Leuctra bidula Aubert 1962

Zwick, Peter, Vinçon, Gilles & Figueroa, José Manuel Tierno de, 2014, Morphology And Systematic Position Of Two Leuctra Species (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) Believed To Have No Specilla, Illiesia 10 (5), pp. 43-51 : 44-45

Leuctra bidula Aubert 1962

( Figs. 1–8 , 16 )

Material examined. Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, Serranía de Ronda , Sierra Bermeja, road 339 between Torre de Baños and Ronda, 700-800m, Málaga, Spain, 19.04.1960, Aubert collection (Lausanne Museum, Switzerland) . Other material: 1♀, Arroyo Bolaje , Sierra Bermeja , 680 m, UF0854 , Málaga, Spain, 10-12- 1994, Tierno de Figueroa leg , Tierno de Figueroa’s collection ( University of Granada , Spain). 1♀, road from San Pedro de Alcantara to Ronda , near the Puerto de la Refriega , Rio Genal tributary, 1300m, Málaga, Spain, 21-02-1996, Vinçon coll.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 1–3 , 5–8 ). Tergite VI with strong anterior margin and a pair of hook-shaped sclerotized teeth ( Fig. 1 ). Tergites VII and VIII with central pigmented area connected to the anterior margin. Tergite IX with median pigmented spot. The large sternite IX (SIX) without ventral vesicle, with median membranous area, ending in two posterolateral nipples between which the soft middle is bent up a little ( Figs. 1–3 , 5 ). Tergite X (TX) is caudally truncate, the pilose soft epiproct projects a little over the transverse edge, its rod-like base is barely sclerotized ( Figs. 1 , 6, 7 ). Ventrolaterally, TX forms a short sclerite bracket which articulates (a) with the paraprocts ( Fig. 5 ). The paraproct is in an unusual almost vertical position ( Figs. 5, 6 ). Medially from the suture (a) the paraproct consists of a plate which carries dorsally a short outer process (lp2) and more medially a very long spine (lp1). Ventrally, the paraproct sclerite narrows, descends deeply into SIX and is in ventral view seen to form a conical pocket with anterior extensions extending towards the attachment bulb (ab) of the penis (see below); details not visible. Cerci short and truncated.

The specilla (sp) are hidden between the paraprocts and project as a narrow transparent structure which curves down. In side view, an open space (os) remains between it and the sclerotized paraprocts ( Figs. 5, 6 ). At the front of this downcurving projection a delicate transparent tube enclosing two still narrower (diameter ~ 10 µm) sperm ducts is seen by transparency, in side view ( Fig. 5 ). The ventral end is concealed behind the caudal membrane of SIX but seems to be slightly bilobed. More basally the tube is bent down at a right angle and extends forward to a typical leuctrid attachment bulb to which the combined penis and paraproct retractors attach.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 4 ). Sternite VII strongly sclerotized, with median anterior rounded lobe and two postero-lateral triangular lobes slightly overlapping sternite VIII on each side of the subgenital plate. Sternite VIII: subgenital plate with two median rounded lobes ( Fig. 4 ). Cerci short and truncated. Paraprocts triangular with rounded posterior tip.

Ecology and distribution. Species occurring in mountain brooks and brooklets of the Sierra Bermeja (Málaga, Spain), in the southern part of the Baetic system (700-1300m) ( Fig. 16 ). The adults emerge in the cold season (IX–IV).

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Leuctra bidula. Male abdomen: 1, Dorsal. 2, Lateral. 3, Ventral, Sternite IX. Female abdomen: 4, Ventral, showing the pregenital and subgenital plates (1-4 after Aubert 1962).

Figs. 5–8. Leuctra bidula, male. Segments IX and X, shown as transparent: 5, Lateral. 6, Oblique caudal view; open arrow in Fig. 5 indicates direction of view. 7, Dorsal. 8, Ventral. All to the same scale, semidiagrammatic: a, articulation; ab, attachment bulb; c, cercus and cercus attachment site, respectively; e, epiproct; ip, invaginated ventral portion of paraproct; lp1, lp2, lateral processes 1 and 2, respectively; os, open space; SIX, TIX,TX, sternites and tergites IX and X, respectively; sp, specilla with sperm ducts.

Fig. 16. Geographical distribution of Leuctra bidula and L. ketamensis.