Mortoniella wygodzinskii ( Schmid, 1958 )

Blahnik, Roger J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2011, Revision of the austral South American species of Mortoniella (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae) 2851, Zootaxa 2851 (1), pp. 1-75 : 63-65

Mortoniella wygodzinskii ( Schmid, 1958)

Fig. 34

Mexitrichia wygodzinskii Schmid, 1958: 194 ; Flint 1963: 465 [possibly a species of Mortoniella ]; Knutson & Flint 1979: 32 [ Empididae predators in pupal cocoons].

Mortoniella wygodzinskii (Schmid) ; Sykora 1999: 385 [ M. wygodzinskii group; distribution]; Rueda & Gibon 2008: 223 [illustration]; Blahnik & Holzenthal 2008: 70 [ M. bilineata species group].

This is a very distinctive species characterized especially by the very inflated tergum X, the elongate projections of the inferior appendages, and the very short, perhaps vestigial, paramere appendages. Wing color is uniform and brown, without an evident cross bar; the setae of the wings are somewhat modified, flattened and compressed, but not quite approaching a state where they would be called scale-like. Although placed by Sykora in its own group, the genitalic characters fit very well with species in either the M. bilineata or enchrysa subgroups. It is the only confirmed member of the M. bilineata species group for the region covered, although M. paraenchrysa is known from Bolivia. Mortoniella wygodzinskii has a very wide distribution; the specimen illustrated is from Venezuela.

Adult. Length of forewing: male 4.4 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III present, hind wing with forks II, III, and V. Spur formula 0:4:4. Overall color medium brown. Legs same color, tibial spurs darker, contrasting with legs. Wing without distinct bar at anastamosis; setae of wings slightly flattened.

Male genitalia. Ventral process of segment VI posteriorly projecting, short, narrow basally, length subequal to width at base. Segment IX rounded anterolaterally, length greatest in ventral 1/2, posterolateral margin with moderately angular projection in dorsal 1/2, also abruptly, angularly narrowed ventrally; segment deeply excised dorsomesally and ventromesally, forming lateral lobes, lobes separated dorsomesally by more than 1/2 width of segment. Tergum X elongate, bulbously inflated, with narrow mesal excision, extending less than 1/4th length; apical lobes, as viewed dorsally, bluntly rounded, as viewed laterally, more broadly rounded; ventromesally with strongly sclerotized, preapical projections, very narrowly separated mesally, and membranously connected, setose lobes, opposing dorsal phallic spine on either side. Inferior appendages with short, setose basal lobes and elongate, narrow, posteriorly-directed ventral projections, curved outward apically. Mesal pockets of fused inferior appendages with moderately elongate, spine-like, posteriorly-directed apicoventral projections. Paramere appendages very short, sclerotized, acute apically (possibly vestigial). Phallotheca with evident, rounded, laterally compressed, dorsomesal apodeme. Dorsal phallic spine, as viewed dorsally, broad in middle, narrowed apically; as viewed laterally, greatly narrowed in basal and apical parts, very bulbously inflated in middle, strongly upturned in apical 1/4th, apex rounded; ventral margin distinctly angulate, articulating with rounded projection on phallicata. Phallicata with distinctly sclerotized basodorsal projection and lightly sclerotized, rounded, depressed, lateral lobes, partially microsetose on ventral surface. Endophallic membrane lightly sclerotized dorsally, simple in structure, without evident spines; phallotremal spines absent.

Material examined. VENEZUELA: Truillo : Quebrada Potrerito, 7.5 km NE Boconó, 9°16'26''N, 70°13'06"W, 1530 m, 29-30.iv.1995, Holzenthal, Cressa, Gulic — 1 male ( UMSP) .

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Mortoniella wygodzinskii (Schmid), male genitalia: A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C—phallic ensemble, ventral.