Caddisfly Species Ecclisomyia bilera (Early Western Mottled Sedges)

Source: The Nearctic Ecclisomyia species (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

Larval diagnosis. Of the four Nearctic species of Ecclisomyia, only the larva of Ecclisomyia bilera lacks mesal stripes on the head and thorax, diagnostic for this species. The posterior area of the frontoclypeus has indistinct muscle scars as occurs in Ecclisomyia simulata. Ecclisomyia conspersa and Ecclisomyia maculosa are without muscle scars on the frontoclypeus or the scars are indistinct. Each metathoracic sclerite sa 1 has 9 – 15 long black setae, whereas this sclerite on the other three Nearctic Ecclisomyia species each has 4 – 8 long black setae. The Ecclisomyia bilera larva does not have lateral line gills, whereas the Ecclisomyia conspersa larva has lateral line gills on abdominal segments II – IV (Fig. 42). The larva of Ecclisomyia maculosa, unlike that of Ecclisomyia bilera, lacks anterior dorsal and ventral gills on abdominal segment VII (Fig. 42). The larva of Ecclisomyia simulata, unlike other Nearctic Ecclisomyia species, has anterior gills on the dorsum of abdominal segment II (Fig. 42).Source: The Nearctic Ecclisomyia species (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

Male diagnosis. Tergum X is foliaceous, appearing long and rectangular and apically truncate in dorsal and ventral views, curled evenly ventrad in lateral view (Figs. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c); tergum X is acute or blunt in dorsal or ventral views in the other species and thicker and less curled in lateral view. The distal ends of the parameres of the phallus (ph) are angled dorsad (Figs. 1 a, 2 a); parameres are nearly or entirely straight in the other species. The inferior appendages of Ecclisomyia bilera lack spines, whereas Ecclisomyia conspersa has a stout, basal spine arising from each inferior appendage (Figs. 10 b, 11 b); Ecclisomyia maculosa and Ecclisomyia simulata have 2 black stout spines arising from the mesobasal area of each inferior appendage, with 1 – 4 smaller black stout spines lateral of these 2 basal spines (Figs. 22 b, 23 b, 30 b, 31 b).

Source: The Nearctic Ecclisomyia species (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

Pupal diagnosis. The Ecclisomyia bilera pupa may be separated from the pupa of Ecclisomyia conspersa by the absence of lateral line gills; with gills present on abdominal segments IIp – IVa of Ecclisomyia conspersa; from Ecclisomyia simulata by the absence of subdorsal gills on the anterior margins of abdominal segment II (Fig. 42); with gills present subdorsally on IIa of Ecclisomyia simulata (Fig. 42). The Ecclisomyia bilera pupa has gills (dorsally and subventrally on VIIa; the Ecclisomyia maculosa pupa lacks such gills (Fig. 42). The apical processes of Ecclisomyia bilera, Ecclisomyia maculosa, and Ecclisomyia simulata each have 2 stout, long, black apical setae (Figs. 5 a, 6 a, 26 a, 27 a, 28 a, 33 a, 34 a, 35 a), whereas those of Ecclisomyia conspersa each have 3 long, black stout setae (Figs. 15 a, 16 a, 17 a, 18 a).