Culicoides andradinensis Felippe-Bauer & Santarém, 2024

Felippe-Bauer, Maria Luiza, Santarém, Maria Clara Alves, Macedo, Antonio Carlos Cruz & Okuda, Liria Hiromi, 2024, New species of Culicoides, description of female of Culicoides pseudocrescentis Tavares & Luna Dias and new record of Culicoides castillae Fox from Southeastern Brazil (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 5433 (4), pp. 581-587 : 582-584

Culicoides andradinensis Felippe-Bauer & Santarém sp. nov.

Fig.1 (A–H)

Diagnosis. Female. Only species of the limai species group with the following combination of features: sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, (3), 4–8; palpus 3rd segment with shallow, rounded pit; large pale wing spots, poststigmatic pale spot in cell r3 extending from costa to the beginning of the 2 nd radial cell; hind femur entirely dark brown. Male unknown.

Description. Female. Head dark brown ( Fig. 1A ). Eyes bare ( Fig. 1B ), separated by distance equal to diameter of nearly one ommatidium facet. Antenna brown ( Fig. 1A ), with proximal 2/3 of flagellomeres 1–5 paler, flagellomeres elongate, vasiform; AR 0.82 (0.81–0.82, n=2); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, (3), 4–8. Palpus dark brown ( Fig. 1C ), third segment swollen, with subapical shallow, rounded pit; PR 2.1 (1.9–2.3, n=2); PH ratio 0.92 (0.89–0.96, n=2). Mandible with 14–15 teeth.

Thorax. Dark brown ( Fig. 1G ), with pattern of yellowish brown patches, humeral depression paler. Scutum clothed with setae, yellowish brown medially; scutellum dark brown mesally, paler on sides; postscutellum dark brown. Wing ( Fig. 1F ) length 0.95 (0.93–0.97, n=2) mm; width 0.47 (n=2) mm; with contrasting pattern of pale and dark spots; distal ½ of 1 st, all of 2 nd radial cell in dark spot; large pale spot at R-M crossvein abutting costal wing margin and posteriorly confluent with pale area behind medial fork; poststigmatic pale spot in r 3 extending proximally from the beginning of the 2 nd radial cell, distal pale spot in r 3 transverse nearly abutting wing margin; m 1 with two large pale spots, the proximal larger, ovoid; distal one nearly abutting wing margin; m 2 with two pale spots, one lying to medial fork, the distal one large and abutting wing margin; large pale spot in cua 1 abutting wing margin; anal cell with large transverse pale spot extending from radius to posterior wing margin, distal portion with coalescent double pale spot. Macrotrichia present on r 3, m 1, m 2, cua 1 and in anal cell; CR 0.58 (0.57–0.59, n=2). Halter pale ( Fig. 1G ). Legs dark brown ( Fig. 1 D–E ); trochanters pale brown; femora pale on extreme base; fore and midfemora with subapical pale band, infuscated on mid femur, tibiae with subbasal pale bands, narrow in mid tibia; hind tibia with infuscated pale apical band; hind tibial comb ( Fig. 1E ) with four spines, the first nearest the spur longest.

Abdomen. Brown. Two subequal-sized ovoid spermathecae ( Fig. 1 H ), each measuring 37 µm by 27 µm with moderately long necks (13 μm); slender 3rd spermatheca measuring 17–27 µm (n=2); large, rounded sclerotized ring present, measuring 8–10 µm in diameter.

Male. Unknown.

Type materials. Holotype female, on microscope slide labeled “Holotype Culicoides andradinensis Felippe-Bauer & Santarém ”, “ Fazenda da Unidade de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Andradina , APTA Regional /SAA, Andradina, São Paulo, Brasil, 20°50’34.8”S, 51°21’32.4”W, 09–10.XI.2022, Armadilha CDC UV (16h - 08h, borda de açude), A.C.C. Macedo, A.M. Alencar, A.H.C.N. Romaldini [legs.] ( CCER#3893 ) ; Paratype female, same data as holotype ( CCER#3880 ) .

Distribution and bionomics. This species was found in a cattle farm, next to a weir, in the far west of the Brazilian state of São Paulo.

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality.

Taxonomic discussion. Culicoides andradinensis sp. nov. most closely resembles C. santanderi Browne from Colombia by the peculiar aspect and distribution of the wing pale spots, the pattern of yellowish patches on thorax and pale halter. The new species can be separated by the hind femur without pale band (subapical pale band in C. santanderi ), antenna with sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, (3), 4–8 (1,5– 8 in C. santanderi ) and by the shallow palpal pit (deep palpal pit in C. santanderi ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Culicoides andradinensissp.nov. holotype,femaleA head, anterior view B eyes separation, anterior viewC palpus D fore-, mid-, hindlegs (left to right), lateral view E hind tibial comb F wing G thorax, dorsal view H spermathecae, ventral view.