Neobiosella

Neobiosella is a monotypic genus of caddisfly belonging to the family Philopotamidae.^[2] The sole species found in this genus is Neobiosella irrorata. Both the genus and species were first described by Keith Arthur John Wise in 1958.^[2] Neobiosella is endemic to New Zealand.^[3]

Neobiosella
Female holotype held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Conservation status
Nationally Endangered (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Trichoptera
Family:	Philopotamidae
Genus:	Neobiosella Wise, 1958
Species:	N. irrorata
Binomial name
Neobiosella irrorata Wise, 1958

Taxonomy

The genus and species were both identified by Wise in 1958.^[4] Wise felt that a novel genus was appropriate for N. irrorata due to the absence of apical fork 1 in both wings being a characteristic not shared with any other species in the family Philopotamidae.^[4]

Description

Wise's original text (the type description) reads as follows:

ANTERIOR WING short, broad, and well-rounded at apex. Apical forks 2, 3, 4, and 5 present. Discoidal cell present. Additional costal cross-vein and additional basal cross-vein between Sc and R present. POSTERIOR WING narrower than anterior wing. Apical forks 2, 3, and 5 present. Discoidal cell present...HEAD fuscous; ANTENNAE testaceous, each segment annulated with fuscous basally. THORAX fuscous: LEGS testaceous. ANTERIOR WING light testaceous strongly irrorated with fuscous. Length of anterior wing, 6 mm (0.24 in).^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to New Zealand, having been found in eastern Northland Region and the Auckland Region.^[5]