Habrophlebia seybouse Sartori, Vuataz & Samraoui, 2025

Habrophlebia seybouse Sartori, Vuataz & Samraoui sp. nov.

Figs 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9 , 10 View Figure 10 , 11 View Figure 11

Habrophlebia sp. , Samraoui et al. 2021 a; Habrophlebia sp. 12 , Hezil et al. 2025.

Material examined.

Holotype: one nymph in ethanol ( GBIFCH 00902493 ), Algeria, Wilaya of Guelma, Selaoua, Oued Cherf ; 36°20'54"N 7°16'2"E, 589 m, 24.V.2018, B. Samraoui leg., MZL GoogleMaps .

Paratypes. Algeria, Wilaya of Guelma, Selaoua, Oued Cherf , same data as holotype, 48 nymphs in ethanol ( GBIFCH 00889515 ), 3 nymph on slide ( GBIFCH 00672305 , GBIFCH 00673039 , GBIFCH 01224096 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 27.V.2020, 1 male, 1 female in ethanol ( GBIFCH 00654985 ), B. Samraoui leg. GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 6.VI.2020, 6 males, 4 females in ethanol ( GBIFCH 01118436 , GBIFCH 00654984 ), B. Samraoui leg., MZL GoogleMaps • Wilaya of Guelma, Ayoun, Oued Aar , 7 36°12'50"N, 7°27'48"E, 892 m, 24.V.2018, 1 nymph in ethanol ( GBIFCH 00763557 ), B. Samraoui leg., MZL GoogleMaps • Wilaya of Skikda, Collo, Oued Tizagban ; 37°00'39"N, 6°22'31"E, 492 m, 21.I.2022; 2 nymphs on slide ( GBIFCH 00658256 , GBIFCH 00658257 ), B. Samraoui leg., MZL GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The name Ubus derives from pre-Roman, possibly Punic or Amazigh (Berber), roots. In ancient sources, Ubus referred to the river now known as Oued Seybouse, one of Algeria’s major waterways. The river originates in the Hauts Plateaux and flows northwards to the Mediterranean Sea near Annaba.

Descriptions.

Nymph. Body length of final instar, excluding caudal filaments, up to 7 mm for male and up to 8 mm for female. Cerci as long as body length.

Coloration. General coloration medium brown; dark brown between ocelli, light brown in front and on the clypeus. Upper portion of male eyes light brown to orange (Fig. 7 A View Figure 7 ). Antenna with pedicel greyish brown, scape light brown and filament yellowish. Pro- and mesonotum medium brown, with light brown maculae, on medium and lateral margins; lateroparapsidal sutures dark brown. Legs light to medium brown; dorsal surface of fore femora dark brown in mature nymphs; tibiae light brown to yellowish, except at base with the femur grayish brown; tarsi light brown to yellowish. Abdominal tergites dark brown with a sagittal line paler and two elongated light maculae medio-anteriorly, especially well visible on segments I – VI. Sternites light to medium brown, nervous ganglia well visible. Cerci and paracercus medium brown at base, lighter distally, dark banding slightly visible every two segments proximally.

Head. Labrum rectangular, ca. 1.75 × wider than long (Fig. 7 B View Figure 7 ); dorsal surface covered distally with scattered stout setae; anterior margin with a row of stout, long and spatulate setae medially; emargination narrow, U – shaped without flat denticles; ventral surface with two bunches of stout setae medially. Mandibles similar to other Habrophlebia species, incisor with 3 teeth, kinetodontium with 3 teeth (Fig. 7 C View Figure 7 ), 13–14 long and thin setae below mola of right mandible (Fig. 7 D View Figure 7 ). Maxilla stocky, subapical row of 6–7 pectinate setae (Fig. 7 E View Figure 7 ); maxillary palp with three segments, segment 1 and 2 subequal in length, and longer than segment 3; segment 3 triangular 1.21–1.45 × longer than wide at base; all setae on palp segments stout and entire. Hypopharynx with highly developed superlinguae terminated by a membranous digitation (Fig. 7 F View Figure 7 ). Labium with rhomboid glossae, outer margin and apex covered by short, broad setae; paraglossae enlarged laterally, covered with fine and long setae on dorsal surface; with long, thick setae on outer margin; labial palp with three segments, inner margin of segment 1 highly dilated near the middle, about 1.25–1.30 × longer than maximum width, segment 2 as long as segment 3, ca. 0.7–0.8 × length of segment 1; segment 3 ca. 1.8–2.0 × longer than wide at base, conical shape and with 6–7 stout and long, simple setae on dorsal surface. Submentum with numerous long, stout and pointed setae laterally; ventral surface with few long, stout and pointed setae (Fig. 7 G View Figure 7 ).

Thorax. Pronotum with anterior corners bearing few long and pointed setae laterally, and 1–3 stout and strong setae dorsally. Anterior margin of pronotum without or with rarely 1–2 stout setae (Fig. 8 A View Figure 8 ). Fore legs femora elongated, ca. 2.5 × longer than wide, outer margin and upper surface covered with long, entire and pointed setae (Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ); fore tibiae subequal in length to femora, outer margin with thin and long setae, inner margin with long stout and feathered or entire setae especially near apex; tarsi 0.5 × length of tibiae, outer margin with long and thin setae, inner margin with long and pointed entire setae. Middle legs similar to fore legs, femora ca. 3 × longer than wide, dorsal surface of femora with more numerous and slightly longer stout and pointed setae (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ); tibiae and femora of subequal length; tarsi 0.5 × length of tibiae. Hind legs with femora 3.5 × longer than wide (Fig. 8 D View Figure 8 ), dorsal surface covered with stout, long, pointed and entire (non-feathered) setae (Fig. 8 E View Figure 8 ); hind tibiae as long as hind femora, outer margin with scattered stout, pointed setae; inner margin with stout, pointed and entire setae (Fig. 8 F View Figure 8 ); tarsi 0.5 × length of tibiae, outer margin with long and thin setae, inner margin with long, stout, pointed and entire setae. Claws of all legs slightly hooked, with 14–16 denticles that decrease in size from the apex to the tarsus (Fig. 8 G View Figure 8 ).

Abdomen. Posterolateral expansions only on segments VIII and IX. Posterior margin of tergite IX with triangular, broad, pointed spines, ca. 1.5–2 × longer than wide at base (Fig. 9 A View Figure 9 ); tergite VIII with triangular, narrow spines 2 × longer than wide (Fig. 9 B View Figure 9 ); from tergite VII to tergite V, spines becoming smaller, needle-shaped (Figs 9 C, D View Figure 9 ); tergites I – IV with barely visible spines. Gills present on segments I – VII; all gills elongated with long filaments; dorsal lamella bearing 5–6 filaments, ventral lamella with 3–4 filaments (Fig. 9 E View Figure 9 ).

Imagos. Male imago. Size: body length: 5.5–6.0 mm; forewing length: 5.3–5.6 mm; cerci and terminal filament broken.

Head medium brown, dark brown between ocelli; basal portion of compound eyes greyish, upper portion orange brown, scape medium brown, pedicel dark brown, flagellum light brown.

Thorax. Pronotum greyish brown, washed with dark brown; meso- and metanotum uniformly dark brown, pleurae, coxae, and trochanters greyish brown, washed with dark brown; fore femora dark brown, fore tibiae medium brown, tarsi light brown; mid- and hind legs with femora greyish brown, dark brown distally, tibiae medium brown and tarsi medium brown, except the last segment light brown. Femur / tibia / tarsi ratio in fore leg: 1 / 1.2 / 0.4 / 0.4 / 0.3 / 0.1; mid leg: 1 / 1.2 / 0.1 / 0.06 / 0.06 / 0.1; hind leg: 1 / 1.05 / 0.1 / 0.05 / 0.05 / 0.15. Fore claws similar, paddle-shaped, mid- and hind claws dissimilar, one paddle-like and one hooked. Forewing transparent, pterostigmatic area milky with 6–8 oblique and simple transversal veins, longitudinal veins medium brown, transversal veins light brown. MA and MP forks asymmetrical, cubital field with two long intercalary veins (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ). Hindwing with rounded costal process approximately in the middle of the wing; vein Sc short, reaching the costal margin at mid-length between costal process and the tip of the wing (Fig. 10 C View Figure 10 ).

Abdomen. Tergites and sternites medium brown, posterior third or half of each segment dark brown. Styliger plate medium brown, dark brown along the margins, first segment of the gonopods medium brown, segments 2 and 3 yellowish brown. Posterior margin of the styliger plate almost straight in the middle, median incision V-shaped (Fig. 10 D View Figure 10 ); segment 1 subequal in length to segments 2 and 3 combined; inner margin of segment 1 with a broad base, and without bulge on the outer margin. Penis lobes rounded and tight together, ventral spine long, thin and curved outwards, almost reaching the base of the styliger plate (Fig. 10 E View Figure 10 ). Cerci and terminal filament broken.

Female imago. Size: body length: 7.0– 7.5 mm; forewing length: 7.5–8.0 mm.

Forewing transparent, slightly tinted in brown in subcostal field; longitudinal and transversal veins dark brown; pterostigmatic area with ca. 7–8 oblique and simple transversal veins. MA and MP forks asymmetrical, cubital field with two long intercalary veins. Hindwing with rounded costal process approximately in the middle of the wing; vein Sc long, reaching the costal margin almost at the tip of the wing (Fig. 10 B View Figure 10 ).

Eggs ovoid, ca. 245 µm × 100 µm, with longitudinal ribs punctuated, bearing transversal small outgrowths, making the whole structure resemble barbed wire (Fig. 11 A View Figure 11 ). Micropyle in equatorial area (Fig. 11 B View Figure 11 ).