Cryptotendipes pseudotener (Goetghebuer)

Epler, J. H., 2018, The genus Cryptotendipes Beck et Beck in Florida, with the description of a new species (Diptera: Chironomidae: Chironominae), Zootaxa 4433 (3), pp. 583-594 : 588

Cryptotendipes pseudotener (Goetghebuer)

Cryptochironomus pseudotener Goetghebuer, 1922: 38 . Original description.

Harnischia (Harnischia) pseudotener (Goetghebuer) : Townes 1945: 162, redescription using Nearctic material; Roback 1957: 102, description of larva and pupa, figures.

Cryptotendipes pseudotener (Goetghebuer) : Saether 1977: 98, fig. 34F, Saether 2010: 14, fig 7.

Townes (1945) listed material of this species, originally described from Belgium, from Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Roback (1957) described the larva and pupa, with figures of larval and pupal structures. Saether (1977) keyed the adult male of this Holarctic species and illustrated the hypopygium ( Saether 1977: fig. 34F); Saether (2010) keyed, described and illustrated the pupa and larva. Caldwell et al. (1997) listed C. pseudotener from Alabama and South Carolina. The material Saether (2010) used in his descriptions of the pupa and larva was from Nebraska, South Dakota and Manitoba, Canada. The Florida specimens listed below are the first records for this species from the state.

Caldwell collected pupal exuviae of C. emorsus and C. pseudotener together from a site in Georgia (data in this paper).

Saether’s (2010) figure 7A of the pupal abdominal tergites does not indicate that any of the posterior spine groups are divided; Roback’s (1957) figures 326 and 327 of T IV show two posterior spine groups. The majority of material I examined had at least one tergite with two posterior spine groups. In Florida material one specimen had two groups of spines on T II and T III; another had two groups on T II and T IV. In Georgia material, one pupa had two groups only on T II, another had two groups on TII-TIII, another had two groups on T II-T IV and another had two groups on T II—T V. All three Ohio specimens examined had two groups on T II—T VI.

Saether (2010: 16) gave postmentum lengths of 108–110 µm, based on three larvae, for C. pseudotener . Four specimens that I measured from Ohio (3) and Florida (1) ran from 125 to 130 µm, with a mean of 129 µm.

In order to find possible characters to separate larvae of the three Florida Cryptotendipes species, I examined the dorsum of the the head, in particular the frontoclypeus and associated labral sclerites. Figure 25 shows the anterior portion of the frontoclypeus and associated labral sclerites of C. pseudotener . These structures were similar on the heads of C. emorsus and C. rutteri , and were of no use in species separation.

Material examined: FLORIDA: Gadsden Co., Turkey Creek on 65B; coll. 13-v-79; pres . 16-v-79; A[nnelle]. R. S[oponis]., C[onstance]. L. R[ussell]., C[hristie]. A. S[tarling]., 1 male / Pex / Lex [ FAMU]. Leon Co., Natural Bridge nr. Woodville; coll . 21-ix-1978; pres. 23-x-1978; C. Russell; 1 pharate male pupa [FAMU]. GEORGIA: Macon Co., Beaver Creek, Winchester Rd , 10-ix-1991, leg. B.A. Caldwell, 1 male Pex [ BAC] . Stephens Co., Eastanollee Creek @ Ga. Hwy. 17, ECA, 18-viii-81, 1 female Pex [ BAC] . Thomas Co., Horse Creek @ Co. Rd. 161, HC6, bottom grab, 7/31/80, 1 Male pupa [ BAC] . Putnam Co., Little River arm of Lake Sinclair , LS-1 HDI-2, 16-iv-1990, leg. H. Howard, 1 pharate male pupa [ BAC]. MICHIGAN: Monroe [Co.], Saline River , Wilson Park, Ap. 29, [20]12, 1 male, coll . P. Hudson; same locality and collector, May 16, 2014, 3 males ; same locality and collector, May 14 [20]15, 1 male [ PLH] . OHIO: Champaign Co., E . Br. Cedar Run at boardwalk, D7, Cedar Bog State Mem. , 4/vi/89, Em . 11/vi, M.J. Bolton, 1 female/Pex/Lex [MJB]; E. Br. Cedar Run, Cedar Bog, D5, 14/v/89, Em . 23/v, M.J. Bolton, 1 male/Pex/Lex [MJB].