Athripsodes saral Ibrahimi & Mohammadi, 2023

Ibrahimi, Halil, Mohammadi, Habibollah, Ghaderi, Edris, Karimian, Erfan, Mansouri, Arman & Molodi, Farshad, 2023, Athripsodes saral sp. n., a new Leptoceridae (Trichoptera) from the Kurdistan Province, Iran, Ecologica Montenegrina 64, pp. 197-202 : 198-202

Athripsodes saral Ibrahimi & Mohammadi sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4B24B4F5-53B3-40A0-A10B-55247E4F024A

( Figs. 2 and 3 )

Material examined. Holotype. 1 male: Iran, Zagros Mountains, Kurdistan Province, Saral, streamlet nearby the Best village , 35.8615988N, 46.536987E, 2170 m, 27.07.2021 ( Figure 1 ), leg. Halil Ibrahimi. Paratypes (2 males): same collection and locality data as holotype . Allotype (1 female): same collection and locality data as holotype .

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the Athripsodes sewangensis Species Group and is morphologically most similar to Athripsodes caglari Sipahiler, 2008 , and A. sewangensis Martynov, 1925 . Males of the new species differ from all known species of the Athripsodes sewangensis Species Group primarily in the shape of their inferior appendages, where the dorsal projection of coxopodite is slightly longer or equal in size to the harpago, in lateral view. In A. ozerenae , it is half the size of the harpago, while in A. caglari and A. sewangensis , it is considerably shorter, and in A. antalya , it is slightly shorter. In addition to this, Athripsodes saral sp. n. is easily distinguishable from A. caglari by the following characteristics: in A. caglari coxopodite of inferior appendages is shorter than dorsal projection and harpago, in A. saral sp. n. coxopodite is slightly longer than the dorsal projection and harpago; in A. caglari the inner edge of coxopodite ends with a pointed projection in lateral view, lacking in A. saral sp. n.; segment IX is differently shaped in both species in lateral, ventral and dorsal views; and the shape of aedeagus in lateral view is completely different in both species. Athripsodes saral sp. n. is easily distinguished from A. sewangensis by the differently shaped and larger size of dorsal lobes of segment IX in lateral and dorsal views; the width of the dorsal half of segment IX and the larger protrusion on the basal third of the posterior margin of segment IX in lateral view; the more produced dorsoapical corner of the aedeagus, the uniformly rounded subapical swellings on the aedeagus (in A. sewangensis , the swellings have angled lines). Furthermore, in Athripsodes saral sp. n., unlike A. sewangensis , the dorsal margin of segment IX in the ventral view, is medially incised. The basal plate of inferior appendages with notched dorsal margin in Athripsodes saral sp. n. in lateral view, is also differently shaped as compared to A. sewangensis , and somehow similar to A. caglari .

Female of Athripsodes saral sp. n. differs from all known species of the A. sewangensis Species Group in the triangular shape of dorsolateral lobes of segment IX with tapering apex, both in ventral and dorsal views. In all other species of the A. sewangensis Species Group, these lobes are generally triangular in ventral view, but broadly quadrangular or rounded in dorsal view. Athripsodes saral sp. n. further differs from A. caglari in the following characteristics: in A. caglari in dorsal view, the lateral margins of the basal part of segment IX are raised, forming an almost quadrangular shape on both sides, while in A. saral sp. n. lateral margins are rounded; in A. caglari segment IX is widest medially in ventral view, in A. saral sp. n. it is widest around the basal 1/3 rd; in A. caglari segment IX is widest than higher in dorsal view, in A. saral sp. n. the width and height of segment IX are almost of equal size; in A. caglari dorsolateral lobes of segment IX in lateral view, are long and generally quadrangular, while in A. saral sp. n. they are short and more rounded. The following differences in female genitalia between A. saral sp. n. and A. sewangensis are also noted: in A. sewangensis segment IX is higher than wider, in A. saral sp. n. the width and height of segment IX are almost of equal size; in A. saral sp. n. the median lobe of segment X is larger and quadrangular in ventral view, while in A. sewangensis it is triangularly rounded; in A. sewangensis vulval sclerite is narrow basally, in A. saral sp. n. it is wide basally.

Description. Forewing length 9–10.5 mm. Antennae, head, and thorax dark brown; abdomen light brown, maxillary palp dark brown; femur and tibia of forelegs dark brown with dark brown hairs; forewings and hindwing uniformly light brown. Tibial spur formula in males 1.2.2, in females 2.2.2.

Male: In lateral view, segment IX is relatively narrow, with a ventral width greater than its dorsal width. In lateral view, along the basal third of the posterior margin, there is a rounded protrusion, while its dorsal margin is produced in two short divergent processes, tapering from wide bases to narrow apices. In dorsal view, the dorsal processes of segment IX are distinctly separate from one another; additionally, there are two pairs of smaller processes located below the first pair.

In lateral view, segment X is generally rounded; in dorsal view, the apical margin is medially incised. Segment X has two pairs of prolongations; in dorsal view, the inner prolongations of segment X slightly shorter than outer ones. Intermediate appendages are as long as the superior appendages, strongly directed inwards on the second half and acute at the apex in dorsal view.

The basal part of coxopodite of inferior appendages elongated in lateral view; in ventral view, the inner margin concave, dorsal prolongation long and thin, shorter than the basal portion and slightly longer than harpago; in ventral view, the inner edge with a pointed projection apically, which is thin and directed dorsally; harpago elongated, slightly shorter than the basal portion of the coxopodite; in ventral view, the basal part is broad, and located inside the coxopodite. In lateral view, the aedeagus is long, curved downwards, basally narrow, widening through the remaining 2/3 rd; the anterior edge is smooth; the posterior edge sinuated, with a subdistal large rounded swellings, apical margin rounded.

Female: In dorsal view, segment IX widest basally, gradually narrowing towards the apex, dorsolateral lobes of segment IX, large and triangular in dorsal and ventral views, rounded in lateral view; apical margin between dorsolateral lobes wide U-shaped in ventral and dorsal views. In ventral view, the lateral lobes of segment X, which are located on the median part of the segment, are long; the median lobe, found between the side lobes, is slightly shorter but wider than the lateral ones.

Etymology. The species’ name ‘saral’ refers to the Saral Region in the Kurdistan Province, where the new species was found.

Figures

Figure 1. Location of the study area in Kurdistan Province, Iran.

Figure 2. Male genitalia of Athripsodes saral sp. n. A. lateral view; B. ventral view; C. dorsal view; D. aedeagus, lateral view.

Figure 3. Female genitalia of Athripsodes saral sp. n. A. lateral view; B. dorsal view; C. ventral view.