Wellsomina tam Cartwright, 2010, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cartwright, David I.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Trichoptera
Ecnomidae
Wellsomina
Wellsomina tam

description: Wellsomina tam sp. nov.
Figs 12–14, 46
Diagnosis. Males of this species can be separated from others in the genus by the distinctive semi-equally branched superior appendages.
Description. Head, body and wings light brown, abdomen paler ventrally; wings similar to those of W. stuarti (Fig. 7), length of forewing: male 2.4–2.8 mm, female 2.6–2.9 mm. Wing venation: forewing length nearly 3.5 times width; each with forks 2, 3, 4 and 5 present; fork 2 relatively short, fork 2 footstalk relatively very long, length about 2.0–3.6 times length of cross-vein r -m, length of fork 2 about 1.4–2.0 times length of fork 3; fork 3 short, length of fork 3 about 0.6–1.1 times length of footstalk, footstalk of fork 3 very long, length about 3.6–4.3 times length of cross-vein m. Hind wing length about 4.3 times width, each with forks 2, 3 and 5 present, all relatively short; fork 2 footstalk relatively long, length about 2.8–3.0 times length of crossvein r -m.
Male. Tergum X membranous with 2 lobes (Fig. 14), and ventrally directed intermediate process forming large apical spine (hidden in lateral views by ventral branches of superior appendages) (Fig. 12). Superior appendages branched, each with 2 semi-equal branches, inner dorsal branch with few apical spines on mesal lobe and single long spine on the outer lobe, outer ventral branch with 3 robust, spine-like setae apically (Figs 12–14). Phallus simple, tube-like (Fig. 12). Inferior appendages slightly depressed, fused in basal half, with pair of robust digitiform processes apically, separated widely in apical half by mesal split (Fig. 13); in lateral view slender, tapering slightly and upturned apically (Fig. 12).
Female. Genitalia with abdominal sternite VIII relatively broad, basally with robust, mesal process, tapered to apical point; segment IX relatively short, broad-based, tapered slightly distally, segment X relatively long, relatively robust with 1 pair of small cerci (Fig. 46).
Holotype male: Queensland, Dulhunty R., Telegraph Crossing, 11°50'S, 142°30'E, 8–9 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and A. Wells (NMV, T- 20747).
Paratypes. Queensland. 23 males (specimen CT-422 figured), 6 females (specimen CT-423 figured), collected with holotype (NMV).
Other material examined. Queensland. 5 males, 4 females, same site and collectors as holotype, 10 Feb 1992; 1 male, 1 female, Bertie Ck, Telegraph xing, 11°50'S, 142°30'E, 5 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and AW; 8 males, 7 females, Cockatoo Ck, Telegraph xing, 11°39'S, 142°27'E, 5–6 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and AW; 4 males, 14 females, Cockatoo Ck-McDonnell Ck jn, 11°39'S, 142°28'E, 13–14 Feb 1992, D. Cartwright and AW; 36 males, 25 females, same site and collectors, 18 Feb 1992; 1 male, Upper Jardine R., Cape York Peninsula, 11°19'S, 142°37'E, 22 Oct 1979, M.S. and B.J. Moulds; 1 male, Upper Jardine R., Cape York Peninsula, 11°14'S, 142°36'E, 24 Oct 1979, M.S. and B.J. Moulds; 1 male, Jardine R., Cape York Peninsula, 11°09'S, 142°33'E, 13 Oct 1979, M.S. and B.J. Moulds; 1 male, Jardine R. xing, 16–17 Feb 1992, G. Byron and D. Black (NMV).
Etymology. Tam - North Queensland aboriginal word for branch (superior appendages).
Remarks. This is a distinctive, relatively common species found on Cape York Peninsula, northeastern Queensland (latitudinal range 11°09'– 11°50'S).
description: Published as part of Cartwright, David I., 2010, Descriptions of 2 new genera and 13 new species of caddisflies from Australia (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae), pp. 1-21 in Zootaxa 2415 on pages 8-10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.194387