Neoperla muranyii Yang, Zhang & Li

Yang, Juan, Zhang, Sujiong & Li, Weihai, 2017, Description of two new species of the Neoperla montivaga group (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, Zootaxa 4238 (3), pp. 385-394 : 389

Neoperla muranyii Yang, Zhang & Li , sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–20 )

Adult habitus. Male forewing length 9.8–10.1 mm, female forewing length 11.0– 11.4 mm. General body color brownish. Distance between ocelli as wide as diameter of the ocellus. Head mostly yellow with small dark brown areas covering ocelli and, lateral margins and anterior portion of frons pale, the pigmentation between ocelli triangular in males or truncate anteriorly in females ( Figs. 11 , 17 ); compound eyes black; antennae brownish to dark brown. Pronotum mostly pale, margins and median portion darker, with indistinct rugosities ( Figs. 11 , 17 ); wing membrane pale, veins brown; legs mostly brownish, joint darker. Abdomen yellowish brown, male hemiterga darker.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 12–16 ). Posterior process of tergum 7 trapezoidal and elevated in dorsal and lateral views, with medial concavity flanked by posterolateral humps, with many small dorsal and marginal sensilla basiconica ( Figs. 12–14 ). Tergum 8 with tongue-shaped upcurved process with apical spinules ( Figs. 12–14 ). Tergum 9 without sensilla patches or long hairs. Hemitergal processes of tergum 10 sclerotized and short, slightly upcurved medially ( Figs. 12 &14 ). Aedeagal tube plump, ca. length 3.5X width at basal bulb, ventroapically with a slender medially bifurcate Y-lobe, arms without spines and as long as stalk of Y-lobe ( Figs. 15–16 ). Aedeagal sac at least 1.5X longer than tube and apical half strongly curved ventrad forming an open loop with hook-like apex in well treated type, most of the surface bald, spinules occur only on dorsal surface at apical hook ( Fig. 15 ).

Female ( Figs. 18–20 ). Posterior margin of sternum 8 barely produced, posteromedial part forming a small, quadrate, sclerotized subgenital plate. Vagina rounded nearly as long as wide, inner part with several dark overlapped crescent folds; spermatheca stalk slender and very short, ca. fourth length of spermatheca, spermatheca sausage like and medially strongly curved, apical half a little swollen and tip with a small nipple, apical fourth with a gland.

Type material. Holotype male: China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Shangsi County, Shiwandashan National Forest Park, Wangle village near Pearl River , N21°54.316' E107°54.203', 295m, 2013. V.18, light trap, Guoquan Wang ( HIST) . Paratypes: 2 males (CAUC & HIST), 2 females ( CAUC & HIST), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The patronym honors Dr. David Murányi, for his numerous contributions to numerous stonefly groups.

Distribution. China (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region).

Diagnosis and remarks. The new species is characterized by the aedeagal sac being ventrally curved in an opening loop with hook-like apex and an elongate Y-lobe (length ca. 10X of the stalk width) on the tube being bifurcate at midlength. The new species may be assigned to the N. diehli subgroup by Zwick and Sivec (1985) in the montivaga species group ( Zwick 1983). Wang et al. (2013) includes several members in this group, N. han Stark , N. mnong Stark , N. furcostyla Li and Qin , N. forcipata Yang , N. mesostyla Li and Wang, 2013 and N. yao Stark. The head pattern and medially furcated Y-lobe of the aedeagal tube in N. muranyii are very similar to those of N. diehli Sivec, 2005 from Sumatra. However, in N. diehli , the sac is covered by longitudinal scales and spiny apex is straight (fig. 21 in Zwick and Sivec 1985). Additionally, N. diehli has a shorter Y-lobe (total length ± 4X stalk width) with arms spiny at apex whereas Y-lobe length in the new species is nearly 10X width of the stalk, arms being bald apically (compare Fig. 15–16 with fig. 21 in Zwick and Sivec 1985).

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 14. Neoperla muranyii sp. nov., male. 11. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 12. Terminalia, dorsal view. 13. Terminalia, lateral view. 14. Terminalia, dorsolateral view.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Neoperla muranyii sp. nov., male. 15. Aedeagus, lateral view. 16. Y-lobe, oblique dorsolateral view, dotted area showing outline of the Y-arms.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Neoperla muranyii sp. nov., female. 17. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 18. Terminalia, ventral view. 19. Vagina, dorsal view. 20. Vagina, lateral view.