Dulongjiang needlefly (Rhopalopsole dulongjianga), new species in Rhopalopsole Klapálek 1912 from Yunnan

NEWS - Dulongjiang needlefly (Rhopalopsole dulongjianga Yang & Du sp. nov.) as a new species in Rhopalopsole Klapálek 1912 from Yunnan Province, China, resembles members of the Rhopalopsole magnicerca group and closely resembles Rhopalopsole bispina (Wu, 1949).

Rhopalopsole Klapálek 1912 is a species-rich genus in the Leuctridae family with more than 80 valid species from the Eastern and Eastern Palearctic Regions. Currently, more than 50 species of this genus have been recorded from China. Yunnan Province borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

The province has many large rivers with significant elevation variations. The unique geography and favorable climate provide an excellent environment for Leuctridae. Xiao Yang and Yu-Zhou Du from Yangzhou University conducted a survey of aquatic insect diversity, collected and examined a collection of Plecoptera specimens in Yunnan.

R. dulongjianga male has a body length of 5.7 mm. Fore-wings length 5.5 mm, hind-wings length 4.2 mm. Head dark brown, wider than pronotum; ocelli pale brown, antennae and palpi light brown. Pronotum brown, quadrate. Legs brown. Wings hyaline and veins light brown.

Tergum 9 mostly sclerotised, with the median pentagonal area being somewhat less sclerotised and featuring paired posterior processes with sensilla basiconica. Sternum 9 basally with subcircular vesicle bearing dense hairs, apically with a comparatively longer subgenital plate.

Tergum 10 bears a large central plate covered with a broad sensilla basiconica patch in the lower half and slightly sclerotized in the upper half. Transverse plates nearly triangular and have several setae.

Lateral projections of tergum 10 gradually and regularly taper to a sharp, slightly upturned point. Epiproct thick at base, rod-like, with its tip narrowing and turned forwards. Subanal lobes long and upturned with distinct ventral flaps and longitudinal furrows covering the ventral surface. Cercus hairy and upcurved, with a small spine.

R. dulongjianga is similar to members of the R. magnicerca group. The new species is very similar to R. bispina (Wu, 1949). Cercus hairy and upcurved, with small spines and tergum 9 mostly sclerotized, somewhat lacking in the median pentagonal area with paired posterior processes bearing sensilla basiconica.

In contrast, R. bispina lacks spines on the cerci and the posterior margin of tergum 9 has a knob-like ornamental band, narrowly connected in the middle and broadly expanding on each side.

Original research

Yang X, Du Y-Z (2024). A new species of Rhopalopsole (Plecoptera, Leuctridae) from Yunnan Province, China. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e134258, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e134258

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