Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954

Reding, Jean-Paul G., Vinçon, Gilles & Graf, Wolfram, 2023, Notes on Leuctra signifera Kempny, 1899 and Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954 (Plecoptera: Leuctridae), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5296 (1), pp. 1-15 : 3-6

Re-description of Leuctra austriaca Aubert, 1954

( Figs. B1–B 12)

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Plecoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:4590

Leuctra austriaca Aubert 1954: 129 . Holotype male, 3♁ paratypes, 1♀, Strechengraben (Strechenklamm), Niedere Tauern , Austria, 14.9.1944, coll. H. Franz, Vienna.

Leuctra signifera Mosely 1932: 23 , his Figs. 3, 3a , 31, 32.

Leuctra signifera Despax, 1951: 147 , his Fig. 65.

Leuctra austriaca Pomeisl, 1958: 5 .

Leuctra austriaca Illies, 1966: 82 .

Leuctra signifera Ravizza & Vinçon, 1998 : their Figs. 15 m –o.

Leuctra signifera Kaćanski, 1972: 37–40 .

Leuctra signifera Ravizza, 2002: 39 , his Fig. 64.

Material examined. AUSTRIA. Gutenstein Alps. A-2770 Gutenstein, Urgersbach. 47° 50’ 30.57“ N, 15° 47‘ 42.10“ E, 646 m, 1♁, 2♀, 10.10.1998; 4♁, 5♀, 25.09.2021; leg. Wolfram Graf ( GRA) ; 1♁, 2♀, 25.09.2021; leg. Wolfram Graf (1♁, 1♀ used for molecular studies, MZL, GBIFCH00980911 and GBIFCH00980912 ) ; 1♁, 07.11.1900; leg. Peter Kempny ( NHMUK, catalogue number: NHMUK010010310 ; Fig. A4 ) . Raach am Hochgebirge , Fuchsgrabenbach FB03. 47° 38‘ 37.3776“ N, 15° 56‘ 28.6008“ E, 707 m, 1♀, 7.11.2019; leg. Wolfram Graf ( GRA) . Raach am Hochgebirge , Fuchsgrabenbach FB 04. 47° 38‘ 37.3776“ N, 15° 56‘ 36.456“ E, 720m, 1♁, 12.11.2021; 1♀, 11.10.2021; leg. Wolfram Graf ( GRA) . Raach am Hochgebirge , Fuchsgrabenbach FB06. 47° 38‘ 37.3776“ N, 15° 56‘ 36.456‘‘ E, 720m, 1♁, 11.10.2021; leg. Wolfram Graf ( GRA) . HUNGARY. Western Transdanubia. K̂szeg Mounts , HU-9726 Velem, Páter spring. 47° 21‘ 20.412“ N, 16° 28‘ 17.22“ E, 600 m, 1♁, 1♀, 24.10.1980, leg. Sándor Újhelyi ( VIN) .

Description. Medium-sized Leuctra species. Males: 4.5–7.0 mm; females 5.0– 9.5 mm (n = 17). Males and females macropterous.

Males. Tergite VII pale membranous, without processes, but with sclerotized antecosta ( Figs. B1 , B5).Antecosta of tergite VIII with dark, sclerotized margins having the shape of a wide parabolic curve, with a posteromedial process attached to its vertex ( Figs. B1, B4–B 5, B11). Posteromedial process dark brown, erect in side view (Figs. B2–B3), narrow, width approximately 1/7 th –1/10 th of total segment width ( Figs. B1, B4–B 5, B11). Posteromedial process on tergite VIII rectangular, without ( Figs. B1, B4–B 5) or with (Fig. B11) a shallow central excision on its distal edge. Tergite IX with a characteristic dark symmetrical pattern ( Figs. B1, B4–B 5, B11). Tergite X with a wide, bell-shaped epiproct ( Fig. B4 ). Specillum gently curved in lateral view and tapering out in a rounded beak-like tip, and much longer than the stylus ( Fig. B3 , arrows). Sternite IX with well-developed vesicle (Fig. B6).

Females. Proximal half of subgenital plate with a nob, visible in ventral ( Figs. B7–B 8) and in lateral (Figs. B9–B10, B12) views. Distal half with bifurcated lobes ( Figs. B7–B 8), not prominent in lateral view (Figs. B9–B10, B12). Sternite IX with a typical dark pattern looking like a “skateboarding half-pipe” symbol ( Fig. B7 , arrow).

Nymphs: unknown.

Distribution and ecology. Leuctra austriaca is a stenoendemic species known from the region of the Gutenstein Alps and from Raach am Hochgebirge in Austria, and from the K̂szeg Mounts in Hungary. Leuctra austriaca occurs in spring biotopes. Adults emerge in autumn (IX–XI). The species has been found together with typical spring inhabitants, including Trichoptera Adicella filicornis ( Pictet, 1834) and Crunoecia kempnyi Morton, 1901 , and also with Niphargus Schi ̂dte, 1849. The co-occurrence of L. austriaca with Niphargus points to the presence of large groundwater resources.

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Figures

FIGURES A1–A2. Leuctra signifera, historical material (Austria, GutensteinAlps, Urgersbachtal).A1, Leuctra signifera sensu Kempny 1899, original drawings (figs. 4a and 4b = adult male, dorsal and lateral view); A2, Leuctra signifera sensu Mosely, 1932 (plate I, figs. 3 and 3a = male, dorsal view; female, ventral view).

FIGURES B7–B12. B7–B10. Leuctra austriaca, adult female (Austria, Gutenstein Alps, Urgersbachtal). B7, ventral view; B8, ventral view; B9, lateral view; B10, lateral view. B11–B12. Leuctra austriaca, adult male and female (Hungary). B11, adult male, dorsal view; B12, female, lateral view.