Neoperla sambarua, Zwick & Zwick, 2023

Zwick, Peter & Zwick, Andreas, 2023, Revision of the African Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlinae) based on morphological and molecular data, Zootaxa 5316 (1), pp. 1-194 : 115-116

51. Neoperla sambarua n. sp.

( Figs. 285–288 , 292–293 )

Types and additional material taken with them: United Republic of Tanzania: Tanga region W. Usambara Mts., Mazumbai, ZMB’s Tanzania Exp, (after Andersen & Johansen 1992): Kaputu stream on Kwagoroto Hill, from 1770m down to 1400m (see Notes under N. usambara !): Site A: holotype ♂, 1♀, 4.– 9.11.1990; 1♀, 4.– 13.12.1990; 2♂ paratypes, 5♀, 9.– 13.1.1991; 2♂ paratypes, 2♀, 4.– 12.2.1991. 2♂, 3♀ paratypes, 1♀: Site below/beyond waterfall, 6.– 12.11.1990. Sites H, M, N, O: 1♀ paratype, 1♂, 7♀, November 1990. 1♀ paratype, Dar es Salaam [-6.8393, 39.3103; red ink] \ det. P. Zwick 1980 Neoperla spec . 37 [handwritten on photoprint]. In coll. Klapálek, NMCZ, under a N. sjostedti -label; pinned slide with genitalia & eggs. A slide with a single egg in SMNS.

Additional material studied: 1♀: Tanganyika Terr.: Bunduki [-7.0377, 37.6341], Uluguru Mts., [illegible] Mgeta, 1300m, 30.4.– 11.5.1957, Leleup & Basilewsky ( MRAC) .

Holotype in ZMBN, paratypes and additional material in ZMBN, SMNS, and as indicated.

Habitus. Same as N. usambara n. sp. WL of males 11.7–12.8mm, of females 13.2–14.7mm.

Male ( Figs. 285–288 ). T7 with a slender triangular process projecting far over T8 ( Figs. 285–286 ). A weakly sclerotised Y-shaped sclerite on T8 is raised like a cushion, with some SB near midlength, caudally bare. T9 is unmodified, HT10 is straight, slender and longer than in A. usambara n. sp., the mediobasal callus is rounded, tongue-shaped.

The penis ( Figs. 287–288 ) is a tube with slightly flattened and widened, sub-parallel distal portion. The wide section has spinose projections at base and tip. The sausage-like base of the endophallus is about half as wide as the penis tube, distally the endophallus is long and winding. The delicate needle-like spines were observed by transparency and are hardly as large as the external spines on the penis apex. The recurrent tube is thin, details were not recognised, its length is as in N. usambara n. sp..

Female ( Fig. 292 ). S8 is slightly sclerotised, with an indistinct transverse pale zone near midlength. The caudal part of segment and a terminal lappet are most strongly pigmented. The caudal sternite edge is sometimes sinuous because the median lappet is flanked by shallow notches. The inner genitalia are same as in N. usambara n. sp..

Egg ( Fig. 293 ). Size 381*276µm, balloon-shaped, the smooth surface is finely punctate, there are no striae. Unmodified micropyles stand in a loose ring at approximately 70% egg length. Operculum broadly rounded, the contracted collar projects, it has no cells. The anchor cavity is shallow, the anchor is mushroom-shaped.

DNA. No data.

Notes. The female from Daressalam was not mentioned in any of Klapálek’s papers but stood in his collection as the doubtful N. sjostedti . However, that species is very different from N. sambarua n. sp.. Neoperla sambarua n. sp. and N. usambara n. sp. are very similar in many respects and probably closely related, despite having different eggs.

Etymology. An anagram of Usambara, a noun in apposition, referring to the species’ range.

Figures

FIGURES 278–288. Neoperla usambara n. sp. and N. sambarua n. sp., ♂ holotypes: N. usambara: 278, 279, abdominal tip, dorsal and lateral views; 280–283, naturally fully everted penis, photograph of the holotype whole mount with enlarged details, corresponding structures are connected by lines; 284, connection of penis base to the mesodermal ejaculatory duct (ed) via the thin recurrent tube (rt). N. sambarua: 285, 286, abdominal tip, dorsal and lateral views 287, penis, beginning eversion of endophallus; 288, enlarged apex of same. ed, ejaculatory duct; rt, recurrent tube; tergites and HT10 are labeled.

FIGURES 289–293. Neoperla usambara n. sp. and N. sambarua n. sp., ♀ ♀. N. usambara: 289, genital situs, vagina and the coiled spermathecal stalk flipped back to expose anchor pattern on S8; 290, egg; 291, detail of striae with a micropyle in a sulcus (full arrow). N. sambarua: 292, genital situs with diagrammatic indication of border between S7/S8; 293, egg, variable thickness of chorion indicated by inner contour on right hand side. Open arrows show divergent spinule bands at entry of SSt into vagina. Scales as indicated. A, anchor; c, collar; co, costa; ls, lateral sclerite; mi, micropyle; mic, micropylar canal; sa, spermatheca; SSt, spermathecal stalk.