Notidobiella Schmid

Holzenthal, Ralph W. & Blahnik, Roger J., 2010, Systematics of the Neotropical caddisfly genus Notidobiella Schmid (Trichoptera, Sericostomatidae), with the description of 3 new species, ZooKeys 71, pp. 23-47 : 24-25

Genus Notidobiella Schmid

Notidobiella Schmid 1955: 152 [Type species: Notidobiella parallelipipeda Schmid 1955, original designation].

Diagnosis:

(modified from Schmid 1955; characters pertain to the male of the type species, except where noted): Head short, but broad, with large, projecting eyes, with conspicuous setae between ommatidea (Fig. 1); in most species interocular distance equal to or slightly less than diameter of eye, when viewed frontally (eyes of females smaller, interocular distance about 2 × diameter of eye). According to Schmid (1955) bordering the eyes medially is an elongate, convex cephalic tubercle, but this structure was not evident in the material of the type species examined by us. Head dorsally with prominent, elongate occipital and retroccipital warts; ocellar, antennal, frontal, anterolateral, and hypomedial setal warts absent (terminology of Ivanov 1990) (although females with small anterolateral setal wart). Antennal scape much shorter than head and about as wide as long, with oval setal warts on both its dorsal and ventral surfaces; scapes almost touch medially. Maxillary palp very short, composed of enlarged, heavily setose basal article held against the face and sclerotized on its lateral side only, medial side membranous, with small, oval, sclerotized, setose apical article (Fig. 2) (female maxillary palp 5-segmented, unmodified). Labial palp 3-segmented, unmodified. Pronotum with pair of elongate setal warts (Fig. 1). Mesoscutum with very deep median fissure and pair of small, oval scutal warts; mesoscutellum with pair of large scutellar warts (Fig. 1). Each leg with pair of apical spurs (tibial spur formula 2-2-2). Wings are broad, forewing longer and broader than hind wing; wing venation uniform among the species. Forewing (Fig. 3A) with forks I, II, III, and V present; cross vein r between R1 and R2; discoidal cell present and short, forks II and III sessile; crossveins r-m and m-cu present (in Notidobiella amazoniana sp. n., and Notidobiella ecuadorensis sp. n., crossveins r and s absent or very weak and difficult to discern in the material examined; the absence of s leaves the discoidal cell open); Cu2 not attaining wing margin, merged apically with Cu1b; A1 and A2 each attaining wing margin, A3 absent. Hind wing (Fig. 3B) with discoidal cell open; forks I, II, V present; fork I petiolate; fork II sessile; M with single branch; fork V short. Male genitalia (Figs 4, 8): Sternum VII with posteromesal process. Segment IX with short or long ventral setose lobes or only single setose process ( Notidobiella amazoniana sp. n.). Preanal appendages short, ovate, setose. Tergum X simple, triangular to subquadrate in shape. Inferior appendage narrow basally and broadly spatulate apically, with short to long mesal process on ventromesal margin (in Notidobiella amazoniana sp. n., inferior appendage uniformly narrow throughout its length and without mesal process on the ventromesal margin). Phallus simple, elongate, tubular, with prominent endophallic membranes. Female genitalia (Figs 5, 9): Tergum IX heavily setose, posterolateral lobe, with lateral, microsetose, elevated ridge (all species except Notidobiella brasiliana sp. n.). Internal vaginal sclerites complex with no discernable differences among the species. Bursa copulatix subspherical and semisclerotized; pair of small, oval sclerites lying in membranes above vaginal sclerites (position variable).

Flint (1967) described the immature stages of Notidobiella chacayana . Larvae construct slightly tapered and curved cases of small mineral fragments embedded in silk and occur on the bottoms of small streams. The 3 previously known species, Notidobiella chacayana Schmid, 1957, Notidobiella inermis Flint, 1983, and Notidobiella parallelipipeda Schmid, 1955, are endemic to southern Chile.