Two new species of the Neoperla (Formosita) lushana-group (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, supported by morphological and mitochondrial COI data

  • Yingying Wang Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety and National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, Agricultural College, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
  • Guoquan Wang Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety and National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, Agricultural College, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
  • Dávid Murányi Department of Zoology, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Leányka u. 6, Hungary
  • Weihai Li Henan International Joint Laboratory of Taxonomy and Systematic Evolution of Insecta, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1105.3337
Keywords: Perlinae, Neoperla, N. foping sp. nov., N. huangi sp. nov., integrative taxonomy

Abstract

The Neoperla (Formosita) lushana-group is revised using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological and molecular evidence. Two new species of this group are described and illustrated: Neoperla foping Wang, Wang & Li sp. nov. from Shaanxi Province and Neoperla huangi Wang, Wang & Li sp. nov. from Hunan Province. Diagnostic features are compared with those of related congeners. DNA barcode sequences (COI) were generated for both species, and their species boundaries were supported by morphological differentiation, phylogenetic analyses, and interspecific genetic distances. Phylogenetic reconstruction further corroborated the monophyly and distinctiveness of the two new species within the N. (F.) lushana-group.

References

Banks N. 1892. A synopsis, catalogue, and bibliography of the neuropteroid insects of temperate North America. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 19: 327–375.

Chen Y.W., Li W.L., Wang Y. & Li W.H. 2024. Additional records of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Yunnan Province of China, with description of a new species. Zootaxa 5410 (3): 392–399. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5410.3.6

Chen Z.T., Jiang C. & Li Y.S. 2020. DNA barcodes of Plecoptera from China: The preliminary dataset and its performance in species delimitation. Zootaxa 4751 (2): 345–356. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4751.2.9

Claassen P.W. 1940. A catalogue of the Plecoptera of the world. Cornell University Experimental Station Memoir 232: 1–235.

DeWalt R.E., Hopkins H., Neu-Becker U. & Stueber G. 2026. Plecoptera Species File Online. Available from https://plecoptera.speciesfile.org/ [accessed 12 Mar. 2026].

Folmer O., Black M., Hoeh W., Lutz R. & Vrijenhoek R. 1994. DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 3: 294–299.

Kalyaanamoorthy S., Minh B.Q., Wong T.K.F., Haeseler A.V. & Jermiin L.S. 2017. ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates. Nature methods 14 (6): 587–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.4285

Kimura M. 1980. A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. Journal of Molecular Evolution 16: 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01731581

Klapálek F. 1907. Japoneské Druhy Podceledi Perlinae. Rozpravy Ceské Akademie Ved a Umení, Trída II. (Mathematicko-Prírodovedecká) 16 (31): 1–28.

Klapálek F. 1913. Plecoptera II. H. Sauter’s Formosa-Ausbeute. Supplementa entomologica 2: 112–127. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.14989

Letunic I. & Bork P. 2021. Interactive Tree of Life (iTOL) v5: An online tool for phylogenetic tree display and annotation. Nucleic Acids Research 49: W293–W296. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab301

Li W.H. & Yan Y.H. 2021. Two new species and a new synonym of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, with proposal of a new species group. Zootaxa 5047 (4): 431–443. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5047.4.3

Li W.H., Liang H.Y. & Li W.L. 2013. Review of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Zhejiang Province, China. Zootaxa 3652 (3): 353–369. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3652.3.4

Mo R.R., Wang G.Q., Yang D., Li W.H. & Murányi D. 2022. Review and contribution to the stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera) of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, China, with new species and new records from South China. Zootaxa 5176 (1): 1–80. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5176.1.1

Mo R.R., Li W.H. & Murányi D. 2024. One new species and one new provincial record of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Yunnan, China. Zootaxa 5543 (2): 211–224. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5543.2.3

Mo R.R., Lin A.L. & Li W.H. 2025. Comprehensive review of the genus Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Guangdong, China: unveiling two new species and a new record. Zootaxa 5659 (2): 240–256. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5659.2.6

Murányi D., Li W.H., Jeon M.J., Hwang J.M. & Seo H.Y. 2015. Korean species of the genus Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Zootaxa 3918 (1): 113–127. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3918.1.5

Needham J.G. 1905. New genera and species of Perlidae. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 17: 107–110.

Qin X.F., Murányi D., Wang G.Q. & Li W.H. 2013. Stoneflies of the genus Neoperla (Plecoptera, Perlidae) from Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Fujian of China. ZooKeys 326: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.326.5911

Sivec I., Stark B.P. & Uchida S. 1988. Synopsis of the world genera of Perlinae (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Scopolia 16: 1–66.

Srivathsan A., Lee L., Katoh K., Hartop E., Kutty S.N., Wong J., Yeo D. & Meier R. 2021. ONTbarcoder and MinION barcodes aid biodiversity discovery and identification by everyone, for everyone. BMC Biology 19 (1): e217. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01141-x

Tamura K., Stecher G. & Kumar S. 2021. MEGA11: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 11. Molecular Biology and Evolution 38 (7): 3022–3027. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab120

Truett G.E., Heeger P., Mynatt R.L., Truett A.A., Walker J.A. & Warman M.L. 2000. Preparation of PCR-Quality mouse genomic DNA with hot sodium hydroxide and tris (HotSHOT). Biotechniques 29 (1): 52–54. https://doi.org/10.2144/00291bm09

Wang Y.Y., Wang G.Q., Li W.H., Tan F. & Tan M.C. 2026. Two new species of Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Southern China. Zootaxa 5757 (4): 393–400. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5757.4.7

Wong T.K.F., Ly-Trong N., Ren H., Demotte P., Baños H., Roger A.J., Susko E., Bielow C., De Maio N., Goldman N., Hahn M.W., Reis Mario dos, Vinh, L.S., Huttley G., Lanfear R. & Minh B.Q. 2026. IQ-TREE 3: phylogenomic inference software using complex evolutionary models. Molecular Biology and Evolution 43 (5): msag117. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msag117

Wu C.F. 1935. Aquatic insects of China. Article XXI. New species of stoneflies from East and South China. (Order Plecoptera). Peking Natural History Bulletin 9: 227–243.

Wu C.F. 1938. Plecopterorum sinensium: A monograph of stoneflies of China (Order Plecoptera). Yenching University, Beijing.

Wu C.F. 1962. [Results of the Zoologico-Botanical expedition to Southwest China, 1955–1957 (Plecoptera)]. Acta Entomologica Sinica 11: 139–153. [In Mandarin.]

Wu C.F. 1973. [New species of Chinese stoneflies (Order Plecoptera)]. Acta Entomologica Sinica 16: 97–118. [In Mandarin.]

Zeng L.L., Huo Q.B. & Du Y.Z. 2025. A new species and a new record of Neoperla Needham (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Yunnan, China. Zootaxa 5618 (3): 446–450. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5618.3.10

Zhou H.Y., Yang D. & Li X.K. 2025. Integrated taxonomy discovers four new species of Grypoctonus Speiser, 1928 (Diptera: Asilidae) from China. Insects 16 (7): e722. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16070722

Zwick P. 1973. Insecta: Plecoptera. Phylogenetisches System und Katalog. In: Mertens R. & Hennig W. (eds) Das Tierreich. Eine Zusammenfassung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten Tierformen: 1–465. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.

Zwick P. 2023. A new classification of genus Neoperla and systematic studies of other Perlinae (Plecoptera: Perlidae). Zootaxa 5339 (2): 101–131. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5339.2.1

Zwick P. & Sivec I. 1980. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Plecoptera des Himalaja. Entomologica Basiliensia 5: 118–120.

Zwick P. & Zwick A. 2023. Revision of the African Neoperla Needham, 1905 (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlinae) based on morphological and molecular data. Zootaxa 5316 (1): 1–194. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5316.1.1

Published
2026-10-05
How to Cite
Wang, Y., Wang, G., Murányi, D., & Li, W. (2026). Two new species of the Neoperla (Formosita) lushana-group (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, supported by morphological and mitochondrial COI data. European Journal of Taxonomy, 1105(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1105.3337
Issue
Vol. 1105 (2026)
Section
Research article

Copyright (c) 2026 Yingying Wang, Guoquan Wang, Dávid Murányi, Weihai Li

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Copyright Notices

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are NOT PERMITTED to post their submitted work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on personal websites) prior to publication, as it may lead to nomenclatural issues.