Leentvaaria palpalis Demoulin, 1966

Salles, Frederico F., Dominguez, Eduardo, Mariano, Rodolfo & Paresque, Roberta, 2016, The imagos of some enigmatic members of the Hermanella complex (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae), ZooKeys 625, pp. 45-66 : 53-54

Taxon classification Animalia Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae

Leentvaaria palpalis Demoulin, 1966 Figures 5, 6, 7c

Diagnosis.

This is the only species of the genus. Therefore, it is impossible to ascertain at this time the characteristics that will distinguish it from its congeners.

Description of male imago

(in alcohol). Lengths: body, 4.7-4.9 mm; fore wings, 4.6-4.8 mm; hind wings, 0.8-0.9 mm.

General coloration: grayish-brown.

Head (Fig. 5a, b, c): yellowish-brown, upper portion of eyes reddish-brown, lower portion black; ocelli white, surrounded with black. Antennae light yellow-brown.

Thorax (Fig. 5a, b, c): brown, washed with black (faded in figures) with lighter sutures. Wings (Fig. 6a, b, c): membranes of fore and hind wings hyaline with base tinged with yellow. Base of C of both wings tinged with black basally. Longitudinal veins yellowish-brown, cross veins yellowish. Legs: fore leg yellowish, with base of coxa washed with black. Femur washed with grey. Remainder of fore leg and mid & hind legs yellowish.

Abdomen (Fig. 5a, b): Tergum I blackish; terga II–VI hyaline and washed with black; terga VII–X yellowish and washed with black. Sterna hyaline. Genitalia: styliger plate yellowish washed with grey; forceps greyish-black. Penis yellowish with orange-ish spines. Caudal filaments yellowish, washed with gray.

Description of female imago

(Fig. 5e) (in alcohol). Lengths: body, 4.4-4.7 mm; fore wings, 4.9-5.2 mm; hind wings, 0.8-0.9 mm.

Similar to male imago, except as follows: head yellowish-orange, except central longitudinal line on posterior part of dorsum of head; anterior margin of head, line connecting ocelli and area behind lateral ocelli washed with black. Eyes black. Ninth sternite yellowish-white.

Material examined.

Three ♂ imagos: Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Nova Xavantina, córrego Benedito Ferreira, 06.xii.2006, light trap, Mariano R., Calor A.R. & Mateus S. (MZUESC). Eleven ♂ imagos: Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Ribeirão Cascalheira, Fazenda Campina Verde, Rio Suiamissu, 28-30.xii.2006, light trap, Mariano R., Calor A.R. & Mateus S. (MZUESC). Eleven ♂ imagos: Brazil, Mato Grosso State, Ribeirão Cascalheira, Fazenda Campina Verde, Rio Suiamissu, S12° 48.591 W 52°06.925, 10.x.2007, light trap, Pinho L.C., Mateus S., Torati L. & Silva F.R. (MZUESC). One reared ♂ imago, three ♂ imagos, two ♀ imagos: Brazil, Roraima, Boa Vista, Rio Cauamé, 2°52' 5.30 N / 60°44'25.40"W, 76 m asl, 17.iii.2014, F.F. Salles, E. Domínguez, R. Boldrini, J. Gama-Neto col. (reared imago, one ♂ imago, one ♀ imago CZNC; remainder at IBN); one reared ♀ imago, six ♂ imagos: Brazil, Roraima, Boa Vista, Rio Cauamé, 2°52'5.30"N / 60°44'25.40"W, 76 m asl, 03.ii.2007, J.N. Falcão col. (CZNC); 20 nymphs, sama data as previous, except for 20.iii.2014, F.F. Salles, E. Domínguez, R. Boldrini, J. Gama-Neto col. (ten nymphs CZNC and ten nymphs IBN); one ♂ imago, one nymph: Brazil, Roraima, Bonfim, Rio Arraia, 3°21'4" N / 59°54'13"W, 80 m asl, 21.iii.2013, J.Nascimento col. (CZNC).

Comments.

This species appears to be unique, in particular reference to the development of the labial palpi in the nymph ( Domínguez et al. 2001) and the subgenital plate in the male imago. The wide projections of the styliger plate are fused into a single structure (Fig. 6d), as mentioned in the discussion of Hydrosmilodon gilliesae (see above), which readily distinguishes Leentvaaria palpalis from all the other members of the complex.

Leentvaaria palpalis was originally described from Surinam, but it seems to be a widespread species. Recently Lima et al. (2012) reported its presence from the states of Espírito Santo and Pernambuco, representing the Brazilian coast and Atlantic Forest. In the present paper we report material from Mato Grosso and Roraima, western and northern Brazil, which represents the Amazon and Cerrado transition zones.

Nymphs (Fig. 7c) were found under rocks. In the case of the Cauamé River (where all the species treated herein were found, Fig. 8), Leentvaaria palpalis is one of the most abundant species of mayflies.