Austropsyche ambigua, Wells & Contents, 2018

Wells, Alice & Contents, Arturs Neboiss Table Of, 2018, Australian Diplectroninae reviewed (Insecta: Trichoptera), with description of 21 new species, most referred to a new genus, Zootaxa 4415 (1), pp. 1-44 : 18

Austropsyche ambigua sp. nov.

( Figs 50–51, 58 , 61–62, 74 , 93)

Material examined. Holotype 1♂, Upper Manning River , 20 km NNW Rawdon Vale, 19.ii.1980, A.A. Calder [PT-1093 ( ANIC)]

Paratypes. Victoria: 2♂ 1♀, Noorinbee , 23.xi.1965, A. Neboiss ; New South Wales: 1♂, Barrington House via Salisbury , 27.v.1963, G. Monteith [PT-1093] ; 20♂ 1♀, Upper Manning River, 20 km NNW Rawdon Vale , 19.ii.1980, A.A. Calder [♂ PT-1019, ♀ PT-1058] ; 2♂, NSW, Styx River, Hyatts Flat , 8.xii.1998, G. Theischinger ( ANIC) ; 3♂ 1♀, NSW, Nungatta Creek, Yambula State Forest , 16–17.ii.2000, J. Miller ( ANIC) .

Other material. New South Wales: 3♂ 1♀ (dry), Barrington Tops , 15.xi.1953 ; 2♂, Brown Mountain , 18.i.1961, E.F. Riek ( ANIC) ; 2♂ 2♀, Kangaroo Valley , 22.iii.1961, E.F. Riek ( ANIC) ; 1♂ (dry, dissected), Little Styx River , New England NP, 11.ix.1972, O.S. Flint ( USNM) ; 7♂, Styx River, 2 km S of Ebor , 17.x.1973, A. Neboiss ; 3♂, Kanangra-Boyd NP, Budthingaroo Creek , 24–26. xii.1977, G. Daniels ; 1♂, Mumbulla Creek nr Bega , 20.xi.1978, I. Campbell [PT-635] ; 1♂, Mumbulla Creek, 15 km NE Bega , 29.iii.1979 ; 11♂, Dilgry River 19 km NW of Rawdon Vale , 18.ii.1980, A.A. Calder ; 1♂, Allyn River, Chichester SF, 32°08'S 151°27'E, 10–11.xi.1981, T. Weir ; 1♂, Dilgry River, Barrington Tops SF, 31°53'S 151°32'E, 15–16xi.1981, T. Weir ; 1♂, Tennyson Creek, 5 km NW of Buldah , 1–7.i.1982, ANZSES exped ; 1♂, between Ebor and Dorrigo , 12.xi.1983, G. Theischinger ; 2♂ ♀, Qld, Binna Burra, Lamington NP, 2–10.xi.1984, E.D. Edwards [TRI-39507] ; 9♂, Errinundra River , 3 km below E warm junction, 14.iii.1982, J. Blyth ; 1♂, Nadgee S. F., Maxwell's Creek , 13–19.ii. 1987, 400 m, D. Bickel ; 1♂, Wilson River, nr Belangry , 5.xii.1988, G. Theischinger ; 1♂, Gloucester Tops at 1200 m, 19.xi–4.xii.1988, D. Bickel, Malaise trap ; 14♂ 1♀, Gloucester Tops , 32°04’S 151°34’E at 1300m, 2–3.xii.1988, Theischinger & Mueller ; 3♂ 1♀, Gloucester Tops at 1200 m, 4–30.xii.1988, D. Bickel, Malaise trap ; 2♂ 1♀, Barrington Tops, Polblue, 1500 m, 11.xii.1992, G. Theischinger. Victoria: 1♂, Noorinbee , 23.xi.1965, A Neboiss [PT-1097] ; 5♂, Noorinbee , 12.xi.1969, A. Neboiss ; 1♂, Errinundra River, 17 km N of Club Terrace , 11.xi.1975, J. Blyth ; 4♂, Noorinbee North nr Cann River , 30.xii.1975, M.S. Moulds ; 4♂ 1♀, Noorinbee North , 20.iii.1977, A. Neboiss ; 3♂, Beehive Creek, 30 km N of Cann River , 21.iii.1977, A. Neboiss ; 2♂, Back Creek above Cann River , 9.ii.1980, A. Wells.

Diagnosis. Resembling Au. acuta in having the forewing discoidal and median cells equal in length, males with a pair of slender elongate sclerotised spines that arise deep within abdominal segment IX from the base of the apodeme that connects to the gonopods, and the mesal process apical on the coxopodite. It is distinguished from Au. acuta by the shorter mesal process, which is irregular or acute apically, and lacks a small, conical dorsal process at its base.

Description. Length of each forewing: ♂ 9.7–11.1 mm (n = 10), ♀ 11.5–12.4 mm (n = 4); forewings ( Fig. 50 ) with cross-vein r-m distad of cross-vein closing median cell; forks 4 and 5 long, about equal in length; discoidal and median cells about same length. On segment V lateral filaments about 2/3 length of sternite.

Male. Internal sacs small, in VI and VII, less than one segment in length. Genitalia ( Figs 61–62 , 93 ): abdominal sternite IX deeply concave proximally; tergites IX and X more or less fused; gonopods each with coxopodite almost equal width throughout length, narrow process apicomesally, without small conical dorsal process at base between process and harpago, harpago about half length of coxopodite, digitiform; phallic apparatus slender medially, dilated apically, without endothecal spines; pair of slender spines arising deep within segment IX, converging apically close to apex of phallus.

Female. Terminal abdomen with sternite VIII divided, forming two valves, separated medially, apicolaterally tapered to narrow angle; sternite IX in form of small paired lobes separated by membranous area.

Distribution. Found from central-eastern New South Wales, south to East Gippsland in eastern Victoria.

Remarks. In Austropsyche ambigua males, the apicomesal process on each coxopodite varies in shape, in some males being acute apically, in others irregular to almost narrowly truncate.

Figures

FIGURES 49–58. Austropsyche Banks 1939 spp., diagnostic features. 49–50, ♂ right fore- and hind wings, dorsal: 49, Au. bifurcata (Kimmins 1953; holotype); 50, Au. ambigua sp. nov. (NSW, Upper Manning River, 20 km NNW Rawdon Vale [PT- 1019]). 51, Au. ambigua sp. nov. [PT-1019], ♂ maxillary palp. 52–56, Au. victoriana Banks 1939, ♂ genitalia: 52, (holotype), left lateral; 53–54, (Vic., Kalymna Falls, Williams Range, Grampians [PT-1009]): 53, ventral, and 54, left lateral; 55–56, (Vic., CementCreek [PT-1100]):55, left lateral,and 56, phallic apparatus, leftlateral and ventral and dorsal, respectively, leftto right. 57–58, ♀ terminal abdominal segments, left lateral: 57, Au. victoriana (Vic, Cumberland Falls, SE Marysville [PT-1046]); 58, Au.ambigua sp. nov. (NSW, Upper Manning River, 20 km NNW Rawdon Vale [PT-1058]). Scale bars = 2 mm.Abbreviations: ac = anal cell; A 1+2+3 = fused anal veins A 1, A 2, A 3;dc = discoidal cell; cox = coxopodite; coxp = mesal process on coxopodite; fI, fII, fIII, fIV, fV = forks I–V; mc = median cell; har = harpago; ph = phallic apparatus; VIII, IX, X = abdominal segments VIII, IX, X.

FIGURES 70–83. Austropsyche Banks 1939 spp., ♂ diagnostic features.70–75, heads, dorsal:70, Au.victoriana Banks 1939; 71, Au.bifurcata (Kimmins 1953); 72, Au. kaputar sp. nov.; 73, Au. acuta sp. nov.; 74, Au. ambigua sp. nov.; 75, Au. morana sp. nov. 76–79, right fore- and hind wings, dorsal: 76, Au.victoriana; 77, Au. kaputar sp. nov.; 78, Au.acuta sp. nov.; 79, Au. morana sp. nov. 80, Au. acuta sp. nov., antennal segments. 81, Au. acuta sp. nov., maxillary palp. 82, Au. victoriana, reticulate-walled internal sacs of abdominal segments VI and VII, ventral. 83, Au. acuta sp. nov., left lateral filament on segment V, ventral. Scale bars = 2 mm. Abbreviations: ac = anal cell; alw = anterolateral wart; amw = anteromesal wart; A 1+2+3 = fused anal veins A 1, A 2, A 3; dc = discoidal cell; mc = median cell; pw = posterior wart.

FIGURES 59–69. Austropsyche Banks 1939 spp., ♂ genitalia diagnostic features. 59–60, Au. acuta sp. nov. (holotype, NSW, Crystal Creek Rainforest Resort, Upper Crystal Creek; ANIC): 59, ventral; 60, left lateral.61–62, Au. ambigua sp. nov. (NSW, Upper Manning River,20 km NNW Rawdon Vale [PT-1019]):61, ventral; 62, leftlateral.63–65, Au.bifurcata (Kimmins1953; ACT, Bendora ([PT-1015]), ♂ genitalia: 63, ventral; 64, apex of phallic apparatus, left lateral; 65, left lateral. 66–67, Au. morana sp. nov. (Qld, trickle on Moran's Falls track, Lamington NP [TRI-54706-1]): 66, ventral; 67, left lateral. 68–69, Au. kaputar sp. nov. (NSW, Mt Kaputar NP, Bullawa Creek [PT-1714]): 68, ventral; 69, left lateral.

FIGURES 84–101. Austropsyche Banks 1939 spp., genitalia diagnostic features. 84–95, ♂ genitalia: 84–87, Au. victoriana Banks 1939:84–85, (typical form): 84, ventral, and 85, left lateral; 86, (Vic., Wilhelmina Falls [TRI-12958]), ventral, showing variation in development of the ventrolateral ‘plates’ at the bases of the gonopods; 87, (Vic., Cumberland Falls, SE Marysville [PT-1018]), ventral, showing variation in development of the ventrolateral ‘plates’ at the bases of the gonopods. 88–89, Au. bifurcata (Kimmins 1953; (ACT, Bendora [1015]): 88, ventral, and 89, left lateral. 90–91, Au.kaputar sp. nov. (holotype): 90, ventral, and 91, left lateral. 92, Au. acuta sp. nov. (NSW, Upper Crystal Creek), ventral. 93, Au. ambigua sp. nov. (Vic. Noorinbee [1097]), ventral.94–95, Au. morana sp. nov. (holotype): 94, ventral; 95, left lateral.96–101, ♀ terminal abdominal segments.96–97, Au.bifurcata (NSW, New South Wales,Dead Horse Gap): 96, ventral, and 97, left lateral; 98, Au.victoriana, ventral. 99, Au. morana sp. nov. (Qld, trickle on Moran's Falls track, Lamington NP), ventral. 100–101, Au. acuta sp. nov. (NSW, Upper Crystal Creek): 100, ventral, and 101, left lateral.