Wormaldia mohri (Ross)

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 : 43-46

Wormaldia mohri (Ross)

Figures 76–83, 131

Doloclanes mohri (Ross) 1948: 23 , pl. I, figs. 5, 5 A–C, male, North Carolina, USA (INHS) (as Gatlinia ); Ross 1956: 38, 45, 65, 66, fig. 95 ( Gatlinia as synonym of Doloclanes , a subgenus of Wormaldia ); Fischer 1971: 202; Schmid 1989: 110, fig.252; Schmid 1991: 89, 98; Armitage 1996: [work not paginated]; Neboiss 1999: 286, 289; Flint et al. 2004: 40.

Ross (1956) placed this species and eight more species of Doloclanes within the Wormaldia montana Group. However, this arrangement of the W. montana Group of Ross (1956) and Armitage (1996) has not been followed for subsequent authors (Malicky 1993a, b, 1994, 1995; Malicky & Chantaramongkol 1993a, b, 1996; Mey 1993, 1996; Neboiss 1999; Schmid 1991) who treated it as a species of Doloclanes . Schmid (1989, 1991) indicated that the species formerly in Doloclanes , as in several other Oriental and East Palearctic Trichoptera genera, were dispersed in a secondary trans-Bering migration to the Nearctic Region from those regions where this genus is diverse and widely distributed. The general appearance of the genitalia of W. mohri is similar to those of Wormaldia species within the North American W. thyria Group of Armitage (1996) where it is here placed (Table 1).

This species shares with Wormaldia gesugta Schmid (1968) , W. hamata Denning (1951) , W. laona Denning (1989) , W. oconee Morse (1989) , and W. thyria Denning (1950) , tergum VIII strongly elongate and projected posteriorly, when viewed laterally, appearing as a hood. However, in W. mohri , when viewed laterally, segment X has small serrations dorsomedially, and is strongly upcurved preapically with the apex directed dorsally. In addition, the apical segment of the inferior appendage in W. mohri has a conspicuous spine-shaped and subapical projection directed laterally on the inner margin ( Figs. 78–80). Veins R 1 and R 2 of the few W. morhi examined are fused before reaching the wing margin of the hind wing ( Fig. 83). In the other Nearctic Wormaldia , the R veins are not fused apically in the hind wing.

Adult. Length of male forewing 5.5–6.5 mm. Head brown, with yellowish setae. Antenna long, slender, yellowish, with small, brown and yellow rings of small setae. Maxillary palps yellowish, with lighter setae. Labial palps yellowish, with lighter setae. Dorsum of thorax brown. Legs brown, with small, light brown setae. Forewing yellowish, covered with fine, small, brown setae, with apical forks I, II, III, IV, and V present ( Fig. 82; Ross 1948: fig. 5B). Hind wing translucent, with very few fine, small, brown setae, with apical forks I, II, III, and V present ( Fig. 83; Ross 1948: fig. 5C).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 76–81). Sternum VII with broad, digitate, posteromesal process strongly elongate, projecting beyond middle of segment VIII. Tergum VIII triangular in appearance, strongly projected posteriorly, reaching middle of tergum X, narrowest and slightly truncated posteromesally; when viewed laterally, hood-shaped, anterior and posterior margins forming V-shaped projection mesoventrally, posterior margin sinuous. Sternum VIII with stout, triangular, posteromesal process, about 0.4 times length of posteromesal process of sternum VII; when viewed laterally, slender and nearly rectangular in appearance, with V-shaped projection anteriorly. Segment IX, when viewed laterally, with strong and wide projection convexly elongate anteriorly, slightly concave posteriorly; when viewed ventrally, concave anteriorly, convexly projected posteriorly with slightly convex and mesal projection arising subapically. Segment X, when viewed dorsally, strongly triangularly elongate, with small lateral serrations medially and preapically, narrowly rounded apically, with pointed knob-shaped projection; when viewed laterally, slender, strongly upcurved preapically, with apex rounded and directed dorsally. Superior appendages digitate; when viewed dorsally, parallel with segment X, elongate, apically rounded; when viewed laterally, clearly shorter than segment X, slender, slightly enlarged and upcurved basally. Inferior appendages two segmented; when viewed laterally, basal segment stout, rectangular, strongly elongate, broadest medially, convex dorsally, weakly sinuous ventrally, apical segment stout, rectangular anteromedially, slightly downcurved posteriorly, shorter (about 0.7 times) and narrower than basal segment; when viewed posteriorly, apex of apical segment rounded with inner and subapical projection, slightly indented laterally; when viewed ventrally, basal segments paired, united for about their anterior two-fifths, separated posteromesally by a deep, narrow, U-shaped emargination, each basal segment stout, widest medially, incurved medially, apical segment stout, subrectangularly elongate, widened and rounded posteriorly, with rounded apical patch of short, thin, black, spine-shaped setae, and with stout, spineshaped, subapical projection directed laterally on inner margin. Phallus, when viewed laterally, pistol-shaped, widest basally, tapering from middle to apex, membranous apically, very lightly sclerotized, with three visible, internal sclerites ( Fig. 81).

Material examined. USA: North Carolina: [Henderson Co. (?)]: Mt. Mitchell , 3100 ft [= 945 m], 5.vi.1940, C.P. Alexander, 1 male ( INHS) ; same except, Game Refuge , 6.vi.1940, C.P. Alexander, 1 male ( INHS) ; North Carolina - Tennessee: Swain Co. - Sevier Co.: Great Smoky Mts. National Park , Chimneys Camp , 4.vi.1952, M.W. Sanderson, 1 male (in alcohol, INHS) ; Tennessee: Sevier Co.: Smoky Mountains National Park, Little Pigeon River at Park Hdqts. , 26.v.1949, 3 males, 1 female (in alcohol, INHS) .

Distribution. USA: NC, SC, TN, VA.