Leuctra mortoni feheri, Murányi, Dávid, 2007

Murányi, Dávid, 2007, New and little – known stoneflies (Plecoptera) from Albania and the neighbouring countries, Zootaxa 1533, pp. 1-40 : 5-7

Leuctra mortoni feheri ssp. n. ( Figs 4–7, 10–11 )

Type material: Holotype male: ALBANIA, Tropoja County, Valbonë River at the confluence of Shijë Stream, 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 ( HNHM: PLP1926). Allotype female: Same locality and date ( HNHM: PLP1927). Paratypes: Same locality and date: 17♂ 3Ψ ( HNHM: PLP1928), 2♂ 2Ψ ( CPZ), 2♂ 2Ψ (CGV).

Other material: ALBANIA: Tropoja County, Prokletije Mountains, Rrogam, spring system of Valbonë River, N 42°24.620’ E 19°49.366’, 1457 m, 0 6.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 7♂ 25Ψ – MONTENEGRO: Mokra Gora, Ibar River 1 km SW of Špiljani, N 42°54.410’ E 20°20.062’, 829 m, 12.10.2005, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 1♂; Rugovo Mountains, Velika, forest stream under the Č akor Pass, N 42°41.302’ E 19°57.906’, 1235 m, 0 5.10.2005, leg, TD, ZE, ZF, DM: 1Ψ – BULGARIA: Sofia District, Rila Mountains, Borovec, upper reaches of Suha Marica Stream, N 42°09’ E 23°37’, 2300 m, 0 8.09.2005, leg. MF, JK, DM, TSz: 3♂ 13Ψ; Sofia District, Rila Mountains, Borovec, spring section of Prava Marica Stream, N 42°09’38.8” E 23°37’16.2”, 2518 m, 0 8.09.2005, leg. MF, JK, DM, TSz: 2♂ 8Ψ; Sofia District, Rila Mountains, Borovec, Prava Marica Stream at Zavračica mountain hut, N 42°10’04.4” E 23°38’29.0”, 2189 m, 0 8.09.2005, leg. MF, JK, DM, TSz: 1♂ 1Ψ; Blagoevgrad District, Rila Mountains, Jakoruda, sidetorrent of Grănčarica Stream at D_anka Pass, N 42°07’57.4” E 23°35’51.4”, 2287 m, 0 7.09.2005, leg. MF, JK, DM, TSz: 1♂ 2Ψ; Kjustendil District, Rila Mountains, Pastra, Rila River in the Tiha Rila area, N 42°07’59.8” E 23°28’52.3”, 2019 m, 0 6.09.2005, leg. MF, JK, DM, TSz: 1♂.

Diagnosis: Male: processes on tergite VI separated by a rounded hollow, its width less than two times process width. Antecosta VII divided, posterior processes on tergite VII bearing lateral lobes. Tergite VIII with posteromedial sclerotized arch. Posteromedial sclerite of tergite IX subtrapezoidal. Vesicle on sternite IX absent, paraprocts much shorter than specilla. Female: lobes of the subgenital plate divergent, darker than the rest of the lobes. Lobes separated by a convex notch wider than one lobe.

Description: Medium sized species, macropterous in both sexes. Body length: ♂ holotype 7.5 mm, other males 6.5–8.0 mm, Ψ allotype 8.5 mm, other females 7.0– 8.5 mm; forewing length: ♂ holotype 7.5 mm, other males 7.0–8.0 mm, Ψ allotype 9.0 mm, other females 8.5–9.5 mm. General colour brown. Head, antennae, palpi and pronotum brown. Pronotum longer than wide and with dark, granulated ornamentation. Legs light brown, tarsal segments darker. Wings hyaline, venation brown. Body covered with short pilosity.

Male abdomen: Antecosta of terga I–II and VII–IX divided by membranous area. Tergite I medially and postero–medially membranous, tergite II antero–medially and medially membranous, terga III–IV entirely sclerotized, tergite V posteriorly membranous. Terga VI–X modified, and terga VI–VIII with processes ( Figs 4–5 ). Indistinct transverse row of four pigmented spots on terga II–V. Tergite VI with anterior third sclerotized, carrying two rounded processes, separated by less than two times their width. Processes slightly down– curved in lateral view. Median membranous area bell–shaped, sides sinuous and well delimited. Antecosta VII divided for about one third of the segment’s width; median ends of antecosta acute. Central area of tergite VII membranous. Two long, finger–like processes arising posteriorly, curved inwards, their well sclerotized tips bearing lateral lobes. Processes pointing dorsally in lateral view, and bearing long hairs. Antecosta VIII similar to VII. Tergite VIII membranous medially, with lateral sclerotized areas forming a narrow, median, sclerotized arch; arch and posterior part of tergite bearing long hairs. Tergite IX mostly membranous, antecosta divided for one half segment’s width, bearing blunt ends anteriorly. Posteromedial sclerite wide, subtrapezoidal, its anterior margin depressed. Anterior margin of Tergite X bilobed anteriorly, posterior margin with deep and wide, triangular notch. Epiproct large, rounded, with long stalk. Cerci partly sclerotized, covered with long setae. Paraprocts with wide rectangular base tapering to a short, straight and sharp tip, two–thirds to three–fourths length of specilla. Medial edge of paraproct undulate; base connected to a small lateral expansion. Specilla twice length of paraproct base; thin, slightly curved and ending in a rounded tip ( Fig 7 ). Sternite IX with a well delimited light area; vesicle absent ( Fig 6 ).

Female terminalia: Terga I–VIII membranous, terga I–IX with transverse row of four pigmented spots. Tergite IX sclerotized medially and posteriorly, tergite X completely sclerotized. Sterna I–VII simple with subrectangular median sclerite and two small anterior sclerites. Sternite VII median sclerite with pale posterior margin. Subgenital plate with two wide, short lobes, separated by a notch wider than one lobe ( Figs 10– 11 ). The notch is shallow and convex, with divergent sides. Lobes rounded, their sides distinctly divergent. Lobes darker than the rest of the subgenital plate and separated by a dark, sinuous line; lobes bear long hairs. Pigmentation of sternite IX with a linear anterior line and two small lateral unpigmented nooks. Paraprocts and cerci normal. Spermathecal sclerite slender, V–shaped with a broad, delicate ring. Teeth long, linear in side view.

Larva: Unknown.

Affinities: This is a member of the fusca group. The male of L. mortoni mortoni Kempny has longer paraproct tips ( Fig 8 ) and lacks the heavy lateral lobes on the processes of tergite VII ( Fig 9 ), while L. mortoni feheri ssp. n. has shorter paraproct tips and lateral lobes. The new subspecies also shows affinities with Aegean insular species, especially L. candiae Zwick and L. rhodoica Pardo & Zwick. The male may be differentiated from L. candiae by the undivided posteromedial sclerite of tergite IX and the wider posterior notch on tergite X, from L. rhodoica by the longer processes of tergite VII and the short paraproct. The female is rather similar to L. mortoni mortoni Kempny , differing with more divergent subgenital plate lobes which are darker than the rest of the plate. The female may be differentiated from the Aegean insular species by the wide, convex notch of the subgenital plate.

Ecology and distribution: Valbonë River is a small river at the type locality, with fast flow and depth variable from 0.5 to 10 meters ( Fig 108 ). Besides the type locality, we found it in very different types of running waters, even in cold karst springs of higher elevations. The nominate L. mortoni mortoni Kempny is reported in the Balkans from Bosnia – Herzegovina, Macedonia and Bulgaria ( Fig 99 ). Some of the data probably refer to L. mortoni feheri ssp. n.; additional collectings and the re–examination of the Balkanian specimens will be needed to improve our understanding of the distribution of the subspecies.

Etymology: This subspecies is dedicated to Dr. Zoltán Fehér, Collection of Mollusca, Department of Zoology, HNHM, who organized many zoological expeditions to Albania. Used as the genitive of a noun of male gender.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 11. Imago of Leuctra mortoni feheri ssp. n. (4 – 7, 10 – 11) and L. mortoni mortoni Kempny (8 – 9) — 4: male terminalia, dorsal view; 5: male terminalia, lateral view; 6: male terminalia, ventral view; 7 – 8: paraprocts and specilla, caudal view; 9: male terminalia, dorsal view; 10: female terminalia, ventral view; 11: female terminalia, lateral view — scale 0.5 mm, Figs 7 – 8 not to scale.

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.