Polyplectropus profaupar Holzenthal & Almeida

Chamorro, Maria Lourdes & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2010, 2582, Zootaxa 2582, pp. 1-252 : 71-73

Polyplectropus profaupar Holzenthal & Almeida

Figs. 34, 141

Polyplectropus profaupar Holzenthal & Almeida, 2003: 26 . [Type locality: Brazil, Santa Catarina, Urubici Morro da Igreja, Cachoeira Veu da Noiva ; MZUSP; male.]

This species is most similar to P. matatlanticus , new species, in the shapes of the inferior and preanal appendages. Polyplectropus profaupar can be distinguished from P. matatlanticus by the presence of 2 stout, apically spiny, and elongate endothecal phallic spines that do not project laterad when the endotheca is everted (small and apically setose in P. matatlanticus ), by the presence of a lateral row of spinules on the dorsolateral process of the preanal appendage, and by differences in the shapes of the mesoventral process of the preanal appendage and intermediate appendage. Polyplectropus amazonicus also bears a row of spinules on the dorsolateral process of the preanal appendage, however this species has a very distinct, apically broadened dorsal phallic sclerite.

Adult. Length of forewing 5.5–7 mm, n = 11. Color of head and thorax yellowish-brown, legs yellow; setae on body brown with clusters of grey setae on apex of head; setae on wings brown with scattered patches of golden setae.

Male genitalia. Sternum IX in lateral view deltoid, anterior margin entire, posterior margin sinuate; in ventral view rectangular, anterior margin concave, posterior margin convex. Tergum X membranous, oblong, bearing dorsal microsetae; lower lip of tergum X membranous, smooth, without dorsal microsetae, digitate; in dorsal view bilobed; in caudal view produced dorsad of phallocrypt. Intermediate appendage not longer than inferior appendage, digitate, with a pair of long apical setae; in dorsal view digitate, apex narrowing laterad; in caudal view digitate, directed posterolaterad. Preanal appendage tripartite; dorsolateral process elongate, originating from dorsum of mesolateral process, recurved posterad, tapering mesally into acute apex, medially with row of short lateral spinules; mesolateral process setose; in dorsal view obovate, in lateral view deltoid; mesoventral process setose; in lateral view hook-like, dorsally produced into digitate lobe, with ventraddirected sclerotized apex, ventral margin concave, posterior margin slightly angled; in caudal view processes separated with dorsal digitate lobe, ventral margin of process acute. Inferior appendage bipartite with anterior basal plate not extending anterad beyond sternum IX when observed in lateral view and anteriorly bilobed; dorsal branch setose, in lateral view oblong; in ventral view broad, lateral margin subapically produced, entire, posterior margin subacute, mesal margin entire, subapically expanded, becoming concave, expanding posterad into ventral branch; ventral branch setose, short, bearing acute, basal projection, in lateral view digitate, narrowing posterad; in ventral view digitate, posteromesal margin angled, gradually converging mesally. Phallus long; dorsal phallic sclerite in lateral view sinuate, apex oblong; apex of dorsal phallic sclerite in dorsal view emarginate; endothecal membrane with 2 stout, elongate, sclerotized spines, bearing small, subapical and apical spinules.

Female genitalia. Similar to females of P. alatespinus .

Material Examined. Paratypes: BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: Urubici: Morro da Igreja, Cachoeira Veu da Noiva , 28°04'36"S, 49°31'05"W, 1300 m, 5.iii.1998, Holzenthal, Froehlich & Paprocki — 2 males, 9 females ( UMSP) .

Distribution. Brazil.

Remarks. A female paratype with the same label data as above was removed from the paratype series and identified as a female of the hydropsychid genus Smicridea .