Habrophlebia dakkii El Alami, Sartori & Vuataz, 2023

Figs 9C–D, 12C

Material examined (not type material). 1 nymph in ethanol (GBIFCH01123077), 2 nymphs on slide (GBIFCH01118417 – GBIFCH01314688) MOROCCO, Tetouan Province, oued Assemlil, 5°15'33''N, 5°25'58''W, 1068 m,, 20.VI.2022, S El Yaagoubi leg.; 9 nymphs in ethanol GBIFCH01123078), 2 nymphs on slide (GBIFCH01550986 – GBIFCH01550987), Tetouan Province, oued Hamma, 35°23'23''N, 5°29'58''W, 200 m., 24.IV.2024, S. El Yaagoubi, Y. El Kourchi & M. Sartori leg.; 19 nymphs in ethanol (GBIFCH01123079), 1 nymph on slide (GBIFCH01550993), Tetouan Province, oued Taida, 35°22'06''N, 5°32'15''W, 510 m., 24.IV.2024, S. El Yaagoubi, Y. El Kourchi & M. Sartori leg.; 9 nymphs in ethanol (GBIFCH01123080), 1 nymph on slide (GBIFCH01550997), Tetouan Province, oued Tisgris, 35°22'05''N, 5°32'04''W, 500 m., 24.IV.2024, S. El Yaagoubi, Y. El Kourchi & M. Sartori leg. (all MZL).

Additions to the egg description

In the original description, only a light microscope picture was presented (Fig. 9C and El Alami et al. 2023, fig. 8). The real structure of the egg, revealed by SEM (Fig. 9D), shows that the chorion is not “regularly decorated by numerous and small granulations”, but by a dense mesh of adhesive layer, leaving only small “holes”, which were interpreted under light microscopy as “granulations”.

Morphologically intermediate forms

Based on five key diagnostic characters (number and size of denticles on claw; shape and size of posterior spines on abdominal segment VII; shape and size of bristles on hind tibia; number of filaments on upper and lower lamellae of gills II– VI; egg chorionic structure), an important proportion of the examined specimens from the Rif region presented intermediate morphological characteristics between Habrophlebia dakkii and H. abietis sp. nov., then H. dakkii and H. linae sp. nov., as well as H. abietis sp. nov. and H. linae sp. nov. (Fig. 13).