- Source: Pseudoeconesus bistirpis
Pseudoeconesus bistirpis is a species of caddisfly belonging to the family Hydrobiosidae. The species was first described by Keith Arthur John Wise in 1958, and is endemic to New Zealand.
Taxonomy
The species was identified by Wise in 1958, based on a specimen collected from the Tongariro area of the North Island Volcanic Plateau in 1930 by Alfred Philpott. Pseudoeconesus tristirpis, which was identified in the same paper by Wise, became a junior synonym of Pseudoeconesus bistirpis in 1997.
Description
P. bistirpis is brownish-yellow in colour, with rows of minute spots freckled on its forewings.
Wise's original text (the type description) reads as follows:
Testaceous; ANTERIOR WINGS closely irrorated with rows of almost colourless spots between the veins. WING VENATION. Apical forks of anterior wing sessile. Apical forks 1 and 3 of posterior wing stalked. Sc and R1 of posterior wing folded together for most of their lengths. Abdomen♂. Fifth abdominal segment with a pair of lateral processes. Length of anterior wing, ♂10 mm (0.39 in). ♀15 mm (0.59 in).
The hindwings of P. bistirpis are similar to P. hudsoni, but can be identified due to the enlarged setae and inconspicuous humeral vein.
Distribution and habitat
Pseudoeconesus bistirpis is endemic to New Zealand, and is found across the North Island and the upper South Island. The species can be identified in traps year-round. It is found in seepages in New Zealand bush, and is believed to be reliant on forested ecosystems.
