A new species of Neoperla from China, with a redescription of the female of N. mnong Stark, 1987 (Plecoptera, Perlidae)

Abstract A new species of the Neoperla clymene group (Plecoptera, Perlidae), Neoperla chebalinga sp. n. from Guangdong Province of southern China is described, illustrated, and compared with related taxa. The new species is characterized by the slender aedeagal tube, strongly sclerotized dorsally, and weakly sclerotized ventrally with an upcurved, medial, finger-like membranous lobe. Additionally the aedeagal sac gradually tapers to a blunt apex with a dorsoapical patch of spines. A supplementary description of the female of Neoperla mnong Stark, 1987 from Guangdong Province, China is also given.


Material and methods
Specimens used in this study were collected from riparian areas by hand and preserved in 75% ethanol. Abdomens were cleared in 10% NaOH. Details of the morphology were studied with a Leica MZAPO microscope, and color illustrations were taken by Leica SZ45 and S4800 FESEM, both in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. All studied material, including the holotype and paratypes of the new species, are deposited in the Insect Collection of Yangzhou University, China. Diagnosis. Distinguishing characteristics of this species include a slender aedeagal tube that has an upcurved, medial, finger-like, membranous lobe on the ventral surface, and a short, blunt, ventrally curved aedeagal sac with a dorsoapical patch of spines.

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sclerotized dorsally, weakly sclerotized ventrally except for the basal bulb and an upcurved, ventromedial, finger-like membranous lobe. Aedeagal sac short and gradually tapered to a blunt apex, curved ventrally with a dorsoapical patch of spines (Figs 4-5).

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A new species of Neoperla from China, with a redescription of the female of N. mnong... 107  gina elongate-oval, lined sparsely along lateral margins. Spermathecal stalk short, spermatheca oval and curled at tip (Fig. 7).
Eggs (Fig. 8). Outline oval. Collar short and surrounded by 1-2 irregular rows of follicle cell impressions. Primary striae join rim on sides of collar, narrow and widely spaced; each pair of primary striae enclose many secondary striae; sulci with dense pits. Lid small consisting of follicle cell impressions (Fig. 8).
Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, Chebaling Nature Reserve.

Remarks.
The new species is a member of the N. clymene group possessing a slender and mostly sclerotized aedeagal tube. The processes of terga 7-8 and aedeagus of the new species are similar to those of N. furcostyla Li & Qin, 2013) and N. forcipata Yang, 1992 (Yang andYang 1992). However, in N. furcostyla and N. forcipata, the aedeagal tube has a subapical fork instead of the medial finger-like lobe as in N. chebalinga. In addition, the aedeagal sacs of N. furcostyla and N. forcipata are not curved ventrally (see   low to brown. Head nearly as wide as pronotum, with a subtriangular dark brown area covering ocelli; compound eyes dark and antennae pale brown. Pronotum disc yellow with pale brown rugosities. Wing membrane subhyaline, veins pale brown; legs yellow without darker markings. Cerci pale brown (Fig. 11). Subgenital plate of sternum 8 forming a small rounded sclerite with a posteromedial notch (Fig. 12). Vagina oval, lined densely around base of spermathecal stalk. Spermathecal stalk and spermatheca short, slender and curled at tip; a single accessory gland occurs near spermatheca tip (Fig. 13).
Remarks. This species is expected to be widespread in southern Asia. The male of N. mnong has been described from Vietnam by Stark (1987) and well-illustrated by Stark and Sivec (2008) from Vietnamese material. This species has been previously recorded from China by Du (1998) and Li et al. (2012b). Females of N. mnong from Vietnam were described as Javanita costalis by Navás (1932) and later described by Stark and Sivec (2008). In this study, females collected from Guangdong Province of China in 2009 are described and illustrated for the first time. The subgenital plate of these specimens is smaller and pigment patch over the ocelli is larger (for comparison see Figs 40, 43 in Stark and Sivec 2008).