Culicoides irregularis Santarém, Felippe-Bauer & Castellón sp. nov.

Figs. 5 A–F; Fig. 9

Diagnosis. Female: This species is easily distinguished by the following combination of characters: palpus 3rd segment with a multiple, shallow, irregular sensory pit; PR 2.0–2.9; moderately long proboscis; mandible with 16 teeth; two unequal ovoid spermathecae.

Female. Head. Brown. Eyes bare (Fig. 5 B), narrowly separated, smaller than ½ ommatidium. Pedicel brown, flagellum pale brown, first eight flagellomeres paler on proximal ½; AR 1.04–1.25 (1.12, n= 24) (Fig. 5 C); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1,6–8; two on 1, three on 6–7 and three - four on 8. Palpus (Fig. 5 F) brown, 3rd segment swollen with a multiple, shallow, irregular sensory pit in ventral, dorsal and lateral side of segment; PR 2.0–2.9 (2.6, n=31). Proboscis moderately long; P/H ratio 0.80–0.94 (0.84, n=28); mandible with 16 teeth.

Thorax. Dark brown. Scutum without distinct pattern in slide mounted specimens. Wing (Fig. 5 A) with contrasting pattern: second radial cell including dark spot, pale spot over R-M extending from M1 to the costal margin, subdivided; r3 with four small and separated pale spots: first, rounded, between the second radial cell and M1; second, poststigmatic, extending behind second radial cell, abutting wing margin; third, rounded, in middle of cell; fourth, distal pale spot slightly reaching wing margin; m1 with two pale spots, the distal one far from wing margin; m2 with four pale spots: one proximal, two between the medial and mediocubital forks, a distal one not reaching wing margin; cua1 with a rounded pale spot in the middle of cell; anal cell with a basal pale area and a pale spot near mediocubital forks; wing base with a pale spot on M; M1,M2 and CuA1 with pale apex; macrotrichia scarcely distributed on the distal third of wing; wing length 0.85–1.05 (0.98, n=31) mm; breadth 0.37–0.47 (0.44, n=31) mm; CR 0.58–0.68 (0.65, n=31). Halter knob brown in middle, stem pale. Legs (Fig. 5 D) mostly brown; femora with subapical pale bands, tibiae with subbasal pale bands; hind tibia pale apically; hind tibial comb with four spines, the one nearest the spur longest.

Abdomen. Brown. Two unequal ovoid spermathecae (Fig. 5 E), measuring 48.2 µm (n=25) by 37.5 µm (n=25) and 39.5 µm (n=23) by 33 µm (n=23), with sclerotized ducts measuring 7.5 µm (n=20); long, slender, rudimentary third spermatheca present (17.2 µm); slightly sclerotized ring present (7.5 µm).

Male. Unknown.

Type data and depository. Holotype female, BRAZIL, Roraima, Maracá, 26.VI.1987, CDC light trap, "mata 1m ", E. Castellon & S. Gomes cols. (CCER); paratypes 32 females, same data except: three (2 CCER; ILMD); three, "mata 10 m " (2 CCER; MNRJ); three, 15.VIII.1987, "mata 5m " (2 ILMD; CCER); one, 30.VII. 1987 "mata 10m " (CCER); one, "mata 5m " (CCER); one, 24.VI.1987 (ILMD); two, 24.VII.1987 "mata 5m " (CCER; ILMD); one, 24.V.1987 "mata 5m " (ILMD); one, 25.VI.1987 "mata 5m " (CCER); one, 25.VII.1987 (ILMD); one, 25.VI. 1987 "mata 10m " (ILMD); one, 21.V.1987 (CCER); one, 17.VI.1987 (ILMD); one, 16.VI.1987 (CCER); one, 23.VI.1987 "mata 5m " (CCER); one, 23.VII.1987 "mata 5m " (ILMD); one, 27.VII.1987 (CCER); one, 27.V.1987 "mata 5m " (ILMD); one, 27.V.1987 "mata 10m " (ILMD); one, 28.VII.1987 (CCER); two, 22.VI. 1987 "mata 10m " (ILMD); one, 31.VIII.1987 (ILMD); one, 31.VIII.1987 "mata alagada" (ILMD); one, Rio Pardo, Amazonas, 21- 22.VI.2010, "peridomicilio", CDC light trap, F. Pessoa col. (ILMD).

Distribution and bionomics. This species is restricted to Brazilian states of Roraima and Amazonas (Fig.9). It was associated with forest environments far from coastal regions.

Etymology. The name of this species is related with the irregular sensory pit present in third palpal segment (Latim—irregulare = irregular).