Catalog of the Neotropical Trichoptera (Caddisflies)

Two new species of the rare Neotropical caddisfly genus Amphoropsyche Holzenthal (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae)

Two new species in the rare, endemic Neotropical caddisfly genus Amphoropsyche Holzenthal, 1985 are described from Ecuador (A.carchisp. n.) and Peru (A.matsigenkasp. n.) bringing to 17 the number of species known in the genus. Almost all species are known from only a few individuals and from even fewer localities. The new species belong to a group of 10 other species that have tergum X in the male genitalia divided into a mesal process and a pair of lateral processes. Amphoropsychecarchi can be separated from those species by the rounded mesal concavity, the short mesobasal lobe, and the short 2nd article of the inferior appendage, while A.matsigenka can be diagnosed by the very slender and straight inferior appendage, which bears a pair of spine-like mesoventral projections. We also present a new record for Amphoropsychetandayapa Holzenthal & Rázuri-Gonzales, 2011, from Ecuador, previously known only from the male holotype.

Fourteen new species of Oecetis McLachlan, 1877 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from the Neotropical region

BACKGROUND

The caddisfly genus Oecetis currently contains 534 valid species. Its larval stages are found in freshwaters around the world. The adults can be distinguished from other Leptoceridae by the unbranched forewing M vein and the exceptionally long maxillary palps. In the Neotropical region, 55 species of Oecetis have been recorded and most of them can be placed in one of the six species groups known from this biogeographical region: the avara-, falicia-, inconspicua-, punctata-, punctipennis-, and testacea-groups. More than 50% of the known diversity of Neotropical Oecetis has been described in the past 40 years. Here, we describe an additional 14 new species of Oecetis to further document the diversity of this genus in the Neotropical region.

METHODS

The descriptions and illustrations presented here are based on male specimens. Specimens were collected with Malaise traps or ultraviolet light traps. They were preserved in alcohol or pinned as stated in material examined section. Specimens had their genitalia prepared in 85% lactic acid to better observe internal characters and illustrations were aided by the use of a microscope with drawing tube attached.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This study raises the number of species of Oecetis in the Neotropics from 55 to 69. Eight of the new species presented here could not be reliably placed in one of the known species groups (Oecetis acuticlasper n. sp., Oecetis flinti n. sp., Oecetis carinata n. sp., Oecetis cassicoleata n. sp., Oecetis blahniki n. sp., Oecetis gibbosa n. sp., Oecetis licina n. sp., and Oecetis pertica n. sp.). The others are placed in the punctata-group (Oecetis bidigitata n. sp., Oecetis quasipunctata n. sp.), testacea-group (Oecetis plenuspinosa n. sp.), and falicia-group (Oecetis calori n. sp., Oecetis hastapulla n. sp., Oecetis machaera n. sp.). Most of the diagnostic characters rely on structures of the inferior appendages and phallic apparatus, and the shape of tergum X.

Diversity and distribution of the Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) of Ecuador

Background

Aquatic insects and other freshwater animals are some of the most threatened forms of life on Earth. Caddisflies (Trichoptera) are highly biodiverse in the Neotropics and occupy a wide variety of freshwater habitats. In Andean countries, including Ecuador, knowledge of the aquatic biota is limited, and there is a great need for baseline data on the species found in these countries. Here we present the first list of Trichoptera known from Ecuador, a country that harbors two global biodiversity “hotspots.”

Methods

We conducted a literature review of species previously reported from Ecuador and supplemented these data with material we collected during five recent field inventories from about 40 localities spanning both hotspots. Using species presence data for each Ecuadorian province, we calculated the CHAO 2 species estimator to obtain the minimum species richness for the country.

Results

We recorded 310 species, including 48 new records from our own field inventories for the country. CHAO 2 calculations showed that only 54% of the species have been found. Hydroptilidae and Hydropsychidae were the most species rich families. We report the family Xiphocentronidae for the first time from Ecuador as well as several new records of genera from different families.

Discussion

As in the neighboring Andean countries of Colombia and Peru, it is common to find undescribed species of caddisflies. There are vast areas of Ecuador and the northern Andes that are completely unexplored, and we expect that hundreds of new species are yet to be discovered.