Neoperla duodeviginti, Zwick & Zwick, 2023

Zwick, Peter & Zwick, Andreas, 2023, Revision of the African Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlinae) based on morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 5316 (1), pp. 1-194 : 46-48

16. Neoperla duodeviginti n. sp.

( Figs. 76–82 )

Neoperla sp. B — Zwick (1973b): 384, figs. 3–4.

Neoperla sp. 18— Zwick (1973b): 392, figs. 16–17.

Type material studied. Republic of Cameroon, Holotype ♁, SW Region, Tumbel , Ngusi, Etambo River, 4°51’42.89’’N, 9°38’21.17’’, E 490m asl, 23.Oct.2011, MV-lamp, A.Zwick ( NEOP048 , SMNS) . Paratypes: Republic of Guinea: 1♀, W. Guinea , riv. Koumba à Gaoual [11.53N, 13.35W] 29.1.1989 ( NEOP049 , Z16.94) ; 1♀, Riv. Rokel à Badala, 11.8.1989 ( NEOP050 , slide Z16/88); 1♁, 1989, no locality details ( NEOP051 , Z16.65) ; 1♀, Kolenté à Simbareya [9.89°N, 12.61°W], 3.2.89 ( NEOP052 , Z16.57) (all SMNS, leg. J.M. Élouard) .

Additional material studied: Republic of Cameroon: ♁, same data as holotype ( SMNS, slide CAM_2011) . 1♀, Cameroon, Buea [4°9’N, 9°14’E], Baptists College below town, 780m, 24.x.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413002 ) . Central African Republic: 1♀, Oubanghi-Chari : Bangui [4.39°N, 18.56°E, 376m] I/III.68, coll. Breuning ( MRAC, vidi 1974, confirmed 2019) . Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1♀, W. Kivu: Lubongola pr. Shabunda [2.77S, 27.34E] V-1939 Dr. Hartmann; 1♀, Coll. Mus. Tervuren Oubanghi-Chari: Bangui I/ III.1968 ex coll. Breuning (both MRAC) . Belg. Kongo , 39km S Walikale [1.43°S, 28.07°E] 700m, E.S.Ross & R.E. Leech: 1♀, 25.XII.1957 ( CASENT 8413000 ) , 1♁, 14.9.57 ( CASENT 8413071 ) . Republic of Ghana: Brong-Ahafo region, Bui Camp (8°17’N, - 2°15’W; 106m) light trap at the Black Volta, Endrödy-Younga : 7♁, 1♀ 27.10.1965; 1♀, 1.– 5.11.1965; 1♁, 1♀, 6.– 10.11.1965 ( HNHM & SMNS) . 4♀, Dodo Tamli, Asukawkaw R. [7.63N, 0.44E, 209m] 28.xi.1985, J. Schorscher (slides Z86/3&3a; eggs & vag.) ( FOTOS) ; Brong-Ahafo region, Bui camp (8°17’N, 2°15’W), 106m, light trap at the Black Volta: 7♁, 1♀, 27.10.1965; 1♀, 1.– 5.11.1965 (Mus. Budapest: Zwick 1973) . 1♀, Ghana Volta Region, Wli Falls, Afegame , St. 12 07.03.1993 J.S.Amakye & J. Kjaerendsen light trap; NUFUproject ZMBN Sample no. 1; 1♁, Ghana, Volta region, River Menu at Mensu 18.11.1993 J. Kjaerendsen light trap (both ZMBN) . Republic of Guinea: 1♀, Milo à Boussoulé 23.10.1984 J.M.Gibon [village Milo : [10.99°N, 9.21°W] (slide Z86/26); 2♁, Guinea Riv. Niandan (bassin du Niger) à Bambaya [9.20N, 10.42W] 24.10.1984 (slides “ Mali 8/1 & 2”); 1♁, 1♀, W.Guinea, riv. Koumba à Gaoual [11.53N, 13.35W] 29.1.1989 (same vial as NEOP049 ) ; 1♁, Guinea, Kousankoro no.2, 21.10.84; 2♁, Guinea, light trap, 1989, no locality details (all SMNS, leg. J.M.Élouard) . Republic of Liberia: 8 mi NW Belefuanai [7.26N, 9.43W], S fork S. Paul R., 11.8.66, Ross & Lorenzen 1♀, 1♁ ( CASENT 8413001 & 8413070) . Federal Republic of Nigeria: 1♀, NW State, Mokwa [9.15°N, 5.08°E, 119m],I. A. R., 17– 19.8.1970, Lichtfalle, P.H. Ward ( BMNH; vidi 1974; eggs) . 2♀, Nigeria , 21 mi W Kaduna [10.508 N, 7.417 E], 650m, 11.IX.66, Ross & Lorenzen ( CASENT 8413003 & SMNS) . Republic of Sierra Leone: 2♀, Northern Province, Bumbuna [8.91N, 11.73W] at light 04.12.1983 W. Rossi ( SMNS, gift R.Fochetti, slide 16.16) . 1♀, Pampana près de Magburaka [8.67°N, 11.96°W], 5.2.89; 1♀, Sewa [Sewa R., 7.95N, 11.69W] près de Bendu, Rgo.Gaiana , 9.2.89; 1♀, Sierra Leone Kaba à Gotamba , Kilims Nat. Pk. 04.02.1988; 1♁, Sierra Leone F. Rokel à Makaba [8.40652, -11.84601] 08.02.1985, slide Z16/105 (all leg. J.-M. Élouard; SMNS) .

Habitus. WL 10.2–11.7mm in males, 15.2–16.5mm in females. Dark ocellar rings, remainder yellowish to ochre, flagellum distally infuscate.

Male ( Figs. 76–80 ). A thick process projects obliquely from the soft caudal half of T7, in profile it resembles a short finger, a few SB ventrally at the tip. T8 with a forward-inclined hump with some SB on its front ( Figs. 76–77 ). Sclerite on T8 wide near the unmodified antecosta, narrow caudally from the hump. T9 with divided antecosta, lateral pilose humps and a median low furrow. HT10 stout, its apical process bent abruptly forward, in profile it first rises and is then angularly bent and horizontal. Mediobasal callus narrow, tongue-shaped. Sternites unmodified.

Penis ( Figs. 78–80 ) tubular, 1.16mm long, 0.12–0.16mm wide, waisted near midlength, wide apex dorsodistally with a bare notch, ventrodistally with a wide field of delicate spines from which lateral bands connect to the dorsodistal endophallic armature ( Fig. 79 ). Everted endophallus ( Fig. 80 ) about as long as tube, base wide, narrowing caudally and curved a little to ventral side. Distal half dorsally with 5–6 regular rows of triangular spines decreasing distally in size, ventrally bare.

Female ( Fig. 81 ). A triangle formed by three light brown spots on S8, caudal edge unmodified. Vagina shorter than S8, with small spinules next to SSt attachment. SSt barely longer than the vagina, a gently curved finger narrowing distally. It is densely coated with scales except for a narrow bare seam on the concave side.

Egg ( Fig. 82 ). An elongate ovoid widest near midlength, average size 434*248µm (n=18); larger eggs appear more slender than smaller ones. The rounded operculum wider than the truncate anchor pole which has a shoulder. The narrow projecting collar bears one ring of large shallow cells, rim flanged and scalloped. Eighteen straight striae, costae fade away near the operculum but turn into narrow ridges towards the collar. Costae are impunctate ribs, the wide sulci are punctate, micropyles freely visible. Punctation of sulci and operculum unordered, very fine and dense. Anchor cavity funnel-shaped, anchor mushroom-shaped.

DNA ( Figs. 491–493 ). A total of five specimens from Cameroon and Guinea were sequenced, representing the core of the geographic spread of this species and providing very strong support (100/100/100) for the monophyly of the species.

Notes. Placement of N. duodeviginti follows molecular evidence, by morphology the species was hard to place: male tergites and details of egg striae resemble the N. spio -group, while the SSt is similar to N. pallidogigas .

Etymology. When the species was first reported it happened to be the 18th species known and was informally designated as such (Zwick 1973). As the number of egg costae is also 18, the Latin numeral, duodeviginti (= 18), was chosen as name. It should be treated like a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 491. Codon-model maximum likelihood phylogram based on 83 largely complete mitochondrial genome sequences only (mt-NT). Statistical support values (SH-aLRT, UFBoot) from this and other analyses summarised by squares as explained in the figure. Terminal labels include information on the species, type status, gender, originating country, unique sequence identifier (NEOP###), sequencing approach and total basepairs of 13 mitochondrial, protein-coding genes. Clades of particular interest highlighted with colours that correspond to the clades in other trees. HT = holotype; PT = paratype; PCR = Polymerase Chaine Reaction; WGS = Whole Genome Shotgun.

FIGURE 492. Simplified overview of codon-model maximum likelihood phylogram based on 356 mitochondrial genome and COX1 DNA barcode sequences (all-NT). Terminal labels include information on the species only. Clades of particular interest highlighted with colours that correspond to the clades in other trees. The full tree is shown in Figs 493-498.

FIGURE 493. Partial (outgroup, clades A, B, D) codon-model maximum likelihood phylogram based on 356 mitochondrial genome and COX1 DNA barcode sequences (all-NT). Statistical support values above branches or near nodes are SH-aLRT and UFBoot for the codon-model analyses, followed by NT123 UFBoot. Terminal labels include information on the species, type status, gender, originating country, unique sequence identifier (NEOP###), sequencing approach and total basepairs of 13 mitochondrial, protein-coding genes. Clades of particular interest highlighted with colours that correspond to the clades in other trees. See Fig. 492 for an overview. HT = holotype; PT = paratype; PCR = Polymerase Chaine Reaction; WGS = Whole Genome Shotgun.

FIGURES 76–82. Neoperla duodeviginti n. sp.: 76–78, ♁ abdominal tip and contracted penis, specimen from Bui Camp, Ghana (not to scale, tergites and HT10 labeled; modified from Zwick, 1973b); 79, penis with everted endophallus, specimen from Ghana, river Mensu; 80, endophallus of holotype (NEOP048) from Cameroon; 81, 82, genital situs and egg, ♀ from Belefuanai. Scales are 100µm unless differently indicated. a, anchor; c, collar: od, oviduct; sa, spermatheca; SSt, spermathecal stalk; V, vagina.