Oecetis spicata, Wells, 2004

Wells, Alice, 2004, The long-horned caddisfly genus Oecetis (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) in Australia: two new species groups and 17 new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61 (1), pp. 85-110 : 97-98

Oecetis spicata sp. nov.

Figures 47–49, 116.

Material examined. Holotype, male, Gunshot Creek at Telegraph Crossing, 11°42.9’S 142°20.0’E, 14–15 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( ANIC).

Paratypes, Qld : males , 5 females, Palmer River , 20 Jun 1971, E.F. Riek ( ANIC: WTH-1390) ; 21 males, Laura , Cape York Peninsula, 15°33.9'S 144°27.1'E, 7 Oct 1979, M.S. and B.J. Moulds ( NMV) ; 1 male, Qld , Seary’s Creek, Rainbow Beach, 25°52'S 153°04'E, 6 Dec 984, G. Theischinger ( NMV) ; 1 male, Bertie Creek , 1 km SE Heathlands HS, 11°49.9'S 142°29.0'E, 5 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( QM) ; 6 females, Tributary of Bertie Creek , 250 m SW Heathlands HS, 11°45'S 142°35'E, 11 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( QM) ; 1 male, Cape York Peninsula , Heathlands, Bertie Creek, 11°49.9'S 142°29.0'E, 23 Mar 1993, M. Crossland ( ANIC) .

Other material. Qld : male, Mossman, 12 Jun 1971, E.F. Riek ( ANIC) ; males, females, Palmer River , 20 Jun 1971, E.F. Riek ( ANIC) ; male, Peach Creek Crossing, 25 km NNE of Coen, 4–5 Jul 1976, G.B. and S.R. Monteith ( ANIC) ; male, Cockatoo Creek Crossing, 17 km NW Heathlands, 11°39'S 142°27'E, 25.vii– 19 Aug 1992, P. Zborowski, J.C. Cardale, open forest, Malaise #5 ( ANIC) ; male, Cape York Peninsula , Heathlands, Bertie Creek, 23 Mar 1993, M. Crossland ( ANIC) . NT: 1 male, South Alligator River , UDP Falls [Gunlom], 13°24.9'S 132°26.0'E, 7 Sep 1974, J. Blyth ( NTM) ; 3 males, South Alligator River , UDP Falls [Gunlom], 13°24.9'S 132°26.0'E, 18–19 Jul 1980, M.B. Malipatil ( NTM) ; 2 males, ARRS, South Alligator River , at Gimbat OSS Stn, 13°34.3'S 132°36.7'E, 28 Apr 1988, P. Dostine ( NTM) ; male, ARRS, 5 km W South Alligator River OSS Stn , 19 Apr 1988, Wells and Suter, 13°33'S 132°34'E ( NMV) ; male, Litchfield NP, Walker Creek , 18–19 Apr 1992, Wells ( NTM) . WA: 2 males, 2 females, Bell Gorge , Melaleuca Hole, 17°01'S 125°14'E, I. Edwards ( NMV) .

Diagnosis. Male genitalia, in ventral view, with inferior appendages broad-based, slightly produced apicomedially, lateral lobes almost twice basal section, and tergite X a simple, broad membranous plate with acute apicolateral angles.

Description. Spurs 1, 2, 2. Forewing length 4.5–5.1 mm. Wings of typical slender shape, neuration variable with forewing fork 1 with a short footstalk (N Qld forms) or sessile (NT form), t1 slightly more distal than t3 (N Qld) or both t1 and t3 well distal of t2; wing membrane dark along cross veins of posterior anastomosis. Male genitalia, Figs 47–49. Segment IX narrow, preanal appendages short, broad-based, rounded apically. Segment X broad at base and apex, a wide apicomesal concavity resulting in acute apicolateral processes. Inferior appendages in ventral view broad-based, extending apico laterally as stout short lobes, in lateral view more or less straight but with a basi-ventral notch. Phallus strongly arched in lateral view.

Distribution. South-eastern and northern Qld, northern NT and northern WA (Fig. 116).

Remarks. The forewing venation of O. spicata varies from footstalk short on forewing fork 1 (N Qld form) to having fork 1 sessile (NT form), and crossveins of the posterior anasto-mosis varied, as indicated above. However, the males from NE Queensland, N Northern Territory and NW Western Australia show such close similarities in genitalic structures that, tentatively, the differing position of the fork on the forewing is considered simply to be variation within a local population.

Etymology. From Latin spica — point, for the apicolateral processes on segment X.