Ephemera (Sinephemera) rubera, Lei & Zhou, 2024

Lei, Zhi-Ming & Zhou, Chang-Fa, 2024, The subgenus Sinephemera Kluge, 2004 in China (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae: Ephemera Linnaeus, 1758), Zootaxa 5517 (1), pp. 1-68 : 44-46

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5517.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B73493AB-2F80-43B2-9396-218EC54A0472
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13915345
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C513C56F-0532-C13A-FF11-FAC8F75DF992
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ephemera (Sinephemera) rubera
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Ephemera (Sinephemera) rubera sp. nov. ( Figs 45–47 View FIGURE 45 View FIGURE 46 View FIGURE 47 , 64 View FIGURE 64 )

Nymph ( Fig. 45 View FIGURE 45 ): Body length 18.0 mm, antennae 6.0 mm, cerci 7.0 mm, terminal filament 10.0 mm ( Figs 45A–B View FIGURE 45 ). Projected frons with very shallow anterior concave margin, lateral margins straight but convergent anteriorly ( Figs 45A, C View FIGURE 45 ). In dorsal view, mandibular tusks shorter than head ( Figs 45A – B View FIGURE 45 ). Tergite I with shallow median ridge, with tuft of hair-like setae on it ( Fig. 45D View FIGURE 45 ); tergites I–VI with two pairs of reddish brown streaks but median pair faint and indistinct, lateral pair distinct; tergites VII–IX with two pairs of reddish brown streaks, much clearer than those of anterior tergites; median pair narrower and fainter than lateral pair, convergent anteriorly to meet in middle; tergite X without clear dots ( Fig. 45A View FIGURE 45 ); sternites I–X with pair of reddish brown streaks, those of tergites I–VI oblique but those of segment VII–X almost straight ( Fig. 45B View FIGURE 45 ). Lateral margins of abdomen pigmented with reddish brown. Posterior margins of tergites I–IX reddish brown ( Figs 45A – B View FIGURE 45 ).

Male imagine ( Figs 46 – 47 View FIGURE 46 View FIGURE 47 ): Body length 26.0–28.0 mm, forewing 23.0 mm, hindwing 10.0 mm, caudal filament 45.0 mm. Pronotum with pair of red to purple longitudinal stripes dorsally, all margins of pronotum red to purple ( Fig. 46A View FIGURE 46 ); coxae of all legs with stripes ( Fig. 46B View FIGURE 46 ). Forewings and hindwings with striking markings, outer margins of them tinged purple to chocolate; MP 2 unfused with CuA at base ( Figs 47A–C View FIGURE 47 ). Tergite I has very shallow median ridge, sometimes invisible ( Fig. 47D View FIGURE 47 ). Color pattern similar to nymphs but much clearer: tergites I–IX with two pairs of longitudinal red to purple stripes, lateral pair wider and blacker than median one, median pair of tergites I–III sometimes indistinct, anterior part of median pair somewhat convergent ( Figs 46A–B View FIGURE 46 ). All posterior margins of tergites I–IX pigmented by red to purple, those stripes extended to lateral margins of tergites ( Figs 46A–B View FIGURE 46 ). Tergite X with pair of reddish dots dorsally ( Fig. 46A View FIGURE 46 ). Sternites I–IX with pair of oblique red stripes, those of tergites VIII–IX nearly straight; posterior margins of sternites pigmented as transverse reddish line ( Fig. 46C View FIGURE 46 ). Genitalia: Red to purple, apical half of forceps black; combined length of segments III–IV less than half of segment II ( Figs 47E View FIGURE 47 ); penes situate together (without space between them) longer than basal segment of forceps, sclerotized laterally except apex ( Figs 47E–F View FIGURE 47 ).

Female and male subimagine: unknown.

Etymology: from the Latin word “ rubera ” (femenine, nominative case), meaning red or reddish, referring to the color of the wings and body of this species.

Diagnosis: This species is remarkably distinguishable because of two points: (1) its two pairs of red stripes on tergites I–IX ( Fig. 46 View FIGURE 46 ), (2) reddish markings of wings ( Fig. 47 View FIGURE 47 ). Besides the abdominal stripes, the nymphal frons of this species has a very shallow anterior concave margin ( Figs 45A–C View FIGURE 45 ).

Comparison: No similar color pattern (two pairs of nearly straight stripes on abdomen, Fig. 46 View FIGURE 46 ) of this species are found in other Chinese Ephemera . The stripes of other species are either one oblique pair or three straight pairs. Different dots or bands can be found in the wings of Ephemera but no red markings like in this species, especially the hindwings ( Figs 47A–C View FIGURE 47 ).

The penes of this species is similar to those of E. axillaris ( Figs 4H–I View FIGURE 4 ): penes longer than basal segment of forceps, apex slightly expanded ( Figs 47E–F View FIGURE 47 ). But this species has much more colorful body and wings than E. axillaris , and the penes are slightly longer. The stripes on abdomen of both are totally different ( E. axillaris has three pairs of stripes on tergites III–IX).

Remarks: The markings and color pattern on wings of this species are very similar to some Chinese potamanthids or neoephemerids, like Rhoenanthus Eaton, 1881 or Pulchephemera Zhou, 2021 (see Eaton, 1883 – 1888 and Ma & Zhou, 2021).

Material: China: holotype (♂ imagine), Wu-Zhi-Shan Mt. park (18.907855°N, 109.679361°E), Hainan province, leg. Xu-Hong-Yi Zheng & Zhi-Teng Chen, 2023-IV-17; Paratypes: 2 ♂ imagines, same as the holotype; 2 ♂ imagines, Leg. Bing Yan, 2107-IV-18, others same as the types; 2 nymphs, Wu-Zhi-Shan Mt., Hainan province, leg. Xu-Hong-Yi Zheng & De-Wun Gong, 2023-XII-10 GoogleMaps .

Distribution ( Fig. 64 View FIGURE 64 ): China (Hainan).