Taxonomic notes on Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Sichuan Province of China with the description of two new species
Author
Li, Weihai
Author
Wang, Ying
Author
Wang, Rongfeng
text
Zootaxa
2017
4221
2
191
204
journal article
37301
10.5281/zenodo.248632
b50bb468-5f64-4d6b-bff8-03c222a72dff
1175-5326
248632
B4DAA0F5-8EF9-4E2B-971C-C912456882A1
Neoperla
cf.
bicornua
Wu, 1973
(
Fig. 5
)
Neoperla bicornua
Wu, 1973
: 109
.
Type
locality:
China
:
Sichuan
(Emeishan, Baoguosi Temple).
Material examined.
Paratype
of
Neoperla quadrata
Wu & Claassen
:
1 male
(
USNM
),
China
: Szechuan,
Mt. Omei
, ShinKaiSi (
Sichuan Province
,
Emeishan Mountain
,
XinKai Temple
),
4400 feet
, 1921.
VII.1–30
,
D.C. Graham.
Distribution
.
China
(
Sichuan Province
).
Diagnosis and remarks
. The head pattern of the above specimen is obscure but the aedeagal sac is still in good condition after eversion. Clearly, this specimen is not conspecific with
N. quadrata
. We tentatively identify the above
paratype
of
N. quadrata
as
N. bicornua
because of the apparent sympatry and similar
terminalia
both in dorsal and dorsolateral views (
Figs. 5
a–5d). However, the specific aedeagal details are still unknown for
N. bicornua
.
The sac armature appears similar to that of
N. henana
Li & Wu, 2011
with an entire basoventral patch of spines whereas the corresponding area in
N
.
henana
is without spines with two lateral spinous areas (fig. 3, Qin
et al
. 2013). The armature is nearly identical to a specimen deposited in
California
Academy of Sciences, San Francisco,
California
,
U.S.A.
that may be part of the same series of
Wu & Claassen (1934)
identified as
N. chui
Wu & Claassen 1934
but not mentioned in the original description. The male and female of this species were determined as
N. chui
possibly based solely on external
terminalia
morphology at that time, not using aedeagal characters. As the aedeagus of only known specimen of
N. chui
, the
holotype
, is missing, the identity of
N. chui
and other sympatric specimens will require additional study (personal communication Ignac Sivec unpublished data).
FIGURE 5.
Neoperla
cf.
bicornua
Wu, 1973
, male. a.
Terminalia
, dorsolateral view. b. Aedeagus, lateral view. c. Aedeagus, dorsal view, arrow showing armatures. d. Aedeagal sac, lateral view, arrow showing ventral armatures.
However,
N. chui
is known only from the
holotype
and the aedeagus was discovered to be missing in 1982, as noted below under
N. chui
.
The shape and distinctive armature of the uneverted aedeagus of the
holotype
specimen was shown in the original illustration (fig. 17,
Wu & Claassen 1934
). This figure shows
N. chui
does not belong to the
N. lushana
subgroup of the
N. montivaga
group due to the absence of ventroapical projections of the aedeagal tube. Therefore, the
California
Academy specimen labelled as
“
N. chui
”
is apparently misidentified. Consequently, study of the uneverted aedeagus should be done when additional sympatric specimens become available.