Stoneflies of the genus Neoperla (Plecoptera, Perlidae) from Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Fujian of China

Abstract The species of the genus Neoperla are reviewed from Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve located in the Fujian Province of southeastern China, including the description of a new species, Neoperla brevistyla sp. n. The new species is compared to similar taxa. The first records of five Neoperla species, Neoperla henana Li, Wu & Zhang, 2011, Neoperla similiserecta Wang & Li, 2012, Neoperla qingyuanensis Yang & Yang, 1995, Neoperla xuansongae Li & Li, 2013 and Neoperla tuberculata Wu, 1938 are given for the Wuyi Mountain. A provisional key is provided for facilitating the identification of these species.

In the present paper, the species of the genus Neoperla are reviewed from Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Fujian Province of China based on the fresh material collected in recent years. With a total area of ca. 565 km 2 , the Reserve possesses a typical subtropical forest ecological system and is the largest area for biodiversity conservation in Fujian Province, south-east China (http://www.wbr.cn/).

Material and methods
Types and other examined material are deposited in the Insect Collection of Henan Institute of Science and Technology (HIST), Xinxiang, and the Entomological Museum of China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing. They were examined with the aid of a Motic SMZ 168 microscope and the color illustrations were captured using digitalized software Motic Images Advanced 3.2. All specimens were kept in 75% ethanol. Aedeagi were everted using the cold maceration technique of Zwick (1983). Terminology follows that of Sivec et al. (1988). Du, 1999 http://species-id.net/wiki/Neoperla_breviscrotata Neoperla breviscrotata Du, 1999: 312. Type locality: Guizhou Province, Sandou, Chengguan.
Remarks. This species was recently described by Du (1999) from the localities listed above including the Wuyi Mountain, but no new material was available to the present study. Male. Forewing length 15.6-16.0 mm. Distance between ocelli about as wide as diameter of the ocellus. Head slightly wider than pronotum, with an obscure quadrate dark stigma on frons and a brown area covering ocelli (Fig. 1a); compound eyes black and antennae dark; maxillary palpi brown. Pronotum with obscure rugosities and dark brown anterior and lateral margins, thorax mostly brown (Fig. 1a); wing membrane subhyaline, veins brown; legs brown but distal half of femora and basal one fourth and distal one sixth of tibia dark brown, tarsi dark brown (Fig. 2d).

Neoperla brevistyla
Terminalia. The posterior margin of tergum 7 with quadrate, rounded and elevated process covered with dense sensilla basiconica (Fig. 2a). Tergum 8 with recurved tongue-like process (Figs 2a). Tergum 9 without sensilla basiconica. Hemitergal processes of tergum 10 with enlarged base and beak-like apex (Figs 1b and 2b). Aedeagal tube strongly sclerotized, with a pair of separate ventroapical lobes, in lateral view nipple like and triangular in shape (Figs 1c and 2c). Aedeagal sac short and gradually tapering to apex, forming nearly a right angle with tube; basal part unarmed and plump, median part with a patch of small spines and apex bearing fine spinules (Figs 1c and 2c).

Remarks.
No new material was available for examination. It was stated to be similar to N. flavescens Chu, 1929 but bearing paired ventral aedeagal lobes (Du 1999). N. duratubulata may be assigned to the above mentioned subgroup and seems similar to N. qingyuanensis. The aedeagal sac of N. duratubulata is a very short conical structure with several rows of subapical fine spinules and the head lacks distinct color pattern (modified from the original descriptions of Du 1999 Remarks. This species was recently described by . The color pattern and terminalia among the types and present material show no variations. The type material (figs 1-3 in ) seems two teneral specimens where the fine spinules of aedeagal sac are not as well developed as of the present ones (Fig. 3).

Distribution. China (Fujian).
Remarks. This species was recently described by Du (1999). The original illustrations are rather small in print and show no details on the fine armatures of the sac but the detailed descriptions agree well with the fresh material. We present herein the detailed illustrations of the aedeagal sac for a better diagnosis of N. lii. Yang & Yang, 1995 http://species-id.net/wiki/Neoperla_qingyuanensis Fig. 6 Neoperla qinyuanensis Yang & Yang, 1995b: 59;Li et al. 2013: 361.  Remarks. This species was recently redescribed by Li et al. (2013).The head patterns of the examined types were faded. The illustrations of head pattern and fully extruded aedeagus are provided here on the fresh material to facilitate the identifying of N. qinyuanensis.     Wu, 1938 http://species-id.net/wiki/Neoperla_tuberculata Fig. 7 Neoperla tuberculata Wu, 1938: 122;Du et al. 2001: 77. Type locality: Zhejiang Province, Mt. Tianmushan.

Remarks.
One of the present fresh specimens of N. xuansongae shows a heavier head pattern than types (Fig. 8a), and a small mesodorsal patch of spines at base of the aedeagal sac is also present in types but was overlooked in the original descriptions (Fig. 8c). Aedeagal tube with ventral lobes (Figs 1 & 6c)    Aedeagal sac with only one apical patches of ventral spines (Fig. 3) ....N. henana

Concluding remarks
This study was at the scale of the Wuyi Moutain Nature Reserve. Du (1999) summarized the stonefly fauna in Fujian Province and described three new Neoperla from the Reserve: N. breviscrotata, N. duratubulata and N. lii. In the present study, an additional new species is described and added to stonefly fauna of this area: Neoperla brevistyla sp. n. The first records of Neoperla henana Li, Wu & Zhang, 2011, Neoperla similiserecta Wang & Li, 2012, Neoperla qingyuanensis Yang & Yang, 1995, Neoperla xuansongae Li & Li, 2013and Neoperla tuberculata Wu, 1938 are given for the Reserve. The present study showed that Neoperla is the most species rich genus with 10 species currently known from the reserve, 6 species added after the work of Du (1999).