Tupiperla furcata, Duarte & Bispo & Pessacq, 2025

Duarte, Tácio, Bispo, Pitágoras C. & Pessacq, Pablo, 2025, What do morphological data tell us about the Andean-Neotropical Gripopteryginae (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae) and related taxa?, Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 83, pp. 657-675 : 657-675

Tupiperla furcata sp. nov.

Figure 5 A – H

Type material.

Holotype: BRAZIL • 1 ♂; Santa Catarina State, Urubici, Parque Nacional São Joaquim ; 28°09’20”S, 49°38’47”W; 1,500 m a. s. l.; 23.viii-05.ix.2014; Malaise trap; L. C. Pinho leg. (in MZUSP) . Paratypes: same data as holotype, except for 1 ♀ (in MZUSP); 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in CIACGF) .

Measurements.

Holotype, ♂: head width, 1.1 mm; pronotum width, 1.1 mm; pronotum length, 1.1 mm; forewing length, 9.0 mm; hind wing length, 8.0 mm; antennae length, 9.0 mm; number of cercomeres, 16. Paratype, ♂ (n = 1): head width, 1.1 mm; pronotum width, 1.1 mm; pronotum length, 1.1 mm; forewing length, 8.5 mm; hind wing length, 7.5 mm; antennae length, 7.8 mm; number of cercomeres, 13. Paratypes, ♀♀ (n = 2): head width, 1.2 mm; pronotum width, 1.2 mm; pronotum length, 1.2 mm; forewing length, 9.5–11.0 mm; hind wing length, 8.5–9.2 mm; antennae length, 8.5 mm (only one female); number of cercomeres, 14–15.

Diagnosis.

Tupiperla furcata sp. nov. is a medium-sized species with general coloration ranging from ochraceous to brownish. Males are characterized by elongated, deeply forked paraprocts and a large, bifurcated projection on tergum 10. Females possess a long subgenital plate with a deep medial notch.

Comparative diagnosis.

The new species, Tupiperla furcata sp. nov., is most similar to Tupiperla froehlichi Bispo & Lecci, 2011 , based on the general structure of the male terminalia, particularly the paraprocts and tergum 10 (Fig. 5 D – F ). However, it can be distinguished from T. froehlichi and other congeners by the following combination of characters: In T. furcata sp. nov., the paraprocts form two thin, curved bars, while in T. froehlichi , a single bar-like projection is present. This bifurcation of the paraprocts is unique among known Tupiperla species. The posterior margin of tergum 10 in the new species has a swallowtail-like bifurcation (Fig. 5 D – F ), which resembles T. froehlichi , but differs in having a shorter, wider base and elongated lateral projections that are more sharply forked. In contrast, T. froehlichi shows a shallower indentation.

The female subgenital plate of T. furcata sp. nov. (Fig. 5 G, H ) is deeply notched and medially projected, a character not observed in any other described species of South American Gripopterygidae . These diagnostic features, in combination, clearly distinguish T. furcata sp. nov. from its congeners.

Description.

Holotype, adult MALE. Head: Brown with a lighter area between paired ocelli and two lighter bands from the lateral ocelli to the eyes, occiput surface rough (Fig. 5 A, B ). Ocelli and eyes black. Antenna brown, long, antennomeres covered with very small fine hair. — Mouthparts: Clypeus brown, labrum lighter shade of brown. Maxillary palps light brown, 5 - segmented, first and fourth segments short, second, third, and fifth longer, fifth segment slightly darker than the others. Labial palps light brown, 3 - segmented, the last segment slightly darker than the others. — Thorax: Pronotum square, brown, with rough surface and narrower than the head, corners slightly rounded. — Legs: Light brown to ochraceous. Legs with a large disto-ventral spine on femur, distal region of spine darker. Tibia with a perpendicular suture in the proximal region and with two spurs at the distal region. Tarsi light brown, fore- and mid-legs with first tarsomere medium, second tarsomere short, and third tarsomere long; hind leg with first and third tarsomeres subequal, long; second tarsomere short. — Wings: Forewing membranous light brown; inconspicuous darker pattern bordering veins and crossveins; pterostigmatic crossveins absent; RA unforked, RP forked; CuA long forked. Hind wing with M 3 + 4, near its separation from M 1 + 2, fused with CuA in part of its length, CuA short forked, sixth anal vein may be fused with hind margin of wing (Fig. 5 C ). — Male terminalia: Abdomen brownish to ochraceous with slightly clear band on abdominal terga 1–9. In dorsal view, tergum 10 ochraceous with clear band on the anterior region; projection of the tergum 10 brownish, large, swallowtail-like (Y-shaped), with short, wide base, and two elongated, sharply forked lateral projections, each ending in a downcurved tooth (Fig. 5 D ). In ventral view, paraprocts thin, directed to the projection of tergum 10. Subgenital plate ochraceous, triangular, with apex prolonged between the paraprocts (Fig. 5 E ). In lateral view, projection of tergum 10 curved ventrally, ending in two large teeth; paraprocts deeply forked from the last third, forming two thin bars; apex of the dorsal bar slightly upcurved, apex of the ventral bar slightly downcurved (Fig. 5 F ). Median sclerotized epiproct absent. — Adult FEMALE description. Same as male, except for: Abdomen: membranous; brownish to ochraceous with slightly clear band on abdominal terga and with abdominal sterna darker; sternum 7 with two small and inconspicuous sclerites; subgenital plate long, with base broadest, laterally projected, and apex reaching sternum 10; a deep U-shaped notch medially dividing the subgenital plate (Fig. 5 G, H ); paraprocts thin, long compared to the other congeners; apex truncated.

NYMPH.

Unknown.

Etymology.

The epithet “ furcata ” is derived from the Latin word “furcatus”, meaning “forked”. This refers to the forked shape of the paraprocts in males and the subgenital plate in females of this species.

Distribution.

São Joaquim National Park (PNSJ), Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.

General information about the type locality.

The PNSJ covers 49,800 hectares across five municipalities in Santa Catarina State: Urubici, Bom Jardim da Serra, Orleans, Grão Pará, and Lauro Müller. The park was established to protect Araucaria forests ( Araucariaceae : Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze ) that were heavily logged in the mid- 20 th century ( MMA 2011). Entirely within the Atlantic Forest biome, PNSJ is home to over 900 species of vascular plants, forming a diverse range of vegetation types, including ombrophilous forests, mixed ombrophilous forests, high-altitude fields, and cloud forests. Elevations in the park range from 300 m a. s. l. to its highest point, Morro da Igreja, at 1,820 m a. s. l. Despite a 2018 management plan, private land ownership within the park allows for some human activities, such as cattle ranching. Currently, the park is also an important tourism area in the Serra Catarinense, with Morro da Igreja providing a panoramic view of Pedra Furada as a key attraction ( Lima et al. 2021). Given that Tupiperla furcata is found in a conservation priority area such as PNSJ, it is imperative that the protection of this region is maintained permanently.

Remarks.

While unresolved relationships persist within Tupiperla , the placement of Tupiperla furcata within the genus is strongly supported by both morphological and molecular evidence. The new species is excluded from Guaranyperla because it lacks key diagnostic morphological characters that are associated with adults of that genus, such as a relatively broad pronotum with remnants of projecting anterior corners, wings with reduced or absent RA forks, the presence of pterostigmatic crossveins, and a short projection of tergum 10 ( Froehlich 2001, 2015). Additionally, genetic distances between new species and those with available sequences are further revealed by comparative analyses of COI sequences, which are consistent with species-level divergence within Tupiperla ( Sarmento et al. 2025) . Morphologically, the unique combination of diagnostic characters, particularly the forked paraprocts and subgenital plate, further distinguishes Tupiperla furcata from closely related taxa.

More molecular research using nuclear markers is necessary to more clearly determine the phylogenetic relationships within Tupiperla . Furthermore, the discovery and detailed study of the nymphal stage of Tupiperla furcata could provide valuable insights into its taxonomic placement, potentially revealing diagnostic characters of the genus Tupiperla rather than Guaranyperla .

Figures

Figure 5. Tupiperla furcata sp. nov. Holotype adult male. A head and pronotum in dorsal view. B Adult female, head and pronotum in dorsal view. C Male fore and hind wings. D – F Male terminalia in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views. G, H Female terminalia in ventral and ventro-lateral views. Abbreviations: AA 1, first anterior analis; AA 2, second anterior analis; CuA, anterior cubitus; CuP, posterior cubitus; M, media; PC, pterostigmatic cell; RA, anterior radius; RP, posterior radius; Sc, subcosta; St 7, Sternum 7; St 8, Sternum 8; St 9, Sternum 9; T 8, tergum 8; T 9, tergum 9; T 10, tergum 10; T 10 e, projection of the tergum 10 (extension). (Scale bar: 0.5 mm).