Pseudosmittia guineensis (Kieffer)

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 : 155-158

Pseudosmittia guineensis (Kieffer)

( Figs. 54 , 55 )

Camptocladius guineensis Kieffer, 1918: 81 .

Camptocladius longicosta Kieffer, 1923: 185 .

Smittia longicostalis Goetghebuer, 1934: 204 .

Pseudosmittia tobaundecima Kikuchi et Sasa, 1990: 325 , syn. n.

Smittia guineensis (Kieffer) ; Freeman 1956: 353.

Pseudosmittia guineensis (Kieffer) , Freeman & Cranston 1980: 185. Material examined: D.R. CONGO (Belgian Congo): Kisantu, holotype female of Smittia longicostalis , iii– i.1932, Dr. De Wulf ( KMMA I 2965); 1 female same data as holotype of longicostalis except 1931 and det. P. Freeman; Lulenga, Envir. Mission Rugari, 3 males, 1 female, 1933, Dr. De Wulf , N. Kivu, Kibeti, lava plain, 1 female, x 1933, Dr. De Wulf ; Parc National Albert, Muganga Crater, 1 female, Dr. De Wulf (all KMMA) . TANZANIA: Tanga, West Usambara Mountains, Masumbai , 2males, xi.1990, ZMBN's Tanzania Expedition ( ZMBN) . ETHIOPIA: Lake Awasa, netted near fish harbour, 4 males, 25.viii.1984, A. D. Harrison; Wendo Genet , at light, 2 males, 16.ix.1985, A. D. Harrison ( ZMBN) ; CHINA: Guangxi Prov. Leyie Co .. Yachang Forest Center, Huaiping , 28.vii.2004, X. Yu ( XW) ; Guizhou Prov., Fanjing Mountain Natural Conservation, 17.viii.1996, Y.Z. Du ( XW) ; Fujiang Prov., Nanping City, Maodi Town , Yandang Mountain , 22.ix.2002, Z. Liu ( XW) .

Diagnostic characters: The lack of an anal point, strong superior volsella, absence of inferior volsella, strongly curved gonostylus and very long virga separate the male imago from all other Pseudosmittia . The undivided tergite IX with an anal point easily distinguishes the female imago from other known females of the genus.

Male imago (n = 5–7, except when otherwise stated)

Total length 1.74–2.03, 188 mm. Wing length 1.03–1.31, 1.15 mm. Total length/wing length 1.54–1.69, 1.64. Wing length/length of profemur 2.89–3.29, 3.09. Coloration brownish black.

Head ( Fig. 54 B , Kikuchi & Sasa 1990, fig. 29a). AR 0.38–0.69, 0.59. Terminal flagellomere 185–306, 255 µm long. Temporal setae 2–8, 6; consisting of 1–5, 3 inner verticals; and 1–3, 3 outer verticals. Cibarial pump and stipes as in Fig. 54 D . Clypeus with 2–6, 4 setae. Tentorium 82–112, 100 µm long, 18–21, 20 µm wide. Stipes 71–91, 85 µm long, 21–43, 29 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 22–27, 28; 34–39, 36; 62–71, 66; 66–96, 80; 103–130, 118. Third palpomere ( Fig. 54 C ) with 3–5, 4 lanceolate sensilla clavata.

Thorax ( Kikuchi & Sasa 1990, fig. 29b). Antepronotal lobes slightly reduced medially, with 1 (4) lateral setae. Dorsocentrals 3–6, 4; acrostichals 2; prealars 2–3, 3. Scutellum with 4 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 54 A , Freeman 1956, fig. 13h, Kikuchi & Sasa 1990, fig. 29c). VR 1.34–1.44, 1.38. Anal lobe not to slightly projecting. Costal extension 5–39, 22 µm long. R 4+5 ending proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 strongly sinuate. Brachiolum with 1 seta, other veins bare.

Legs ( Kikuchi & Sasa 1990, fig. 29d–f). Spur of front tibia 33–41, 37 µm long, spurs of middle tibia 16–18, 17 µm and 14–18, 16 µm long, of hind tibia 37–43, 40 µm and 14–21, 17 µm long. Width at apex of front tibia 19–23, 20 µm, of middle tibia 18–25, 21 µm, of hind tibia 27–30, 29 µm. Comb of 10–12, 11 setae, shortest seta 16–21, 19 µm long, longest seta 27–39, 34 µm long. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 31.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 54 F ; Freeman 1956, fig. 14g; Kikuchi & Sasa 1990, fig. 29h). Anal point absent; tergite IX with 4–9, 5 setae; laterosternite IX with 2 setae. Phallapodeme 62–75, 69 µm long; transverse sternapodeme about 48–62, 54 µm long, no oral projections. Virga ( Fig. 54 E ) 64–94, 79 µm long, about 1.3 times as long as gonostylus, dark in proximal half. Gonocoxite 117–153, 136 µm long; superior volsella well developed, reaching to 0.49– 0.52, 0.51 gonocoxite length; inferior volsella absent. Gonostylus 53–66, 62 µm long, strongly curved; megaseta 9–11, 11 µm long. HR 2.00–2.34, 2.21, HV 2.95–3.28, 3.07.

Female imago (n = 6–8, except when otherwise stated)

Total length 1.49–1.87, 1.65 mm. Wing length 0.82–1.11, 0.98 mm. Total length/wing length 1.54–1.84, 1.68. Wing length/length of profemur 2.95–3.21, 3.14. Coloration slightly less black than in male.

Head. Antenna as in Fig. 55 B and Harrison (1992, fig 113). AR 0.37–0.48, 0.43. Lengths (in µm) of flagellomeres: 64–89, 79; 55–64, 58; 54–64, 59; 53–59, 57; 85–128, 107. Temporal setae 4–5, 5, including 2–3, 3 inner verticals, and 1–2, 2 outer verticals Clypeus with 4–8, 5 setae. Tentorium 80–98, 89 µm long, 9–14, 11µm wide. Stipes 64–80, 71 µm long, 16–25, 22 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 21–25, 23; 25–34, 30; 46–62, 54; 55–72, 64; 75–107, 90. Third palpomere with 6–10, 7 broad, lanceolate sensilla clavata. Coronal suture complete.

Thorax. Antepronotal lobes ( Fig. 55 C ) slightly reduced medially, lateral setae 1–2, 1, some specimens with conspicuous long and strong seta in the middle of each lobe. Dorsocentrals 3–6, 5; acrostichals 2; prealars 2–4, 3. Scutellum with 4 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 55 A ). VR 1.42–1.53, 1.48. Anal lobe reduced. Costal extension 123–185, 149 µm long, with false vein continuing 217–297, 246 µm from apex of R 4+5. R 4+5 ending proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 sinuate. Brachiolum with 1 seta; costa between FR and apex of R 4+5 with 14–23, 19 non-marginal setae; costal extension with 10–20, 14 non-marginal setae; R with 1–4, 3; R 1 with 0–1, 0; R 4+5 with 0–4, 2 setae; other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of front tibia 25–32, 29 µm long; spurs of middle tibia 13–18, 16 µm and 13–16, 14 µm long, of hind tibia 32–39, 35 µm and 14–16, 15 µm long. Width at apex of front tibia 19–25, 22 µm; of middle tibia 21–25, 23 µm; of hind tibia 27–33, 30 µm. Comb of 8–11, 9 setae; shortest setae 16–23, 20 µm long; longest setae 27–32, 30 µm. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 32.

Abdomen. Tergite I with 2 setae; T II with 4–7, 5 setae; T III–VIII each with 6–2, 8 setae. Sternite I bare; S II with 0–3, 1 setae S III–VII each with 2–6, 4, S VIII with 15–23, 19 setae.

Genitalia ( Fig. 55 D–H ; Harrison 1992, fig. 114). Gonocoxite without caudal extension, narrow, with 1 strong and 2–3, 2 weak setae. Tergite IX undivided, with weakly to strongly developed anal point, with altogether 2––8, 5 setae. Cercus 50–66, 59 µm long. Apodeme against gonocoxite 66–87, 77 µm long. Seminal capsule 57–96, 67 µm long, 37–64, 49 µm wide, with 9–11, 11 µm long microtrichia. Notum 69–91, 82 µm long.

Pupa and larva

Unknown.

Remarks

This species is one of the most unusual members of the genus and may eventually be shown to deserve a separate genus. However, except for the genitalia of both sexes the species fits well into Pseudosmittia , and the superior volsella of the male and the gonocoxites and gonapophyses of the female are of the characteristic Pseudosmittia type. Furthermore, an almost equally as long virga is found in P. tokaraneoa , which also in some parsimony analyses falls in the gracilis group.

The types of P. tobaunvicesima are missing from the Sasa collection and could not be located. However, the species is so characteristic that there is little doubt about the conspecifity.

The female from Ethiopia has a much larger seminal capsule, stronger anal point and fewer setae on tergite IX than the other specimens. It thus is possible that more than one species is involved.

The specimens from China varies in the coloration of the abdomen, the specimen from Guangxi has banded abdomen with anterior third of tergites II–VII dark, I–III more pale and only tergite VIII and the hypopygium fully dark; the specimen from Fujian has much broader bands; and the one from Guizhou has fully dark abdomen. However, in other details they appear to be identical.

Distribution

The species is known from Guinea, Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Indonesia and China ( Freeman & Cranston 1980:185, Kikuchi & Sasa 1990:325, Harrison 1992:187).

Figures

FIGURE 54. Pseudosmittia guineeensis (Kieffer), male. A—wing; B—head; C—third palpomere; D—cibarial pump and stipes; E—virga; F—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.

FIGURE 55. Pseudosmittia guineeensis (Kieffer), female. A—wing; B—antenna; C—antepronotum; D—ventrolateral lobe; E—dorsomesal lobe; F—apodeme lobe; G—genitalia, ventral view; H—genitalia, dorsal view.