Hermanella nigra, Do Nascimento, Jeane M. C. & Salles, Frederico F., 2013

Do Nascimento, Jeane M. C. & Salles, Frederico F., 2013, New species of Hermanella complex (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Zootaxa 3718 (1), pp. 1-27 : 5-12

Hermanella nigra , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–7 )

Diagnosis. Male imago: (1) forewing with costal and subcostal area black, longitudinal veins whitish; cross veins translucent ( Figs. 3 A, B); (2) subgenital plate brown washed with gray, with wide projection near inner base of forceps ( Figs. 3 D and 4D); (3) penes divided on distal half, each lobe with a distomedial membranous projection ( Fig. 4 D, E); (4) penis lobe with ventral, robust, posteriorly directed spine ( Fig. 4 D); (5) general coloration of body dark orangish brown ( Figs. 3 A, B). Nymph ( Figs. 5 A, B): (1) clypeus with lateral margin slightly concave; (2) galea-lacinia with a prominent tusk on inner apical angle (nearly 1/5 the apical width of galea-lacinia) ( Fig. 6 C); (3) mandible without setae near basal articulation ( Fig. 6 B); (4) plate-like gills, terminated in a finger like process ( Fig. 5 C).

Male imago. Length: body, 8.3–8.7 mm; forewing: 9.0– 9.3 mm; hind wing: 1.4–1.6 mm.

Head. Dorsal region brownish, with brown diffuse marks; ventral region whitish brown, slightly washed with black. Upper portion of compound eye brown, lower portion black; ocelli whitish, surrounded by black. Antenna. Scape brown, pedicel light brown washed with black, flagellum light brown translucent.

Thorax. Pronotum brownish, margins black; with medial and submedial longitudinal black strip. Mesonotum brown, medioparapsidal and mediolongitudinal sutures yellow, antelateroparapsidal suture dark brown; scutellum and scuto-scutellar impression whitish. Metanotum brown washed with yellow, with medial, slender black strip; lateral margin black. Pleurae dark yellowish brown, strongly washed with black; membranous region lighter. Sterna brown, washed with black; prosternum with a narrow straight carina medially ( Fig. 3 C). Wings. ( Figs. 4 A– C). Membrane hyaline. Forewing with costal and subcostal area black; longitudinal veins whitish and cross veins translucent; hind wing grayish brown at base; longitudinal veins yellowish; cross veins translucent. Legs. Coxae and trochanters yellowish brown washed with black. Leg I. Femur and tibia blackish brown; tarsus white. Legs II and III. Femora blackish brown, tibiae and tarsi white.

Abdomen. Terga with lateral and posterior margins black; terga I–VI brown washed with black; VII–XI reddish brown; tergum X dark blackish brown. Abdominal sterna I–VI brown; VII–VIII yellowish brown washed with red, tergum IX brown washed with gray. Genitalia ( Figs. 3 D and 4D, E). Subgenital plate brown washed with gray, with wide projection near inner base of forceps. Forceps. Whitish, segment I with brown base; segment II 0.2 length of segment I, 1.8 length of segment III. Penes divided on distal half, each lobe with a distomedial membranous projection. Penis lobe with ventral, robust and posteriorly directed spine ( Figs. 4 D, E); penis lobe whitish brown; spine orangish. Caudal filaments white, with apical margin of each segment black.

Female subimago. Length: body, 8.4 mm; fore wing, 9.2 mm; hind wing, 1.3 mm. Color pattern similar to male imago except for the color lighter. Sternum IX cleft apically.

Mature Nymph. Length: body, 6.8–7.2 mm; antenna, 2.9–3.5 mm; cerci, 6.2–6.8 mm; terminal filament, 8.6– 9.0 mm. General coloration brown, female darker ( Figs. 5 A, B).

Head. Brown, area around compound eye yellow. Upper portion of male compound eye dark brown, lower portion black. Eye of female black. Antenna: scape and pedicel brown, flagellum light brown translucent. Clypeus with lateral margin lightly concave, maximum width of labrum 1.3 times maximum width of clypeus. Mouthparts ( Figs. 6 A–E). Labrum ( Fig. 6 A) brown, V-shaped anteromedial emargination; with dorsal proximal row of 14–16 long setae interrupted medially; numerous ventral setae directed obliquely to sagittal plane. Mandible ( Fig. 6 B) apical half translucent, brown near incisors, basal half brown; incisors, prostheca and mola yellowish brown; outer margin of mandible strongly curved, forming a square angle; without setae near to basal articulation. Maxilla ( Fig. 6 C). Galea-lacinia with a prominent tusk on inner apical angle (nearly 1/5 the apical width of galea-lacinia). Hypopharynx as in figure 6D. Labium as in figure 6E.

Thorax. Terga brown, irregularly washed with black; apico-lateral angle of pronotum with 3 thick setae; pleura brown washed with black, membranous area white; sterna brown. Legs. Brown; coxae and trochanters washed with black. Leg I ( Fig. 7 A). Femur with basal area yellowish, outer margin with long thin setae and long spine-like setae; tibia brown with basal and subapical band black, with few setae along outer margins and short spine-like setae in inner margin. Tarsi brown, with basal and apical band yellow. Legs II and III ( Figs. 7 B, C) brown; femora with apical area black; tibia yellowish brown, with basal and subapical band dark brown; tarsi yellowish, with submedial brown band. Femur II and III with long thin setae and spine-like setae along outer margin; dorsal surface covered with few short spine-like setae. Tibia II and III with few short spine-like setae along inner margin and dorsal surface; with spine-like setae and long and thin setae along outer margin, spine-like setae absent in tibia II. Fore tarsal claws ( Fig. 7 D) with denticles increasing in size toward apex; subapical denticle much larger than others, preceded by three short submarginal denticles.

Abdomen. Terga dark brown. Sterna I–VI dark yellowish brown, sterna VII–IX dark brown. Plate-like gills, terminated in a finger like process, gray, with apical area and terminal filament translucent ( Fig. 5 C). Caudal filaments brown, with apical margin of each segment black.

Life cicle association. Male subimago extracted from pharate nymph.

Etymology. From the Latin word niger, dark, black; with reference to the darker coloration of the new species.

Material examined. Holotype: Male imago, Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Rio Bananal, Cachoeira de Angeli (S 19°20'59.1'', W 40°25'17.5''), 66m, 28/vii/2012, FF Salles, JMC Nascimento cols. (INPA). Paratypes: two male imagos and one subimago female (Pennsylvania), Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Nova Venécia, Patrimônio do Bis (S 18°33'27.5", W 40°20'6.5"), 20-21/xi/2012 (one female and one male at CZNC; one male IBN).

Comments. The imago of Hermanella nigra sp. nov. appears to be related to Hermanella thelma Needham & Murphy, 1924 , sharing with this species the general predominance of black color in body parts as well the subgenital plate with broad projections. However, these two species can be easily distinguished from each other by the wing color pattern and shape of penis spine.

According to Domínguez & Flowers (1989) the genus Hermanella is closely related to Hylister and Needhamella , and the main characteristics that distinguish Needhamella from Hermanella are: relatively wider prosternum in Needhamella ; the medial projection on clypeus – present in Needhamella and absent in Hermanella ; gills ending in a single finger-like process in Needhamella and gill with two lateral lobes and a digitiform apical projection in Hermanella ; lateral apical denticles present on tarsal claws in Needhamella and absent in Hermanella ; and smaller number of setae on dorsal surface of labrum in Needhamella . Lima et al. (2012), based on the shape of the gills and on the fact that the medial projection on the clypeus showed intraspecific variation in nymphs of N. ehrhardti examined by them, described a new species of Needhamella , N. mazama Nascimento, Mariano & Salles, 2012 . Still according to Lima et al. (2012), the remaining diagnostic characteristics of Needhamella presented by Domínguez & Flowers (1989), and mentioned above, were considered of specific value and restricted to the type-species, N. ehrhardti . With the description of a second species with intermediate characters between Needhamella and Hermanella , i.e. gills ending in finger-like process (as in N. ehrhardti ), but with prosternum narrow and lateral apical denticles absent on tarsal claws, we decided to maintain the generic diagnoses proposed by Domínguez & Flowers (1989) to the genus Needhamella . Therefore, it is necessary to transfer N. mazama to the genus Hermanella , as follows: Hermanella mazama (Nascimento, Mariano & Salles, 2012) , new combination.

We modified the key to male imago of South American species of Hermanella (Domínguez et al. 2006 pg. 392) to accommodate Hermanella amere sp. nov., Hermanella nigra sp. nov. and Hermanella mazama n. comb. Hermanella costalis (Navás, 1934) , a species transferred with reservations to the genus (Peters et al. 2005), is also included.

1. Wings with maculae around cross veins ( Fig. 2 A)........................................................... 2

– Wings without maculae around cross veins ( Fig. 4 A)......................................................... 4

2(1). Penis lobe with broad, lobe-like ventral projection ( Fig. 2 E)................................................... 3

– Penis lobe with short, spine-like ventral projection (Domínguez et al. 2006, Fig. 144J)........... Hermanella maculipennis

3(2). Costal and subcostal area of forewing brown; abdomen yellowish brown, terga I, II, VIII–X heavily washed with black........................................................................................... Hermanella guttata

– Costal and subcostal area of forewing orangish; abdomen yellowish, terga VII–IX orangish yellow..................................................................................................... Hermanella amere sp. nov.

4(1). Styliger plate with paired projections ( Fig. 4 D)............................................................. 5

– Styliger plate with blunt median protuberance (Peters et al. 2005, Fig. 14 )........................ Hermanella costalis

5(4). Styliger plate with wide projections ( Fig. 4 D)............................................................. 6

– Styliger plate with slender projections (Peters et al. 2005, Fig. 14 ).............................................. 7

6(5). Costal and subcostal area of forewing grayish brown; penis lobe with short, lobe-like ventral projection....................................................................................................... Hermanella thelma

– Costal and subcostal area of forewing dark brown; penis lobe with robust, spine-like ventral projection ( Figs. 4 D, E)...................................................................................... Hermanella nigra sp. nov.

7(5). Costal and subcostal area of forewing tinged with orange brown............................................... 8

– Forewing completely hyaline.................................................... Hermanella mazama n. comb.

8(7). Length of fore wings 9.5 to 10.0 mm; color pattern of abdomen as in Fig. 144P (Domínguez et al. 2006)..................................................................................................... Hermanella grandis

– Length of fore wings 6.8 to 8.7 mm; color pattern of abdomen as in Fig. 144Q (Domínguez et al. 2006)..................................................................................................... Hermanella froehlichi

Figures

FIGURE 2. Hermanella amere, sp. nov., male imago. A) forewing; B) hind wing; C) enlarged hind wing; D) male genitalia, ventral view; E) detail of penes, ventral view; F) penis lobe, lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Hermanella nigra, sp. nov., male imago. A) lateral view; B) dorsolateral view; C) prosternum; D) male genitalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 4. Hermanella nigra, sp. nov., male imago. A) forewing; B) hind wing; C) enlarged hind wing; D) male genitalia, ventral view; E) penis lobe, lateral view.

FIGURE 5. Hermanella nigra, sp. nov. A) and B) habitus of nymphs; C) gill IV.

FIGURE 6. Hermanella nigra, sp. nov., nymphal mouthparts. A) labrum: left: dorsal view, right: ventral view; B) mandible; C) maxilla; D) hypopharynx; E) labium: right: ventral view, left: dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Hermanella nigra, sp. nov., nymph. A) fore leg; B) middle leg; C) hind leg; D) anterior tarsal claw.

FIGURE 14. Traverella insolita, sp. nov., male imago. A) forewing; B) hind wing; C) enlarged hind wing; D) male genitalia, ventral view; E) detail of penes, ventral view.