Orthotrichia pethericki, Wells, Alice & Dostine, Peter, 2016

Wells, Alice & Dostine, Peter, 2016, New and newly recorded micro-caddisfly species (Insecta: Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from Australia’s north, including islands of Torres Strait, Zootaxa 4127 (3), pp. 591-600 : 597

Orthotrichia pethericki sp. nov.

Figures 14, 15

Diagnosis. A member of the Orthotrichia gracilis Group of species, having a pair of stout black setae apicodorsally on abdominal segment VIII, this species most closely resembles O. exigua Wells described from the northwest of Western Australia and distributed across northern Australia to Cape York. It is distinguished from that species by the strongly asymmetrical dorsal process being more elaborately exaggerated, and on the right side produced dorsad into a stout, twisted and hooked sharp spine.

Description. Male. Length of each forewing 1.5–1.6 mm (n = 2). Antennae each with 21 antennomeres. Genitalia as in Figs 14, 15 . Abdominal segment VIII bearing pair of stout, elongate black spines well-separated on postero-dorsal margin; segment IX quadrate in ventral view; dorsal plate broad, membranous, its apical margin shallowly cleft apico-mesally; paramere short, slender, spiny; gonopods heavily sclerotised, elongate, tapered towards apices, length about 2–3 times basal width, strongly divergent; dorsal process sclerotised, lobular structure on left, elaborately expanded structure on right bearing seta on left apical angle, terminating in hooked apically acute spine on right; antero-ventral apodeme about 1.2 times length of abdominal segment IX; phallic apparatus broad based, slender in distal half, titillator thread- like, twisted.

Female. Unknown.

Types. Holotype. male, NORTHERN TERRITORY, Petherick’s Rainforest Reserve, 13°7.424’S, 130°39.920’E, 6–7.vi.2015, J. Schult, light trap (NTM, slide).

Paratypes. NORTHERN TERRITORY: 6 males, data as for holotype, (NTM, alcohol); 2 males, Radon Springs, 12°45.091’S, 132°54.169’E, 19–20.v.2015, J. Hanley, light trap (ANIC, 1 slide, 1 in alcohol).

Etymology. Named for Ray Petherick who, with his family, preserved the small area of rainforest that now bears his name.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 20. Orthotrichia spp. 14, 15, Orthotrichia pethericki sp. nov., male genitalia: 14, ventral; 15, dorsal. 16, 17, Orthotrichia becca sp. nov., male genitalia: 16, ventral; 17, dorsal. 18, Orthotrichia ensiformis Wells, male genitalia, ventral. 19, 20, Orthotrichia turrita Wells, male genitalia: 19, phallic apparatus; 20, ventral. Abbreviations: VIII, IX = abdominal segments VIII and IX; dpl = dorsal plate; dpr = dorsal process of gonopods; gon = gonopod; l dsp = left dorsal spine on dorsal plate; ph = phallic apparatus; pr = paramere; r dsp = right dorsal spine on dorsal plate; st s = stout setae on segment VIII; tlr = titillator.