Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) ralphi sp. nov.

Figs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Material examined.

Holotype. Brazil, 1 male; Pernambuco, Triunfo, Pinga stream; 7°52'3"S, 38°7'13"W, el. 890 m; 21.ix.2017; Cavalcante-Silva, A. leg.; UV light pan trap (MZSP) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype, except 5 males; Grito stream; 7°51'41"S, 38°5'25"W, el. 740 m; 09.viii.2018 (UFBA); same except 3 males; Laje stream; 7°52'13"S, 38°5'18"W, el. 580 m; 07.viii.2018 (DZRJ); same except 6 males; Pinga stream; 7°52'3"S, 38°7'13"W, el. 890 m; 21.ix.2017 (MZSP); same except 6 males (INPA); same except 1 female; 7°52'3"S, 38°7'13"W, el. 890 m; 03.ii.2019 (MZSP); same except 5 females; 7°52'5,5"S, 38°7'15,6"W, el. 870 m; 01.v.2019; Cavalcante-Silva, A, Pereira, R. leg. (MZSP); same except 6 females; 7°52'5,5"S, 38°7'15,7"W, el. 865 m; 01.v.2019 (UFBA); same except 6 females (DZRJ); same except 6 females (INPA) .

Diagnosis.

The new species is distinguished from all other congeners by the following characters of the male genitalia: inferior appendage subtriangular, acuminated in posterior region, basomesal lobe subtriangular ~ 1/2 the length of the inferior appendage, in lateral view, trapezoid, with spine-like setae in posterior margin, in ventral view; abdominal segment X slender, slightly cleft at the apex, in dorsal view. The characters of the genitalia of new species are morphologically similar to Helicopsyche flinti Johanson (1999). The new species presents abdominal segment X with a rounded apex, and a medial row of spine-like setae, in dorsal view (while H. flinti presents abdominal segment X with apex nearly straight, side row of spine-like setae), and inferior appendage with strongly projecting mesal margin, forming a large, rounded lobe, in dorsal view (while H. flinti presents an inferior appendage without a large mesal lobe).

Description.

Adults (Fig. 4): length of forewing 4.1-5.2 mm (n = 20). Wings: forewing without discoidal cell, without medial cell, with thyridial cells; hind wing without discoidal cell, without thyridial cell. Head: brownish; antennae yellowish, shorter than forewing length, scape yellowish, shorter than head length, covered with long setae (Fig. 4E-G). Thorax: pronotum brownish, with warts, filiform, covered with small and ferruginous setae; mesoscutum brownish, with mesoscutal warts spherical and not covered with setae; mesoscutellum brownish, with mesoscutellar warts spherical and not covered with setae (Fig. 4G); legs yellowish, tibial spur formula 2,2,4.

Male (Figs 2, 4A-C): body length ~ 3.3-4.6 mm (n = 20).

Head: interantennal warts present, brownish, spherical, covered with small setae; posteroantennal warts present, brownish, club shaped, covered with long setae; cephalic warts present, brownish, subtriangular, covered with long setae; postocular warts present, filiform, brownish, covered with long setae (Fig. 4A-C); maxillary palps yellowish, with two segments, covered with long ferruginous setae; labial palps yellowish, with three segments, covered with long ferruginous setae. Abdomen: abdominal sternum VI process present, almost same length as segment, tubular, apically rounded, covered with small microtrichiae (Fig. 2F).

Genitalia. Abdominal segment IX with slightly concave anteroventral margin in ventral half; apodeme well developed laterally, located midlaterally on segment; posterior margin nearly straight, in lateral view (Fig. 2A), anterior margin strongly concave, in dorsal view (Fig. 2B); preanal appendages setose, rounded in lateral view (Fig. 2A), clavate in dorsal view (Fig. 2B). Abdominal segment X tubular, dorsal margin slightly curved, in lateral view (Fig. 2A); slender, mesodorsal borders inverted Y-shaped, bearing two rows of short setae, near the center, in dorsal view (Fig. 2B). Inferior appendage subtriangular, acuminated in posterior region, in lateral view (Fig. 2A); anterior margin slightly convex, posterior margin undulated and tapered apex, in dorsal view (Fig. 2B); basomesal lobe of inferior appendage, in lateral view well developed, with ventral margin covered with long setae and dorsal margin with spine-like setae, in ventral view (Fig. 2C). Phallus tubular, phallobase rounded, ventral view (Fig. 2E), acuminate at anteroventral border, in lateral view (Fig. 2D), slightly down curved; phallotremal sclerite conspicuous, moon shaped in lateral view (Fig. 2D).

Female (Figs 3, 4D-G): body length ~ 3.9-5.4 mm (n = 20).

Head: interantennal warts present, brownish, spherical, covered with small setae; postero-antennal warts present, brownish, covered with long setae; cephalic warts present, brownish, subtriangular, covered with long setae (Fig. 4D-F); postocular warts present, filiform, brownish, covered with long setae (Fig. 4F); maxillary palps yellowish, with 5-segments, covered with long and yellowish setae; labial palps yellowish, with 3-segments, covered with long yellowish setae (Fig. 4G). Abdomen: abdominal sternum VI process present, ~ 1/3 segment length, tubular and apically rounded, covered with small microtrichiae (Fig. 3D).

Genitalia. Abdominal segment IX is well separated from abdominal segment VIII and indistinctly separated from abdominal segment X, anterior margin convex, in lateral view (Fig. 3A); external part of abdominal segment IX apically incised, in ventral view (Fig. 3B). Preanal appendage long and filiform, in lateral view (Fig. 3A). Abdominal segment X with two branches; dorsal branch narrow, base with apex broad, rounded and covered with long setae, in lateral view (Fig. 3A), bilobed with U-shaped with apical incision, in dorsal view (Fig. 3C); ventral branch with sinuous margin, in lateral view (Fig. 3A), and apex obtuse in ventral and dorsal view (Fig. 3B, C). Vagina with thick anterior margin, in ventral view (Fig. 3B); vaginal sclerite slender along its length, in lateral view (Fig. 3A), finger-shaped projection on the anterior margin, internal sclerite long, with sclerotized lateral margins, in ventral view (Fig. 3B).

Larva (5th instar) (Figs 5A-L, 6C): Body total length 2.9-3.6 mm (n = 10).

Head: oval, with anterior margin 1.3 × broader than posterior margin, in dorsal view (Fig. 5A), mostly light brown, with pale region on anterolateral margin of the head capsule until antenna region, around stemmata, medial region of frontoclypeus margin, and posteromedial region of head capsule, in dorsal view (Fig. 5A), with lateral region light brown, in ventral view (Fig. 5B), cardo and anterior ventral apotome dark brown, six and eight brown muscle scars in left and right, respectively, in dorsal view (Fig. 5A), head capsule with muscle scar light brown in posterolateral region, in dorsal view (Fig. 5A), with frontal area flattened, muscle scars in basal region, cardo and ventral apotome sclerotized, ventral view (Fig. 5B); with muscle scar light brown in posterior region, in lateral view (Fig. 5C); frontoclypeus and adjacent areas nearly flat and margined with semicircular carina, frontoclypeal suture with strongly delimited margin, frontoclypeal with one muscle scar brown in medial region, and three in posterior region, in dorsal view (Fig. 5A); labrum translucent, with short setae covering the anterior margin, in ventral view (Fig. 5B); mandibles asymmetrical, each internal margin with pale, long, thin setae; left mandible with three teeth, the apical tooth trilobed, mesal and basal tooth acute; right mandible with three teeth, the apical tooth trilobed, mesal and basal tooth obtuse, in dorsal view (Fig. 5D-E); chaetotaxy of head as in Figure 5A-E. Thorax: pronotum brown with dark muscle scars, anterior region with row of long setae at margin, covered long setae to near medial region, posterior margin sinuous and lighter with few and scattered setae, in dorsal view (Fig. 5F), trochantin almost as long as foreleg coxae, finger shaped with one spinelike setae in apex (Fig. 5G); mesonotum lighter than pronotum, with pale regions in medial region, muscle scars in dark brown shades, four pairs in anterior region and one pair in posterior region, posterior margins angulate, in dorsal view (Fig. 5F); metanotum with three pairs of sclerites, two pairs of anteromesal (sa1) sclerites small, one pairs anterior subtriangular, and one pairs irregular bearing one setae and one pair of posterior subtriangular sclerites (fused sa2 and sa3 sclerites), each bearing single seta posteromesally (sa2) and several setae anterolateral (sa3), in dorsal view (Fig. 5F); lateral hump oval, apical region mostly dark, one short setae in anteromedial region (Fig. 5J); thoracic legs with chaetotaxy as in Figure 5G-I; The foreleg has a length equivalent to 2/3 of the midleg and 1/2 of the hindleg, foreleg segments robust and short, mid and hind leg segments filiform and long (Fig. 5I). Abdomen: anal prolegs each with lateral sclerites curved, anal claw elongates, with accessory parallel teeth pectinate, arranged like comb (Fig. 5L).

Larval case (Figs 6A-B, 7I-J): length 2.9-3.6 mm (n = 10). Made with cemented sand grains, forming a snail-like, helical case, case with two 1/2 whorls at the end of the phase, with umbilicus open and deep.

Pupa (Fig. 7A-J): body length 3.3-4.1 mm (n = 10). Generally dark brown, almost black, with yellowish abdomen; Head: mandibles curved with wide bases, each with length 2.5 × basal width, apex pointed and internal margin smooth (Fig. 7A). Abdomen: paired anterior dorsal hook plates on segments II-V, pair of posterior dorsal hook plates on segment IV asymmetrical; general morphology of dorsal hook plates as in (Fig. 5C-H); terminal abdominal segment rounded, with two divergent digitate processes, each process bearing one subapical and three apical setae (Fig. 7B).

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Dr. Ralph W. Holzenthal, for his outstanding contribution to the study of Neotropical caddisflies, and also as an acknowledgment for collaboration and his contributing to the training of young researchers.

Material additional.

A1 (1 female), C6 (643 males); C7 (10 larvae, 10 pupae); D2 (34 males); D7 (1 male); D17 (14 males); D18 (379 males); D18 (49 females); D20 (32 females); D22 (1 larvae); E1 (1 male); F2 (30 males); F3 (17 males) (UFBA) (Table 1).

Distribution.

Brazil (Pernambuco state).

Caddisflies from Brejo de Altitude de Triunfo

HYDROPSYCHIDAE