Records of tile Western Australian Museum 21: 111-127 (2002). Western Australian Triplectidinae (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae): descriptions of the female of Triplectides niveipennis and larvae belonging to four genera Rosalind M. St Clair Environment Protection Authority, Freshwater Sciences, GPO Box 439500 Melbourne 3001, Victoria, Australia email:
[email protected] Abstract - Larvae of Condocerus aphiS, Notoperata tenax, Symphitoneuria wheeleri, Triplectides niveipennis, and Triplectides en thesis are described for the first time. The female of Triplectides niveipennis is also described for the first time. Variation in larvae and adults of Triplectides niveipennis is discussed, together with unusual characters in the larvae requiring redefinition of the genus. Minor changes to the generic descriptions of Condocerus, Notoperata and Symphitoneuria are also made. INTRODUCTION specimens are available to resolve problems at this Leptoceridae is a major family of Trichoptera in time. The larvae are unusual and require Western Australia, being both diverse and common. redefinition of the genus. The adult leptocerid fauna of Western Australia is Most specimens examined were collected moderately well known, due largely to the efforts during the Land and Water Resources Research of Arthur Neboiss (1982). The Monitoring River Development Corporation funded Monitoring Health Program has resulted in large numbers of River Health Program and material is to be specimens of larvae available for study to augment lodged in the Western Australian Museum. Site distribution data based on adults. These data data for this material start with MUR for sites indicate three leptocerid faunas in Western sampled by Murdoch University, CALM for Australia; one in the cooler wetter south west, one Department of Conservation and Land in the large rivers of the north, and one in the dry Management, ECU for Edith Cowan University areas with little permanent fresh water.