Ceraclea limnetes Rasmussen and Harris

Rasmussen, Andrew K., Harris, Steven C. & Denson, Dana R., 2008, Two new species of Leptoceridae (Trichoptera) from Florida, USA, Zootaxa 1779, pp. 55-64 : 61-64

Ceraclea limnetes Rasmussen and Harris , new species

Figs. 4–5

The male of Ceraclea limnetes n. sp. can be distinguished from other North American members of the C. fulva Group by the following combination of characters: inferior appendages with short basoventral lobe, inferior appendages without elongate spine on mesal face; phallic parameres very short; and phallobase with short ventral apex. Based on the short phallic parameres, the new species appears to be most closely related to C. cama (Flint) from North Carolina and two widespread European species, C. albimacula (Rambur) , and C. fulva (Rambur) . Unlike C. cama , the phallus of the new species lacks an elongate ventral lip of the phallobase, a character that was used in Morse (1975) to separate C. cama from the remainder of the C. fulva Group species. The female of C. limnetes n. sp. will run to the couplet of C. alces (Ross) / C resurgens (Walker) in the key presented in Carnagey and Morse (2006), with closest similarity to C. resurgens . It differs from C. resurgens in the setose lamellae, in the spermathecal sclerite truncated at the caudal end, and the posterior bridge entire. The female of C. cama is unknown, but likely resembles C. limnetes n. sp. based on similarities of the males.

Adult. Body length male 10–12 mm, female 9–11 mm. In alcohol, light brown over much of body, including head, wings, legs, and abdominal sclerites. Setal warts of head and thorax darkened, covered primarily with white hairs. Mesoscutum with darkened medial area, yellowish-brown laterally. Sides of thorax brown. Wings light brown with no discernable pattern in alcohol, except for slightly darkened stigmata of forewings. Subcostal vein of forewing slightly thickened, covered with short brown hairs.

Male. Genitalia as in Fig. 4 . Segment IX in lateral view narrow, excised mesally, ventrally with mesal tuft of long setae, dorsally with mesal knob, superior appendages triangular laterally, widely lobate dorsally. Segment X in lateral view, ventral margin broadly rounded, upturned apically, subapically with short projection; in dorsal and caudal view divided apically into pair of elongate lobes, mesally with pair of short triangular processes, lobate distal lobes and mesal processes vary in length, thickness, and distance apart. In some specimens mesal processes more rounded than triangular. Inferior appendages in lateral view rectangular basally, lacking prominent basoventral lobe armed with strong spines, bearing long setae posteriorly, subapical dorsal lobes bent caudad with rounded lobate apex, in caudal view harpago long with subapical triangular projection, inner surface of inferior appendages concave without large spine, only small setae and one slightly longer seta sometimes present. Phallus with narrow phallobase, phallic parameres short, each about same length as phallobase, slightly sclerotized folds ventrally, largely membranous distally, except for phallotremal sclerite.

Female. Genitalia as in Fig. 5 . Segment IX rectangular in lateral view, small knob-like sclerotic bulge narrowing distally, preanal appendage barely projecting posteriorly, series of sclerotized ridges midway between preanal appendages and longitudinal striations, lamellae truncate; in dorsal view sclerotized ridge posterolaterally, sclerotic bulge truncate distally, slightly incised mesally, preanal appendages flap-like, lamellae only slightly longer than wide, thin internal sclerotized bands; ventrally gonopod plates narrowly separated mesally, longitudinal striations posterolaterally, lacking a median plate, lamellae thin and triangular in appearance, spermathecal sclerite with semi-membranous sacs ventrally, prominent lateral projections, deltoid sclerite elongate, wide collar-shaped posteroventral bridge.

Holotype male ( NMNH). Florida: Leon County: Lofton Ponds, Apalachicola National Forest, at Sam Allen Road, off Springhill Road, SW of Tallahassee, N30o21’40”, W84o23’25”, 22 February 2006, D.R. Denson.

Paratypes: Same data as holotype, 17 males, 2 females ( NMNH), 17 males, 2 females ( UMSP), 17 males, 2 females ( CUAC), 17 males, 2 females ( FAMU); same except, 4 February 2008, D.R. Denson, A.K. Rasmussen, 39 males, 7 females ( FAMU); Clear Lake, Apalachicola National Forest at Forest Road 307, N30o20’57”, W84o24’45”, 4 February 2008, D.R. Denson, A.K. Rasmussen, 68 males, 10 females ( FAMU).

Etymology. Greek, “lake dweller”, referring to this species occurrence in small natural lakes.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Ceraclea limnetes, new species. Male genitalia: A, lateral; B, dorsal; C, inferior appendages, caudal; D, tenth abdominal segment, caudoventral; E, phallus, lateral. Abbreviations: har. = harpago; inf. = inferior appendage; par. = paramere; phb. = phallobase; phs. = phallotremal sclerite; sub. = subapico-dorsal lobe; sup. = superior appendage.

FIGURE 5. Ceraclea limnetes, new species. Female genitalia: A, lateral; B, dorsal; C, ventral; D, spermathecal sclerite, ventral. Abbreviations: d. sc. = deltoid sclerite; gon. = gonopod plate; lam. = lamella; l. a. = lateral arm; l. st. = longitudinal striation; p. br. = posterior bridge; pre. = preanal appendage; sc. b. = sclerotic bulge.