Anacroneuria iporanga Bispo & Froehlich, 2004

Almeida, Lucas Henrique De, Cardoso-Leite, Ricardo, Deodato, Mariana Fonte Boa & Bispo, Pitágoras Da Conceição, 2019, Anacroneuria iporanga (Plecoptera: Perlidae): description of the nymph and biological notes, Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 141-145 : 142-144

Anacroneuria iporanga Bispo & Froehlich, 2004

Anacroneuria iporanga Bispo & Froehlich, 2004: 103 .

Material examined. Adults: Brazil, São Paulo, Iporanga, PEI, Ribeirão Água Comprida (24°17’38”S, 48°25’04”W), 1 male (Holotype, MZSP), 23.ix.1999; Ribeirão Bocaina (24°16’13”S, 48°27’09”W), 1 male (Paratype / MZSP), 28–30.xi.2000 . Nymphs : BR, SP, Iporanga, PEI, Ribeirão Bocaina, 2 nymphs, 01.viii.2000 ; 1 nymph, 05.viii.2000; 3 nymphs, 12.viii.2000; 2 nymphs, 19.viii.2000; 6 nymphs, 26.viii.2000; Cachoeira Água Comprida , 1 nymph, 02.viii.2000 ; 7 nymphs, 06.viii.2000; 1 nymph, 20.viii.2000; 2 nymphs, 27.viii.2000; 3 nymphs, 0 3. ix.2000; Ribeirão Água Comprida , 5 nymphs, 10.ix.2000 .

Last instar nymph description. General color brown. Head brown with M-line ochraceous to yellowish ( Fig. 2 ); anteriorly parietalia brown and posteriorly ochraceous to yellowish; eyes and ocelli black; clypeal area yellowish; labrum brown; postfrontal line as an open V ( Fig. 2 ); mouthparts as in Figs. 3–5 , mandibles with a dense brush of bristles in molar area ( Fig. 3 ); palpi pale yellow; scape, pedicel and flagellum ochraceous. Pronotum brown with thin median line and rugosities light yellow ( Fig. 2 ). Forefemur brownish dorsally and ochraceous ventrally; dorsal surface covered by setae and with a glabrous longitudinal line; dorsal surface also covered by sparse bristles, which are more robust and reach higher density in the posterodorsal part; posterior part of the femur with a band of bristles ( Fig. 6 ). Tibia anteriorly with sparse thick bristles, and posteriorly with a row of thick bristles and a well-developed band of hairs ( Fig. 6 ). Tarsus brownish. Abdomen brown dorsally and ochraceous to yellow ventrally. Cerci light brown with thick bristles; segments differ in shape and size from base to apex ( Fig. 7 ). Thoracic gills: ASC1, PSC1, AT2, AT3 and PT3 (sensu Shepard & Stewart, 1983; Stewart & Stark, 2002).

Remarks. Compared to the other known Brazilian Anacroneuria nymphs that are known, A. iporanga has the head and pronotum pattern similar only to A. flintorum ( Almeida et al., 2018) . However, the two species differ in the light spots near the ocelli and M-line. In addition, the nymph of A. iporanga has the dorsal surface of the forefemur with a higher density of thick bristles than that of A. flintorum .

Biological notes. Nymphs of A. iporanga occurs mainly in riffles of small streams with fast currents. The preference for riffles may suggest that this species requires well-oxygenated lotic habitats, similar to other species of Anacroneuria . Examination of stomach contents of Anacroneuria nymphs have indicated that they are predatory consuming mainly Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera , and Diptera immature, as shown for Kempnyia ( Dorvillé & Froehlich, 2001; Bispo & Froehlich, 2008). In A. iporanga , we identified two preferred prey items Simuliidae (Diptera) (63.5%) and Ephemeroptera (26%). The mayflies were represented by two families, the Baetidae and Leptophlebiidae . The predominance of the Simuliidae in the diet was expected since larvae occur abundantly in riffles with A. iporanga .

Figures

FIGURES 2–7. Anacroneuria iporanga, nymph. 2) Head and pronotum; 3) mandible; 4) maxilla; 5) labium; 6) foreleg; 7) cercus (From top to bottom: distal, medial and proximal parts). Scale bars: 1 mm.