Homoplectra albomarginata ( Ulmer 1907 ), 2021

Nozaki, Takao, 2021, The genus Diplectrona Westwood (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in the Japanese main islands, Zootaxa 5082 (3), pp. 245-258 : 254-256

Homoplectra albomarginata ( Ulmer 1907) , New combination.

( Fig. 6 )

Diplectrona albomarginata Ulmer 1907 , 74.

Specimens examined. Honshu, Gifu: 1 female, Ozu, Ibigawa-cho, 14–16.v.2001, N. Kawase ( NK) ; 1 female, Nishimaenotani, Tsurumi, Ibigawa-cho, 10.iv.2002, N. Kawase ( NK) . Shiga: 45 females, Yuzurio, Eigenji, Higashi- Omi-shi , 12–31.v.2009, N. Kawase, by Malaise trap ( MITR20090430 ) .

Remarks. Ulmer (1907) described this species as a member of the genus Diplectrona based on a female specimen collected from an unknown locality in Gifu, central Honshu, and provided only a general description without illustrations. In 2021, I obtained photographs of the holotype of this species deposited in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels ( Figs 6A–6D : photographed by J. Lalanne). Although the specimen lacks her head, her abdomen retains the following characteristics: Abdominal sternum V (s.V) bears a club-like process near the anterolateral margin (marked with an arrow in Fig. 6B ), the vulvar scale (v.s.) bears a pair of plate-like lobes basally (marked with a black arrow in Fig. 6C ), and a large pocket-like concavity between segment IX and vulval scale (marked with a white arrow in Fig. 6C ). Through the course of my study, I obtained females collected in Gifu, which have these characters (the latter two characters marked with arrows in Fig. 6E ). Their morphology, such as stout antennae, shape of wings, wing venation, etc., suggests that this species does not belong to the genus Diplectrona , but to Homoplectra . Although the markings of the forewings of the holotype female are indistinct ( Fig. 6A ), the two females examined in this study have forewings with distinct yellow markings similar to those of H. japonica .

Furthermore, 45 females collected from Shiga, an adjacent district of Gifu, have the same genitalic morphology as the holotype and 36 of these females bear the distinct markings, but 9 of them lack the markings. Redescription of this species in detail, including the variation of wing coloration, warrants future study .

Figures

FIGURES 5–6. 5A–5E, Homoplectra japonica (Banks 1906). 5A–5D, syntype male (MCZ-ENT00011833, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, photographed by C.W. Farnum): 5A, dorsal; 5B, abdomen, right lateral, sternum V traced outline; 5C, genitalia, right lateral; 5D, labels. 5E, male genitalia (Mt. Hiko-san, Fukuoka), left lateral. 6A–6E, Homoplectra albomarginata (Ulmer 1907). 6A–6D, holotype female (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, photographed by J. Lalanne): 6A, dorsal; 6B, abdomen, ventral, left lateral part of segment V traced outline; 6C, genitalia, ventral, apical part traced outline; 6D, labels. 6E, female genitalia (Gifu), ventral. Abbreviations: i.a. = inferior appendage, IX = abdominal segment IX, ph. = phallic apparatus, s.V = abdominal sternum V, v.s. = vulval scale. Arrows: see text.