Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins, 1947

Shen, Ting, Cao, Jinjun, Li, Weihai & Bozdoğan, Hakan, 2021, Contributions to the winter stoneflies (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae & Capniidae) of China, Zootaxa 5016 (4), pp. 543-558 : 544-551

Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins, 1947

( Figs. 1–8 )

Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins, 1947: 725 ; Ricker & Ross 1975: 138; Zhiltzova & Zwick 1993: 196; Du & Chen 2019: 130 . Adult habitus. Head shining dark brown, almost as wide as pronotum; compound eyes lighter; antennae fuscous, flagella reddish brown. Pronotum nearly quadrate with dark testaceous borders, posterior margin slightly wider than the anterior ( Figs. 1 & 2a ). Legs in male brick-red except femora and knees ( Figs. 1a & 2d–2f ). Wings subhyaline, veins yellowish brown. Forewing membrane mottled, hindwing short. Crossvein between h and Sc absent in the presently studied male, as well in the holotype (fig. 1B, Kimmins 1947), three to four crossveins present in females. Two crossveins present between RA and RP, but more in the female from Sejilashan; three branches in RP; two branches in M; four branches in CuA; CuP simple ( Figs. 6 & 7 ). Hindwing subtriangular, crossveins between h and Sc absent in males but two in females, two or three crossveins between RA and RP; RP with three branches; five anal veins ( Figs. 6 & 7 ). Cercus 6 segmented in male and 5 in female ( Figs. 3 & 8a ).

Male ( Figs. 1a , 2–5 , 6a & 6b ). Body length ca. 8.4 mm, forewing broken at tip and hindwing length ca. 6.9 mm. Abdomen mostly dark brown to black, covered by brownish hairs ( Figs. 2b & 2c ). Tergite 2 strongly sclerotized, posterior portion modified, forming a conical process, apex of the process down-curved, beak-like in lateral view ( Fig. 2b ). Tergite 3 also with a distinctly sclerotized posteromedial process, apex of the process swollen, covered by hairs; the process highly elevated and reaching the hooked apex of the process of tergite 2, which appears as forceplike structure as defined by Zhiltzova & Zwick (1993) ( Fig. 2b ). Tergite 9 yellowish brown, with a medial dark spot ( Figs. 2c & 3a ). Sternum 9 is lacking vesicle; outstretched and enlarged to enclose the terminalia, distal part strongly up-curved, apex trapezoid with a truncate extreme ( Figs. 3b, 3c & 3d ). Tergite 10 strongly sclerotized, mostly dark brown with anterior margin black, depressed medially, prolonged but bilobed before basal plate of epiproct ( Figs. 3a & 3d , 4d ).

Basal plate of epiproct triangular, well sclerotized and narrowing laterally ( Fig. 4d ). Basal bulb small and spherical, darkly sclerotized; inner bulb not visible ( Fig. 4d ). Prong of the epiproct in natural condition mostly concealed by cuticular membrane of tergite 10, hidden where the outer lobes of the paraprocts are located ( Fig. 3a ). Generally resembling a head of waterbird with an arcuate apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 4a ); in lateral aspect getting moderately recurved after eversion, rod-like with tapered distal portion, bearing a pair of ventral teeth on the recurved portion ( Fig. 4b ). Dorsal sleeve small, located above the ventral teeth; the sleeve may change in shape in accordance to the stress of eversion on the basal plate but lacks filament ( Figs. 4a–4c ).

Cercus with six segments: the first segment enlarged and elongated, its basal process is bluntly rounded and sclerotized on side facing tergum 10 ( Figs. 3a, 3c & 3d ).

Paraprocts: outer lobes of paraprocts strongly sclerotized, distal portion triangularly scoop-shaped and appressed to wider membranous apex ( Figs. 4a, 4b , 5a ); inner lobes of paraprocts distinctly asymmetric ( Figs. 3a, 3d , & 5 ): left is smaller than the right, apical flagellum robust with blade shaped apex on the left side, and that of the right paraproct is more slender with swollen but hooked apex; the right inner lobe with two rows of long hairs along inner portion.

Female. Body length ca. 9.1 mm, forewing length ca. 9.0- 10.7 mm, hindwing length ca. 7.6-9.2 mm (n=3) ( Figs. 1b , 6c & 6d , 7 ). Body coloration generally dark and glossy. Sterna 6-7 mostly sclerotized, posterior margin produced as thickened blunt ledge. Sternum 8: pregenital plate dark brown, with a narrow triangular notch posteromedially, lateral portions more enlarged; vulvar sclerites brown and less sclerotized, covered with many wrinkles. Sternum 9 forms a large postgenital plate, covering most of sternum 10 and basal half of paraprocts; dark brown, widest medially and posterior half is evenly rounded, basally with a patch of black semicircular lumps ( Figs. 8a & 8b ). Inner vaginal organ membranous and triangular in lateral aspect, from the apex of which originates a spiral stripe-like sclerite reaching about midlength of ventral part of spermatheca; spermatheca balloon-shaped ( Figs. 8c & 8d ).

Material examined. 1 male ( CUAC): China, Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyingchi City, Nyingchi County, Sejilashan ( Sejila Mountains ), Sejilashan National Natural Reserve , unnamed stream at Zhongshan Station , N 29°36.60', E 94°36.19', 4030 m, 2018. V.1– 2018. VI.19, Malaise trap, Qicheng Yang; 1 female ( CUAC): same locality and collector, 2017. V.5– 2017. VI.5; 2 females ( IZCAS): China, Tibet, Linzhi , Motuo County, Duoxiongla Mount., 4300 m, 1998.X.29 , JianYao .

Distribution. China (Tibet Autonomous Region).

Remarks. We believe our specimens are Kyphopteryx dorsalis because most details of both general habitus and terminalia are identical to the original description and illustrations of both sexes ( Kimmins 1947: figs. A-G on page 726). Interestingly, crossveins between h and Sc are absent in the present male, similar to the original description, but three to four crossveins present in all the females examined in this study.

Zhiltzova & Zwick (1993) have compared Kyphopteryx dorsalis with its related species, K. brodskii ( Zhiltzova, 1972) in detail. In this study, we also found that the initially invaginated epiproct sleeve can be fully everted; and the lateral projections of the basal plate in front of the basal bulb are similar between these two species. Kimmins (1947) illustrated a distinctively smaller basicercal process, Zhiltzova & Zwick (1993) also mentioned a much smaller size. We found that the smaller size may partially be a result of difference of sclerotization, or due to the shrinkage of the membranous ventral portion in K. dorsalis as shown in Fig. 3c .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins. a. Male adult habitus, dorsal view. b. Female adult habitus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins (male). a. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. b. Abdomen, lateral view. c. Abdomen, dorsal view. d. Foreleg, lateral view. e. Midleg, lateral view. f. Hindleg, lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins (male). a. Terminalia, dorsal view. b. Terminalia, ventral view. c. Terminalia, lateral view. d. Terminalia, dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 4. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins (male, cerci removed). a. Epiproct, dorsal view. b. Epiproct, lateral view. c. Epiproct, anterolateral view. d. Epiproct and dorsal tergum 10, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins (male). a. Paraprocts, dorsal view. b. Paraprocts, caudal view. c. Paraprocts, left lateral view. d. Paraprocts, right lateral view.

FIGURE 6. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins, male and female from Mt. Duoxiongla. a. Forewing (male). b. Hindwing (male). c. Forewing (female). d. Hindwing (female).

FIGURE 7. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins, females from Sejilashan. a. & c. Forewing. b. & d. Hindwing.

FIGURE 8. Kyphopteryx dorsalis Kimmins (female). a. Terminalia, ventral view. b. Sternite 8, ventral view. c. Vagina, dorsal view. d. Vagina, lateral view. Abbreviations: S7: Sternite 7, S8: Sternite 8, S9: Sternite 9 (postgenital plate), T9: Tergite 9, seg8: segment 8.