Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola Ribeiro, Lourenço-de-Oliveira & Motta, 2022

Ribeiro, Paulino Siqueira, Motta, Monique Albuquerque, Seiblitz, Giulia Caminha, Pereira, Glauber Rocha, Galvão, Cleber, Pecor, David Brooks & Lourenço-De-Oliveira, Ricardo, 2022, Redescription of Wyeomyia (Decamyia) felicia (Dyar & Núñez Tovar, 1927) and description of a new species of the subgenus from Trinidad (Diptera: Culicidae), Zootaxa 5175 (1), pp. 101-125 : 115-123

Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola Ribeiro, Lourenço-de-Oliveira & Motta , sp. n.

Wyeomyia (Dendromyia) felicia of Lane 1945: 135, 141, 147, 148 in part, 149 (♀, ♂, ♂ G*, P*, L*, coll., bion.); Lane 1953: 979 in part, 980, 981 in part (♂, G ♂ *, L*, P*, rec.).

Female. Similar to Wy. felicia except for the following characters. Proboscis: Length 1.6, 1. 8 mm; clypeus brown, rounded; 5 brown basal labial setae; anterior promontory with few white scales in middle and 6,12 brown setae of different sizes. Supraalar and antealar areas with around 27,28 brown setae. Scutellum with median lobe bearing 7,9 brown setae and lateral lobes with 7–9 brown setae of different sizes. Mesopostnotum with a tuft of about 6,10 yellowish setae, without scales. Antepronotum with a row of approximately 11 strong, darkish brown setae dorsally; 3 yellowish prespiracular setae, long, extending beyond spiracle; 5,9 upper proepisternal setae, yellowish, long; prealar area with 5 yellowish setae; 10 pale yellow upper mesepimeral setae, nearly in a row. Wing: Length approximately 2,9–3.2 mm. Upper calypter with 2 light brown setae; alula with around 5,8 simple, brown setae. Legs: Tibiae with ventroposterior margins with a thin line of white scales; fore-, mid- and hindtarsomeres 1–5 entirely dark-scaled. Genitalia ( Fig. 8 ): Tergum VIII ( Fig. 8A ) wider than long, covered with minute spicules and spatulate scales; distal margin convex, with approximately 60 setae of different lengths. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 8B ) wider than long, covered with minute spicules and spatulate scales, lateral margins rounded, distal margin slightly V-shaped, with approximately 66 setae of different lengths distributed on distal portion. Tergum IX ( Fig. 8C ) narrow, covered with minute spicules, lobes weakly defined with 2 setae each, and 2 setae of similar development each inserted on the dorsolateral area far from distal margin. Insula ( Fig. 8E ) rounded, covered with minute spicules, with 10 strong setae. Postgenital lobe ( Fig. 8C ) slightly extending beyond apex of cerci, wider than long, dorsal surface with 6 setae on distal portion, ventral surface covered with minute spicules, numerous short setae with conspicuous alveoli distributed from base to apex, toward middle to lateral area. Cerci ( Fig. 8D ) short, covered with numerous setae of different lengths; apex elongate horizontally, flat on margin. Spermatheca ( Fig. 8F ) with 3 spherical capsules of different sizes.

Male. Similar to Wy. felicia and the female except for the following characteristics. Proboscis: Length 1. 7 mm. Thorax: Anterior promontory with few white scales in middle and about 12 brown setae of different lengths. Supraalar and antealar areas with approximately 21 brown setae. Scutellum with median lobe bearing 4 long and 3 short brown setae, and lateral lobes with 4,5 long and 4 short brown setae. Mesopostnotum with a tuft of 5–10 yellowish setae. Antepronotum with a row of 9–11 strong brown setae dorsally; 3–5 yellowish prespiracular setae; 6–8 long yellowish upper proepisternal setae; 5 lower mesokatepisternal setae, 2 yellowish setae above upper margin of mesomeron; lower mesepimeral setae absent. Wing: Length approximately 3. 2 mm. Legs: Tibiae with ventroposterior margins with sparse white scales along length. Genitalia ( Figs 9 , 10 ): Tergum and sternum IX fused laterally, forming a complete ring. Tergum IX: Lobes slightly defined, almost level; interlobar space very small, bearing an almost continuous row of 18 weakly chitinized elongate spatulate setae, resembling elongate petals of a daisy flower, with almost uniform width throughout their lengths. Sternum IX narrow with a median triangular expansion with rounded apex, produced between bases of gonocoxites. Paraproct with 2 teeth close together at apex. Gonocoxite ( Fig. 9A ) with apex of tergomesal area spiculate, with 24–29 setae of different lengths; basal mesal lobe narrow, small, longer than wide, with 7,8 fine setae, similar in length. Gonostylus ( Figs 9A‒C , 10 ) short, approximately 0.77 length of gonocoxite, slightly expanded at base, basal 0.20 with spicules, narrow in middle, apex compressed, nearly same width as basal part, divided into 4 somewhat contiguous lobes: lobe A digitiform, elongate, only slightly tapered towards apex, with 1 elongate, strong, sclerotized, apical seta, resembling a curvetipped claw; lobe E arising from lobe M, distal margin with 2,3 simple, short, fine setae; lobe C essentially triangular in shape, weakly disassociated, with about 6 setae similar to those on dorsal surface of lobe E; lobe M rounded, rather shallow, inner surface approximate to lobe A, with a set of 8 long, chitinized setae on anterior margin toward posterior apex of lobe; 1 fine seta medially on lobe, near origin of lobe A.

Pupa ( Fig. 11 , Table 3 ). Similar to Wy. felicia except for the following characters. Cephalothorax: Seta 2- CT normally triple; seta 4-CT usually with 4 branches; seta 5-CT aciculate, usually with 4 branches; seta 10-CT normally with 4 branches; Trumpet: Index 2.7–4.1 (mean 3.5) (width measured at mid-length). Abdomen: Seta 1-II with 9–12 branches emerging at different levels; seta 1-III normally with 5 or 6 branches; seta 1-IV,V usually with 4 branches, 1-VI normally triple; seta 3-I single, 3-IV–VI normally triple, similar in development; seta 4-I normally with 5 branches, long, 2.5 length of seta 5-I, 4-II normally with 4 branches, 4-III,IV,VIII normally double, 4-VI normally single; seta 5-IV–VI single, with long aciculae, similar in development, longer than length of segments V– VII respectively, seta 5-VII normally single; seta 6-I single, long, 1.8 length of seta 4-I, 6-IV with 2 or 3 branches, 6-VII in dorsal position, usually single; seta 7-I normally with 4 branches, 0.67 length of seta 6-I, 7-II normally double, 7-VI normally single, long, 2.7 length of seta 8-VI; seta 8-III usually with 6 branches, 8-VI normally triple; seta 9-VIII normally with 17 branches, aciculate, slightly longer than paddle; seta 10-II normally triple; seta 11- II–VII normally double. Paddle: Index 2.2. Male genital lobe: About 0.71 length of paddle.

Fourth-instar larva ( Fig. 12 , Table 4 ). Similar to Wy. felicia except for the following characters. Head: Dorsomentum with 1 central tooth slightly larger than lateral teeth on either side (11–14). Seta 4-C normally double, similar in length to seta 1-C; seta 14-C normally single, not well developed, normally shorter than seta 12-C; seta 15-C usually double, small, approximately 0.5 length of 14-C. Thorax: Seta 3-P normally double; seta 7-P usually with 9–14 aciculate branches at mid-length; seta 9-P normally with 4 branches, aciculate from base to mid-length; seta 14-P usually triple, approximately 0.4 length of seta 8-P. Seta 7-M triple; seta 8-M usually with 9 branches, approximately 0.6 length of seta 5-M; seta 14-M usually with 9 branches. Setae 3,4-T with 2–4 branches, 4-T short, 0.7 length of seta 5-T; seta 5-T normally single, short, 0.3 length of seta 6-T; seta 6-T normally triple, elongate; seta 9-T normally with 11 branches, aciculate; seta 13-T usually with 10 branches, aciculate. Abdomen: Seta 1-I normally with 4 branches, short, 0.54 length of seta 5-I, 1-II short, 0.58 length of seta 5-II, 1-III normally triple, well developed, approximately 0.83 length of seta 5-III; seta 2-I normally single, similar in length to seta 1-I; seta 3-III normally triple, 3-IV normally with 4 branches, 3-V single, long 4.0 length of seta 4-V; seta 4-II normally with 5 branches, 4-VI normally with 4 branches; seta 5-I with 2,3 branches, 5-II–VI normally with 4 branches, 5-VII with 7,8 branches; seta 6-II normally with 4 branches, well developed, aciculate; seta 7-I normally with 4 branches, 7-II normally triple, 7-III normally with 6 branches, 7-VII normally with 7 branches; seta 8-II usually double, 8- III,IV normally triple, 8-VI normally with 6 branches; seta 9-I–VI normally single, 9-IV,VI short, 0.3 length of seta 10-IV,VI; seta 10-I branched, inserted posterior to seta 11-I, approximately same length as seta 13-I, 10-III normally double, 10-V normally triple; seta 11-I–III,VI normally with 4 branches, seta 11-V normally triple; seta 12-II normally with 6 branches, long, 1.4 length of seta 13-II, 12-III,IV single, 12-III short, approximately 0.5 length of seta 13-III, 12-IV,V short, 0.4 length of seta 13-IV,V, 12-VI normally with 5 branches, approximately same length as 13-VI; seta 13-I,II normally with 4 branches. Segment VIII: Comb with 34‒48(34) elongate scales of different lengths; seta 1-VIII normally with 5 branches, 0.5 length of seta 2-VIII; seta 3-VIII usually with 4 branches. Siphon: Moderately large; index 1.9–2.2 (mean 2.0) (width measured at base); gradually narrowed in apical third, tanned, more pigmented at base. Pecten with 3,5(5) elongate spines in a posterolateral row; seta 1-S single, inserted near base, slightly aciculate; 2 or 3 pairs of seta 1a-S, single, aciculate from mid-length to apex; 4–6(5) pairs of seta 2a-S, single, thick, frayed at apex. Segment X: Setae 2,4-X each normally with 6 branches.

Systematics. Wyeomyia monticola is close to Wy. felicia , from which it can be distinguished by morphological characters of the male and female genitalia, and larval and pupal stages. Concerning the male genitalia, the apex of the gonostylus of Wy. monticola is quite compressed, nearly the same width as the basal part, divided into four lobes, with lobe C essentially triangular in shape, while in Wy. felicia the gonostylus is quite expanded apically and divided in three lobes, with lobe C indiscernible, probably fused to lobe M. Additionally, lobes A and M in Wy. felicia are quite divergent, with lobe M developed and bearing a tuft of numerous fine, elongate setae proximally, while in Wy. monticola lobes A and M are approximated, with lobe M rounded, rather shallow and without a tuft of setae. In Wy. rorotai , Wy. pseudopecten , Wy. anthica and Wy. ulocoma , lobe C is elongate, quite differentiated and well separated from the other lobes, whereas it is shallow, triangular and poorly detached from lobe M in Wy. monticola . Like Wy. felicia , the male genitalia of Wy. monticola can be distinguished from those of the other species of Decamyia by having the gonocoxite devoid of tergomesal setae, the very small, almost flat interlobar space of tergum IX and the slightly curved, very expanded apical leaf-like setae emerging from the basal plate of the phallosome. The female genitalia of Wy. monticola have the postgenital lobe apically rounded; tergum IX with 2 setae of similar development inserted far laterally on each lobe, with each lobe bearing 2 setae. However, Wy. felicia has the postgenital lobe much narrowed toward the apex and tergum IX with setae restricted to the lobes, with 3 or 4 slender setae in line on each. The adult female of Wy. monticola is distinguished from those of the other species of Decamyia , except Wy. felicia , by having all tarsomeres entirely dark-scaled, while the ventroposterior surface of the tarsomeres have white-scaling that varies in extent in Wy. anthica , Wy. pseudopecten , Wy. rorotai and Wy. ulocoma . The pupa and larva of Wy. monticola are similar to those of Wy. felicia , being distinguished from the other Decamyia by the same characters listed herein for the latter species. Slight differences were noticed between the pupae of Wy. monticola and Wy. felicia , as follows: Wy. monticola has seta 4-I about 2.5 the length of seta 5-I and seta 5-IV–VI with long distinct aciculae, while Wy. felicia has seta 4-I about twice the length of seta 5-I and seta 5-IV–VI poorly aciculate. The larva of Wy. monticola differs from the larva of Wy. felicia in having seta 14-P short, approximately 0.4 the length of setae 8-P and 12-II 1.4 the length of seta 13-II, while Wy. felicia has seta 14-P approximately 0.6 the length of seta 8-P and seta 12-II 0.5 the length of seta 13-II. The main character distinguishing the larva of Wy. monticola from the larvae of all species of the subgenus is the size of the siphon: Wy. monticola has a much wider siphon (index about 2.0) than Wy. felicia and all other species of Decamyia , in which the siphon index is about 4.0.

Etymology. From Latin, mont- mons, montis (mountain); -cola (dweller, inhabit), in reference to the mountain site where the species was found at an elevation of 2,500 feet (about 760 m) on El Tucuche mountain, the second highest peak in Trinidad.

Bionomics. The immature stages of Wy. monticola were collected in flower bracts and stalks of Heliconia plants growing at an altitude of 2,500 feet (about 760 m) ( Lane 1945). Nothing is known of the bionomics of the adults.

Distribution. At present, Wy. monticola has only been found on El Tucuche mountain, located in the northern Trinidad.

Material examined. Seven specimens (1♂ LePeG, 1♂ G, 1♀ LePeG, 1♀ LePe, 1 LePe, 2 Le). HOLOTYPE: ♂ (no. 3.932) with LePeG on the slide, 1942 ( FSP): TRINIDAD, El Tucuche, 2,500 feet, July 3, 1942, W. G. Downs, Heliconia flower bract; PARATYPES: 1♂ G (no. 3.933), same data as holotype except June 1942 , Heliconia stalk; 1♀ LePeG (no. 5.636), same data except between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, June 23, 1942 ; 1♀ LePe (no. 3.934), same data except 2.500 feet, June 29, 1942 ; 1 Le same data; 1 LePe (without ID number), same data except June 6, 1942 ( NMNH) ; 1Le (without ID number), same data except July 4, 1942 .

Discussion. Wyeomyia felicia and Wy. monticola are typical species of Decamyia based on their morphology, the following characters: male genitalia with basal piece of the phallosome bearing a sclerotized columnar process, with two differentiated apical setae; proctiger without cercal setae, larvae with seta 9-I–VI branched and seta 1-S single ( Harbach & Peyton 1990; Motta et al. 2007; Ribeiro et al. 2020, 2021) and bionomics ( Heinemann & Belkin 1978b; Heinemann et al. 1980; Seifert & Seifert 1979; Seifert & Barrera 1981). Despite the frequent records of the immature stages of Wy. felicia developing in Heliconia flower bracts, like the other species of Decamyia , including its closely related Wy. monticola , it is interesting that it has the greatest ecological plasticity for habitats in different phytotelmata, for example the axils of some aroids and bromeliads ( Dyar & Núñez Tovar 1927; Dyar & Núñez Tovar 1928; Dyar 1928; Heinemann & Belkin 1978b; Heinemann et al. 1980). In contrast, Wy. monticola was found developing in both the flower bracts and stalks of Heliconia plants.

The new species described herein, Wy. monticola , was discovered when we compared the lectotype of Wy. felicia and a set of specimens collected in Venezuela with a set of specimens collected in Trinidad in the early 1940s by W. G. Downs and deposited in the FSP and NMNH. The specimens from Trinidad where mistakenly illustrated by Lane (1945, 1953 in part) in the redescriptions of Wy. felicia . It is possible that lack of larval exuviae associated with the type series of Wy. felicia , combined with the position of the gonostylus in the mounted male genitalia, may have contributed to this error.

In Wy. felicia , the apex of the gonostylus can have a very distinctive overall appearance of the lobes, depending on the orientation and position of the parts during mounting. Some of these different appearances are exemplified herein in Fig. 3 , which illustrates different views of a single gonostylus. One of these views is similar to what was roughly shown in the illustrations of Dyar (1928) and Lane (1953). Regardless of the mounted position on the slides, all Wy. felicia specimens we examined from Venezuela have identical gonostyli and other structures of the male genitalia.

With the present study, the number of valid species in the subgenus Decamyia has grown to six: Wy. anthica , Wy. felicia , Wy. monticola , Wy. pseudopecten , Wy. rorotai and Wy. ulocoma . Future phylogenetic studies that integrate data from molecular biology and alpha taxonomy may greatly contribute to the understanding the diversity of this group in tropical America.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) felicia, male genitalia. A, Gonocoxite and gonostylus with lobes A, E and M (mesal view); B, C, gonostylus (lateral view); D, columnar process of basal piece of phallosome (mesal view); E, proctiger (lateral); F, tergum IX; G, sternum IX; H, phallosome (aedeagus, parameres and basal pieces) (tergal view).

FIGURE 8. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola sp. n., female genitalia. A, Tergum VIII; B, sternum VIII; C, tergum IX (dorsal view) and postgenital lobe (in focus) (ventral view); D, cerci (dorsal view); E, insula (ventral view); F, spermathecal capsules.

FIGURE 9. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola sp. n., male genitalia. A, Gonocoxite and gonostylus with lobes A, E and M (mesal view); B, C, gonostylus with lobes A, E, M and C (mesal view); D, columnar process of basal piece of phallosome (mesal view); E, tergum IX; F, sternum IX; G, phallosome (aedeagus, parameres and basal pieces) (sternal view); H, proctiger (lateral view).

FIGURE 10. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola sp. n., confocal laser scanning image of the gonostylus. A, B (mesal views).

FIGURE 11. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola sp. n., pupa (male). A, Cephalothorax; B, metanotum and abdomen. CT, cephalothorax; GL, genital lobe: Mtn, metanotum; Pa, paddle; T, trumpet; I–VIII, abdominal segments; 0–14, setal numbers.

FIGURE 12. Wyeomyia (Decamyia) monticola sp. n., fourth-instar larva.A, Antenna; C, cranium; M, mesothorax; P, prothorax; S, siphon; T, metathorax; I–VIII, X, abdominal segments; 0–15, setal numbers.