Mortoniella (Mortoniella) sinuosa, Blahnik & Holzenthal, 2017

Blahnik, Roger J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2017, Revision of the northern South American species of Mortoniella Ulmer 1906 (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae) *, Insecta Mundi 2017 (602), pp. 1-251 : 77-78

Mortoniella (Mortoniella) sinuosa , new species

Fig. 62

Mexitrichia n. sp. 8: Flint 1996: 383.

This is another distinctive and easily diagnosed species and does not seem to be closely related to the other species of the subgroup. Diagnostic characters include the very elongate, sinuous, ventral projections of the inferior appendages, the spine-like projections from the dorsal margin of the phallicata, and the paired endophallic spines. We have provisionally placed the species in the punensis subgroup, largely because of the spine-like projections from the dorsal margin of the phallicata, but the paramere appendages are very short, and thus do not cross over one another. Other characters, particularly the paired endophallic spines and unmodified apex of the dorsal phallic spine, are also unusual for members of the punensis subgroup.

Adult —Length of forewing: male 4.3-4.7 mm; female 4.5-5.1 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III present, hind wing with forks II and III. Spur formula 0:4:4. Overall color dark brown, apices of tarsal segments whitish or pale brown. Tibial spurs slightly darker than legs, not greatly contrasting in color. Wing bar at anastamosis indistinct, marked with light brown setae, most evident at arculus.

Male genitalia —Ventral process of segment VI very large, laterally compressed, subtriangular, ventrally projecting, length about equal to width at base, process not retracted anterobasally. Segment IX nearly evenly rounded anterolaterally, length greatest midlaterally, posterolateral margin somewhat rounded, narrowing ventrally; segment deeply mesally excised dorsally and ventrally, forming lateral lobes, separated dorsomesally by much less than ½ width of segment. Tergum X short to moderate in length, lateral margins subparallel, apicomesal margin with broad U-shaped invagination, extending nearly ½ length of segment; apicolateral lobes formed by mesal invagination, apices distinctly sclerotized, narrow, subtruncate; apex, as viewed laterally, truncate, with tiny acute projection from ventral margin; ventrolateral lobes nearly obsolete. Inferior appendages with short dorsolateral projections and very elongate, narrow, sinuous, ventral projections. Mesal pockets of inferior appendage with spine-like apical processes very short, posteriorly projected. Paramere appendage very short, spine-like, tapering from base, apex acute. Dorsal phallic spine relatively narrow throughout, without distinct ventral projection, apical ½ narrow, attenuate, gradually dorsally curved; as viewed dorsally, relatively narrow throughout, apex acute. Phallicata with pair of posterolaterally curved, horn-like projections from dorsal margin; basoventral margin of phallicata with short, apically rounded, posteriorly projecting, lobe. Endophallic membrane relatively short, rounded, with pair of prominent, dorsolaterally curved, spines from ventral margin, apparently subtending apical projections of inferior appendages; phallotremal spines absent.

Holotype male (pinned)— BOLIVIA: La Paz: PN and ANMI Cotapata, Estación Biol. Turquini, Quebrada El Padríni, 16.20322° S, 67.84487° W, el 1343 m, 6-7.xii.2004, Robertson and Valdivia ( UMSP000094220 ) ( UASC).

Paratypes — BOLIVIA: La Paz: same data as holotype– 4 females (pinned), 1 male, 1 female (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; PERU: Cuzco: Paucartambo, Quita Calzon , ca. 30 km NW Pilcopata, km 164, 13.15000° S, 71.36667° W, 1030 m, 1-2.ix.1989, N Adams, et al.– 8 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Paucartambo, Quita Calzon, ca. 30 km NW Pilcopata, km 164, streamlet 50 m E Quita Calzon , 13.15000° S, 71.36667° W, 1030 m, 2.ix.1989, N Adams, et al.– 1 male, 3 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Paucartambo to Pilcopata rd., Quebrada Quitacalón at Puente Quitacalzón , 13.02617° S, 71.49950° W, el 1050 m, 25-27.vi.1993, R Blahnik & M Pescador – 1 male, 6 females (pinned) ( NMNH) .

Etymology —This species is named M. sinuosa for the elongate sinuous ventral projections from the inferior appendages, which is a distinctive characteristic for this species.

— leroda group taxa, unplaced to subgroup

The following species may have their closest relationships to the limona, pocita, or punensis subgroups, but the character evidence for allying them with those subgroups (or with one another)

was too weak to be anything more than speculative. Despite this, the majority of the species grouped here do share some character similarities, which might be indicative of their relationship. All of the taxa, except M. pica , n. sp. have only fork II present in the hind wing. Within the region covered, this character state is otherwise found only in species of the atenuata subgroup and in two species placed in the punensis subgroup. Similar reduced hind wing venation also occurs in the albolineata and pumila subgroups from southeastern Brazil. An additional character similarity is that, females of all of the species, except M. applanata and M. pica (for which no female was associated), have well developed pheremonal sacks on both segments VI and VII. The character state was not observed in any other taxa in the leroda group, for which the most common state is for sacks to be present on only segment VI. It does, however, characterize at least some species in the bilineata group. Possibly it reflects a plesiomorphic state for the taxa grouped here; it could also represent a character reversal, since very minute and vestigial sacks are present on segment VII of various other subgroups of the leroda group. Of the species placed here, only M. rectiflexa has dorsolateral projections on the phallicata (as in the punensis subgroup). Three of the species, M. biramosa , M. membranacea , and M. rectiflexa have elongate projections from the mesal pockets of the inferior appendages, an unusual character for leroda group tax (inferred to be plesiomorphic, but possibly a character reversal for these taxa). In its unusual combination of characters, each of the taxa placed here is unique and interesting in its own way.

Figures

Figure 62. Mortoniella (Mortoniella) sinuosa, new species, male genitalia. A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C—phallic ensemble, ventral; D—dorsal phallic spine, dorsal; E—ventral process of segment VI, lateral.