Neoperla heideae, 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 : 140-143

65. Neoperla heideae n. sp.

( Figs. 373–379 )

Type material. Republic of Cameroon: ♀ Holotype ( NEOP243 ; CAM_2011_27) , 3♀ Paratypes: 2°47’19.04’’N, 11.97896 E, CAMEROON, S-Reg., Sangmélima 17km on road to Dja River NEbN Mintom, 570m asl, 4 Nov.2011, MV-lamp, A. Zwick ( SMNS, slides CAM_2011_22, 23 ( NEOP246 , NEOP245 ) and slide CAM_2011_31) . 1♀, Paratype, Republic of Cameroon , Libamba, 10 km E of Makak [3°33‘N, 10°44‘E], light trap, 19–22.VI.1974 J.A.Gruwell ( NEOP244 , slide Z16/163, USNM). Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1 ♁, 1♀ Paratypes, P. N. d’Odzala, Mbdanza , 00°34’N, 14°39’E, XI.1992 G. Carpaneto (♁ slide Z17.35; ♀ NEOP242 , slide Z16.17; SMNS, gift R. Fochetti). 2 ♁, 2♀ (slide Z18.10) Paratypes, Kongo , Odzala Nat. Park [1.19°N, 14.85°E; 560m], 29.9.– 3.3.1997 leg. V.Sinaev (Z21.35, 21.36; ZMB) .

Additional material studied. Republic of Cameroon: 2♁, misassociated paralectotypes of N. excisa (present designations): N. excisa Klp. [handwriting, red margin] \ S.O.Kamerun Lolodorf [the illegible dates crossed out] L. Conradt S. \ Cotype [print, red paper] \ COTYPUS [print; white paper] \ text in Sütterlin script ( Fig. 373 ; the 2 labels differ in the number, 3 or 5, respectively; NMCZ; pinned, cleared genitalia in microvials). 1♁, misassociated paralectotype of N. excisa (present designation): 1♁, Kamerun, Lolodorf [3.23°N, 10.72°E], Ltnt. Jacob Sammler Prof. Ziemann Jr.No. 1600/07 \ nova spec. (misassociated paralectotype of N. excisa ; ZMB, in ETOH, seen in 1980 but not retrieved in 2019). 61♁ & 58♀, Libamba, 10 km E of Makak [3°33‘N, 10°44‘E], light traps, J.A.Gruwell, 1972/1974; 1 mature ♁ nymph: ibidem, 5–10.IX.1973 ( USNM; slides US_133-2–US_133-6); 2♁, 2♀, from this sample in SMNS, slide US_133-1. 1♀: NW Kamerun, Moliwe b. Victoria, 7.III-i.IV.09, Frfr.v.Maltzau, (no eggs; ZMB). 1♁: Kumba [4°38’M, 9°27’E], British Cameroons, 19.I.1949 (at light) B. Malkin ( ZMB). 1♁, 6♀: Cameroon, 7 mi S Ebolowa [2.92N, 11.16E], 580m, 15.–17-X-1966 Ross & Leech ( CASENT 8413054). 10♁, 7♀, Republic of Cameroon, Libamba, 10 km E of Makak [3°33‘N, 10°44‘E], light trap, 19–22.VI.1974 J.A.Gruwell ( SMNS).

Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2♁, B. Congo , 39 km S of Walikale [-1.47, 28.07], 700m, XII-25-57 E.S.Ross & R.E.Leech ( CASENT 8413053 ) ; 1 ♀ B. Congo , 73 mi E of Kama [3.52S, 27.12E], 16.8.57, Ross & Leech ( CASENT 8413051 ) ; 1♀ B. Congo, Irangi , Luhoho R., 900m, 10.IX.57 Ross & Leech ( CASENT 8413049 ) . 1♀: Mawambi-Ukaika, Grauer, Nov.Dez. 10 \ africana Klapálek [print] ( NHMW) . Republic of South Africa, 1♀, Prov. Limpopo, Waterberge, Mapote Farm , 22.–24.Feb.2012, 24°07’51.41”S 28°38’40.88”E D.Bartsch (slide SMNS.036) .

Doubtful material. 1♁, Musée du Congo Mayumbe: Sanzulu [5°6’ S, 13°16’ E] 2-IV-1926 A. Collaret \ Neoperla camerunensis End. P.Navás S. J. det. (pinned slide, MRAC) .

Habitus. WL 8.8–12.8mm. Yellowish colour, pattern varies from entirely light to a black mark between ocelli from where brownish streaks may extend along the occipital suture and forward to the M-line. Frontoclypeus in front of M-line often with brownish mark. Pronotum and mesonotum are light ochre, wings slightly infuscated. Scape pale, tip of flagellum and cercus variably infuscate. Legs pale, sometimes indistinctly infuscate along outside of femora and tibiae, tarsi often with dark tip.

Male ( Figs. 373–376 ). Hind tibiae wide, flat. T7 dorsally completely flat. Caudally from a transverse pale line begins a trapezoidal sclerite extending a little further back than lateral parts of tergite 7. Plate caudally truncate, edge slightly upcurved, with some SB along the edge and on the underside. An erect process on T8 stands far caudally but the straight front edge of its transverse top is only narrowly separated from the slightly wider caudal edge of the process on T7. T9 with the usual pilose paramedian humps and a median furrow. The base of HT10 is large, the hemitergal callus is tongue-shaped. Hemitergal process stout and bisinuous, the thin sharply pointed apex is bent mediad. In contracted males the claw-like tips of the HT10 processes embrace the process on T8. Caudal margin of S 9 in the middle with a few spine-like setae.

The tubular penis ( Figs. 374–375 ) is soft and distally annulated. Dorsally there are a transverse subterminal band of external spines and a large terminal patch of spines on a slightly swollen area. Endophallus ( Fig. 376 ) a little shorter than the tube, a single regular row of sharp spines on the concave face ends 1/3 from tip. The convex face bears seven regular rows of spines which caudally grow small, merge and form a cuticular band that turns inward and becomes part of the narrow tube running from the endophallus tip back to the penis base.

Female ( Figs. 377–378 ). S8 with a long tongue-shaped nail with anterior crests. Vagina with scales next to the attachment of the SSt. SSt forming a little less than one complete ring, the partly membranous base is wide and long. About the distal half of SSt is densely coated with scales, it narrows caudally little and is directly connected to the coiled spermatheca.

Egg ( Fig. 379 ). Mean size is 330*215µm, drum-shaped, chorion with many levogyrous striae. Sometimes a faint subdivision is noticed on the flat bare and wide costae. Costae almost touch, there is only a narrow slit between them, the sulci are concealed. By transparency, two rows of micropunctures are visible, micropyles are microscopic holes between the rows, the micropylar canal runs parallel to the puncture rows (similar to Fig. 384 ). Striae towards the operculum start from a ring of low cells around the flat anchor pole, there is no collar. The anchor cavity is a low funnel, the anchor is mushroom-shaped. The operculum is a wide irregularly punctate cap, a ring of pale cells suggests an eclosion line.

DNA ( Figs. 492 , 497). The female holotype from Cameroon and four female paratypes from Cameroon and the D. R. Congo were sequenced for the COX1 DNA barcode fragment, representing only part of the wide geographic spread of this species. The monophyly of the species is very strongly supported (76.8/100/100), as is its sister relationship to N. larvata n. sp. (99.2/100/100) .

Notes. Males with distinctive tergites co-occurring with females with unmistakable eggs were for a long time regarded as a single widespread species, Neoperla heideae n. sp. which varied in shape of the nail, but DNA revealed the existence of two species whose males and eggs can presently morphologically not be distinguished. This circumstance masked the existence of the second species, N. larvata n. sp., the name alludes to the masquerade.

The species are apparently allopatric. Neoperla larvata occurs in West Africa and extends eastward north of the Congo lowland. From mountains west of the Rift Valley, N. heideae n. sp. ranges westward south of the Congo basin, and into Cameroon. Locality of origin and co-existing females provide auxiliary characters for males.

Variation. Males of N. heideae n. sp. are uniform in tergal structures, shape of penis, and details of endophallic armature ( Figs. 376, 380 ). The projecting nail on female S8 is often slightly waisted and may have a short nipple-like tip.

Note. The specimen list in Klapálek (1923b) and historical labels document that surprisingly Klapálek confused the then-undescribed N. heideae n. sp. with his N. excisa .

Etymology. Named for my dear wife, Heide, in profound gratitude for her life-long, untiring support, not only of my entomological work.

Figures

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.

FIGURES 373–385. Neoperla heideae n. sp. and N. larvata n. sp. N. heideae: 373, 374, abdominal tip and contracted penis of a misassociated paralectotype of N. excisa Klap. from Lolodorf (to the same scale), with the label in Sütterlin script; 375, contracted penis, dorsal view, 376, everted endophallus (from Libamba); 377, ♀ situs from near Kama (D. R. Congo); 378, ♀ situs (D. R. Congo, Odzala N.P., NEOP242); 379, egg (Sangmelina,Cameroon). N. larvata: 380, everted endophallus (CAR, Bayanga, NEOP240); 381, ♀ situs, sternites 8 and 9 labeled (Ghana, Ankasa Res.); 382, ♀ situs (Togo, Kati); 383, ♀ situs (Ghana, Volta R., Z21.41); 384, egg with detail, Guinea, Simbareya (NEOP237); 385, aberrant contracted penis, ♁ from Ivory Coast, Boa. The scales are 100µm; tergites, HT10 and cercus labeled. a, anchor; mi, micropyle; n, nail; sa, spermatheca; SSt, spemathecal stalk; V, vagina.