Stempellinella brevilamellae Guo and Wang

Ekrem, Torbjørn, 2007, A taxonomic revision of the genus Stempellinella (Diptera: Chironomidae), Journal of Natural History 41 (21 - 24), pp. 1367-1465 : 1382-1383

Stempellinella brevilamellae Guo and Wang

Stempellinella brevilamellae Guo and Wang 2005, p 28 . Holotype: „ ( NU 11611 ) China: Sichuan Province, Yajiang County, Sandaoqiao , 30 ° 029N, 101 ° 009E, 2460 m a.s.l., light trap, 9 June 1996, X. Wang. Paratypes: 3 „„ as holotype [examined].

Diagnostic characters

Stempellinella brevilamellae can be separated from other species in Stempellinella by the following combination of characters. Adult male with well-developed, conical frontal tubercles; AR ca 0.8; superior volsella somewhat rectangular with medially pointed apex; anal point long with spinulae and microtrichia between well-developed crests; median volsella 50–55 Mm long, branched, covered with microtrichia.

Redescription

Adult male (n 5 4 unless otherwise stated). Total length 1.5–2.0, 1.9 mm; wing length 1.15– 1.32, 1.24 mm.

Colour: pale brown body colour with darker scutal stripes, postnotum, preepisternum, median anepisternum, epimeron and antennal pedicels; scutellum pale; halteres pale; eyes brown-red, darker ventrally.

Head ( Figure 4A, B ): eyes without dorsomedian elongation; frontal tubercle large, conical 10–20, 15 Mm long; antenna ( Figure 2B ) with 13 flagellomeres of which only 10 are easily discernible; AR (on 10 flagellomeres) 0.74–0.82, 0.77; lengths of palpomeres (in Mm): 20–25, 23; 20–25, 24; 55–65, 61; 75–85, 83; 115–130, 123. Clypeus about 70 Mm long with 11–14, 12 setae; tentorium ca 90 Mm long, 25 Mm wide; two or three inner verticals, one or two outer verticals, two or three postorbitals.

Thorax: scutal tubercle weak, broad; acrostichals 8–11, 10; dorsocentrals 5–6; humerals 0; prealars 1; scutellars 7–8; halterals 5.

Wing ( Figure 4C ): cuneiform, 2.7–3.1, 2.9 times longer than broad; VR 1.50–1.54, 1.52; wing setation as in Figure 4C .

Legs ( Figure 4D ): fore tibia with 20 Mm long spur; mid and hind tibiae with wellseparated, 12 Mm long tibial combs, one mid tibial comb with 30 Mm long spur, one hind tibial comb with 25–35, 32 Mm long spur; mid tarsus 1 without sensilla chaetica; pulvilli absent. Lengths and ratios of leg segments in Table III.

Hypopygium ( Figure 4E, F ): anal tergite 82–97, 90 Mm long with transverse anal tergite band; two to five strong median setae at some distance from anal point base, one or two small setae near anal point base, one lateral seta, 16–20, 19 apical setae; anal point 40–50, 43 Mm long, basally 10 Mm broad, with long, well-developed crests which end close to anal point apex; 10–22, 16 strong spinulae and microtrichia between anal crests; microtrichia free area on each side of anal point base. Gonocoxite 80–87, 85 Mm long; gonostylus 50– 58, 54 Mm long; HR 1.46–1.64, 1.57. Superior volsella ( Figure 4F ) somewhat rectangular with medially pointed apex, five or six dorsal and two median setae on setiger, superior volsella otherwise bare; digitus absent; median volsella 50–55, 54 Mm long, posteriorly curved, stem extensively branched, reaching three-quarters length of inferior volsella, covered with microtrichia, a few simple lamellae along median margin; inferior volsella 70–77, 75 Mm long, slightly club-shaped, with several distal setae, dorsal surface without microtrichia.

Adult female, pupa, and larva. Unknown.

Remarks

Stempellinella brevilamellae has been recorded only from its type locality in China ( Guo and Wang 2005) . The immature stages and their habitat remain unknown, but the larvae probably construct small, straight transportable cases of sand and detritus like the morphologically similar species in South Africa and Japan.

Figures

Figure 2. Stempellinella boltoni sp. n., male imago. (A) Head; (B) antennal flagellum; (C) fore, mid, and hind tibiae; (D) hypopygium; (E) anal point lateral view; (F) superior and median volsellae.

Figure 4. Stempellinella brevilamellae Guo and Wang, male imago. (A) Head; (B) antenna; (C) wing; (D) fore, mid, and hind tibiae; (E) hypopygium; (F) superior, median, and inferior volsellae.