Neotrichia vibrans Ross, 1944

Harris, Steven C., Armitage, Brian J. & Rios Gonzalez, Tomas A., 2024, The Trichoptera of Panama XXIV. Fifteen new species and two new country records of the caddisfly genus Neotrichia (Trichoptera, Hydroptilidae), with a key to all known Panamanian species, ZooKeys 1188, pp. 47-90 : 47

Neotrichia vibrans Ross, 1944

Figs 17 , 18

Material examined.

Panama • 27 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀ ; Chiriquí Province: Cuenca 108, David, UNACHI-Jardin Botanico , El Cabrero , nr Quebrada San Cristobal ; 8.434060°N, 82.451930°W; 45 m a.s.l.; 19.iv-3.v.2021; Y. Aguirre, T. Ríos leg.; Malaise trap • 22 ♂♂, 23 ♀♀ ; ibid., except 5-19.iv.2021 • ♂ ; Panama Oeste Province: Cuenca 115, Chame District, Altos de Campana NP, Rio Sajalices ; PSPSCB-PNAC-C115-2018-030; 8.67625°N, 79.89748°W; 194 m a.s.l.; 27-31.v.2018; E. Pérez, C. Nieto, M. Molinar, T. Ríos leg.; Malaise trap .

Female (Fig. 18 ). The female of N. vibrans is slightly larger than the males, with total length from 2.0 to 2.5 mm compared to 1.8 to 2.0 mm, both having 18 antennal segments and the wings and body are brown in alcohol. Abdominal sternite VIII has a heavily sclerotized square plate (Fig. 18A ), with a thin ridge on the posterior margin that narrows to an acute posteromesal point, which projects downward in lateral view, anteriorly the plate margin is rounded with a thin sinuate internal structure. The bursa copulatrix lies under the sclerotized plate of segment VIII and details are difficult to discern, but it is generally rectangular in shape, the genital chamber narrowing posteriorly to an acute point, genital chamber broadly incised anteriorly producing a pair of “feet” with heavily sclerotized inner margins, these “feet” extend posteriorly forming a mesal sclerite (Fig. 18B ).

Note.

This is a new country record for Panama. In addition, it is a significant southern extension of the species range, which formerly was northern Mexico. The male of this species is here re-illustrated (Fig. 17 ) because the figures in Keth et al. (2015) do not clearly depict the lateral view of this species. The posterolateral processes from abdominal segments IX and X are difficult to see in those drawings and the bracteole is obscured by the process from IX. As well, the figure for N. vibrans in Ross (1944) lacks a lateral view and the phallus is shown as the apex having a pair of lobes bearing stout spines. These lobes and spines, which are also used as characters in the diagnostic key in Ross (1944), belong to the apex of the subgenital plate, with the phallus lacking apical spines.

Females of other species from the N. vibrans group of Keth et al. (2015) also have a sclerotized plate on the sternum of segment VIII, including Neotrichia ♀ sp. B (in Botosaneanu and Alkins-Koo 1993), which was tentatively identified as N. armata Botosaneanu, 1993, N. iridescens Flint, 1964, and N. soleaferrea Botosaneanu (in Botosaneanu and Hyslop 1998). However, other members of this group have the females unidentified, or in the case of N. heleios Flint, 1968 the sternum of sternite VIII lacks a sclerotized plate. Also, with the exception of N. soleaferrea , the structure of the bursa copulatrix appears to be much different than that seen in N. vibrans .

The ventral plate on sternite VIII is not a characteristic unique to the N. vibrans group. Females in other groups have a distinctive sclerotized plate, e.g., N. margararitena Botosaneanu (in Botosaneanu and Viloria 2002) of the N. biuncifera group ( Marshall 1979). Also, females for several members of the N. caxima group, including N. nesiotes Flint & Sykora, 1993, N. mentonensis Frazer & Harris, 1991, N. rasmusseni Harris & Keth, 2002, and N. armitagei Harris, 1991 share this trait. In addition, many members of the N. caxima group also have females with the structure of the bursa copulatrix very similar to that seen in the female of N. vibrans ( Harris and Rasmussen 2010).

Considering the above variation and overlap of characters, more associations are needed to facilitate a detailed comparison and delineation of Neotrichia females before we can adequately diagnose any females definitively. The descriptive text for N. vibrans above is a contribution toward that future comparison. Finally, we were fortunate in being able to associate the female of N. vibrans with the male because individuals of both sexes were found, in quantity, together in the absence of any other congeners in a non-natural botanical garden site. Most natural stream sites we have sampled in Panama have 2-7 species present in the same sample, making associations more difficult.

Distribution.

Mexico: Chihuahua; Panama: Chiriquí Province (David District); U.S.A.: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Figures

Figure 17. Neotrichia vibrans Ross, male genitalia A left lateral B ventral C dorsal D phallus, dorsal E phallus, lateral.

Figure 18. Neotrichia vibrans Ross, female genitalia A ventral B bursa copulatrix, ventral.