Wilfried Wichard, Madeline V. Pankowski
Palaeodiversity 17 (1), 1-8, (28 March 2024) https://doi.org/10.18476/pale.v17.a1
KEYWORDS: Fossil Helicopsychidae, androconia, scent-organ, pheromones, mating, courtship, Caloca, Hydroptila, Eocene
A new helicopsychid caddisfly, Palaeohelicopsyche marki sp. nov., is described from Eocene Baltic amber. The extinct genus Palaeohelicopsyche is now represented by three species alongside the genus Helicopsyche, with five extinct species in Baltic amber. The male of the new species is notable for its androconial head organs in the form of paired eversible tubes, a feature rarely found in males of fossil helicopsychids and apparently unknown in extant species. The structure and function of these remarkable male organs are discussed.