Mortoniella meralda ( Mosely, 1954 ) Blahnik & Holzenthal, 2008

Blahnik, Roger J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2008, Revision of the Mexican and Central American species of Mortoniella (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae), Zootaxa 1711 (1), pp. 1-72 : 31-34

Mortoniella meralda ( Mosely, 1954) , new combination

Fig. 13

Mexitrichia meralda Mosely, 1954: 342 .

Mortoniella meralda is most similar to M. panamensis , n. sp. and M. simla Flint , all of which have an inferior appendage with an elongate, asymmetrically developed apicomesal projection with a scabrous apex. Mortoniella simla is easily distinguished by the presence of dorsal processes on the phallicata. Both M. meralda and M. panamensis have a simple phallicata, without dorsolateral processes and both lack an endophallic spine, although they do have paired spine-like phallotremal spines. Mortoniella meralda can be distinguished from M. panamensis by its much more elongate paramere appendages and in the more nearly linearly projecting apicomesal projection of the inferior appendage, with a less inflated apex.

Adult. Length of forewing: male 3.4–3.9 mm, female 3.5–3.7 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III, hind wing with forks II and III. Overall color medium brown, palps and basal part of antennal and tarsal segments darker brown, apices of tibiae, tarsal and basal antennal segments light brown. Wing bar at anastamosis indistinctly marked with pale, light brown setae. Ventral process of abdominal segment VI (male) short, ventrally oriented, rounded to subtruncate apically, not or only slightly constricted basally.

Male genitalia. Segment IX nearly evenly rounded anterolaterally, length greatest midlaterally, posterolateral margin forming rounded projection in dorsal half, narrowing ventrally; segment deeply mesally excised dorsally and ventrally, dorsal excision narrow, much less than half width of segment. Tergum X with slightly produced mesal projection, or mesal margin nearly evenly excised, and projecting lateral lobes; lateral lobes short, subacute apically, slightly mesally curved. Inferior appendage with distinctly asymmetrically developed apicomesal projection, apicomesal projection very elongate, narrow, nearly uniform in width, strongly curved at base, apex scabrous and nearly linearly projecting; basolaterally, with short, rounded projection on each side; mesal pockets of inferior appendage with apical processes short, dorsally curved. Paramere appendages elongate, narrow, bases somewhat enlarged and cupped, incurving from membranous basolateral lobes, distinctly flattened over much of length, somewhat wider in distal half, acuminate apically. Dorsal phallic spine slightly enlarged basoventrally, conforming to depression in dorsal margin of phallicata, distinctly upturned apically; as viewed dorsally, with apex very narrowly acuminate. Phallicata tubular, with slight depression dorsally, sclerotized region extended ventrally, basoventrally with minute microsetae, dorsally without projections. Endophallic membrane without ventral spine, but with distinct paired apical phallotremal spines, spines relatively short, but somewhat variable in length.

Material examined. COSTA RICA: Alajuela: Río Pizote , ca. 5 km N Dos Rios, 10°56'53"N, 085°17'28"W, 470 m, 9.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth — 5 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Río Pizote, ca. 5 km (air) S Brasilia , 10°58'19"N, 085°20'42"W, 390 m, 12.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth — 14 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Quebrada Honda, 5.4 km (road) S Crucero , 10°18'40"N, 084°14'42"W, 650 m, 12.ii.1992, Holzenthal, Muñoz & Kjer — 1 male (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Cartago: Lago Orosi , 1.9 km SE Ujarrás, 09°49'26"N, 083°49'30"W, 980 m, 29.i.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth — 1 male, 1 female (pinned) ( UMSP) ; Río Reventazón, CATIE along Sendero Espaveles , 09°53'35"N, 083°39'04"W, 500 m, 22.iii.1991, F. Muñoz-Quesada — 1 male, 38 females (pinned), 2 males, 58 females (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Turrialba , 26.viii.1972, G.F. & S. Hevel — 1 male, 21 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Guanacaste: Río Los Ahogados, Río Los Ahogados , 11.3 km ENE Quebrada Grande, 10°51'54"N, 085°25'23"W, 470 m, 7.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth — 2 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Quebrada Garcia, 10.6 km ENE Quebrada Grande, 10°51'43"N, 085°25'41"W, 470 m, 8.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth — 3 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Río Tizate , 7.2 km NE Cañas Dulces, 10°46'23"N, 085°26'56"W, 275 m, 28.vi.1986, Holzenthal, Heyn & Armitage — 2 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Río Aguacate , 0.5 km E Aguacate, 10°33'54"N, 084°56'20"W, 590 m, 16.ii.1992, Holzenthal, Muñoz & Kjer — 1 male, 9 females (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Heredia: Estación Biología La Selva, Quebrada Sura, 10°26'13"N, 084°00'36"W, 50 m, 20– 21.vi.1986, Holzenthal, Heyn & Armitage — 7 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Puntarenas: Río Ceibo, route 2 ca. 6 km W rd to Buenos Aires , 09°08'56"N, 083°22'37"W, 250 m, 20.ii.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth — 3 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Río Guineal, ca 1 km (air) E Finca Helechales , 09°04'34"N, 083°05'31"W, 840 m, 22.ii.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth — 4 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; Río Singrí, ca 2 km (air) S Finca Helechales , 09°03'25"N, 083°04'55"W, 720 m, 21.ii. 1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth — 47 males (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; GUATEMALA: Río Matapa , 10 km SE Esquintla, 275 m, 5–6.iii.1970, E.J. Fee — 1 male, 2 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Suchitepéquez: Cuyotenango , 30.xii.1965, J.M. Campbell — 2 males, 10 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; 10–20.vi.1966, Flint & Ortiz — 4 males, 34 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; HON- DURAS: Francisco Morazán , El Zamorano, 14°01'00"N, 087°01'59"W, 28–29.i.1966, G.F. Freytag — 13 males, 16 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; MEXICO: Aisén, Municipio Progreso , arroyo 5.8 km al N de Tlatlauquitepec, 28.vi.1996, Rojas & Gaviño — 2 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Chiapas: Cacahuatan, Unión Juárez, Río Mixcum , 23.iii.1985, H. Velasco — 1 male (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; Tapachula, Tuxtla Chica , 24.iii.1985, J. Bueno-Soria — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; San José la Victoria, Cacahuatan , 27.iii.1984, A. López — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Tapachula-Union Juan, Puente Colombo , 1.iii.1985, H. Velasco — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Chihuahua: Riito, Hwy 16, 10 mi E of Yepachic, 28.vi.1987, Kondratieff & Baumann — 2 males, 1 female (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; México: Temascaltepec, Real de Arriba , 8 Jun 1988, A. Cadena — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 16.ii.1990, A. Rojas — 3 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 15.iii.1991, Rojas & Gaviño — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 26.iv.1991, Rojas & Gaviño — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Valle de Bravo, Hotel Montiel , 8.iii.1977, J. Bueno-Soria — 62 males, 20 females (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Valle de Bravo, Río Velo de Novia , 9.iii.1977, J. Bueno-Soria — 3 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Temascaltepec , 2.ii.1979, J. Bueno-Soria — 4 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 27.xii.1981, H. Velasco — 1 male (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 29.i.1982, H. Velasco — 1 male (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 30.i.1982, H. Velasco — 2 males (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; Michoacán: Carapan, Rt. 15 Km. 431 m, 16.vii.1966, Flint & Ortiz — 1 male (pinned) ( NMNH) ; P. N. Morelos, nr. Morella , 14.vii.1966, Flint & Ortiz — 1 male (pinned) ( NMNH) ; Nuevo Leon: Santiago, Cola de Caballo , 27.v.1985, Bueno & Contreras — 4 males (in microvial of glycerin, on pin) ( IBUNAM) ; Raíces Río Ramos , 25°15'00"N, 100°02'00"W, 25.v.1985 (Contreras & Quiroz) — 1 male (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; Puebla: a 20 km Zacatlan , 2 May 1987, J. Bueno-Soria — 2 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; 30 km N Xicotepec, Río Esperanza , 24.iii.1977, J. Bueno-Soria — 2 males (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; Tabasco: Municipio Huimanguillo, Est. 10, Arroyo Las Flores , Villa de Gpe. 2 Secc. Los Chimalapas , km 5 +920 carr, Malpasito-Caños A. Madrazo, 17°22'03"N, 093°36'15"E, 25.iii.1998, Bueno & Barba — 5 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Veracruz: Río Tacolapan, Rt. 180, 25–26.vii.1966, Flint & Ortiz — 7 males, 60 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Muncicipio Tlilapan, Arroyo Quetzalan, Los Manantiales km 5 Rta. Orizaba-Zongolica , 18°47'25"N, 097°06'05"W, 1160 m, 17.iii.2000, Bueno, Barba & Rojas — 2 males, 1 female (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Tebanca, 15 km S.E. Estacion de Biología Los Tuxtlas , 18°23'00"N, 095°00'00"W, 3.iii.1988, Barba & Barrera — 2 males (pinned), 6 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Los Tuxtlas Biological Station, Los Tuxtlas area, Río Palma , above La Palma, 7–14.v.1981, C. & O. Flint — 1 male, 7 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Los Tuxtlas area, Río Palma , below La Palma, 5.v.1981, C. & O. Flint, Holzenthal — 2 males (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Barranca de Metlac, ca. Fortín de las Flores , 30.iii.1976, J. Bueno-Soria — 2 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Río Tlacotalpan, Km 551, 23.vii.1966, Flint & Ortiz — 2 males, 2 females (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Catemaco, Tebanca , 18°25'00"N, 095°07'00"W, 3.iii.1988, R. Barba, et al. — 9 males (in microvial of glycerin, on pin) ( IBUNAM) ; Los Tuxtlas, Río La Palma , 14.v.1988, Bueno & Barba — 5 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality, 5.ix.1988, Fernandez & Barba — 6 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; same locality 2.vi.1989, R. Barba — 4 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; 1.viii.1989, Barba & Fernandez — 11 males (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Río Tacolapa, Route to Los Tuxlas , 28.vii.1978, J. Bueno-Soria — 1 male (alcohol) ( IBUNAM) ; Tlapacoyan, Río Tomata , 25.v.1985, R. Barba — 1 male (pinned) ( IBUNAM) ; NICARAGUA: Zelaya: Río Las Latas , 14°04'00"N, 084°33'00"W, 220 m, 2.vi.1998, Maes & Hernandez — 1 male (alcohol) ( UMSP) .

Distribution. MEXICO (Chiapas, Chihuahua, México, Michoacán, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz) GUATEMALA (Suchitepéquez), HONDURAS, NICARAGUA (Zeleya), COSTA RICA (Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Mortoniella meralda (Mosely). Male genitalia: A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C— phallic ensemble, ventral; D—dorsal phallic spine, dorsal.