Mortoniella (Mortoniella) santiaga Sykora, 1999

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 : 90-91

Mortoniella (Mortoniella) santiaga Sykora, 1999

Mortoniella santiaga Sykora 1999: 383 [member of flinti subgroup]; Blahnik and Holzenthal 2008: 70 [member of bilineata group].

Unfortunately, the holotype of the species could not be located and thus was not available for direct comparison to M. acutiterga , n. sp. Apparent differences, based on the original description, include paramere appendages with several projections at midlength and a tergum X with flattened ventrolateral processes. This compares to a simple, narrow paramere appendage, without projections, and a tergum X with only narrow, almost spine-like, ventrolateral projections in M. acutiterga . We take these differences to indicate that the two are different species, although the overall similarities are otherwise extensive. The expanded, almost laciniate, apicolateral margin of the dorsal phallic spine, and arched, spine-like apices of tergum X are diagnostic characters for the species pair.

Distribution — Ecuador.

— tridens subgroup

Included species: Mortoniella tridens , n. sp., M. triramosa , n. sp.

The two species included here constitute a closely related species pair and are unusual in that the dorsal phallic spine is apparently 3-partite, deeply divided to form a mesal and 2 lateral projections. A similar character state seems to be indicated in the illustration of M. armata (Jacquemart) . The overall illustration of that species is so inadequate that it is difficult to make direct comparisons, but it does not seem to be closely related and we have speculatively placed it in the punensis subgroup (see for more extensive explanation). An unusual feature of the tridens subgroup is that the basal segment of the parameres is flattened and fused to the dorsal margin of the phallobase, appearing as a projecting, flattened lobe. This is connected to the lateral paramere appendage by an elongate membrane, such that the base of the paramere appendage emerges ventrally to the phallic ensemble, with the apical part strongly dorsally curved. A plausible explanation for the tripartite dorsal phallic spine is that the original paramere appendage structure was doubled, as in members of the argentinica subgroup, and the dorsolateral pair, along with the basal structure of the paramere, became fused with the dorsal phallic spine, producing the tripartite assemblage. On this basis, we speculate that the two groups may be related, with M. esrossi , n. sp. (in the esrossi subgroup) as a possible connecting species (which see for a more complete explanation). Like most members of the argentinica subgroup, the ventral process of the species in the tridens subgroup is large, subtriangular, and ventrally projected, thus resembling species in the leroda group. It seems likely that both of these subgroups are related to that lineage. Unlike species in the argentinica subgroup, the inferior appendages of species in the tridens subgroup are very strongly fused to the phallicata, forming a short setose ventromesal projection, and lack narrow, reflexed dorsolateral lobes. Additionally, the spine-like projections from the mesal pockets of the inferior appendages are not nearly so elongate.