Wormaldia laona Denning

Muñoz-Quesada, Fernando J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2008, Revision of the Nearctic species of the caddisfly genus Wormaldia McLachlan (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae), Zootaxa 1838, pp. 1-75 : 36-39

Wormaldia laona Denning

Figures 60–66, 131

Wormaldia laona Denning 1989: 127 , fig. 7, male, California, USA (CAS); Armitage 1996: [work not paginated].

Denning (1989) placed W. laona within the W. thyria Group [= thyria Complex of Ross (1956) for Wormaldia ]. Subsequently, Armitage (1996) modified Ross’ (1956) species group proposal and considered W. laona within the W. thyria Group (Table 1).

The genitalia of this species, W. gesugta Schmid (1968) , W. hamata Denning (1951) , W. mohri ( Ross 1948) , W. oconee Morse (1989) , and W. thyria Denning (1950) are similar in having tergum VIII strongly projected posteriorly; when viewed laterally it looks like a hood, which differentiates these six species from the other Nearctic species of Wormaldia . However, W. laona is discernible from those five species and other members of Wormaldia by the shapes of sternum IX and tergum X. Sternum IX in W. laona presents a conspicuous, acute, and V-shaped emargination posteromesally. Tergum X has a concave and preapical constriction; when viewed laterally, it is slender and curved preapically.

Adult (in alcohol). Length of male forewing 6 mm (holotype). Head brown, with yellowish setae. Antenna long, slender, yellowish, and with small, lighter setae. Maxillary palps yellowish, with lighter setae. Labial palps yellowish, with lighter setae. Dorsum of thorax brown. Legs yellowish, with small, lighter setae. Forewing yellowish, covered with fine, small, lighter setae, with apical forks I, II, III, and V present ( Fig. 65). Hind wing translucent, with very few fine, small, brown setae, with apical forks I, II, III, and V present ( Fig. 66).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 60–64). Sternum VII with conspicuous, triangular, posteromesal process strongly elongate, about 0.3 times length of sternum VIII. Tergum VIII subtriangular in appearance, strongly projected posteriorly, reaching middle of tergum X, narrowest and slightly truncate posteromesally, when viewed laterally, hood-shaped, straight dorsally, concave posteriorly, with posterodorsal corner wide and rounded apically. Sternum VIII relatively straight posteriorly. Segment IX, when viewed dorsally, deeply concave anteriorly; when viewed laterally, broad, nearly subtriangular in appearance, with strong and broad projection convexly elongate anteromedially, convex posteriorly; when viewed ventrally, concave anteriorly, with conspicuous, acute, V-shaped emargination posteromesally. Segment X, when viewed dorsally, triangularly elongate, with conspicuous, concave, lateral constriction preapically, rounded apically; when viewed laterally, slender, curved preapically, slightly pointed apically. Superior appendages digitate; when viewed dorsally, parallel with segment X, stout, elongate, rounded apically; when viewed laterally, slightly shorter than segment X, slender, narrowly rounded apically. Inferior appendages two segmented; when viewed laterally, basal segment stout, rectangular, elongate, slightly broadest and slightly convex medially, apical segment stout, rectangular, tubularly elongate, nearly equal in length, slightly narrower than basal segment, rounded and wide posteriorly; when viewed dorsally, apical segment as in ventral view; when viewed ventrally, basal segments paired, united for about their anterior halves, separated posteromesally by a narrow, deep, U-shaped emargination, each basal segment stout, slightly widest medially, with outer margin slightly convexly curved anteromedially, apical segment slender, tubularly elongate, narrowest and rounded posteriorly, with rounded and apicolateral patch of short, thin, black, stout, spine-shaped setae on inner margin. Phallus, when viewed laterally, pistolshaped, widest basally, tapering from middle to apex, membranous apically, very lightly sclerotized, with single visible, internal sclerite ( Fig. 64).

Material examined. USA: California: Holotype: Male, Santa Clara Co.: Swanson Creek , Uvas Canyon Park, 2.vi.1974, D.G. Denning (in alcohol, CAS).

Distribution. USA: CA.