Parapsyche
Creators: name: Zhou, Xin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Trichoptera
Hydropsychidae
Parapsyche

description: Parapsyche species A
Figure 3a–m
LARVA — HEAD. Head oval, almost round, 2.6 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, slightly constricted laterally near posterior third, dorsoventrally thickened. Frontoclypeal apotome strongly constricted opposite eyes; constriction point forming sharp angle, after which frontoclypeus greatly expanded laterally, reaching maximum width; anterior margin smoothly curved. In dorsal view, head mostly dark, yellowish brown, with yellowish pale marks and number of dark muscle scars. Anterior margin and anterolateral corners of frontoclypeus, dark brownish. Eyes circled by yellowish pale areas. Frontoclypeus with longitudinal yellowish stripe along posterior two-thirds of mid-dorsal line. Pale stripe on frontoclypeus broken at its posterior third by number of dark muscle scars, but posteriorly connected with pale stripe along coronal stem. Tentorial pits dark, each pit followed by small oval pale mark with anterolateral margin bordered by lateral border of frontoclypeus after constriction point. Posterior portion of each parietal sclerite bearing wide, longitudinal pale stripe, along which situated anteriorly small, round yellowish mark and large, round yellowish mark in middle, immediately anterior to proprioceptor 19 (Fig. 3a).
Primary setae mostly long, thick and brownish; seta 17 short, yellowish and clear. Secondary setae small, fine, tapered, mostly dark with yellowish basal ends. Setal pits of these small hairs often large and relatively deep, posterior edge elevated and dark, anterior edge depressed and pale, giving head capsule rough appearance. No blunt-setae present on dorsum of head. Some secondary setae on anterolateral corners of frontoclypeal apotome long, curved, yellowish and clear. Several thickened spiky setae on ventrolateral sides of head, short to moderately long, dark or pale. In ventral view, genae completely separated by ventral apotome. Ventral apotome wide; anterior margin slightly concave; anterior eighth expanded laterally, forming acute anterolateral angles; lateral borders mostly parallel; posterior border slightly excised in middle. Submentum trapezoidal, anterior margin concave and posterior margin convex. Stridulating files conspicuous, each stria consisting of series of short, thin bars. Muscle scars mostly confined to posterior halves of parietal sclerites, slightly darker than background. Posteromesal areas of parietal sclerites contiguous with posterior border of ventral apotome, lightly sclerotized. Venter of head mostly brownish, areas surrounding stridulating files slightly paler (Fig. 3b).
THORAX. Thoracic nota densely covered by moderately long, thick, tapered, blackish hairs and small, fine, tapered, dark hairs (Fig. 3d, with hairs on dorsum of mesonotum enlarged). Pronotum subdivided longitudinally, but mid-dorsal ecdysial line weak. Majority of pronotum pale yellowish, with pair of ambiguous dark areas on middle of dorsum and series of dark muscle scars distributed mainly on lateral areas of each side. Posterior margin of pronotum with wide blackish border. Lateral blackish border not reaching anterolateral corners (Figs. 3d, e). Foretrochantins triangular, not forked, each very broad at base; two thick, long, blackish spurs and series of short, thick bristles located on dorsal surface (Fig. 3g). Prosternal plate large, folding transversely at posterior third (Fig. 3f). Anterior margin protrusive in middle, forming acute angle. Anterior margin blackish except in middle; posterior border with wide, oblong, blackish mark in middle half. No posterior prosternal sclerites present. Meso- and metanota each with transverse ecdysial line near posterior third, extending anterolaterad toward anterior third of lateral borders.
Meso- and metanota each with pair of large dark areas on lateral portions of notum; longitudinal area along mid-dorsal line pale, yellowish; dark areas on mesonotum darker than those on metanotum. All of anterior margin of mesonotum with wide, transverse blackish border; posterior border with wide, U-shaped blackish mark on middle three-fifths, with lateral corners angled posterolaterad; this posterior middle mark not connected with lateral blackish borders. Anterior margin of metanotum also bearing blackish border, but border thinner than on mesonotum. Posterior margin bearing wide, shallow notch. Posterior middle mark straight, connected laterally with lateral borders. Tracheal gills on meso- and metasterna single-stemmed; gill stalks short, globular, each with numerous gill filaments mainly distributed on upper half of sphere. Mesosternum with one ventrolateral (coxal) gill on each side; metasternum with one ventrolateral and one ventromesal gill on each side (Table 3).
Thorax Abdominal segments
ABDOMEN. Abdominal terga and pleura densely covered by small, fine, tapered hair-like setae and large, thickened, blackish club-hairs (Figs. 3i, j). Club-hairs typically truncated at apex and broadened near middle or base. Sa 2 and Sa 3 of most abdominal segments with cluster of elongated club-hairs in addition to long hairlike setae.
Segment I with one finger-like lateral (pleural) gill on each side. II–VII each with one laterodorsal and one lateroventral gill on each side: dorsal one simple, finger-like; ventral one typically with short, bulging stalk, with one longer filament located on inner side at apex of stalk, and one short filament on outer side; lateroventral gill on V with two short filaments on outer side (Fig. 3j). Lateral gills not covered by hairs. Ventral gills on abdominal sterna single-stemmed, with globular to cylindrical gill stalks, gill filaments distributed mainly at apex of each stalk. Abdominal segments I and II each with one ventrolateral gill and one ventromesal gill on each side, distinctly separated (Fig. 3k); III–VI each with two closely positioned but separated ventrolateral gills and one ventromesal gill on each side (Fig. 3l); VII with two ventrolateral gills but no ventromesal gill; VIII with one simple, finger-like ventrolateral gill on each side (Fig. 3m); VIII and IX with no lateral or ventral gills (Table 3).
Sterna VIII and IX each bearing strongly sclerotized yellowish plates: ventral plate VIII relatively small, fused into one single piece, nearly oval; ventral plates IX large, separated, nearly trapezoidal, mesal borders longer, straight. Posterior half of plate VIII with few short, thick, peg-like, golden setae; posterior border with row of thick, long, blackish bristles. Plates IX large, lateral portions folding dorsad toward pleura; most of each plate with several short, thick, golden, peg-like setae and few short, thin, tapered, hair-like setae; posterior border of each plate IX bearing dense row of long, thick, blackish bristles pointing caudad; longitudinal area between plates IX bearing series of short, fine, tapered, blackish hair-like setae (Fig. 3h).
Diagnosis. Some Parapsyche larvae, such as two unassociated Japanese morpho-species (Figs. 2, 3, p480, in Tanida, 2005), tend to have similar color patterns on dorsum of the head. Although not many diagnostic characters are available to differentiate these species, the morphology of tracheal gills seems to provide some differentiation. For example, the lateral gills on the abdominal segments in the two Japanese morpho-species are different from the Chinese larva described in this work. However, the gill distribution can be highly variable among individuals. The validity of this potential diagnostic character is subject to further examination.
Material examined. Beijing, Song-shan National Nature Reserve: Song-shan Park main scenic route. N40.52541, E115.82284. 960–1170 m. 2-Aug-2003. X. Zhou. 29 specimens; small stream besides Dazhuang-ke Village. 1000 m. 19-Jun-2005. X. Zhou. 29 specimens.
description: Published as part of Zhou, Xin, 2009, The larvae of Chinese Hydropsychidae (Insecta: Trichoptera), Part I: Arctopsyche shimianensis, Parapsyche sp. A, and Diplectrona obscura, pp. 1-17 in Zootaxa 2174 on pages 10-13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.189300