On the Trichoptera of Italy with delineation of incipient sibling species

Lumpers, focussing between gross and molecular morphologies and neglecting fine phenomics, highly underesti-mate biodiversity. The outdated lumper’s attitude fixed in the Distribution Atlas of European Trichoptera (Neu et al. 2018) is revisited and some theoretical background of why and how to delineate phylogenetic-retigenetic incipient species is outlined very briefly. We expose the adverse effect of lumpers in order to improve by fine phenomics the detection of the fine structure of the local genetic resources, the most valuable and most specific living components, the endemics of the particular ecosystems. In the Italian caddisfly fauna we have recorded, treated or revised the species complex status of Plectrocnemia geni-culata, Tinodes dives, Diplectrona atra, Rhyacophila praemorsa, R. pubescens, R. vulgaris, Drusus graecus, D. discolor D. muelleri, D. flavipennis, D. mixtus, D. spelaeus, D. alpinus, D. nebulicola, Limnephilus stigma. Raised the subspecies status to phylogenetic-retigenetic incipient species rank of Plectrocnemia calabrica Malicky, 1971 stat. nov., Tinodes cantabricus Botosaneanau & Gonzalez, 2001 stat. restit., stat. nov., Tinodes consiglioi Botosaneanu, 1980 stat. nov. Tinodes jeekeli Botosaneanu, 1980, stat restit., stat. nov., Ernodes romaniulus Moretti, Cianficconi, Campadelli & Crudele, 1999 stat. nov. Described 21 new species: Wormaldia ameliae sp. nov., W. dupla sp. nov., W. joani sp. nov., W. marilouae sp. nov., W. reggella sp. nov., W. toscanica sp. nov., Diplectrona ligurica sp. nov., Rhyacophila abruzzica sp. nov., R. harmasa sp. nov., R. ligurica sp. nov., R. pilosa sp. nov., Drusus oblos sp. nov., D. cerreto sp. nov., D. dondenaz sp. nov., D. tagolt sp. nov., D. hatras sp. nov., D. granparadiso sp