Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) blantoni, Johanson, Kjell Arne & Malm, Tobias, 2006

Johanson, Kjell Arne & Malm, Tobias, 2006, Seven new Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) Johanson, 2002 from the Neotropical region and Nearctic Mexico (Insecta: Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae), Zootaxa 1208, pp. 1-24 : 4-6

Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) blantoni , new species

Fig. 9–16 , 61

Helicopsyche blantoni is unique among Helicopsyche by having a short segment IX; tergum X with only 8 pairs of megasetae; a short, broad basimesal lobe forming a flat plate with only 3 megasetae; and a thick phallus. With respect to the genitalia, especially the shape of the gonocoxite, H. blantoni is similar to H. cubana Kingsolver , H. limnella Ross , H. breviterga Flint , H. planata , H. valligera , H. molesta Botosaneanu , H. grenadensis Flint & Sykora , H. sucrensis Johanson & Holzenthal , H. disjuncta Johanson & Holzenthal , and H. paprockii , new species. These species are all separated by genitalic characters as described in the remarks below.

Male head: Cephalic warts oval to almost circular, postantennal warts tubular, longer than scape width. Antenna with scape as long as eye diameter. Maxillary palp segments about equally long.

Male wings. Venation as in Fig. 9 . Forewing grey brownish, length 3.6 mm; hind wing length 2.8 mm, with 21 hamuli.

Male abdomen and genitalia ( Figs. 10–16 ). Sternal process of segment VI broken in both holotype and paratype ( Fig. 10–11 ). In lateral view, segment IX ( Fig. 12 ) with ellipsoid anterior lobe at middle, anterodorsal and anteroventral margins concave; in dorsal view ( Fig. 13 ), with inner margin uniformly hyperboloid; in ventral view ( Fig. 14 ) with central posterior process; in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ), lateral apodeme forms nearly horizontal, straight line at middle, tapering anteriorly, fades and meets anterior margin; sub­marginal line present; tergal transverse apodeme absent; sternal transverse apodeme present along posterior margin. Tergum X ( Fig. 12 ) oriented posteroventrad in lateral view, uniformly curved downward along its length, apex rounded; in dorsal view ( Fig. 13 ), slightly narrowing distally, apical part weakly notched, with about 8 pairs of megasetae in dorsal group starting at midlength on segment, the lateral megasetae being about as long as the dorsal. Superior appendage ( Fig. 12 ), club­shaped. Primary branch of gonocoxite, ( Fig. 12 ) generally parallelogram­shaped in lateral view, narrowest immediately before midlength, dorsal margin slightly undulate, apex produced posteriorly, narrowest part of primary branch much wider than maximum height of tergum X and narrower than maximum width of tergum X ( Fig. 12, 13 ); anterodorsal margin nearly straight, smooth; posteroventral margin slightly undulate. Basimesal lobe hidden between primary branches in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ), wide, pointed posteriorly, slightly pointed in ventral view ( Fig. 14 ); with 3 dorsally oriented megasetae on dorsal surface. Basal plate in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ) nearly straight and tapering anteriorly; in ventral view ( Fig. 14 ) wide along its length, apex rounded. Phallus in lateral view ( Fig. 15 ) very thick and slightly curving posteroventrally along its length; apex nearly twice as broad as base in ventral view ( Fig. 16 ). Phallic basis minute. Endotheca weakly produced, posteroventral surface well sclerotized. Sperm channel divided and angled outside phallus into thick posterior and narrow anterior parts.

Holotype male: PANAMA: Cerro Campana: R. Panama, vii.1967, light trap [F. S. Blanton] (NMNH, alcohol).

Paratypes: Panama: Chiriqui: Fortuna Dam Site, nr. Hornitos, 1050 m, 8°55’N, 82°16’W, 20.ix–21.xi.1978, LT trap [H. Wolda] — 1 male (NMNH, in alcohol); ditto, except 10.i–20. ii.1979 — 1 male (NRM, alcohol).

Distribution: Panama (Cerro Campana and Chiriqui) ( Fig. 61 ).

Etymology: blantoni , derived from the name of the collector of the holotype (F. S. Blanton).

Remarks: Helicopsyche cubana is distinguished from H. lantoni by its longer segment IX, 17 pairs of megasetae on tergum X, 14 megasetae on the posteriorly oriented basimesal lobe of the gonocoxite, and a more slender phallus. Helicopsyche limnella is distinguished by the presence of only about 12 pairs of megasetae on tergum X and 5 megasetae on a weakly posteriorly produced basimesal lobe, a strongly pointed basal plate, and a more slender phallus. Helicopsyche breviterga has 12 pairs of megasetae on tergum X, 9 pairs of megasetae on the basimesal lobe of the gonocoxite, a basal plate being anteriorly needle­shaped, a phallus that is narrowing apically in ventral view (in H. blantoni it becomes wider). In H. planata the anterior lobe of segment IX is located at the dorsal half, it has a broad row of about 14 megasetae on tergum X and 11 megasetae on the slightly more posteriorly produced basimesal lobe, and a more slender phallus. Helicopsyche valligera has a slightly ventrally pointed anterior lobe (oriented anteriorly in blantoni ), a row of about 11 megasetae on tergum X and many short megasetae along the inner margin of the basimesal lobe, and a more slender phallus. In H. molesta the anterior lobe of segment IX is located on the dorsal half, about 21 megasetae tergum X form a apicolateral group of short setae and a dorsal row nearly reaching the basis of the superior appendage, the slightly produced basimesal lobe includes about 20 megasetae, the basal plate is sharply pointed, and the phallus is more slender. Helicopsyche grenadensis has a truncate tergum X with a pair of distinct lateral rows of dorsal megasetae, a gonocoxite that is basally more slender and has a posteroventral margin with 3 distinct expansions associated with stout setae, and a more slender phallus. In H. sucrensis tergum X is thicker and has a truncate apex, the posterodorsal corner of the gonocoxite primary branch is longer and more produced, and the gonocoxite basimesal lobe has about 7 stout megasetae. Helicopsyche disjuncta has a thicker and more dorsally curving tergum X with a wide apical rectangular notch, a more triangular primary branch of gonocoxite, and a cone­shaped basimesal lobe of the gonocoxite. In H. paprockii the anterior lobe of segment IX is located at the ventral half, the gonocoxite is distally broader, the basal plate is anteriorly more slender, the megasetae of tergum X are oriented into a pair of marginal rows, the megasetae on the basimesal lobe are absent, and the phallus is more slender.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Helicopsyche blantoni, new species, holotype. 9 — right wings; 10 — VIth sternal process, lateral; 11 — VIth sternal process, ventral; 12 — genitalia, lateral; 13 — genitalia, dorsal; 14 — genitalia, ventral; 15 — phallus, lateral; 16 — phallus, ventral.

FIGURES 60 – 62. Distribution maps showing the localities of the new species and the new records. 60 — Mexico, showing the distributions of H. curvipalpia (filled square) and H. sinuata (filled circle); 61 — Panama, showing the distributions of H. incisa (filled square), H. chiriquensis, H. linguata, H. woldai and H. incisa (filled circle), H. blantoni and H. woldai (open square), and H. sanblasensis (cross); 62 — Brazil, showing the distributions of H. paprockii and H. cipoensis (filled square).