Open Access

Roger J. Blahnik, Ralph W. Holzenthal

• Species of Mortoniella are revised for the northern and Andean part of the South American continent, including the countries of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. All previously described species from the region are reillustrated and redescribed, except for Mortoniella santiaga Sykora, 1999 and M. quinuas Harper and Turcotte, 1985, whose types could not be located, and M. tranquilla Martynov, 1912, whose type is based on a female specimen and thus is currently unidentifiable. Included in the revision are 35 described species and 59 new species. Mortoniella similis Sykora, 1999 is considered a junior synonym of M. roldani Flint, 1991, and M. macuta (Botosaneanu, 1998) is considered a junior synonym of M. limona (Flint, 1981). A new subgenus, Nanotrichia, is recognized to accommodate species previously referred to as members of the ormina and velasquezi groups. Mexitrichia pacuara Flint, 1974 is designated the type species for the subgenus. Species previously referred to as members of the bilineata and leroda species groups are retained in the nominate subgenus, along with additional taxa not previously placed to species group, and treated within a number of subgroups. Previously described species of M. (Mortoniella) which are redescribed and reillustrated include: M. angulata Flint, 1963; M. apiculata Flint, 1963; M. atenuata (Flint, 1963); M. bifurcata Sykora, 1999; M. bilineata Ulmer, 1906; M. bolivica (Schmid, 1958); M. chicana Sykora, 1999; M. denticulata Sykora, 1999; M. elongata (Flint, 1963); M. enchrysa Flint, 1991; M. flinti Sykora, 1999; M. foersteri (Schmid, 1964); M. hodgesi Flint, 1963; M. iridescens Flint, 1991; M. leei (Flint, 1974); M. limona (Flint, 1981); M. marini (Rueda Martín and Gibon, 2008); M. paralineata Sykora, 1999; M. paraenchrysa Sykora, 1999; M. pocita (Flint, 1983); M. punensis (Flint, 1983); M. roldani Flint, 1991; M. simla (Flint, 1974); M. spinulata (Flint, 1991); M. squamata Sykora, 1999; M. unilineata Sykora, 1999; and M. wygodzinskii (Schmid, 1958). New species described in M. (Mortoniella), followed by their respective areas of distribution, include: M. acutiterga (Ecuador); M. adamsae (Peru); M. akrogeneios (Ecuador); M. applanata (Peru); M. auricularis (Colombia); M. barinasi (Venezuela); M. biramosa (Venezuela); M. bothrops (Peru); M. brevis (Ecuador, Venezuela); M. bulbosa (Peru); M. catherinae (Peru); M. chalalan (Peru); M. cornuta (Peru); M. cressae (Venezuela); M. croca (Peru); M. curtispina (Venezuela); M. curvistylus (Ecuador); M. dentiterga (Ecuador); M. dinotes (Peru); M. draconis (Ecuador); M. emarginata (Ecuador, Colombia); M. esrossi (Colombia); M. flexuosa (Colombia); M. furcula (Ecuador); M. gilli (Ecuador); M. gracilis (Venezuela); M. grandiloba (Venezuela); M. guyanensis (Guyana); M. hamata (Colombia); M. langleyae (Ecuador); M. longiterga (Ecuador); M. membranacea (Bolivia); M. monopodis (Colombia, Ecuador); M. parameralda (Ecuador); M. pica (Ecuador); M. proakantha (Ecuador); M. prolata (Peru); M. quadrispina (Ecuador); M. rectiflexa (Ecuador); M. ruedae (Bolivia); M. schlingeri (Colombia); M. silacea (Colombia, Ecuador); M. sinuosa (Bolivia, Peru); M. spatulata (Venezuela); M. tanyrhabdos (Venezuela); M. tridens (Peru); M. triramosa (Bolivia); M. tusci (Venezuela); and M. variabilis (Venezuela, Colombia). Species assigned to the subgenus M. (Nanotrichia) which are redescribed and reillustrated include: M. aequalis (Flint, 1963); M. aries (Flint, 1963); M. collegarum (Rueda Martín and Gibon, 2008); M. eduardoi (Rueda Martín and Gibon, 2008); M. macarenica (Flint, 1974); M. pacuara (Flint, 1974); M. usseglioi (Rueda Martín and Gibon, 2008); and M. velasquezi (Flint, 1991). Previously described species of Mortoniella, outside the area of coverage, that are transferred to the subgenus M. (Nanotrichia) include: M. alicula Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2011; M. bocaina Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2011; M. catarinensis (Flint, 1974); M. froehlichi Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2011; M. ormina (Mosely, 1939); M. rodmani Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2008; and M. tripuiensis Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2011. New species in the subgenus M. (Nanotrichia), followed by their respective areas of distribution, include: Mortoniella cognata (Ecuador, Venezuela); M. coheni (Ecuador); M. licina (Ecuador); M. paucispina (Peru); M. quadridactyla (Venezuela); M. simplicis (Venezuela); M. spangleri (Ecuador); M. triangularis (Ecuador); M. venezuelensis (Venezuela); and M. zamora (Ecuador). A key to the males of species from the region is also provided, as well as a key to females for the major subgroups and a species key to females of the velasquezi group. Finally, a partially resolved phylogeny of the species is presented, along with a discussion of evolutionary trends within the genus.