Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) thermophila Rueda Martin and Sganga, 2011

Rueda Martín, Paola A. & Sganga, Julieta V., 2011, Smicridea McLachlan (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from northwestern Argentina and Bolivia: new species, redescription, association and new records, Journal of Natural History 45 (35 - 36), pp. 2215-2230 : 2219-2223

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2011.590947
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10536997
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BF5487DE-FFCD-9C24-0936-4269FC55FF55
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) thermophila Rueda Martin and Sganga
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) thermophila Rueda Martin and Sganga , sp. nov.

( Figures 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 )

Material examined

Holotype male. Argentina: Jujuy province, Ledesma, Río Aguas Calientes , 23 ◦ 44 ′ 46 ′′ S, 64 ◦ 31 ′ 29 ′′ W, 100 m, 18 November 2004, Rueda Martín col. ( IML). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Same data as the holotype: two males, one male GoogleMaps metamorphotype, 26 larvae ( IML) .

Species description

Male. Length of forewings 4.87–4.96 mm. Colouration of head and thorax light reddish brown, setal warts and abdomen stramineous. Forewing light reddish brown, with an oval, pale macula parallel to the costal margin (pterostigma), a circular dark spot over nigma, and dark stripes over transversal veins. General colouration of wing paler and less contrasting than that of S. peruana ( Figure 5F View Figure 5 ). The colouration of the body and wings was observed in specimens preserved in alcohol.

Diameter of eye, in dorsal view, almost half of the interocular distance.

Anterolateral process of sternum V about 1.5 times length of sternum.

Genitalia. Segment IX with anterolateral margin rounded ( Figure 2A View Figure 2 ). Tergum X, in dorsal view, deeply divided mesally, internal margin of each hemitergite concave, posterior margin rounded ( Figure 2B View Figure 2 ); in lateral aspect with ventral margin rounded and tip lightly upturned ( Figure 2A View Figure 2 ). Inferior appendages two-segmented, setose; basal portion long and slender (two times longer than the apical segment), slightly inflated apicad; apical segment short, ending in a blunt point ( Figure 2A,B View Figure 2 ). Phallus long, tubular, wide basally, with basal and apical sections meeting at an angle of about 100 ◦ ( Figure 2A View Figure 2 ); apical section lightly sinuous in lateral view, ending in an apicodorsal, mesal, retrorse point; tip of phallus with two lateral, sclerotized, thick spines, directed anteriorly ( Figure 2C,D View Figure 2 ); internal sclerite simple, sinuate in lateral view, apex enlarged, forming an hexagonal plate in dorsal view ( Figure 2C View Figure 2 ); in ventral view, endophallus with two lateral hook-like structures ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ).

Female. Unknown.

Larva. Length: 7.2 mm (n = 10) ( Figure 2E View Figure 2 ). Colouration of the head light reddish brown, with anterior margin of frontoclypeal apotome darker; pale (yellowish), oval maculae around stemmata, extending lateroposteriorly through parietal apotomes, joining to a transverse band at posterior end of head; yellowish at clypeus; with two lateral, dark reddish brown, oblique stripes over medial depression; and three pale maculae (two behind each anterior tentorial pit, and other at posterior end of frontoclypeal apotome); between the maculae there are six small, pale muscle scars (three at each side of the apotome), aligned obliquely as shown in Figure 2F View Figure 2 .

Head capsule quadrangular in dorsal view. Anterior margin of frontoclypeal apotome symmetrical, rounded, smooth at middle, with three dots at each side; lateral notches wide, lightly insinuated; medial U-shaped depression very marked ( Figure 2F View Figure 2 ). Postero-ventral apotome lacking. Labrum with a row of marginal setae. Chaetotaxy of the head typical of the genus. Parietal apotome with pale muscle scars, and anterolaterally bearing short pale setae.

Nota and legs stramineous. Distribution of muscle scars on pro-, meso- and metanota as in Figure 2G View Figure 2 . Poststernal sclerites of prosternum lacking. Mesosternum with two posterolateral subtriangular sclerites. Abdominal sternum VIII with two triangular sclerites bearing setae. Anterior leg with dark trocantin bearing three strong setae, tibia without pinnate setae, general chaetotaxy as in Figure 2H View Figure 2 .

Pupa. Length: 4.5 mm. Anterior margin of labrum rounded, with a shallow median depression, bearing short setae in the anterior margin; lateral lobes with setae longer than that of anterior margin ( Figure 3A View Figure 3 ). Mandibles long, with inner margin finely serrated distally, and with long posterolateral setae; right mandible with three teeth, and left with four ( Figure 3B View Figure 3 ). Abdominal terga with pairs of anterior plates on segments II to VIII and posterior plates on segment III and IV ( Figure 3D View Figure 3 ). Apical appendages long and bearing long straight setae ( Figure 3C View Figure 3 ).

Systematic considerations

The male genitalia of this new species is like no other described species in the genus. The tip of the phallus with the apicodorsal, retrorse point and the lateral spines is unique.

Etymology

From the Greek words thermos for hot and philos for friend, referring to the temperature of the water where the larvae were found.

Biology

This species was collected in a hot spring, named Aguas Calientes (Jujuy province, Argentina). The temperature of the springs ranges from 46 ◦ C to 58 ◦ C where it emerges ( Miranda and Johanis 2000). The larvae and metamorphotype of S. thermophila sp. nov. were collected at 33 ◦ C in a small waterfall. Trichoptera have been recorded from hot springs in North America, larvae of Helicopsyche borealis were collected in

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming at 34 ◦ C ( Wiggins 1996). This is the first record of larvae of Hydropsychidae from a hot mesothermal spring.