Helicopsyche (Petrotrichia) sahadika, Johanson, Kjell Arne & Oláh, János, 2006

Johanson, Kjell Arne & Oláh, János, 2006, Eleven new species of Sericostomatoidea from Madagascar (Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae, Petrothrincidae, Sericostomatidae), Zootaxa 1205, pp. 1-30 : 6-8

Helicopsyche (Petrotrichia) sahadika , new species

Figs 7–11 , 58

This new species is close to ninakhosa, new species, sharing the character states of fused pronotal setal warts, and reduced ventral part of segment IX. However, males are easily distinguished from ninakhosa by the absence of a prominently modified ventral branch of the gonocoxite, segment IX more rounded, Xth tergum longer, gonocoxites apically bent ventrally and having a long, curved basal branch.

Male head and thorax ( Fig. 7 ): Scape about 3.5x as long as wide, nearly 1.5x longer than eye diameter. Maxillary palp ( Fig. 7 ) 2­segmented, uniformly broad, 2nd segment slightly longer than first. Interantennal warts separate from each other. Cephalic setal warts small, rounded triangular. Postantennal setal warts small, flat, rounded. Postocular setal warts not conspicuous. Pronotum with broad setal warts completely fused medially to form a long, transverse wart. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum each with one pair setal warts.

Male wings ( Fig. 8 ): Forewing length 3 mm, hind wing length 2.6 mm. Denuded wing membrane pale flavous with pale helvus veins. In forewing R5 originating distad of crossvein R3­R4. M and Cu separate; a longitudinal groove with sensilla. Discoidal cell long, about 1/ 4x the wing length. Abdominal reticulation absent. VIth sternal process well developed.

Male abdomen and genitalia ( Figs 9–11 ): Segment IX strongly modified: extremely narrow, with club­shaped, anterior lobe located at dorsalmost part; the lateral and ventral regions reduced to narrow bands. Superior appendages finger­like, downwardly directed in lateral ( Fig. 9 ), and slightly divergent in dorsal, aspects ( Fig. 10 ). Tergum X forms a pair of sigmoid elongate processes, tapering along its length; narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 10 ); wide in lateral view ( Fig. 9 ), apex bifid and dorsally directed. Gonocoxite forms a complex of narrow strips, the distal end armed with a strong and elongate subapical spine ( Figs 9, 11 ); apex of primary branch angled 90°, ventral branch oriented ventrally and divided into anterior and posterior lobes ( Fig. 9 ). A pair of very long, slender basal branches of gonocoxite oriented dorsally at basis, curve posteriorly and slightly ventrally near apex, with distal 1/3. annulate. Phallus about as long as basal branch of gonocoxite, forming a wide tube, with undulating dorsal and ventral margins ( Fig. 9 ), subapical flank well sclerotized and, in lateral aspect, ending in a downwardly curving hook ( Fig. 9 ).

Etymology. “ sahadika ”, from Sanscrit, meaning frame, referring to the unique framework of the narrow strip complex of the gonocoxite.

Holotype male: MADAGASCAR: Demongloy, Mananteina Fort, Dauphin District, xii. 1948 [Hoogstraal] (MNHN, in alcohol).

Figures

FIGURE 58. Map of Madagascar showing distributions of Helicopsyche spp. (Helicopsychidae): H. ambodiva (circle); H. ninakosha and H. sahadika (rectangle); H. giboni (diamond); and H. anomana (triangle).

FIGURES 7 – 11. Helicopsyche (Petrotrichia) sahadika, new species, holotype. 7 — head and thorax, dorsal; 8 — right wing pair; 9 — genitalia, lateral; 10 — genitalia, dorsal; 11 — genitalia, ventral.