Wellsomina bucera, Cartwright, David I., 2010

Cartwright, David I., 2010, Descriptions of 2 new genera and 13 new species of caddisflies from Australia (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae), Zootaxa 2415, pp. 1-21 : 10

Wellsomina bucera sp. nov.

Figs 15–17

Diagnosis. Males of this species can be separated from others in the genus by the broadly separated apical processes on the inferior appendages.

Description. Head, body and wings pale brown to fawn; wings similar to those of W. stuarti ( Fig. 7 ), length of forewing: male 3.1 mm. Wing venation: forewing length nearly 3.8 times width, each with forks 2, 3, 4 and 5 present; fork 2 relatively short, fork 2 footstalk relatively long, length about 2.5 times length of cross-vein r -m, length of fork 2 about 1.4 times length of fork 3; fork 3 short, length of fork 3 about 1.2 times length of footstalk, footstalk fork 3 very long, length about 3.4 times length of cross-vein m. Hind wing length about 4 times width, each with forks 2, 3 and 5 present, all short; fork 2 footstalk relatively long, length about 3.5 times length of cross-vein r -m.

Male. Tergum X membranous with wide mesal concavity ( Fig. 17 ). Superior appendages complex, having short dorsobasal segment with short mesally directed process with apical spines and long ventromesally directed process without apical spines, and larger ventromesal segment simple, slightly laterally compressed, with spine-like setae apically ( Figs 15, 16 ). Phallus tube-like with pair of short processes apically ( Figs 15, 17 ). Inferior appendages fused, depressed, in ventral view broad, with pair of widely separated digitiform processes apically ( Fig. 16 ); in lateral view robust, narrowed and upturned in distal third ( Fig. 15 ).

Female. Unknown.

Holotype male (specimen CT-476 figured): Western Australia, Drysdale R. headwaters, 30 km NW Mt Elizabeth H.S., about 16°07'S, 126°00'E, 30 Sep 1979, J. Blyth ( NMV, T- 20777).

Etymology. Bucera - Latin word for having ox’s horns (inferior appendages).

Remarks. Wellsomina bucera is known from only the type male from the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia (latitude 16° 07'S).

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 20. Wellsomina spp. Male genitalia in left lateral, ventral and dorsal views. 12 – 14: Wellsomina tam sp. nov. 15 – 17: Wellsomina bucera sp. nov. 18 – 20: Wellsomina naumanni sp. nov.

FIGURES 7 – 11. Wellsomina spp. 7 – 8: Wellsomina stuarti sp. nov. 7: Forewing and hind wing. 8: Head and thorax, dorsal view. 9 – 11: Wellsomina baru sp. nov. male genitalia in left lateral, ventral and dorsal views.