Rhopalopsole minima Stark & Sivec, 2012

Stark, Bill P., Sivec, Ignac & Shimizu, Takao, 2012, Notes On Rhopalopsole Klapálek (Plecoptera: Leuctridae), With Descriptions Of Three New Species From Vietnam, Illiesia 8 (13), pp. 134-140 : 137

Rhopalopsole minima Stark & Sivec sp. n.

( Figs. 5-7 )

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Vietnam, Nghe An, ca. 25 km SW Con Cuong, Khe Moi River Forestry Camp , 4-9 June 1995, ROM 956154 , B. Hubley, J. Swann ( ROM).

Male. General color in alcohol brown. Head and legs without distinctive pattern, wings pale brown with darker veins. Forewing length 4.0 mm. Vesicle typical of genus, rounded apically and attached to anterior margin of sternum 9 by a narrow pedicel ( Fig. 6 ). Posterior margin of tergum 9 thickened slightly for two short sublateral sections ( Fig. 5 ). Tergum 10 with a cordate-shaped mesal sclerite, bordered on each side by a dark parenthesis-shaped sclerite. Posterolateral margin of tergum 10 bearing prominent thorn-like process; process wide basally and tapered to an acute point in dorsal and lateral aspect ( Figs. 5-7 ); apical half of process darker than base. Epiproct rounded at apex and curved slightly forward in lateral aspect ( Fig. 7 ). Cerci cylindrical, without terminal spine. Paraprocts fused into a caudally projecting process bearing fine striations on surface ( Fig. 5 ); apex notched.

Female. Unknown.

Larva. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name is based on the diminutive size of the male.

Diagnosis. This species, an apparent member of the “ magnicerca group” of Sivec et al. (2008). is similar to R. azun and R. tamdao in having an unforked posterolateral process on tergum 10 and is distinguished from these species by the features discussed above under R. azun .

Figures

Figs. 5-7. Rhopalopsole minima structures. 5. Male terminalia, dorsal. 6. Male terminalia, ventral. 7. Male terminalia, lateral.