Oecetis jenniae, Wells, 2006

Wells, Alice, 2006, A review of Australian long-horned caddisflies in the Oecetis pechana-group (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), with descriptions of thirteen new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63 (2), pp. 107-128 : 120

Oecetis jenniae sp. nov.

Figures 30–32, 66

Material examined. Holotype. Male, NT, 12°42'S, 130°58'E, Berry Springs, 31 Mar 1992, Wells ( ANIC).

Paratypes. NT: 18 males, 17 females, same data as for holotype ( ANIC, NMV); 42 males, 22 females, same locality, 17 May 1992, Wells ( NTM) .

Other material.105 samples,some comprising numerous specimens, from NT, WA, Qld and NSW (one sample only).

Diagnosis. Oecetis jenniae resembles O. mouldsi , having similar male genitalia; however, it lacks a prominent apico-dorsal lobe, and has wing venation of a more normal pechana type, the veins not particularly emphasised. In having wing scales and in the pattern of wing markings, O. jenniae resembles O. pechana , but the male inferior appendages are wider than long and not clasper-shaped, features shared with O. theischingeri from which it is distinguished by lacking an apico-mesial lobe on the inferior appendages. The inferior appendages of this species resemble most closely those of O. burtoni and O. quadrula , but both of those species have long downy vestiture on the male wing and no scales.

Description. Male. Wings with vestiture short, pattern of dark areas at vein anastomoses and at margin; forewing with a patch of scales, which may be narrow or broad. Anterior wing length, 3.9–4.7 mm. Abdominal tergites II–IV darkly sclerotised, segment IX annulate, segment X short, rounded in ventral view, slender in lateral view. Genitalia, see figs 30–32. Pre-anal appendages rounded apically. Phallus about length of 2.5 to 3 abdominal segments; paramere S-shaped in ventral view, in lateral view arched dorsally. Inferior appendages stout, subquadrate in ventral view, with a short dorso-lateral lobe, basi-dorsal pouch present.

Distribution. Widespread in the north of the continent, but also occurring in the south-east of Qld, west of the divide in central NSW, and in the Pilbara region of WA.

Etymology. Named for Jenni Webber.

Remarks. Oecetis jenniae as recognised here is rather variable in features of male genitalia and in the breadth of the scale patches on the male wing. Most specimens from across northern Australia conform to the type specimen from the north of the Northern Territory in having a broad scale patch on the forewing, and the apex of the dorsal lobe of the inferior appendages rounded, rather than acuminate. Some specimens from north-western Western Australia have only a narrow scale patch on the forewing, and the apex of the dorsal lobe of the inferior appendages acuminate, rather than more rounded. For the present a single species is recognised; it is often abundant in light trap collections.