Oecetis suteri, Wells, 2006

Wells, Alice, 2006, A review of Australian long-horned caddisflies in the Oecetis pechana-group (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), with descriptions of thirteen new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (2), pp. 107-128 : 111

Oecetis suteri sp. nov.

Figures 12–15, 60

Material examined. Holotype. Male, Holmes Jungle NT, 7 Jun 1991, Horak and Wells ( ANIC, on slide).

Paratypes. NT: 2 males, Kakadu National Park , Baroalba Springs, 25 Apr 1991, Wells and Webber ( ANIC) ; 2 males, 12°42'S, 132°57'E, Kakadu National Park , Magela Creek, OSS Site 009, 28–29 Jan 1992, P. Dostine ( NTM) ; 2 males, same locality, 3–4 Feb 1992, P. Dostine ( NTM) ; 2 males, Litchfield National Park , Walker Creek, 18–19 Apr 1992, Wells ( NMV) .

Other material. NT: 2 males, 12°52'S, 132°50'E, Koongarra , 15 km E of Mt Cahill, 15 Nov 1972, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; numerous males, females, 16°40'S, 135°51'E, Bessie Spring , 8 km ESE of Cape Crawford, 25 Oct 1975, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; 1 male, 1 female, 16°40'S, 135°51'E, 8 km ESE of Cape Crawford , 26 Oct 1975, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; 2 males, 1 female, 16°32'S, 136°10'E, Cattle Creek , 54 km S by W of Borroloola, 27 Oct 1975, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; 1 male, 1 female, SAR, 14 Jun 1988, P. Dostine, Site 1 ( NTM) ; 1 male (headless),ARRS, Radon Springs , 13–14 Apr 1989, Suter and Wells ( NMV) ; 2 males, Kakadu National Park, Baroalba Springs , 25 Apr 1991, Wells, Webber and Bickel ( NTM) ; 3 males, 2 females, Berry Springs , 30 Oct 1991, Wells and Webber ( NTM) ; 2 males, 12°42'S, 132°57'E, Kakadu National Park, Magela Creek, OSS Site 009, 28–29 Jan 1992, P. Dostine ( NTM) ; 2 males, same locality and collector, 3–4 Feb 1992 ( NTM) ; 2 males, Litchfield National Park, Walker Creek , 18–19 Apr 1992, Wells ( NTM) . Qld : 1 male, Lockerbie Scrub, Cape York Peninsula , 15 Apr 1975, M.S. Moulds ( NMV) ; 1 male, Cape York Peninsula, upper Jardine R., 11°17'S, 142°35'E, 13 Oct 1979, M.S. and B.J. Moulds ( NMV) ; 2 males, same locality and collectors, 17 Oct 1979 ( NMV) ; 14 males, 6 females, Bertie Creek , 1 km SE Heathlands HS, 4 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( ANIC) ; 2 males, 1 female, tributary of Bertie Creek , 250 m SW Heathlands HS, 4 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( NMV) ; 1 male, Eliot Creek upstream junction Canal Creek , 6Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( NTM) ; 4 males, 7 females, Dulhunty R., at Telegraph Crossing , 10 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( NMV) ; 17 males, 7 females, tributary of Bertie Creek , 250 m SW Heathlands HS, 11 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( ANIC, 2 males on slides) ; 5 males, 3 females, Gunshot Creek at Telegraph Crossing , 14–15 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells ( QM) ; 1 male, 1 female, same locality and collectors, 17 Feb 1992 ( QM) ; numerous males, females, Gunshot Creek at Telegraph Crossing , 4–5 Apr 1992, M. Crossland ( ANIC) . WA: 1 male, 1 female, Millstream Crossing Pool , 2 Oct 1970, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; 4 males, Drysdale R., upper reaches, 16°09'S, 125°58'E, 7 Sep 1996, I. Edwards ( NMV) .

Diagnosis. Alone in the pechana -group, O. suteri lacks fork 1 in the posterior wing; the forewing is more rounded apically than most species in this group and the scale patches narrower. Otherwise it resembles O. pechana and O. magelensis superficially, but in the male is distinguished from both by the inferior appendages broader than long in ventral view. Like O. pechana , O. suteri has the phallus about the length of 4 abdominal segments.

Description. Male. Wings narrower than in O. pechana , with dark markings at crossveins, anastomoses and at marginal ends of veins; vestiture short; forewing with a narrow, elongate patch of scales, discoidal and thyridial cells long, narrow, discoidal cell extending distally beyond M-R, M-R distal to thyridial cell; hind wing without fork 1. Forewing length, 4.3–4.6 mm. Abdominal tergites II–IV darkly sclerotised. Genitalia, see figs 12–15. Abdominal segment IX of moderate length, dorsally with paired papillae apico-mesially. Abdominal segment X sub-triangular, short setae scattered apically. Inferior appendages broad basally, slightly extended laterally, in lateral view triangular; a rounded dorsal pouch present. Phallus elongate, about 4 times length of abdominal segment IX, with a long, almost straight paramere.

Distribution. Collected in WA from the Millstream and Kimberley regions, in NT from the north, and in Qld, from the tip of Cape York.

Etymology. Named for Phillip Suter.