenital plate, but their outer sides are not pigmented. Posterior margin of the lobes sinuous. Pigmentation of sternite IX with a wide anterior indentation. Paraprocts and cerci normal. Spermathecal sclerite rather thin, ring–shaped, anterior teeth vestigial and posterior ones long and parallel.

Mature Larva: Relatively stout, body length 6.0– 7.5 mm. General colour brown to dark brown with greenish tinge. Pilosity distinct, with stout hairs. Body surface covered with angular scales, these scales bear apical spikes on the abdominal segments. Legs typical for the genus, brown, tibiae as long or a bit longer than the femora. Head stout. Pronotum wider than long, narrowing towards the posterior margin, corners rounded. Wing pads short, the first pair reaches the posterior margin of the metathorax. Abdomen stout, cerci short, with less than 13 segments. Cercal segments slightly clubbed in their apical part, the middle ones (segments 7–8) are four times as long as wide.

Pilosity: Head with scarce, stout hairs and a few short bristles behind the eyes. Antennal segments with short pilosity. Pronotum with dense, stout hairs like the head, but with many sensilla ( Fig 18 ). Margin of the pronotum with scarce bristles, the longest reach one sixth of the pronotum’s width. Legs with similar stout hairs but mixed with a few strong bristles and sensilla. Length of the bristles variable, the longest reach half the femur width ( Figs 19–20 ). Bald median line conspicuous on the dorsal surface of all femora. Tergal segments with dense, thick pilosity, many sensilla and a row of bristles as long as one third of the segment width ( Fig 21 ). Cercal segments bald except the apical whorl of bristles, but covered with sensilla ( Figs 22–23 ). The apical whorl is a set of 6–7 erect bristles mixed with short, thin hairs, none of which form rows. Longest bristles occur on medial segments and are as long as two thirds of the segment to which they are attached.

Affinities: This is a member of the hippopus group, prima subgroup. The male differs from L. jahorinensis (Kaćanski) by its bell–shaped membranous area on tergite VII reaching the well sclerotized antecosta, by a wider median sclerite on tergite IX, by a much wider notch on the posterior margin of tergite X, and by the shape of the subrectangular lateral expansion of paraprocts. The male also shows affinities with L. carpathica Kis and L. signifera Kempny , but it differs from both by having a strongly developed base of the paraprocts and a shallow indentation on the antecosta of tergite VIII. In addition, Leuctra carpathica has a posteromedial sclerite with different shape on tergite IX, and L. signifera lacks the bell–shaped membranous area on tergite VII. The female differs from L. jahorinensis by the lobes of the subgenital plate being wider and their posterior margin more sinuous. It also shows affinity with L. carpathica , but sternite IX lacks a deep median notch. Additionally, it is similar to L. pseudosignifera Aubert ; however, this species has lobes with outer sides unpigmented. The larva is similar to the others of the prima group (or the prima –hippopus– inermis group, defined by Zwick (2004) as OTU).

Ecology and distribution: The species was found in strong karst springs of the Prokletije Mountains ( Fig 107 ). The two single males caught at Vermosh River and Shijë Stream probably also originated from nearby karst springs. Just like L. jahorinensis , it seems to be a cold stenothermal species with a late autumnal flight period. On 6 October, teneral adults and mature larvae were collected at both the type locality and at Gropa e Sëlces. A July visit to the latter locality yielded only early instar Leuctra larvae. Additional collections in Montenegro are needed to improve our understanding of the distribution of the new species and the closely related L. jahorinensis , which is currently known only from Bosnia – Herzegovina ( Fig 98 ). This species was not found during autumnal collections in karst springs of other mountain systems of north and northeastern Albania.

Etymology: The name malcor means highlander in Albanian, and refers to the name of the Albanian tribes inhabiting the Prokletije Mountains. The new species also seems to be restricted to these mountains. Used as a noun, gender masculine.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 17. Imago of Leuctra malcor sp. n. – 12: male terminalia, dorsal view; 13: male terminalia, lateral view; 14: male terminalia, ventral view; 15: male paraprocts, caudal view; 16: female terminalia, ventral view; 17: female terminalia, lateral view – scale 0.5 mm, Fig 15 not to scale

FIGURES 18 – 23. Larva of Leuctra malcor sp. n. – 18: pronotum; 19: middle femur; 20: bristles and spikes of the femora; 21: tergite V; 22: cercus, basal segments; 23: cercus, median segment – scale 0.1 mm

FIGURES 106 – 109. Locus typicus habitat photos — 106: Terthorë Pass – Nemoura asceta sp. n.; 107: Valbonë spring – Leuctra malcor sp. n., Nemoura vinconi sp. n.; 108: Valbonë River – Leuctra mortoni feheri ssp. n.; 109: Shtamë Pass – Nemoura anas sp. n.

FIGURES 97 – 99. Ditsributional maps — 97: Brachyptera phthiotica; 98: Leuctra malcor sp. n. and L. jahorinensis; 99: Leuctra mortoni feheri ssp. n. and L. mortoni mortoni in the Balkans.