Pseudosmittia capicola Freeman, 1953

Ferrington Jr, Leonard C. & Saether, Ole A., 2011, A revision of the genera Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932, Allocladius Kieffer, 1913, and Hydrosmittia gen. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) 2849, Zootaxa 2849 (1), pp. 1-314 : 228-229

Pseudosmittia capicola Freeman

( Fig. 86 )

Pseudosmittia capicola Freeman, 1953: 208 .

Smittia capicola (Freeman) ; Freeman 1956: 358.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, Berg River, French Hoek Forest Preserve, paratype male, 22.x.1952, K. M. F. Scott ( BMNH) .

Diagnostic characters: The unsclerotized anal point together with the lack of a superior volsella and the better developed inferior volsella will separate the male imago from the other members of the group.

Male imago (n = 1)

Wing length 0.83 mm. Coloration black.

Head ( Fig. 86 B ). Antenna lost (AR 0.2 according to Freeman). Temporal setae 7, consisting of 2 inner verticals, and 5 postorbitals. Clypeus with 9 setae. Tentorium 103 µm long, 18 µm wide. Cibarial pump and stipes as in Fig. 86 C . Stipes 87 µm long, 21 µm wide. Basal three palpomere lengths (in µm): 23, 27, 46; apical two palpomeres lost.

Thorax. Antepronotal lobes reduced medially, antepronotum with 1 lateral setae. Dorsocentrals 9, acrostichals 2 on a distinct hump, prealars 4. Scutellum with 7 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 86 A ). VR 1.47. Anal lobe absent. Costal extension 46 µm long. R 4+5 ending well proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 sharply curved, not sinuate. Brachiolum with 1 seta, R with 7 setae, other veins bare.

Legs. Front and hind legs and ta 4 and ta 5 of middle legs lost. LR 1 0.6 according to Freeman. Lengths (in µm) of fe to ta 3 of middle leg: 347, 360, 153, 72, 59. LR 2 0.43, SV 2 4.62.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 86 D ). Anal point fusiform, similar to that of P. fusata but not darkly sclerotized, 45 µm long; tergite IX with 4 setae; laterosternite IX with 3 setae. Phallapodeme 50 µm long; transverse sternapodeme 41 µm long, no oral projections. Virga not observed. Gonocoxite 133 µm long; superior volsella absent; inferior volsella and accessory lobe both developed and reaching to 0.60 and 0.76 gonocoxite length, respectively. Gonostylus 51 µm long; megaseta 8 µm long. HR 2.58.

Female, pupa and larva

Unknown.

Remarks

The placement of this species together with P. fusata and P. parifusata is uncertain since there is no superior volsella and the specimen is incomplete. This is the only species where there clearly is a scutal hump on which the acrostichals are placed.

Distribution

The species is only known from the type locality in South Africa .

Figures

FIGURE 86. Pseudosmittia capicola Freeman, male. A—wing; B—head; C—cibarial pump and stipes; D—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.