Zootaxa 3796 (2): 349–360 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.7 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2809D03B-4E0C-4C10-8BF4-37539E5B1012 A new European species of Nevrorthus in the Iberian Peninsula (Insecta, Neuropterida) V. J. MONSERRAT1 & O. GAVIRA2 1Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología. Universidad Complutense. E-28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] 2Camino Castillejos 9, 1ºD. E-29010 Málaga, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract A new species of Nevrorthus (Insecta, Neuropterida: Nevrorthidae) has been found in the south of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Malaga): N. reconditus Monserrat & Gavira n. sp. This new species represents the first record of this genus and this family in the Westernmost Mediterranean basin. A key to the known species of this genus is provided. Key words: Neuroptera, Nevrorthidae, Western Mediterranean, Spain, Malaga Resumen Se describe una nueva especie de Nevrorthus (Insecta, Neuropterida: Nevrorthidae) del sur de la Península Ibérica (España, Málaga): N. reconditus Monserrat & Gavira n. sp. Esta nueva especie representa la primera cita de este género y de esta familia en el Mediterráneo más occidental. Se aporta una clave de las especies conocidas de este género. Introduction The family Nevrorthidae Nakahara, 1915 represents one of the most primitive, enigmatic and interesting families from the point of view of phylogeny within the order Neuroptera (Aspöck 1992, 2002; Aspöck et al. 1980, 2001; Aspöck & Aspöck 1994, 1999, 2007, 2008a, 2010; Haring & Aspöck 2004; Beutel et al. 2010; Liu et al. 2012), and is considered to be a real living fossil according to the criterion of Thenius (2000). The fossil records of Nevrorthidae (Map 1) begins in the Lower Cretaceous amber (c. 99–112 Ma) from Myanmar (Burma) with larvae thought to belong to this family (Grimaldi et al. 2002). In addition, several genera and species have been found in Baltic and Rovno (Ukraine) amber (Eocene-Oligocene, 34–55 Ma), and Saxonian amber (Lower Miocene, 22 Ma) from Bitterfeld (Germany), with 3 genera and 5 species described (Parfin & Gurney 1956; MacLeod 1970; Nel & Jarzembowski 1997; Jarzembowski 1980; Grimaldi 1996; Wichard & Weitschat 1996; Weitschat & Wichard 1998, 2002; Wichard et al. 2002, 2009, 2010; Grimaldi et al. 2002; Grimaldi & Engel 2005; Makarkin & Perkovsky 2009; Wichard et al. 2010; Liu et al. 2012, etc.). The family Nevrorthidae currently has a markedly fragmented and relict distribution, with species isolated from one another (Map 1). It includes 16 species belonging to four genera: Nevrorthus Costa, 1863 (central Mediterranean basin), Nipponeurorthus Nakahara, 1958 (east Asia), Austroneurorthus Nakahara, 1958 (southeastern Australia) and Sinoneurorthus Liu, Aspöck & Aspöck, 2012 (China) (Map 1) (Nakahara 1915, 1958; Kuwayama 1962; Monserrat 1977; Aspöck et al. 1977, 1978, 1980, 2001; Yang & Gao 2001; Aspöck & Aspöck 1983; Aspöck, 2004; Wichard et al. 2010; Liu et al. 2012). In the Mediterranean region, the genus Nevrorthus is represented by four species of the central Mediterranean basin: Nevrorthus fallax (Rambur, 1842) from Sardinia and Corsica, Nevrorthus iridipennis Costa, 1863 from the Accepted by B. price: 31 Mar. 2014; published: 19 May 2014 349 south of the Italian Peninsula and Sicily, Nevrorthus apatelios Aspöck, Aspöck & Hölzel, 1977 from the Balkan Peninsula to Slovenia, the southwest Bulgaria and Romania, and northeast of the Italian Peninsula, and Nevrorthus hannibal Aspöck & Aspöck, 1983 from Tunisia and Algeria (Plate 3, Map 1) (Rambur 1842; Costa 1863, 1871, 1884; Esben-Petersen 1913; Klapalek 1917; Pongrácz 1923; Kimmins 1930; Mosely 1932; Morton 1934; Navás 1935; Parfin & Gurney 1956; Zelený 1964, 1971; Principi 1966; Zwick 1967; Monserrat 1977; Aspöck et al. 1977, 1978, 1980, 2001; Tjeder 1979; Aspöck & Aspöck 1983, 1994, 1999, 2008b, 2013; Malicky 1984; Saure 1989; Popov 1990, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2002a,b; Letardi 1994; Pantaleoni 1994; Bernardi Iori et al. 1995; Aspöck & Hölzel 1996; Pantaleoni 1999; Letardi 2002; Grimaldi et al. 2002; Aspöck 2004; Monserrat 2005a; Letardi et al. 2006; Aspöck & Aspöck 2007; Sziráki 2008; Jones & Devetak 2009; Beutel et al. 2010; Nicoli Aldini et al. 2012, etc.). No Nevrorthus species has previously been described in the eastern and westernmost Mediterranean basin (Map 1). MAP 1. Known distribution of the family Nevrorthidae. (+): Fossil records. Adapted from Liu et al. 2012 and Aspöck & Aspöck 2007. In the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands (Majorca), there are known old records of this family listed as Neurorthus iridipennis Costa, 1863 (Sisyridae, Neurortinos) (sic) (Navás 1934, 1935). These records have given rise to several references to the assumed presence of this species or questioning its presence in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands (Lestage 1935; Parfin & Gurney 1956; Nakahara 1958; Principi 1966; Aspöck et al. 1978; Popov 1990; Oswald, 2013). With a review of these records and analysis of all the relevant material that has been preserved, Monserrat (1986, 1996, 2005a, b) concluded that these records were mistaken, and were assigned to the family Sisyridae (Sisyra iridipennis Costa, 1884), ruling out the presence of Nevrorthidae in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Nevertheless, several authors have questioned the absence of this family in the Iberian Peninsula, or noted that it would be expected to be present in this part of the westernmost Mediterranean basin (Aspöck 1992; Aspöck & Hölzel 1996; Aspöck & Aspöck 1983, 2007; Monserrat 1986; Monserrat & Triviño 2013). Recently, Gavira et al. (2012) presented the first confirmed record of the family Nevrorthidae in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain: Malaga, Sierra Alpujata), based on larval specimens (not identifiable, at the moment, at species level), and described in detail the habitat in which these larvae were found. Almost simultaneously, and based on the current distribution of this genus in the Mediterranean basin (Map 1), Monserrat & Triviño (2013) asserted that it was very likely that Nevrorthidae would be found in the Iberian Peninsula (or Balearic Islands), suggesting that it was only a matter of time and luck with sampling in clean and pristine environments where they might develop and maintain a stable relict population. As noted, it was not possible to assign the reported larval forms to any species, because the juvenile stages of the extant species are very poorly known, very similar to each other, and at the time there were insufficient data 350 · Zootaxa 3796 (2) © 2014 Magnolia Press MONSERRAT & GAVIRA (Takahashi 1942; Zwick 1967; New 1978, 1986; Malicky 1984; Wichard et al. 2002, 2010; Grimaldi & Engel 2005; Aspöck & Aspöck 2007; Beutel et al. 2010; Gavira et al. 2012). Data on or presumed to be assignable to fossil juvenile stages have been described or reported by Wichard & Weitschat (1996), Weitschat & Wichard (1998, 2002), Grimaldi et al. (2002), Grimaldi & Engel (2005) and Wichard et al. (2002, 2010), but at the present have not allowed species differentiation and identification. Materials and methods After the first finding of the reported larvae assignable to this family from the South of Spain (Malaga) (Gavira et al. 2012) intensive samplings were made in the area: 29 samplings from April to August 2012 and April to October 2013. Specifically, kick sampling was carried out with nets for aquatic macro-invertebrates to find new larvae. To capture the adults, the rivers and the streams were systematically sampled, sweeping and beating the riparian vegetation with entomological nets. Light traps (white and black fluorescent lamps and LEDs) were placed in the bushy riparian forests from evening to late at night. So far, three adult specimens (1 ♂, 2 ♀) and four larvae have been captured. On the basis of our analysis, we confirm that these specimens represent a new species and we present the following description thereof (Fig. 1–10, Map 2). Morphological terminology mainly follows Aspöck et al. (1980). Comparative specimens from other species were also studied to confirm the new species and are cited following the type material: Material examined: Type Series: Type: Spain, Malaga, Coín, Sierra Alpujata, Arroyo del Corcho, 30SUF35 (WGS84), 450 m, 13.V.2013, 1 ♂ captured with a light trap in perennial stream covered by bushy willow gallery forest, T. Herrera, P. Carrasco & O. Gavira leg. (VM). Paratypes: Imagoes Spain, Malaga, Coín, Sierra Alpujata, Arroyo del Manzano, 30SUF45 (ETRS89), 378 m, 27.IV.2013, 1 ♀ found floating on the water of an intermittent stream over peridotite, O. Gavira, S. Sánchez & S. Solís leg. (MNCNM). Spain, Malaga, Estepona, Río Padrón, 30SUF03 (WGS84), 146 m, 3.VI.2013, 1 ♀ found in spider web on Carex elata, O. Gavira & P. Carrasco leg. (VM). Spain, Malaga, Coín, Sierra Alpujata, Arroyo del Manzano, 30SUF45 (ETRS89), 382 m, 1.V.2013, one fore wing floating in a water sample from an intermittent stream over peridotite, O. Gavira, S. Sánchez, S. Solís, P. Carrasco, J. M. Hevilla, B. Briales & S. García leg. (VM). Larvae Spain, Malaga, Coín, Sierra Alpujata, Arroyo del Corcho, 30SUF35 (ETRS89), 428 m, 18.IV.2011, one larva in a perennial stream covered by bushy willow gallery forest, O. Gavira, S. Sánchez, P. Carrasco, J. Ripoll, S. Solís leg. (VM). Spain, Malaga, Coín, Sierra Alpujata, Arroyo del Corcho, 30SUF35 (ETRS89), 442 m, 23.IV.2012,