Systematics of the Neotropical caddisfly genus Notidobiella Schmid (Trichoptera, Sericostomatidae), with the description of 3 new species

Abstract. Three new species of Notidobiella Schmid (Insecta: Trichoptera) are described from South America: Notidobiella amazoniana sp. n. (Brazil), Notidobiella brasiliana sp. n. (Brazil), and Notidobiella ecuadorensis sp. n. (Ecuador). In addition, the 3 previously described species in the genus, Notidobiella chacayana Schmid, Notidobiella inermis Flint, and Notidobiella parallelipipeda Schmid, all endemic to southern Chile, are redescribed and illustrated, including the females of each species for the first time, and a key to males of the species in the genus is provided. The occurrence of Notidobiella in Brazil and Ecuador represents a significant extension of the range of the genus beyond southern Chile where it previously was thought to be endemic. The biogeography of Sericostomatidae and other austral South American Trichoptera is reviewed. The presence of the family in South America may not be part of a “transantarctic” exchange, but instead may represent an earlier occurence in the region. The distribution of Notidobiella in tropical South America likely represents recent dispersal from southern South America to the north.