Neoperla forcipata Yang & Yang 1992
Creators: name: Mo, Raorao
name: Li, Weihai
name: Murányi, Dávid
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Plecoptera
Perlidae
Neoperla
Neoperla forcipata

description: Neoperla forcipata Yang & Yang, 1992
(Figs. 1–5)
Neoperla forcipata Yang & Yang, 1992: 62 (original description); Du, Sivec & He, 1999: 62 (catalog); Wang, Wang & Li, 2013: 87 (remark); Li, Wang & Qin, 2013: 24 (re-illustration of aedeagal tube); Li, Li, Feng & Wang, 2014: 177 (first record from Henan Province); Yang & Li, 2018: 40 (catalog); Mo, Liu, Li & Shi, 2020: 375 (catalog); Zwick, 2023: 120 (catalog).
Supplementary description of male (Figs. 1–4). Head pale, with a prominent dark brown subtriangular ocellar patch; in some specimens, the anterior part of the patch extends forward and forms a Y-shaped spot (Figs. 1a, 3a, 4). Aedeagal tube straight, subapically with a Y-shaped ventral lobe; arm of Y-lobe without apical spines, about as long as stalk (Figs. 3d–3h); arms of specimen from Henan slightly constricted and curved upward (Figs. 1e, 2). Aedeagal sac about as long as ventral lobe of tube, curved ventrad, gradually tapering to a blunt tip and mostly bare except for apical part armed with dense spinules (Figs. 3d–3h); subapical part of specimen from Henan with a pair of small lateral lobes (Figs. 1e, 2).
Female (Fig. 5). Forewing length 19.5– 17.5 mm. Hindwing length 21.5– 19.5 mm. Generally similar to male. Posteromedial portion of sternum 8 produced into a triangular subgenital plate with a blunt tip.
Material examined. 1 male (HIST, W125), China: Henan Province, Henan Province, Luoyang City, Baiyunshan Mountain, Forest Oxygen Bar, 33.6618ºN, 111.8239ºE, 1502 m, 2020.VIII.10, light trap, Li Weihai, Yan Yanhua; 2 males, 1 female and 3 females (G45–G47) (HIST), Yunnan Province, Zhaotong City, Daguan County, Tianxing Town, 27.863ºN, 104.057ºE, 1746 m, 2023.VII.20, He Zhixin, Wang Luochong; 1 male (G48), 2 males, and 2 females (HIST), Yunnan Province, Zhaotong City, Daguan County, Tianxing Town, Luohan Dam, 27.86382ºN, 104.05746ºE, 1746 m, 2023.VII.20, light trap, Yao Yao; 1 male (HIST, G49), Yunnan Province, Zhaotong City, Yiliang County, Lianghe Town, 27.815ºN, 104.359ºE, 1810 m, 2023.VII.16, He Zhixin, Wang Luochong.
Distribution. China (Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Yunnan provinces).
Remarks. The male of Neoperla forcipata Yang & Yang, 1992 has been described from Sangzhi County of Hunan Province, and the presumed female was recorded from Lichuan City of Hubei Province and was designated as the allotype lacking description (Yang & Yang 1992). Unfortunately, the aedeagal sac of N. forcipata was not everted and described in the original description. The aedeagal tube of holotype male was re-illustrated by Li et al. (2013), but a fully everted aedeagal sac has not yet been described due to the aedeagal tube being damaged. The species was recently recorded from Baiyunshan Mountain of Henan Province (Li et al. 2014), but the aedeagal sac was not everted and described. In the present work, specimens were collected from Henan and Yunnan provinces, the latter a first record for the province. The color pattern, terminalia and aedeagal tube of fresh male specimens agree with the type material in most characters (Yang & Yang 1992). Our current study has resulted in fresh male specimens whose aedeagal sac is completely everted (Figs. 2, 3d–h). In addition, the female, associated by molecular study, is described and illustrated for the first time (Fig. 5). We provide color illustrations (Figs. 1–5) to facilitate the identification of this apparently widespread species.
description: Published as part of Mo, Raorao, Li, Weihai & Murányi, Dávid, 2024, One new species and one new provincial record of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Yunnan, China, pp. 211-224 in Zootaxa 5543 (2) on page 212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5543.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/14385924