Protonemura talboti, : Rauser, 1963

Vinçon, Gilles, Mur, vid & nyi, 2009, Contribution To The Knowledge Of The Protonemura Corsicana Species Group, With A Revision Of The North African Species Of The P. Talboti Subgroup (Plecoptera: Nemouridae), Illiesia 5 (7), pp. 51-79 : 58-62

Protonemura talboti (Nav{s, 1929)

( Figs. 3 , 6 , 9-10 , 16-27 , 75 )

Nemoura talboti Nav {s, 1929:230. (original description from Algeria); Claassen, 1940:64. (catalog).

Nemoura (Protonemura) talboti Aubert, 1952:239 . (redescription of the types); Aubert, 1956:422. (complementary description of the imago, description of the larva, first records from Morocco); Aubert, 1961 (partim):219. (new records from Morocco).

Protonemura talboti: Raušer, 1963:804 . (comparative drawings, distribution map); Aubert, 1964a:72. (comparison); Aubert, 1964b:291. (initiation of the P. corsicana species group); Illies, 1966:243. (catalog); Meinander, 1967:45. (new records from Morocco); Berthélemy, 1973:1544. (distribution); Zwick, 1978:33. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Giudicelli & Dakki, 1984:54 (distribution); Nicolai, 1985:249. (biogeography and composition of the P. corsicana group); Gagneur & Aliane, 1991:312. (ecology, distribution); Zhiltzova, 2003:227. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Vinçon & Zhiltzova, 2004:193. (composition of the P. corsicana group); Lounaci & Vinçon, 2005:117. (new records from Algeria and Morocco, distribution); Mur{nyi, 2007:28. (comparison, distribution).

Nemoura (Protonemura) algirica auctt., nec Aubert, 1956; Aubert, 1961 (partim):218. (new records from Morocco).

Material examined. Morocco, High Atlas: M’Goun Massif, spring of Asif M’Goun, 2500 m, 17-VI-1954, 1♂ 1♀; Siroua Massif, Asif Siroua, above 2900 m, 29- VI-1954, 1♂ 4♀ (Vaillant leg, Aubert coll. ZML, published in Aubert 1956); Toufliht, 50 Km from Marrakech  Ouarzazate, 30-III-1988, 2♂; 68 Km from Marrakech  Ouarzazate, 1500 m, 30-III-1988, 1♂ (S{nchez- Ortega leg, GUC); tributary of Oued Ouarzazate, 116 Km from Marrakech  Ouarzazate, 2600 m, 9-III-1989, 4♂ 3♀ (Ropero & Peña leg, GUC); Tizi n’Test pass, above Tjoukak, 24-II-1996, 3♂ (Vinçon leg, CGV); Tizi n’Tichka pass, 10-IV-1997, 7♂ 6♀ (Luzón leg, GUC); southern slope of Tizi n’Test pass, big spring and brook, 1900 m, 22-I-2006, 9♂ 5♀ - 4♂ 4♀, 1♀ larva (Vinçon leg, HNHM; 1♂ and 1♀ terminalia prepared for SEM); 21-I-2006, 1♂ 2♀ larvae, 1♀ exuviae (Vinçon leg, HNHM; 1♀ larva prepared for SEM); same brook, 1600 m, 22-I-2006, 2♂ 2♀ (Vinçon leg, CGV); above Oukaimeden ski station, 2800 m, 3-VI-2006, 5♂ 4♀; below Oukaimeden, Ait El Kake village, 2150 m, 3-VI-2006, 5♂ 10♀; below Oukaimeden, small torrent on the left side of the road, 2000 m, 3-VI-2006, 5♂ 9♀ (Vinçon leg, CGV). Morocco, Middle Atlas: Azrou, 3-V-1960, 4♀ macropterous (labeled P. algirica Aubert 1960 and Prot. spec Zwick 1982, published as N. (P.) algirica in Aubert 1961); Ifrane, Oued Ifrane, 1700 m, 3-V-1960, 26♂ 13♀ 3 larvae (Besuchet leg, Aubert coll. ZML). Morocco, Rif: R. Achraf, 4 Km from Ketama, 1400 m, 7-VI-1992, 1♀ (Azzouz leg, GUC); above Tétouan, above Sefliane, brook, 22-II-1996, 1♂ (Vinçon leg, CGV). Spain, Rif: Ceuta, Embalse del Renegado, 85 m, 14-III-1997, 1♂; 20-IV-1997, 1♀ (Moro & Tierno de Figueroa leg, GUC). Algeria, Tlemcen Region: Oued Tlemcen, 31-V-1954, 5♂ 4♀ (Vaillant leg, Aubert coll. ZML, published in Aubert 1956).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3 , 9-10 , 16-19 ). Paraprocts: Median lobe with a rounded base and a blade-shaped expansion with variable length ( Aubert 1956: Figs. 9- 10 ); outer lobe sclerite widely enlarged at the tip, with a rounded dorsal expansion carrying few strong spines (1–7) and a rather long and thin ventral expansion, curved inwards, and ending in one or two spines ( Fig. 19 and Aubert 1956: Fig. 9 , Raušer 1963: Fig. 3a ). Epiproct: Thin, with its sides slightly convex, ending progressively in an oval tip; terminal filament of moderate size and bifid at the tip ( Figs. 10 , 16 ). In side view the terminal filament is about parallel to the epiproct but it can be slightly rising due to the condition of the specimen ( Figs. 3 , 9 ). Lateral sclerites thin, visible by transparency, and slightly curved upwards on each side of the epiproct’s tip. Ventral sclerite with a prominent bulge partly covered with two rows of long spines forming a ‘V’ shape in ventral view ( Fig. 3 and cf. P. pectinata Berthélemy & Dia 1982 : Fig. 23 ). Sternite IX: Vesicle racket-shaped and widening at the tip ( Fig. 17 and Aubert 1956: Fig. 7 ), but this character is rather variable.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 20-21 ). Subgenital plate slightly concave, with rounded vaginal lobes. Sternite VII with a postero-median pigmented pregenital plate.

Mature larva ( Figs. 22-27 , 75 ). Body relatively slender, body length 6.5–9.0 mm. General colour brown. Pilosity distinct. Scales present only in the dorsal midline of the femora and on the tarsi. Legs typical of the genus, tibiae slightly longer than femora; width of hind femora less than one third of its length. Head stout, brown with dark patches. The pronotum is subtrapezoidal, with distinct granules and rounded corners; it is slightly narrowing towards the posterior margin and its length is more than two thirds of its maximum width. Cervical gills simple, the longest one equivalent to the width of the fore coxa. Wing pads shortened or of typical length for the genus. Abdomen relatively slender, integument light and matt, first 6 abdominal segments divided by pleura. Posterior margin of sternite IX of the mature male larva triangular, tip rounded; paraprocts slightly elongated but not pointed ( Fig. 75 and Aubert 1956: Figs. 13-14 ). Genital opening well visible on the mature female larva, and placed under the anterior half of sternite VIII; paraprocts not pointed ( Aubert 1956: Fig. 15 ). Cerci long, with more than 30 segments; segment sides nearly parallel, the width of segments 13–17 is three fifths of their length.

Pilosity: Head with dense, stout bristles, and a few sensilla; the eyes bear small setae between the ocelli. Antennal segments with short pilosity. Pronotum with dense, stout and blunt bristles, and a few sensilla. Margin of the pronotum bearing acute bristles, the length of the longest ones is less than 1/15 of the pronotum’s width ( Fig. 22 ). The bristles on the anterior corners of the meso and metanotum are as long as the marginal bristles of the pronotum. The setae placed in lines on the wing pads are short and blunt. Legs with dense setation. All femora bear both short and long, acute bristles and a few thin hairs. Long bristles occur mostly on the outer surface; on hind femora they are placed on the apical half. Bristles not in a regular arrangement; the longest ones reach one fourth of the femur’s width on the first pair, one fifth on the hind legs ( Figs. 23-24 ). A bald median line is conspicuous on the dorsal surface of all femora and it is covered with rounded scales. Tarsi relatively slender, covered with thin hairs and bristles, metatarsi with triangular scales on the dorsal surface; apical spike of tibiae short. Tergal segments with acute bristles and thin hairs. Paired spines on the posterior margin acute, not much longer than the other spines of the row; on tergite V they reach more than one fourth of the segment’s length ( Fig. 25 ). Distal margin with tiny triangular spikes around the row of bristles. Cercal segments with acute bristles, blunt or thin ones occur only in the apical whorl ( Figs. 26-27 ). The apical whorl on segments 13-15 is a set of 13–16 strong, acute spikes mixed with short, blunt and short, thin setae. Longest bristles reach one third of the segment’s length on segments 13–15.

Affinities. In the male, the outer lobe of the paraprocts has a characteristic ventral finger-shaped expansion, and the epiproct is slender at the tip. In Protonemura algirica , P. berberica and P. dakkii sp. n., it is stronger at the tip, with wide rounded apex. The female is very close to that of P. dakkii sp. n. The larva is very similar to those of P. dakkii sp. n. and P. berberica , and only the pharate males can be identified with sure, on the basis of the male imago terminalia under the larval skin. However, it differs by its darker habitus and the frequency of stout, blunt bristles on the pronotum, tergites and femurs.

Geographical distribution and ecology. P. talboti is a west Maghrebin species inhabiting the Rif , the Middle and High Atlas , and the Tlemcen Mountains in western Algeria ( Fig. 6 ). It occurs in mountain springs and brooks at various altitudes (85–2900 m). The specimens collected in the highest localities of the High Atlas are brachypterous .

Figures

Figs. 1-4. Apex of the male’s epiproct of the Protonemura corsicana group. 1: the terminal filament and the apical part of the dorsal sclerite, dorsal view; 2: the terminal filament and the apical part of the dorsal sclerite, dorsoapical view; 3: the terminal filament, the apical part of the dorsal sclerite and the spiny bulge of the ventral sclerite, lateral view; 4: the terminal filament, the dorsal sclerite and the spiny bulge of the ventral sclerite, apical view (1-2, 4: Protonemura berberica Vinçon & S{nchez-Ortega, 1999; 3: P. talboti (Nav{s, 1929); scale 0.02 mm).

Figs. 5-6. Distribution of the species of the Protonemoura corsicana group. 5: Protonemura corsicana subgroup; 6: P. talboti subgroup, P. consiglioi subgroup and P. spinulata subgroup.

Figs. 7-15. Epiprocts of the North African species of the Protonemura talboti subgroup. 7-8: Protonemura dakkii sp. n.; 9-10: P. talboti (Nav{s, 1929); 11-12: P. berberica Vinçon & S{nchez-Ortega, 1999; 13-14: P. algirica algirica Aubert, 1956; 15: P. algirica bejaiana ssp. n. (7, 9, 11, 13: lateral view; 8, 10, 12, 14-15: dorsal view; scale 0.5 mm).

Figs. 16-21. Terminalias of the imago of Protonemura talboti (Nav{s, 1929). 16: male terminalia, dorsal view; 17: male terminalia, ventral view; 18: male terminalia, lateral view; 19: male paraproct, ventrolateral view; 20: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, ventral view; 21: female pregenital and subgenital plates, and vaginal lobes, lateral view (scales 0.5 mm; scale 1: Fig. 19, scale 2: Figs. 16-18, 20-21).

Figs 22-27. Larva of Protonemura talboti (Nav{s, 1929). 22: front angle of the pronotum; 23: hind femur; 24: outer apical part of the femur; 25: 5–6th tergal segments; 26: basal segments of the cercus; 27: 15th segment of the cercus (scale 0.1 mm).

Figs. 73-77. Larval terminalias and gills of the North African species of the Protonemura talboti subgroup. 73: Protonemura dakkii sp. n., matured female terminalia; 74: P. dakkii sp. n., matured male terminalia; 75: P. talboti (Nav{s, 1929), matured male terminalia; 76: P. algirica bejaiana ssp. n., male exuviae terminalia; 77: Protonemura dakkii sp. n. gills (ventral views; scale 0.5 mm).