Austrotinodes tepui, Neto & Passos, 2018

Neto, Jaime De Liege Gama & Passos, Mahedy Araujo Bastos, 2018, The genus Austrotinodes Schmid 1955 (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae) in Roraima state, Brazil: new records and description of a new species, Zootaxa 4521 (1), pp. 116-120 : 118-120

Austrotinodes tepui sp. nov.

Figs. 2 A–2E

Diagnosis. The male of Austrotinodes tepui sp. nov. is similar to that of A. contubernalis Flint & Denning 1989 , resembling this species mainly in the general shape of the long intermediate appendages enlarged mesally and tapering apically in lateral view. Additionally, the lateral process of the phallus is elongate and bifid in both species, with each branch long, wide, rounded apically, and bearing one apical spine directed laterad. However, in the new species each intermediate appendage has three apical spines (only two in A. contubernalis ) and each inferior appendage has its posterior margin excised in lateral view (convex in A. contubernalis ). Furthermore, in Austrotinodes tepui sp. nov. the phallic basomesal process has a nearly straight apex, while in A. contubernalis it has a downcurved apex.

Description. Male. Golden brown, including wings and legs (in alcohol). Length of each forewing of holotype and paratypes 3.0 8 mm (n = 3); R1 forked apically; forks II–V present. Hind wings each with forks II, III, and V present; discoidal cell absent. Abdominal segments I–VIII simple, with no differentiated structures.

Male genitalia. Segment IX deeply divided subdorsally, dorsal portion forming narrow transverse band, ventral portion elongate, in lateral view anterior margin acutely angled subventrally, posteroventral region enlarged subapicodorsally, ventral margin slightly convex ( Fig. 2A ); in ventral view about 2 times as long as wide, narrow at base, enlarging apically, apical margin slightly and broadly convex ( Fig. 2C ). Preanal appendages long, lateral surfaces setose, dorsal margins crenulated, each parallel-sided with apex rounded ( Figs. 2A, 2B ). Tergum X divided into pair of semimembranous triangular lobes, each bearing slender dorsal setae and one longer, dark seta at apex (Fig. 7B); in lateral view, subrectangular ( Fig. 2A ). Intermediate appendages almost 3/4 length of preanal appendages; in lateral view gradually enlarging to midlength and then tapering apically, each bearing two spines along ventral edge beyond midlength enlargement, and 3 apical spine-like setae directed posterad ( Fig. 2A ), only two visible at apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 2B ). Inferior appendages fused mesally, attached basomesally on sternum IX; in lateral view short, rounded anterodorsally, subacute posteroventrally, posterior margin excised ( Fig. 2A ); in ventral view short, narrower than sternum IX, posterior margin with mesal rounded and crenulate protrusion ( Fig. 2C ); phallic guide heavily sclerotized, elevated over inferior appendages, elongate, base acute, enlarging mesally, subacute apically, reaching apices of inferior appendages in lateral view ( Fig. 2A ). Phallus with sclerotized phallobase and membranous apicodorsal region; dorsal margin at midlength with short dorsal branch incised slightly on midline, each half with two apical spines directed caudad ( Fig. 2E ); pair of lateral processes arising beneath dorsal branch and extending beyond basomesal process, each with small basolateral spine directed caudad and large spine directed laterad ( Figs. 2D, 2E ); basomesal process elongate, narrow, darkly sclerotized, with pointed apex nearly straight in lateral view ( Fig. 2D ).

Female, pupa, larva, and egg: Unknown.

Holotype male. BRAZIL: Roraima: Amajari municipality, Serra do Tepequém , small order stream, 03°87'39.6"N / 61°44'49.8"W, 600 m, 8–13 Sep. 2013. Malaise trap, J.L. Gama Neto col. (alcohol; INPA).

Paratypes. 2 males, same data as holotype (alcohol; INPA) .

Distribution: Brazil (Roraima state)

Etymology. The epithet "tepui", noun in apposition, from the Pemom word Tepui (“house of the gods”), referring to the table-top mountains or mesas, like the Serra do Tepequém mountain range, found on the Venezuelan border with Brazil and Guyana.

Discussion. We found no records of Austrotinodes species in Roraima state through a literature review. The genus was recorded from Roraima state by Gama Neto et al. (2017) based only on female specimens. Revising the material collected in that work we found five males including the new species described above, one specimen of A. lenti Dumas, Souza & Rocha 2017 , and one specimen of A. neblinensis Flint & Denning 1989 .

The presence of A. lenti in the Serra do Tepequém mountain range represents the first reported occurrence of this species outside of the Brazilian Southeast region, expanding considerably its known distribution further north in Brazil. The only previous Austrotinodes lenti specimen was collected on the Brazilian Southeast region in the Cerrado biome (Leandro Lourenço Dumas, personal communication). Now, it has been collected also in the Amazon forest. It is possible that A. lenti occurs in other Brazilian regions, but it is not being collected due to failure to use Malaise traps, since it does not appear to be attracted by light traps. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that all specimens identified in this work were captured only in Malaise traps, despite the fact that Pennsylvania light traps were used extensively in the locality, reinforcing the observation by Dumas et al. (2017) that light traps are not efficient for capturing adults of Austrotinodes .

Austrotinodes neblinensis was previously recorded from Venezuela and is here recorded for the first time from

Brazil. The specimen of A. neblinensis collected in the Serra do Tepequém mountain range bears four apical spines on each intermediate appendage, unlike the Venezuelan specimens described by Flint & Denning (1989), which have only three apical spines. We consider this difference only intraspecific variation since no other relevant differences were found.

Material examined. Austrotinodes lenti . BRAZIL: 1 male, Roraima, Amajari municipality, Serra do Tepequém , small order stream, 03°87'39.6"N / 61°44'49.8"W, 600 m, 8–13 Sep. 2013. Malaise trap, J.L. Gama Neto col. (alcohol; MIRR). Austrotinodes neblinensis . BRAZIL: 1 male, Roraima, Amajari municipality, Serra do Tepequém, small order stream, 03°87'39.6"N / 61°44'49.8"W, 600 m, 8–13 Sep. 2013. Malaise trap, J.L. Gama Neto col. (alcohol; MIRR) .

Figures

FIGURE 2A–2E. Austrotinodes tepui sp. nov., male genitalia.: 2A, left lateral; 2B, dorsal; 2C, ventral; 2D, phallus, left lateral; 2E, phallus, dorsal.