Notoperla fasciata McLellan

Mclellan, Ian, Miserendino, María Laura & Hollmann, María Eugenia Teresa, 2006, redescription of Notoperlopsis femina Illies, Zootaxa 1140, pp. 53-68 : 55-59

Notoperla fasciata McLellan , new species

( Figs. 1–11 )

Adult

Head with pale brown frons, a brown or black patch between ocelli, a darker patch at the base of the lateral ocelli and either side of the anterior ocellus; epicranium with dark brown vermiculate markings. Antennae pale brown with each segment densely covered with minute dark spines. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) subrectangular with dark markings on a pale background, in some cases the markings may be an indistinct pale brown. Postnotum of mesonotum and metanotum with a black sagittate marking either side of posterior of scutellum. Procoxal projections on all legs, those on front legs medium­sized and triangular ( Fig. 2 ). Legs ( Fig. 3 ) pale brown, each femur with a brown bar on the distal half of the anterior face and two pale grey stripes longitudinally in the basal half. Each tibia with a pair of spurs, a brown bar basally and sometimes another at about two thirds distally.

Male. Body length 11–15 mm; forewing 1.5–2 mm; antenna 12–14 mm; cercus 6–7 mm. Mesonotum and metanotum with scutum and scutellum pale with a brown patch in each lateral half. Wings brachypterous and about the length of the nota. Cerci pale brown, each segment covered with minute dark spines and with a ring of hairs, the length of each hair about the width of the segment. Tergite 10 from dorsal aspect ( Fig. 5 ) with central sclerite free from anterior sclerites. From its base the epiproct slightly narrows then at the first marginal teeth widens about twice its width before tapering to a pale rounded tip; on either side of tergite 10 at the base of the membranous cone there are two minute sclerotised knobs. From lateral aspect ( Fig. 6 ) epiproct long and narrow with about eight teeth on each margin and a bulged tip which projects posteriorly; paraproct long and narrow without ventral membranous strip. A slight constriction near tip; membranous cone long and tapered with long posterior sclerite.

Female. Body length 14–17 mm; forewing 14–16 mm; antenna 9 mm; cercus 5.0– 5.5 mm. Mesonotum and metanotum dark brown. Wings of full length or slightly shortened. Both wings with Rs not forked (simple); costal cell with the humeral crossvein only. Forewing ( Fig. 4 ) with pterostigma and part of cell Rs grey; each distal crossvein surrounded by a grey patch and an incomplete series of crossveins distally below Cu1. Abdomen brown with tergite 10 grey, its hind margin with a medial triangular production with a sharp apex. A distinct anal membranous cone is present. Cerci pale with a ring of hairs distally on each segment; the distal segments grey in the basal half. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 7 ) with a medial emargination at the genital opening.

Larva (final instar)

Body length 13.5–14.5 mm; antenna 8–9 mm; cercus 12–14 mm. A medium sized species with a heavy fringe of hairs dorsomedially along the body, and also dorsally on antennae, cerci and legs. Head ( Fig. 8 ) with large black eyes; brown vermiculate markings on epicranium; frons brown with a pale brown bar across it just forward of the anterior ocellus; laterally in line with the antennae there is, on either side, a large then a small dark brown patch.

Pronotum subrectangular, pale brown to medium brown with a pattern of dark markings similar to the adult. Mesonotum and metanotum pale brown to medium brown with darker brown C­like markings in each half. Wingpads long in female but short in male larva. Legs pale to medium brown; each femur with a dark band distally and two longitudinal brown stripes, one anteriorly and one posteriorly; procoxal projections on all legs, those of the forelegs ( Fig. 9 ) large, triangular, flat without ridge and with a slightly rounded tip; each tibia with a pair of tibial spurs only in the final instar. Distinct short brown marks transversely across abdominal tergites 1–9 and four dark marks anteriomedially on tergite 10 ( Fig. 11 ) Hind margin of abdominal tergite 10 of mature male ( Fig. 10 ) and female larvae much elongated and raised with a sharp tip. An anal membranous cone present without anal gill filaments.

Material examined

Holotype male, Argentina, Chubut, La Hoya Stream, 42° 50’ 28” S, 71° 15’ 55” W, 1200 m, 18 Dec 2004, M. E. Hollmann, ex vial P4 ( INSUE). Paratypes: 2 males, same data as holotype, 18 Dec 2004, M. E. Hollmann, vial P4 ( INSUE); 2 females, same location, 18 Dec 2004, M. E. Hollmann ( INSUE); 6 larvae, same location, 1237 m, 23 Nov 2004, M. E. Hollmann, vial N8 ( INSUE); 2 males, same location, 23 Nov 2004, M. E. Hollmann, vial P2 ( NZAC); 1 female, same location, 26 Feb 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial P6 ( NZAC); 3 larvae, same location, 1237 m, 21 Sept 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial N4 ( NZAC); 1 male, same location, 23 Nov 2004, M. E. Hollmann, vial P2 (USNMNH); 1 female, same location, 25 Jan 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial P7 (USNMNH); 2 larvae, same location, 1237 m, 21 Sept 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial N4 ( NZAC). Other specimens: 1 female, same location, 18 Dec 2004, M. E. Hollmann, vial P10 ( LIESA); 2 males, 25 Jan 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial P11 ( LIESA); 2 larvae, same location, 1237 m, 21 Sept 2005, M. E. Hollmann, vial N4 ( LIESA).

Remarks

This species superficially resembles Notoperla tunelina and for some time we thought that we were dealing with this species. Our problem arose from the fact that the holotype of Notoperla tunelina could not be removed from La Plata Museum because of its delicate state and it was impossible for us to go there to study it. Fortunately a number of photographs of it were obtained. From these, a number of differences could be seen. The epiproct of N. tunelina holotype is broad and flat and tapers to a tip which is rounded uniformly from lateral aspect and oval from dorsal aspect, while that of N. fasciata is narrow and has a pale rounded tip from dorsal aspect and from lateral aspect has a bulged tip which projects posteriorly. From the lateral aspect the paraprocts of N. tunelina are wide with a membranous posterior strip and a broad tip which curves down to a short sharp point, whereas N. fasciata males have a long narrow paraproct without a membranous strip and a slight constriction near a narrow curved tip. The basal cercal segment of N. tunelina has a pronounced lobe but in N. fasciata the basal cercal segments are without lobes or slightly lobed. The Río Murta male of Illies (1963) had all the characters found in the N. tunelina holotype, apart from basal cercal lobes.

Notoperla tunelina

Material examined. Holotype male, Valle Tunél (Lago Viedma), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, (49°30´S, no longitude given), no date given, Dr Witte leg (MLPA). (Not seen but photographs examined); 1 male, Río Murta, 46º 30’ S, 72 º 43’ 10” W, Lago Buenos Aires, Prov. Aysén, Chile, 300m, 26 Jan 1956, W. Kuschel leg (ILFS); 2 larvae (vial 152). Chile, ob. Río Paine, lg. Amargo (IDMC).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Notoperla fasciata. 1. Female pronotum. 2. Adult front procoxal projection. 3. Adult hind leg. 4. Female forewing. 5. Male genitalia, dorsal. 6. Male genitalia, lateral. 7. Female genitalia, ventral. 8. Larval head, dorsal. 9. Larval procoxal projection, dorsal. 10. Larval (male) tergite 10, lateral. 11. Larval (male) tergite 10, dorsal.