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

description: Wellsomina baru sp. nov.
Figs 9–11, 45
Diagnosis. Wellsomina baru is unique within this genus in that males lack paired apical processes on the fused inferior appendages.
Description. Head, body and wings fawn; wings similar to those of W. stuarti (Fig. 7), length of forewing: male 2.4–2.7 mm, female 2.9 mm. Wing venation: forewing length nearly 4 times width, each with forks 2, 3, 4 and 5 present; fork 2 relatively short, fork 2 footstalk relatively very long, length about 2.5–3.5 times length of cross-vein r -m, length of fork 2 about 1.7–2.5 times length of fork 3; fork 3 very short, length of fork 3 about 0.3–0.7 times length of footstalk, footstalk of fork 3 very long, length about 4.6–7.0 times length of cross-vein m; hind wing length about 4.5 times width, each with forks 2, 3 and 5 present, all short; fork 2 footstalk relatively very long, length about 4.2–5.0 times length of cross-vein r -m.
Male. Tergum X membranous with 2 lobes divided mesally (Fig. 11). Superior appendages complex, basally with short segment having 2 short processes with apical spines, larger distal segment slightly laterally compressed, with spine-like setae apically and mesally (Figs 9–11). Phallus simple, tube-like, slightly depressed (Fig. 9). Inferior appendages apparently fused to form a single, slightly depressed appendage, in ventral view ‘flask-like’, broad-based, tapered gradually distally to truncate apex (Fig. 10); in lateral view, slender, length about 4 times width, tapered and upturned slightly distally (Fig. 9).
Female. Genitalia with abdominal sternite VIII relatively broad, basally with robust, broad mesal process, truncated and notched apically; segment IX relatively short, broad-based, tapered slightly distally, segment X relatively long, slender with 1 pair of small cerci (Fig. 45).
Holotype male: Northern Territory, ARRS Radon Springs, 12°45'S, 132°55'E, 13–14 Apr 1988, 6V lt tr., PS and AW (NMV, T- 20716).
Paratypes: Northern Territory. 20 males (specimen CT-484 figured), 10 females (specimen CT-487 figured), collected with holotype (NMV).
Other material examined: Northern Territory. 1 male, collected with holotype; 2 males, same site and collectors, 18–19 May 1988; 2 males, ARRS Bowerbird Billabong outlet, 12°47'S, 133°02'E, lt, 1 Oct 1988, PD; 7 males, Graveside Ck, lt tr., 18 Jul 1988, PD; 12 males, ARRS Graveside Gorge, lt, 18 Jul 1988, PD; 5 males, 1 km below Twin Falls, Kakadu Nat. Pk, 30 Aug 1979, JB; 3 males, S Alligator R., UDP Falls, 7 Sep 1979, JB; 1 male, ARRS S Alligator R. above BHP camp, 25 May 1988, AW and PS; 1 male, LaBelle Downs Stn, 13°10'S, 130°14'E, 22 Aug 1996, I Edwards (NMV).
Etymology. Baru - Aboriginal word for crocodile (locality- the Alligator Rivers Region).
Remarks. Wellsomina baru is a distinctive and relatively common species throughout the Alligator Rivers Region (ARR), northern Northern Territory (latitudinal range 12°45'– 13°47'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 page 8, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.194387