Mortoniella (Nanotrichia) licina, Blahnik & Holzenthal, 2017

Blahnik, Roger J. & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2017, Revision of the northern South American species of Mortoniella Ulmer 1906 (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae) *, Insecta Mundi 2017 (602), pp. 1-251 : 108-109

Mortoniella (Nanotrichia) licina , new species

Fig. 93 , 122

Mortoniella licina is very closely related to M. eduardoi (Rueda Martín and Gibon) and M. venezuelensis , n. sp. All of these species have the apical spine-like projections from the mesal pockets of the inferior appendages very elongate and fused to the ventral part of the inferior appendages to form elongate, projecting lobes. All of the species also have an endophallic membrane that is ornamented with a dorsomesal projection with minute spines, membranous lateral lobes with minute spines, and paired ventral sclerites, each with a somewhat forked apex. Mortoniella licina differs from the other two species in lacking a field of upright scale-like setae on the hind wings of males. It most resembles M. venezuelensis in that the paramere appendages are uniform in width and do not have modified apices. Those in M. licina are usually distinctly curved apically, rather than being straight. A subtle, but distinctive character is that the ventral lobes of the inferior appendages and attached spine-like projections of the mesal pockets, are longer and more distinctly upturned in M. licina .

Adult —Length of forewing: male 2.7-3.1 mm; female 2.8-3.5 mm. Forewing with forks I, II, and III present, hind wing with fork II only. Spur formula 0:3:4. Overall color (in alcohol) medium brown. Forewing with narrow whitish wing bar at anastomosis. Males with scale-like setae paralleling veins in fore- and hind wings, hind wing without additional field of darkened, semi-erect, scale-like setae.

Male genitalia —Ventral process of segment VI posteriorly projecting, narrow basally, length about 3½ times width at base. Segment IX with anterolateral margin rounded and distinctly produced in ventral ½, posterolateral margin nearly straight; segment deeply mesally excised dorsally and ventrally, forming lateral lobes, separated dorsomesally by more than ½ width of segment. Tergum X, as viewed laterally, relatively short, narrowed and slightly ventrally curved apically, basomesally with pair of setose sclerites; as viewed dorsally, short and wide, apicomesally with deep U-shaped emargination, extending more than ½ length of tergum; ventrolateral lobes slightly produced basally, obsolete apically. Inferior appendage with setose, digitate dorsolateral projections, fused apicoventrally to spine-like projections of mesal pockets; composite apical structure forming prominent and very elongate, curved, ventral lobes. Mesal pockets of inferior appendage very large, with elongate, thick, strongly posterodorsally curved, spine-like, apicoventral projections. Paramere appendage elongate, narrow, nearly uniform in width, apex acute, usually distinctly curved in apical part. Phallobase very short, with elongate ventral rod-like projections, each strongly flared apically. Dorsal phallic spine, as viewed laterally, somewhat widened basally, strongly reflexed in about apical 1/3, apex rounded; as viewed dorsally, with distinct dorsolateral projections, widest in basal ½, tapering apically, reflexed apex rounded. Phallicata short, continuous with endophallic membrane apically, laterally with rounded sclerotized projections, surrounding mesal pockets of inferior appendage. Endophallic membrane continuous with phallicata, dorsomesally with slightly raised projection with numerous minute spines, laterally with projecting membranous lobes with minute spines, apically with narrow projecting lobe, ventrally with pair of sclerotized projections, each with v-shaped apical notch (modified phallotremal spines?).

Holotype male (alcohol)— ECUADOR: Zamora-Chinchipe: Yanzaza (5 km N), 29.xi.1978, JJ Anderson ( UMSP000096933 ) ( NMNH).

Paratypes — ECUADOR: Napo: Puerto Nuevo , 8.vii.1976, J Cohen – 1 male, 1 female (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Pastaza: Puyo , 21.v.1977, PJ Spangler and DR Givens – 1 male (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Puyo , 30.i.1976, Spangler et al.– 9 males (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Tewaeno , 500m, 18.v.1976, J Cohen – 1 male (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Tzapino, 32 km NE Tigueno , 1.31667° S, 77.46667° W, 400 m, 22.v.1976, J Cohen – 1 male (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Zamora-Chinchipe: Zamora , 4.xii.1978, JJ Anderson – 232 males, 280 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; Río Chicaña , 9 km N Yanzatza, 880 m, 20.ix.1990, OS Flint, Jr – 11 males, 32 females (alcohol) ( UMSP) ; same data as Holotype– 13 males, 110 females (alcohol) ( NMNH) ; 6 km E Zumbi , 980 m, 21.ix.1990, OS Flint, Jr – 1 male (pinned), 1 male, 1 female (alcohol) ( NMNH) .

Etymology —This species is named M. licina from the Latin word licinus, meaning bent or turned upward, in reference to the strongly upturned ventral lobes of the inferior appendages in this species.

Figures

Figure 93. Mortoniella (Nanotrichia) licina, new species, male genitalia. A—lateral; B—segment IX and tergum X, dorsal; C—phallic ensemble, ventral; D—dorsal phallic spine and phallobase, dorsal; E—ventral process of segment VI, lateral.

Figures 121-125. Mortoniella (Nanotrichia), velasquezi group species, female genitalia.121—Mortoniella eduardoi (Rueda Martín and Gibon): A—lateral; B—dorsal. 122—Mortoniella licina, n. sp., dorsal. 123—Mortoniella venezuelensis, n. sp., dorsal. 124—Mortoniella spangleri, n. sp. A—lateral; B—dorsal. 125—Mortoniella coheni, n. sp., dorsal.