''Rakiura'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Trichoptera The caddisflies (order Trichoptera) are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. There are approximately 14,500 described species, most of which can be divided into the suborders Integripalpia and Annulipalpia on the basis ...

(caddisfly). The genus contains only one

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, ''Rakiura vernale'', which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. ''Rakiura vernale'' represents the most basal taxon within the Helicopsychidae.

Identification

Larvae have a case that is dextrally coiled, with the coils incompletely fused. The head, in dorsal view, is rounded with marginal

carina Carina may refer to: Places Australia * Carina, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina Heights, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina, Victoria, a locality in Mildura Serbia * Carina, Osečina, a village in the Kolubara District ...

and covered by loosely distribute

setae In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae ...

. The posterior part of frontoclypeal is slender. In lateral view, the head is dorsally straight with eyes erected dorsad. Larvae have a strongly sclerotized pronotum with anterior-pointing megasetae. The mesonotum and

metanotum The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. Its principal sclerites ( exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum ( ventral), and the metapleuron (late ...

are weakly sclerotized. No

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

are present. An anal claw is present with a single row of comb-shaped accessory hooks. Adults have 2-jointed

maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...

ry palps, a basal joint with strong median setae, and a distal joint about 2,5 times longer than basal joint. Antennae are about as long as the fore wing. Adults have large, oval cephalic warts with an irregular median margin. Small postantennal warts are also present. Pronotum has a pair of oblong central warts. Mesonotum has setal warts divided into row of setal bases; setal warts are absent on metanotum. No postcutellar line present. Dimorphic fore wings with modifications are present only on males.

References

* Johanson, K. A. (1998). Phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of the family Helicopsychidae (Insecta: Trichoptera). ''Entomologica scandinavica Supplement'' No.53. ISSN 0105-3574. * Johanson, K. A. (2002). Systematic revision of American Helicopsyche of the subgenus Feropsyche (Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae). ''Insect Systematics & Evolution'' (earlier: ''Entomologica scandinavica Supplement'') No.60. ISSN 0105-3574. * Johanson, K. A. (2003). Revision of the Neotropical caddisfly subgenus Helicopsyche (Cochilopsyche) (Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae), with descriptions of twelve new species. ''Insect Systematics & Evolution'' 34: 381–414. ISSN 1399-560X. * Johanson, K. A. (2001). Phylogenetic and biogeographical analysis of the New Zealand Helicopsyche von Siebold (Trichoptera: Helicopsychidae). ''Insect Systematics & Evolution'' 32: 107–120. ISSN 0013-8711. Endemic fauna of New Zealand Integripalpia Endemic insects of New Zealand Trichoptera of New Zealand {{Trichoptera-stub