Work

On Andean Long-Horned Caddisfly Brachysetodes Schmid, 1955 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae): Discovery of a New Species, Distribution, and an Identification Key

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The long-horned caddisfly Brachysetodes Schmid, 1955 (Leptoceridae: Leptocerinae) is a small genus endemic to the Andean region, especially Chile. Four decades after the last taxonomic revision, a new species, Brachysetodes tricahue Desidério, Santana & Hamada sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on adult males collected from Parque Natural Tricahue in the Central Subregion of the Chilean Andes. Specimens were examined through genital dissection using heated KOH, photographed with a digital camera mounted on microscopes, and described using the DELTA system. A distribution map was produced in QGIS based on GBIF data and literature records, and an updated identification key to males of the ten known species of Brachysetodes sensu stricto is presented. B. tricahue sp. nov. closely resembles B. bifurcatus and B. nublensis, sharing key features such as paired lateral processes on tergum X and tripartite inferior appendages. However, it can be distinguished by a unique combination of genital features, including unequal lengths of the three processes of the inferior appendage. This discovery emphasizes the underexplored diversity of the southern Andes and contributes to refining the taxonomy and biogeography of the genus. It also provides a framework for future phylogenetic studies incorporating immature stages and molecular data.

Source: Insects

DOI: 10.3390/insects16080832