Trichadenotecnum desolatum

Yoshizawa, Kazunori, Aldrete, Alfonso Neri García & Mockford, Edward L., 2008, Systematics and biogeography of the New World species of Trichadenotecnum Enderlein (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’: Psocidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153 (4), pp. 651-723 : 662

THE DESOLATUM GROUP

Diagnosis: Forewing ( Fig. 5 ) extensively covered with small spots to various degrees (sparse to dense), proximal band narrow and sometimes indistinct, submarginal spots not apparent; Rs fork obtuse; 3rd section of CuA more or less arched. Male terminalia. Eighth venter ( Fig. 6C ) with large transversal sclerite separated from hypandrium. Clunial process ( Fig. 6A ) developed but weekly sclerotized and never forming free process apically, variable in shape. Epiproct ( Fig. 6A, B ) chair-shaped, epiproct lobe long, much longer than wide, gradually narrowing to truncate dorsal margin, protruded over clunium. Paraproctal distal process ( Fig. 6A ) long, directed upwards. Hypandrium ( Fig. 6C ) asymmetrical, with narrow longitudinal membranous or weakly sclerotized region anterior to median tongue socket; left process conical, variable in size; right process distinct, variable in shape and size. Median tongue arising from anterior part of hypandrium, much longer than wide. Phallosome ( Fig. 6D ) with broad pseudoparameres. Female genitalia. Intraspecific variation of gonapophyses not significant ( Fig. 7B ). Ventral valve of gonapophyses long; posterior lobe of external valve not strongly projected. Internal plate ( Fig. 7C ) symmetrical or asymmetrical; spermathecal opening surrounded by egg-shaped strongly pigmented sclerite; anterior region almost unpigmented except for weakly pigmented anterior margin.

Remarks: Some species recognized below show considerable variation in some characters such as body size, eye size, wing markings and genital structures. Such variations sometimes exceed the morphological gap between species observed in other species groups (e.g. the medium group of eastern Asia: Yoshizawa, 2001). However, each species recognized below can be morphologically united by some features (as indicated in the Key to Species and species diagnoses), and thus we recognize such morphological groups as distinct species, although some species recognized below may actually include more than one biological species.

In contrast, some specimens examined in this study and recognized as members of the desolatum group are morphologically highly variable in many features and cannot be united morphologically ( Fig. 16 ). Therefore, those specimens probably consist of more than one species. However, such variations are more or less continuous and decision on species boundaries is presently impossible. Therefore, we postpone classifying them as distinct species. To clarify their species boundaries, examination of more specimens, exact understanding of distributional ranges and probably molecular-based analyses are needed.

Figures

Figure 5. Forewings of Trichadenotecnum desolatum (A), T. acutolingum (B), T. magnolingum (C), T. longilingum (D), T. carinatum (E), T. tuitense (F), T. sparsum (G) and T. latipenne (H).

Figure 6. Male terminalia structures of Trichadenotecnum desolatum, showing terminalia in lateral view (A), epiproct in posterior view (B), hypandrium in ventral view (C) and phallosome in ventral view (D).

Figure 7. Female genitalia of Trichadenotecnum desolatum, showing subgenital plate (A), gonapophyses (B) and internal plate (C) in ventral view.

Figure 16. Hypandrium (left) and epiproct (right) of some unidentified specimens of the desolatum group: Trichadenotecnum sp. 32 (A), T. sp. 35 (B) and T. sp. 3 (C).