Pseudosmittia rotunda Caspers et Reiss

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 : 167-169

Pseudosmittia rotunda Caspers et Reiss

( Fig. 60 A–F )

Pseudosmittia rotunda Caspers et Reiss, 1989: 126 . Material examined: TURKEY: Kars Province, Aras Valley west of Karakurt , 1300 m a. s. l., holotype male, 4.vii.1985, W. Schacht (ZSM).

Diagnostic characters: The male is easily distinguishable by the prominent crista dorsalis combined with the distinct oral projections of the transverse sternapodeme, the small triangular virga and the posterior placed inferior volsella.

Male imago (n = 1)

Total length not measurable. Wing length 0.73 mm. Wing length/length of profemur 2.70. Coloration black.

Head ( Fig. 60 B ). AR 0.45. Terminal flagellomere 143 µm long. Temporal setae 4, consisting of 2 inner verticals and 2 outer verticals. Clypeus with about 4 setae. Cibarial pump and stipes as in Fig. 60 D . Tentorium 91 µm long, 16 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 18, 23, 34, 61, 94. Third palpomere ( Fig. 60 C ) with at least 2 sensilla clavata.

Thorax. Antepronotal lobes relatively well developed medially, lateral setae not observable. Dorsocentrals 12, acrostichals 2, prealars. Scutellum with 4 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 60 A ). VR 1.38. Anal lobe reduced. Costal extension 16 µm long, with slight false vein extension. R 4+5 ending well proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 sinuate. Brachiolum with 1 seta, other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of front tibia 34 µm long, spurs of middle tibia 22 µm and broken, of hind tibia 39 µm and broken. Width at apex of front tibia 34 µm, of middle tibia 25 µm, of hind tibia 37 µm. Comb of 11 setae, shortest setae 21 µm long, longest setae 32 µm long. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 37.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 60 E ; Caspers & Reiss 1989, fig. 14). Anal point 41 µm long, covered by strong microtrichia; tergite IX with 4 very weak setae; laterosternite IX with 2 setae. Phallapodeme 53 µm long; transverse sternapodeme 46 µm long, with relatively well developed oral projections. Virga (fig. 60 F) small, triangular plate, 9 µm long. Gonocoxite 117 µm long; no superior volsella; inferior volsella low, reaching to 0.71 gonocoxite length, accessory lobe weak and reaching to 0.84 gonocoxite length. Gonostylus 65 µm long, crista dorsalis large and rounded, megaseta 11 µm long. HR 1.79.

Female, pupa and larva

Unknown.

Remarks

Although the species is well described by Caspers and Reiss (1989), there are several discrepancies between their measurements and ours. It appears that they have measured the leg segments as maximum lengths and not according to Schlee (1969). They also seem to have interpreted the false vein as the costal extension, and overlooked some setae. Others differences are minor and not more than can be expected when measurements are made by different people.

Distribution

The species is known only from the type locality, a mountain locality in Eastern Turkey ( Caspers & Reiss 1989) .

Figures

FIGURE 60. Pseudosmittia spp., male. A–F. P. rotunda Caspers et Reiss, male. A—wing; B—head; C—third palpomere; D— cibarial pump and stipes; E—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect; F—virga. G—H. P. nana Andersen, Saether et Mendes, hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect. (G–H from Andersen et al. 2010.)