Neoperla sp.

Neoperla sp. Afr_A

( Figs. 486–489 View FIGURES 486–489 )

Material studied: Republic of Cameroon, 1 ♂: Muyuka [ 4°43’18’’N, 9°38’27’’E; 305m], Victoria Div., Brit Cameroons,VI-25-49 B.Malkin at light ( SMNS; penis + Abd. in microvial).

Habitus. WL ♂ 9.5mm. Pale, yellowish, a light brown mark between ocelli, flagellum distally brownish.

Male ( Figs. 486–489 View FIGURES 486–489 ). A short median ridge extends from antecosta 7 to a sclerotised bar across the anterior third of T7. A caudally uplifted sclerite in the posterior half of T7 has two rounded paramedian lobes between which the middle is concave. Between the tergal lobes a vertical crest on the sclerotised rear face of T7 is visible ( Fig. 486 View FIGURES 486–489 ). T7 and T8 are hinged in the intersegmental fold. The sclerite on T8 is wide in front where it bears an erect cone, the caudal half of the sclerite is narrow. The vertical rear face of T7 and the front of the cone on T8 were opposed and originally close together ( Fig. 486 View FIGURES 486–489 ) but they strongly diverged after clearing ( Fig. 487 View FIGURES 486–489 ). T9 has low setose paramedian swellings and the slightly sclerotised median furrow is shallow. HT10 is long, slender, sharply pointed and in side view regularly curved, the mediobasal callus is tongue-shaped and small but partly conceals the pointed epiproct.

Penis ( Figs. 488–489 View FIGURES 486–489 ) a straight soft tube, endophallus of same length as tube. Two wide bands of remarkably slender erect spines begin at the endophallus base and cover most of it. During manipulation the endophallus burst which exposed and tore the thin internal duct between base and tip of penis.

Female. Unknown.

Egg. Unknown.

DNA. No data.

Notes. The absence of an unpaired process on T7 which bears a medially concave bilobed sclerite fits in the N. excisa and sjostedti -operational complex. The specimen was taken in a light trap sample together with the ♀ holotype of N. muyukae n. sp. and was tentatively associated with it. That assumption is now dropped for reasons explained under N. conradti which may be the closest relative of N. muyukae n. sp.. The same light trap sample also contained several females of N. spironema n. sp. and two females of N. dolium n. sp..