Notalina morsei Holzenthal 1986
Creators: name: Calor, Adolfo R.
name: Froehlich, Claudio G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Trichoptera
Leptoceridae
Notalina
Notalina morsei

description: Notalina morsei Holzenthal, 1986
(Figures 1–3)
Description of larvae. The larvae can be recognized by the ventral apotome which is broad anteriorly and narrow posteriorly; the metanotum with three sclerites; the metasternum bearing 10–12 setae; the gill arrangement, usually including ventral and dorsal filaments from abdominal segments II to VI; and abdominal tergite IX with 6 long and 4 short setae. Characters to separate Notalina from other Neotropical leptocerid larvae are presented in the key.
Head (Figs. 1 B, 2A–C). Elongate oval; dark brown with pale yellow to orange-brown spots around epicranial sutures; brown patch mesoventrally on each side of head present on almost all larvae, varying from small pale area of light mottling to large dark area; antennae long, bearing an apical seta; frontoclypeal apotome triangular, wider anteriorly and tapering behind a weak constriction; labrum without secondary setae (Fig. 2 A); mandibles short, wide, triangular, teeth grouped around a central concavity (Fig. 2 B); left mandible with 6 teeth, right mandible with 5 teeth; ventral apotome developed, broad in the anterior region, tapering posteriorly, truncate; cardo long, slender (Fig. 2 C).
Thorax (Figs. 1 B–E, 2D–E). Pronotum dark brown, rarely dark orange with few obvious spots, anterior margin smooth, anterolateral corner smoothly rounded; mesonotum light brown or yellow with brown spots and/or patches, the 3 metanotal sclerites brown; 2 sa 1 sclerites semi-quadrate, sa 2 sclerite wide, short; darkened regions present at sa 3, rarely tiny sclerites present, smaller than the distance between the 3 setae in the area (Fig. 2 D); foretrochantin developed, long, tapering, sinuous (Fig. 1 C); prosternal and mesosternal sclerites brown, the latter lighter than the former; metasternum bearing 10–12 setae, without sclerite at base (Fig. 2 E); legs pale yellow, rarely brown, bearing many setae, unbanded, hind tibia undivided (Fig. 1 C–E).
Abdomen (Figs. 1 B, 1F–G). Segment I with well-developed dorsal and lateral humps (Fig. 1 B); lateral hump sclerite pale yellow anteriorly, lightly sclerotized, rounded, with anterior brush of short thin setae, posterior stem brown, bearing a single long, anterior seta; lateral line starting on segment III; the gill arrangement usually includes ventral and dorsal single filaments from abdominal segments II to VI, 2 single filaments on segments III or IV sometimes present; abdominal tergite IX trapezoidal, posterior margin bearing 6 long and 4 short setae (Fig. 1 F); last abdominal segment with moderately short setae ventrally between prolegs; lateral sclerite of anal proleg well-developed, with long setae; anal claw with 2 shorter accessory hooks on outer margin (Fig. 1 G).
Body length. 7.8 – 9.9 mm (n = 45).
Case (Fig. 1 A). Composed largely of plant fragments (smaller cases also including small sand grains), slightly tapered and straight, not much longer than larva.
Description of pupae. As pointed out by St. Clair (1991) for Australian species of Notalina, the pupal stages of Leptoceridae present few diagnostic characters, such that distinguishing among the genera in the pupal stage is difficult. Moreover, in this case the reduced number of specimens (n = 2), and their condition (pupal exuviae obtained by laboratory rearing) made it difficult to clearly establish the nature of some structures and to fully diagnose the pupal stage of N. morsei. However, the morphology of N. morsei pupae that we could observe was very similar to that described for N. bifaria by St. Clair (1991).
Head (Fig. 3 A). Labrum rounded anteriorly, with 10 prominent and 8 shorter setae; mandible prominent, basal region moderately wide, bearing 2 setae dorsolaterally, apex accuminate, slightly hooked at end; antennal bases each with 2 short setae.
Thorax. Pronotum with few setae; fore and middle legs with setal rows on the posterior margins forming swimming fringes.
Abdomen (Figs. 3 B–G). Anterior hook plates on segments III to VII, moderately long, sometimes the posterior margins acuminate, IIIa–Va with 2 hooks each, VIa with 3 hooks each, posterior hookplates wide, Vp with 3 hooks each; lateral line starting on segment III near the base of the basal gill filament; gill arrangement usually includes ventral and dorsal single filaments from abdominal segments II to VI, double filaments on segment IV present on one specimen; segment IX dorsally with 4 moderately long setae on each side; anal opening on shallow rounded projection; male inferior appendage sheath long, acuminate, apex not pointed; phallic sheath trapezoidal; anal processes long, slender, slightly upturned at apex, each with subapical setae, and delicate, minute seta along its length (Fig. 3 G).
Pupal case. Same as the larval case, but distinguished by sand grains added to both ends. The sand grains extended far beyond the diameter of the case, but since all pupal cases were obtained through rearing in the laboratory, these differences may not occur under natural conditions.
Material examined. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Campos do Jordão, Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, afluente, Córrego Galharada, 09.xi.1999 (Froehlich, C.G.) – 1 larva, (MZSP); same except 12.ix.2000 (Froehlich, C.G.) – 1 larva and 2 cases, (MZSP); same except 01.ix.2000 (Froehlich, C.G.) – 2 larvae (MZSP); Jundiaí, Parque Florestal da Serra do Japi, Córrego Paraíso, 23º14’31’’ S, 46º55’59’’ W, 1027 m, 26.iii.2007 (Calor, A.R.; Mariano, R.L.S & Lecci, L.S.) – 7 larvae (UMSP); São Carlos, Fazenda Canchim, Córrego Canchim, 22.viii.2006 (Paula, M.C. & Trivinho-Strixino, S.) – 12 larvae (MZSP); same except 13.ii.2007 (Paula, M.C. & Trivinho-Strixino, S.) – 14 larvae (MZSP); same except UFSCar, córrego Fazzari, 21°59’ S, 47°54’ W, 910 m, 14.vi.2007 (Calor, A.; Roque, F. O.; Lecci, L.S. & Moretto, R.) – 2 larvae, 3 empty cases, 2 reared pupae, 2 reared males (MZSP); Dourado, Parque do Lago, Córregos das Furnas, 17.i.2007 (Paula, M.C. & Trivinho-Strixino, S.) – 2 larvae (MZSP); same except 02.viii.2006 (Paula, M.C. & Trivinho-Strixino, S.) – 1 larva (MZSP); Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, Rio Marimbondo, 14.x.2000 (Eq. Entomológica) – 3 larvae (MZSP).
Biology. Larvae of this species were found in the slow flowing sections of low-order, lowland and mountain streams. Larvae have also been found in a stream flowing into a dam. Larvae were associated with detritus, macrophytes, and marginal, submerged vegetation.
Three collected cases of N. morsei from Serra do Japi were occupied by the early instars of Triplectides gracilis (Burmeister) larvae. Larvae of the genus Triplectides Kolenati generally occupy small hollowed out twig fragments or discarded cases of other caddisflies (Flint et al. 1999). They have been recorded from the cases of Parasericostoma Schmid and Grumicha Müller by Holzenthal (1988a), and from Nectopsyche Müller by Crisci-Bispo et al. (2004); here we add their use of Notalina (Neonotalina) cases.
Taxonomic remarks. As mentioned above, St. Clair (1991) described the larvae of several Australian species of Notalina (Notalina), and proposed their diagnosis by the following combination of characters: long antennae, 3–5 metanotal sclerites, undivided hind tibia, and anal proleg with secondary setae. The larva of Notalina morsei cannot be distinguished from its congeners based on these diagnostic characters, such that the diagnosis proposed by St. Clair (1991) is valid for both subenera. Notalina (Neonotalina) morsei larvae possess the secondary setation on the anal proleg synapomorphic for the tribe Hudsonemini as proposed by Holzenthal (1986b) and observed in N. (Notalina) species by St. Clair (1991). Moreover, N. morsei possesses the 15 larval characters as described for the genus by St. Clair (1991). However, at present it is difficult to diagnosis solely the subgenus N. (Neonotalina) because it is impossible to determine which of these characters occur throughout the subgenus or which are unique to the single known species, N. morsei. Additional descriptions of the immature stages of other Neotropical Notalina will answer this question.
description: Published as part of Calor, Adolfo R. & Froehlich, Claudio G., 2008, Description of the immature stages of Notalina morsei Holzenthal, 1986 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) and an updated key to larvae of Neotropical Leptoceridae genera, pp. 45-54 in Zootaxa 1779 on pages 46-50, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.182270