Two new species of genus Rhopalopsole (Insecta, Plecoptera, Leuctridae) from China

Abstract Two new species of Rhopalopsole Klapálek from China are described: Rhopalopsole exiguspina Du & Qian, sp. n. and Rhopalopsole ampulla Du & Qian, sp. n., which were collected in Guizhou province, China.

Here we describe two new Rhopalopsole species collected in Guizhou province, China. All type specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol and deposited in the Insect Collection of Yangzhou University, Jiangsu, China. Adult habitus. General color: Light brown. Head brown or light brown, wider than prothorax, hind ocelli much closer to the eyes than to each other, antennae and palpi yellowish brown. Prothorax light brown, subquadrate, all angles somewhat rounded and some black irregular stripes on it. Legs light brown. Wings hyaline and veins light brown.

Rhopalopsole exiguspina
Male. Approximate measurement: forewing length 6.0 mm, body length 6.5 mm. Mid-posterior margins of tergite 9 sclerotized, slightly emarginated ( Fig. 1). Sternite 9 basally with a tongue-like vesicle bears dense hairs, apically with a subgenital plate wider than long and rounded apically (Fig. 2). Tergite 10 with strongly sclerotized lateral process beak-like somewhat acute and curving inward apically and a small spine at the middle of lateral process in dorsal view, thick basally and slightly curved upward apically in lateral view. Mid-anterior sclerite sclerotized, posterior margin more sclerotized; one pair of transverse triangle sclerite weakly sclerotized (Fig. 1). Epiproct a simple curved process, erect hook-like apical portion curved inward (Fig. 4). Subanal lobe sinuate in lateral aspect, rounded and strongly sclerotized apically, apex membranous in ventral aspect; subanal lobe clearly with a pair of little lobes at middle of subanal lobe and each little lobes rounded apically in ventral aspect. Cerci long and cylindrical, thick basally and thin apically, distinctly upturned in lateral aspect, apex with a tiny spine.
Female. Unknown. Etymology. The species name refers to the small spine at the middle of lateral process of tergite 10.
Diagnosis. This new species resembles Rhopalopsole aculeata Harper (1977) from Nepal and R. xui Yang, Zhu & Li (2004) from Guangdong in having an epiproct with a thin spine-like apical portion and a strongly sclerotized lateral process without bifurcation of tergite 10. The new species can be distinguished from R. aculeata by the presence of spines on the lateral processes and cerci. R. aculeate has no spines on the middle of lateral process or on the cerci. The new species can be distinguished from R. xui by the shapes of the mid-anterior sclerite, lateral process, subanal lobe and cerci. In R. xui, the mid-anterior sclerite is wider than long and has two short obtuse lateral processes. R. xui lacks spines at the middle of the lateral processes and on the cerci and has a wide and apically rounded subanal lobe without a pair of small lobes. The characteristics of the subanal lobe and lateral process distinguish this new species from other Rhopalopsole species, which possess an epiproct with thin spine-like apical portions and no bifurcated lateral processes on tergite 10. Adult habitus. General color: Brown and dark brown. Head brown or dark brown, wider than prothorax, hind ocelli much closer to the eyes than to each other, antennae and palpi brown. Prothorax dark brown, quadrate, longer than wide, all angles rounded and some black irregular stripes on it. Legs light brown. Wings hyaline and veins light brown.
Female. Unknown. Etymology. The species name refers to the shape of cerci on segment 10. Diagnosis. This new species is similar to other species in the Rhopalopsole assamensis group (Sivec et al. 2008) in having a sclerotized area on the mid-posterior margin of tergite 9, thick epiproct, lateral sclerites at each side of the central sclerite and cerci with tiny spines. It can be diagnosed by the shape of the subanal lobes, which are trident-like apically. Other species in the R. assamensis group possess subanal lobes that are flat and narrow at the base but expand into a wide rectangular apical portion. The lateral processes of species in the R. assamensis group typically end in a forked process on tergite 10, but those of this new species lack bifurcation. R. ampulla is similar to R. exiguspina, but R. ampulla can be distinguished by the shapes of the subanal lobes and the lateral processes on tergite 10. The subanal lobes of R. exiguspina are rounded apically and each posses a small spine at the middle of lateral process, but those of R. ampulla are strongly sclerotized and trident-like apically in ventral aspect.

Acknowledgments
This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31071958).