Mortoniella meloi, Blahnik & Holzenthal, 2011

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 : 69-72

Mortoniella meloi , new species

Fig. 37

This species is very distinctive and unlikely to be confused with any other species of Mortoniella . The nearly straight anterior margin of segment IX and synsclerous posterior margin of segment VIII are especially distinctive. Mortoniella meloi is also characterized by having slightly widened, but not exactly scale-like, setae along the costal margin of the forewings of the male, and on abdominal segments anterior to segment VIII.

Adult. Length of forewing: male 3.5 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III present, hind wing with fork II only. Spur formula 0:4:4. Overall color grayish-brown. Wing bar at anastamosis scarcely evident, marked only by whitish-brown setae at arculus on hind margin.

Male genitalia. Ventral process of segment VI short, laterally compressed, ventrally projecting, bluntly rounded apically, slightly narrowed basally from anterior margin ( Fig. 37E ). Segment VIII more or less synsclerous (more distinctly so on posterior margin); tergum with pronounced anterolateral apodemes. Segment IX very short, anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin curved, narrowing dorsally; segment excised dorsomesally and ventromesally, forming lateral lobes, lobes separated dorsomesally by more than 1/2 width of segment, lobes convergent ventrally and very narrowly joined. Tergum X short; apicomesal incision relatively narrow, U-shaped, forming projecting, acute, apicodorsal lobes; ventrolateral margin subtruncate, setose; tergum ventromesally with convergent, mesally-fused, sclerotized, anteriorly-curved lobes. Inferior appendages very short, with short, paired, acute ventromesal projections, dorsally with short, subacute, outwardly-flared lobes, Mesal pockets of fused inferior appendages with apical processes short, dorsally curved. Paramere appendages relatively elongate (extending about as far as dorsal phallic spine), narrow, uniform in width, apices acute. Dorsal phallic spine, as viewed laterally, more or less uniform in width, strongly dorsally oriented, apical 1/4th very sharply bent, apex acute and somewhat reflexed. Phallicata with sclerotized dorsolateral processes, each concavely curved to accommodate paramere appendage. Endophallic membrane very short, simple in structure; phallotremal sclerite composed of short mesal spine and 2 longer, diverging, lateral spines (possibly fused phallotremal spines).

Holotype male: BRAZIL: São Paulo: Parque Estadual Intervales, Rio do Carmo , 24°18'59"S, 048°25'15"W, 560 m, 29.ix.2002, Blahnik, Prather, Melo & Calor ( UMSP000088168 ) (pinned) ( MZUSP).

Etymology. We are very pleased to name this species M. meloi for Adriano Melo, who helped to collect the type specimens, in gratitude for the assistance he rendered during our collecting efforts in Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Mortoniella meloi, new species, male genitalia: A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C—phallic ensemble, ventral; D—segment VIII, lateral; E—ventral process of segment VI, lateral.