Orthopsyche McFarlane, 1976

Oláh, J. & Johanson, K. A., 2008, Generic review of Hydropsychinae, with description of Schmidopsyche, new genus, 3 new genus clusters, 8 new species groups, 4 new species clades, 12 new species clusters and 62 new species from the Oriental and Afrotropical regions (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), Zootaxa 1802, pp. 1-248 : 164

Orthopsyche McFarlane

Type species: Hydropsyche fimbriata McLachlan, 1862: 309 , original designation by

McFarlane 1976: 30.

Type locality. New Zealand .

Aoteapsyche McFarlane, 1976 , new synonym

The Orthopsyche belongs to the Hydropsyche genus cluster and the 26 known species populate lotic waters in New Zealand and New Caledonia. A single primary generic character, the open median cell in the hind wing, separate the species in this genus from Hydropsyche species. These large animals, in various tones of fuscous, griseous and flavous colours, are easily distinguished from Hydropsyche by the primary generic hind wing character being stable within the genus, but variable in Hydropsyche . Orthopsyche species are also characterized by the presence of movable endothecal processes, phallotremal sclerites, and membranous ventral endothecal lobes in different developmental stages at the apex of the phallotheca. The genus is defined by the underived primary generic character: (1) the presence of a proepisternal setal wart; (3) the forewing crossveins m-cu are located distally of cu; (6) the spur formula being 244; and (7) hind wing forks 1,2,3,5 present. The following derived primary generic characters are: (2) preanal appendages reduced to setal warts or surfaces; (4) hind wing median cell being open and crossvein m-cu absent. There are 9 setal warts on the vertex of all examined species, including a single anteromesal wart. Among the secondary generic characters the pretarsal claws appears underived, that is they are symmetrical on all legs in both males and females. After describing several new Orthopsyche species from New Caledonia in our recent revision ( Oláh et al. 2006b) it is apparent that the original generic diagnosis for Orthopsyche and Aoteapsyche is incomplete. We now know that the distinguishing characters, representing fuscous colour, convex termen and short harpagones, occur in both genera. The male pretarsal claw on the forelegs is firmly different in the two genera, being asymmetrical and laterally flanked by setal bundle in the examined species of Aoteapsyche (i.e. A. colonica and A. tepoka ). This single secondary generic character is, however, not enough to maintain the generic status of Aoteapsyche . Therefore we synonymize Aoteapsyche with Orthopsyche . Within Orthopsyche the former Aoteapsyche species form the Orthopsyche colonica species group.