Neoperla jiangae, Li & Yan, 2021

Li, Weihai & Yan, Yanhua, 2021, Two new species and a new synonym of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, with proposal of a new species group, Zootaxa 5047 (4), pp. 431-443 : 432-434

Neoperla jiangae sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 , 5a, 5b )

Adult habitus. ( Fig. 1 ). General body color brownish with head and legs with darker pigmented areas. Distance between posterior ocelli wider than diameter of the one ocellus. Head slightly wider than pronotum, mostly pale brownish except for two black markings: a quadrate interocellar marking and a subtriangular patch between frons and M-line ( Fig. 1a ); compound eye black; antenna brown. Pronotum brown, posterolateral portion pale brown ( Fig. 1a ); wing membrane subhyaline with brown veins; all legs pale brown, femora and tibiae having adjacent dark brown pigmented areas, tarsi black. Abdomen brownish, terminalia dark brown.

Male. Forewing length 14.2 mm. Tergum 7 with a pair of sclerotized, nipple-shaped anteromedial processes and posteromedial, raised process with small sensilla basiconica ( Figs. 1b & 1c ). Tergum 8 with T-shaped anterior medial sclerite forming an upright finger-like, elongate process that curves anteriorly. The process fringed with small spines laterally and distally ( Fig. 1c ). Tergum 9 with patches of long hairs. Hemitergal process of tergum 10 generally finger-shaped, slightly wider at base and tapering at apex ( Fig. 1b ), and the lateral margins slightly curved in lateral aspect ( Fig. 1c ).

Aedeagus ( Figs. 2 , 5a, 5b ). Aedeagal tube slightly curved ventrally, dorsal surface sclerotized with sculpturing in distal portion. Aedeagal sac distinctly curved with S-shaped outline ( Fig. 2a ). Aedeagal sac about 1.5X as long as tube, basal one fourth forming a right angle with tube; a cluster of small brownish spines occurs at basal half ( Fig. 2c ) and larger hook-like spines present on distal half, the large armatures consist of a ventral row of hooks for most distal length, and 2–3 rows of lateral hooks at apical fourth extending to dorsal surface at apex ( Fig. 3b ); a pair of apical sclerites not everted, which resemble paired flagella ( Fig. 5b ).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype: male ( HIST), China: Shaanxi Province, Ningqiang County, Qingmuchuan Town, Qingmuchuan National Nature Reserve , Qingmuchuan Protection Station , black light trap, 32.8296° N, 105.5625° E, 669 m, 2018.IV.23, Chunyan Jiang.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Chunyan Jiang who collected the holotype.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Shaanxi Province of China.

Remarks. The new species belongs to an unrecognized subgroup of the Neoperla montivaga group defined above: Neoperla sinensis species subgroup. Male of the Neoperla jiangae n. sp. can be easily distinguished from other members of the group by the S-shaped aedeagal sac.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neoperla jiangae sp. nov. (male). a. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. b. Terminalia, dorsal view. c. Terminalia, lateral view. d. Foreleg lost from holotype, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Neoperla jiangae sp. nov. (male). a. Aedeagus with everted sac, lateral view. b. Aedeagal sac, apical half, lateral view. c. Aedeagal sac, basal half, lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Neoperla jiaoxihe sp. nov. (male) a. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. b. Terminalia, dorsal view. c. Terminalia, dorsolateral view. d. Foreleg, lateral view.

FIGURE 5. a–b, Neoperla jiangae sp. nov. (male). a. Aedeagus before eversion, lateral view. as= apical sclerites. b. Aedeagus, lateral view. c. Neoperla jiaoxihe sp. nov. (male), head and pronotum.