Pseudosmittia gracilis (Goetghebuer)

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 : 159-161

Pseudosmittia gracilis (Goetghebuer)

( Fig. 56 )

Camptocladius gracilis Goetghebuer, 1913: 164 .

Pseudosmittia gracilis (Goetghebuer) ; Ashe & Cranston 1990: 223; Langton & Pinder 2007: 136, fig. 187 A.

nec Pseudosmittia gracilis Thienemann et Strenzke 1940 a: 33, 1940b: 243; Goetghebuer 1942: 289; Strenzke 1950: 284–286 (= Allocladius arenarius Strenzke ).

Type material: BELGIUM: East Flanders, Gand (Gent), holotype male, 6.iv.1913, M. Goetghebuer ( IRSN 18.073 ); Noord-Brabant, Heusden, 2 males, 21.iv.1918, M. Goetghebuer ( IRSN) .

Diagnostic characters: The very strong superior volsella, low AR of 0.30–0.40, and the weak inferior volsella separates the male imago from other members of the gracilis group.

Male imago (n = 2–3)

Total length 2.25–2.32 mm. Wing length 1.21–1.39 mm. Total length/wing length 1.62–1.87. Wing length/length of profemur 3.43–3.44. Coloration brownish black.

Head. AR 0.35–0.37. Terminal flagellomere 174–190 µm long. Temporal setae 4–5, consisting of 1–2 inner verticals and 0–3 outer verticals, and 0–3 postorbitals. Clypeus with 7 setae. Tentorium 114–117 µm long, 18–24 µm wide. Stipes 96–98 µm long, 37–41 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 25–27, 34–43, 82–91, 71–80, 91– 107. Third palpomere with 2–3 lanceolate sensilla clavata.

Thorax ( Fig. 56 B ). Antepronotal lobes slightly reduced medially, with 1 lateral setae. Dorsocentrals 7–8, acrostichals 2, prealars 3. Scutellum with 2–4 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 56 A ). VR 1.34–1.40. Anal lobe weak, not projecting. Costal extension 14–23 µm long. R 4+5 ending slightly proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 sinuate. Brachiolum with 1 seta, R with 0–2 setae, other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of front tibia 32–39 µm long, spurs of middle tibia 16–19 µm and 14–18 µm long, of hind tibia 35–41 µm and 14–18 µm long. Width at apex of front tibia 22–25 µm of middle tibia 23–25 µm, of hind tibia 30–32 µm. Comb of 10–13 setae, 16–30 µm long. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 33.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 56 D ). Anal point 25–39 µm long, including an 18–27 µm long base and an 11–16 µm long apex; tergite IX with 10–12 setae; laterosternite IX with 6–7 setae. Phallapodeme 69–71 µm long; transverse sternapodeme 50–57 µm long, with oral projections weak or absent. Virga ( Fig. 56 E ) consisting of a very weak median spine, about 14 µm long, and about 15 lateral spinules. Gonocoxite 149–160 µm long; superior volsella large and well developed and strongly projecting, reaching to 0.35–0.43 gonocoxite length; inferior volsella weak, accessory lobe relatively well developed and reaching to 0.58–0.63 and 0.74–0.78 gonocoxite length, respectively. Gonostylus 59–64 µm long, crista dorsalis well developed, megaseta 7–8 µm long. HR 2.32–2.58, HV 3.52–3.83.

Female, pupa and larva

Unknown.

Distribution

The species is known from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Russia and Japan. The Nearctic record mentioned in Ashe and Cranston (1991: 223) is based on a larva that belongs to A. arenarius .

Figures

FIGURE 56. Pseudosmittia gracilis (Goetghebuer), male. A—wing; B—thorax; C—virga; D—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.