Leuctra klapperichi, Murányi, Dávid, 2005

Murányi, Dávid, 2005, Leuctra klapperichi, a new stonefly species (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) from Iran with geographic affinities of related species, Zootaxa 1078, pp. 59-64 : 60-62

Leuctra klapperichi , sp. n. ( Figs 1–4 )

Type material: Holotype male: IRAN, Mts Elburs, Ewin (N of Teheran), 1700m a.s.l., 14.10.1960, leg. J. F. Klapperich ( HNHM)

Diagnosis: Member of the hippopus group, hippopus subgroup. Antecosta VII divided. Tergite VIII with a pigmented bridge between the sclerotized processes. Median sclerites of tergite IX subtriangular. Well developed vesicle on sternite IX. Posterior part of tergite X with a deep median notch. Styles and specilla long and gently curved near the apex.

Description: Medium sized species, macropterous, forewing length 7.7 mm. General colour brown. Head, antennae and pronotum uniformly brownish, pronotum as long as wide. Legs: femora brown; tibiae slightly lighter, distal part as brown as femora; tarsal segments brown. Body covered with short pilosity.

Male abdomen: antecosta of tergites I–IX divided. Tergite I membranous anteriorly and medially, tergite II membranous anteriorly and medio­laterally, tergites III–VI weakly sclerotized medially and posteriorly. Tergites VII–X modified. All tergites covered with sparse pilosity. Transverse row of four pigmented spots on segments II–VIII. Antecosta VII divided for one fifth of the segment width. On tergite VII, bell­shaped membranous area well delimited in its anterior half. Antecosta VIII divided for one third of the segment width. Medial sclerotized processes parallel, both inner and outer sides straight, apices rounded and raised in lateral view. The field between the sclerotized processes is lightly sclerotized, forming a pigmented bridge between the two processes. Lateral membranous fields reach down to one third of segment height in lateral view. Antecosta IX divided for about half the segment width. Median membranous area with two subtriangular sclerites separated by a space as wide as the width of one of them. Tergite X with a strongly bilobed expansion anteriorly, and a deep and wide median notch posteriorly. Epiproct large, rounded; its stalk having strongly sclerotized lateral edges. Cerci normal, covered with long thin setae. Paraprocts: Styles with wide short base, gently curved near the apex in lateral view, and ending in a sharp point. Base of the styles connected to a rectangular lateral expansion. Specilla long and thin, curved near the apex in lateral view, and ending in a rounded tip. Specilla a bit longer than the styles. Sternite IX: vesicle oval, well developed, with short peduncle; the sternite has a well delimited light area medially, beginning at the base of the vesicle and reaching the posterior margin.

Female and nymph unknown.

Affinities: the species belongs to the hippopus group, hippopus subgroup, and is close to L. collaris and L. artvinensis Vinçon & Sivec. It differs from both of them in the shape of the median sclerites of tergite IX, and by having a pigmented bridge between the sclerotized processes of tergite VIII. The dimensions of the animal is intermediate between the two related species. Moreover, it differs from L. artvinensis with the divided antecosta VII, the straight inner sides of the sclerotized processes of tergite VIII, the smaller lateral membranous fields of tergite VIII, and the curvature of the styles. It differs from L. collaris in the shape of the sclerotized processes of tergite VIII, deeper median notch of tergite X, longer styles, and the curvature of styles and specilla. The species also shows affinities with L. svanetica Zhiltzova , from which it differs in the parallel sclerotized processes of tergite VIII and in the shape of the median sclerites of tergite IX. Its small median sclerites also differ from the large undivided one of L. gallica Aubert. The species differs from any other hippopus subgroup members that possess separated processes on tergite VIII by its divided antecosta VII and the pigmented bridge between the processes. The species also shows some resemblances with a few members of the occitana subgroup, especially the following: L. khroumiriensis Vinçon & Pardo , L. sartorii Vinçon & Pardo , L. occitana Despax , L. medjerdensis Vinçon & Pardo , L. vaillanti Aubert and L. cyrnea cyrnea Consiglio & Giudicelli , from which it differs in the following features: divided antecosta VII, presence of a well developed vesicle on sternite IX and presence of a pigmented bridge between the sclerotized processes of tergite VIII.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to the German entomologist, Johann Friedrich Klapperich (1913–1987), collector of the type specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Male terminalia of Leuctra klapperichi sp. n. — 1: dorsal view; 2: lateral view; 3: paraprocts, caudal view; 4: ventral view of male terminalia — scale 0.5 mm