Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005

Zeng, Liang-Liang, Huo, Qing-Bo & Du, Yu-Zhou, 2024, Redescription of two species of Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera, Perlidae) and new distribution records of Neoperla mnong Stark, 1987 in China, Biodiversity Data Journal 12, pp. e 127089-e 127089 : e127089-

Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005

Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005: 51.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Du Yu-Zhou; individualCount: 1; sex: 1 male; Taxon: scientificNameID: Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Plecoptera ; family: Perlidae ; genus: Neoperla ; Location: country: China; countryCode: CN; stateProvince: Guizhou Province; county: Daozhen; locality: Dasha River National Nature Reserve, Xiannvdong ; Identification: identifiedBy: Zeng Liang-liang, Du Yu-Zhou, Huo Qing-Bo; Event: year: 2004; month: 5; day: 22-29; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: ICYZU; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Du Yu-Zhou; sex: 3 males; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: scientificNameID: Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005 ; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Plecoptera ; family: Perlidae ; genus: Neoperla ; Location: country: China; countryCode: CN; stateProvince: Guizhou Province; county: Daozhen; locality: Dasha River National Nature Reserve, Xiannvdong ; Identification: identifiedBy: Zeng Liang-liang, Du Yu-Zhou, Huo Qing-Bo; Event: year: 2004; month: 5; day: 22-29; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: ICYZU; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Description

Adult habitus: General body colour brown. The head is pale yellow with two ocelli. The ocelli are black, surrounded by a quadrate brown area. An inverted brown triangle is present centrally on the frons (Fig. 1 A); Pronotum is light brown and trapezoidal in shape; Abdominal segments and cerci pale brown.

Male: The middle posterior part of tergite 7 has square or quadrate areas that are slightly raised, the posterior margin of which is sclerotised and has a small sensilla basiconica patch. As specimens of this species have been preserved in alcohol for nearly 20 years, lateral sclerotised areas give the impression of a broad, shallow arc. Tergite 8 bears a recurved tongue-like process with small spines at the distal margin. Hemitergal processes of tergite 10 up-curved, extending backwards to the central process of tergite 9, tip rounded. (Fig. 1 B-C).

The medial pair of spinule-covered projections appear to be part of the penis base. The endophallus starts distal of these lobes. The connected distal patch of spinules is located anti-apically on the endophallus. (Fig. 2 B-C and Fig. 3 A). Larger spinule patch on the dorsal surface of the middle part of the everted endophallus (Fig. 2 A and Fig. 3 B), with a row of small spines on the ventral surface of the proximal endophallus (Fig. 2 C and Fig. 3 C).

Distribution

China (Guizhou).

Taxon discussion

Neoperla dashahena was originally assigned to the montivaga species group ( Zwick 1983, Zwick 1986) with the penis having incomplete sclerotisation in the ventral aspect. Zwick (2023) recently made this grouping obsolete and erected two subgenera, Neoperla (Borneella) and Neoperla (Formosita) Klapálek.

Due to the presence of paired, ventral spiny lobes at the apex of the penis base, we now assign N. dashahena to the N. (Formosita) lushana - group. The penis of N. dashahena is most similar to Neoperla latamaculata Du, 2005 and Neoperla yaoshana Li, Wang & Lu, 2011 . In N. dashahena , a larger spinule patch exists on the dorsal surface of the everted endophallus, with a row of small spines on the ventral surface of the endophallus. In N. latamaculata , the dorsal surface of the everted endophallus has a " V " - shaped spinules patch. In N. yaoshana , the apical half of the everted endophallus bears a field of fine dorsal and ventral spinules separated by a lateral membranous area.

Figures

Figure 1. Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005 from Guizhou, male. A head and pronotum, dorsal view; B abdomen, dorsal view; C abdomen, lateral view.

Figure 2. Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005 from Guizhou, male. A penis base and everted endophallus, dorsal view; B penis base and everted endophallus, lateral view; C penis base and everted endophallus, ventral view.

Figure 3. Neoperla dashahena Du, 2005 from Guizhou, male. A ventral surface of anti-apical endophallus, ventral view; B apical half of everted endophallus, dorsal view; C apex of everted endophallus, ventral view.