Mortoniella falcicula, Blahnik & Holzenthal, 2008

Blahnik, Roger J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2008, Revision of the Mexican and Central American species of Mortoniella (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae), Zootaxa 1711 (1), pp. 1-72 : 24-27

Mortoniella falcicula , new species

Fig. 10

Mortoniella falcicula is a distinctive species, easily distinguished by the unique development of the inferior

appendage, which has the apicolateral projections abruptly dorsally curved and very narrow and sickle-like. Its overall morphology relates it to the group of species discussed under M. carinula .

Adult. Length of forewing: male 3.3–3.9 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III, hind wing with forks II and III. Overall color (in alcohol) medium brown. Wing bar at anastamosis not evident, crossveins pale. Ven-

tral process of abdominal segment VI (male) short, ventrally oriented, subtriangular, subacute apically, not constricted basally.

Male genitalia. Segment IX nearly evenly rounded anterolaterally, length greatest midlaterally, posterolateral margin forming rounded projection in dorsal half, narrowing ventrally; segment deeply mesally excised dorsally and ventrally, dorsal excision narrow, much less than half width of segment. Tergum X with evenly rounded mesal excision, or with slight, suggestive, mesal projection, and projecting lateral lobes, lateral lobes with apices narrowed, subacute, mesally curved. Inferior appendage without apicomesal projection, apicolateral projections elongate, narrow, nearly uniform in width, strongly curved, abruptly dorsally projecting from base, ventrally decurved apically, apex acute; basolaterally, with margin nearly straight, without distinctly projecting process on each side; mesal pockets of inferior appendage with apical processes short, dorsally curved. Paramere appendages elongate, narrow, nearly uniform in width, apices acute. Dorsal phallic spine distinctly sinuous in lateral view, apex posteriorly projecting; as viewed dorsally, with apex subacute. Phallicata relatively wide, weakly curved, dorsally with elongate, broadly rounded projections on either side, only slightly dorsally projecting, laterally with weakly developed, rounded, dorsoventrally explanate projections. Endophallic membrane with single prominent, stout, curved spine.

Holotype male: MEXICO: Oaxaca: Puente Angel, Rt. 175, 1420 m, 22.x.1982, J. Bueno-Soria ( UMSP000107380 ) (alcohol) ( IBUNAM).

Paratypes: MEXICO: Oaxaca: same locality and date as holotype, 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) .

Etymology. This species is named falcicula , after the Latin falcis, a sickle or scythe, in reference to the sickle-like apicolateral projections of the inferior appendage of the male.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Mortoniella falcicula, new species. Male genitalia: A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C— phallic ensemble, ventral; D—dorsal phallic spine, dorsal.