Austrotinodes

Cartwright, David I., 2009, Austrotinodes Schmid, a South and Central American caddisfly genus, newly recorded in Australia, with the description of new species (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae), Zootaxa 2142 (1), pp. 1-19 : 3-4

Genus Austrotinodes s. str. Schmid, 1955: 132

Type species. Austrotinodes latior Schmid, 1955 by monotypy, from Chile .

Diagnosis. Key characters of the genus are forewing with cross-vein m, r-m and m distinctively contiguous at fork 3; head occipital warts aligned longitudinally; female genitalia usually with a pair of large triangular or irregular-shaped lobes on sternite VIII and segments IX and X have scattered pairs of ‘spiny-hairs’; male genitalia is variable but species can be placed in three groups; larva with head elongate with a conspicuous ridge laterally along length of head; fore-trochantin blade shaped.

Description. (Modified after Schmid 1955; Flint 1973). Medium to large sized adults; head with occipital warts aligned longitudinally, head dorsally with central area of setal warts extending posteriorly beyond anterior margin of posterior pair of occipital warts to posterior of head; scutellum with oval scutal wart ( Fig. 15 ). Forewing length about 2.7–3.4 times width: male 4.1–6.3 mm, female 4.6–6.0 mm. Forewing R1 divided distally, forks 2, 3, 4 and 5 present, forks 2 and 3 relatively long; fork 2 nygma absent, footstalk variable, usually relatively short, length between 0.3–2.3 times length cross-vein r-m, length fork about 0.9–1.4 times length fork 3; fork 3 longer than footstalk, length fork between 1.4–3.8 times length footstalk, footstalk length between 1.5–3.0 times length cross-vein m, r-m and m distinctively contiguous at fork 3; fork 4 similar length to fork 3; fork 5 long, length about 1.6 times length of fork 4; discoidal cell closed, length about 2.5 times width; thyridial cell with cross-vein at or basal to conjoin of forks 3 and 4. Hindwing length about 2.7–3.3 times width, forks 2, 3 and fork 5 present; fork 2 sometimes sessile or with footstalk usually short but variable in length, footstalk length ranges from 0 (fork 2 sessile) to 3 times length cross-vein r-m; humeral lobe not developed, discoidal cell closed and narrow, length about 3–4 times width, three relatively straight anal veins present ( Figs 4 , 14 ; Schmid 1955, plate 3, fig. 3). Male genitalia is variable but Australian species fall into three groups with inferior appendages single or fused, fused basally or paired and superior appendages with or without basal processes, forked or with long or short baso-ventral process. Female genitalia with a pair of large triangular or irregular-shaped lobes or processes on sternite VIII; segment IX is relatively very long, tapered slightly distally; segment X is very short and segments IX and X have scattered pairs of ‘spiny-hairs’ ( Figs 37–40 ). Larva with head, nota and forelegs orange brown, abdomen whitish; head elongate with a conspicuous ridge laterally along length of head; fore-trochantin blade shaped.

The genus Austrotinodes is now recorded from Australia and was previously described from central and southern America. Eleven new species have been collected from eastern mainland Australia (north-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria). Relatively few specimens have been collected of most species .

The Australian group shows close similarities with some Chilean-Argentinian species, including the type species, A. latior Schmid 1955 . A total of 38 species of Austrotinodes have been described from Texas ( USA), central and South America ( Morse 1999).

Figures

FIGURES 8–15. Austrotinodes spp. 8–10: Austrotinodes bifurcatus sp. nov. male genitalia in lateral, ventral and dorsal views. 11–13: Austrotinodes theischingeri sp. nov. male genitalia in lateral, ventral and dorsal views. 14–15: Austrotinodes yalga sp. nov. 14: Forewing and hindwing. 15: Head and thorax, dorsal view.

FIGURES 1–7. Austrotinodes spp. 1–3: Austrotinodes doota sp. nov. male genitalia in lateral, ventral and dorsal views. 4–7: Austrotinodes varus sp. nov. 4: Wings, section of forewing and hindwing. 5–7: Male genitalia in lateral, ventral and dorsal views. i.a., inferior appendage(s); p.g., phallic guide; pha., phallus; s.a., superior appendage.

FIGURES 37–40. Austrotinodes spp. Female genitalia in ventral view. 37: Austrotinodes varus sp. nov. 38: Austrotinodes mubar sp. nov. 39: Austrotinodes yalga sp. nov. 40: Austrotinodes pandus sp. nov.