Ceratoculicoidesvirginianus ( Wirth, 1951 )

Fasbender, Andrew, 2023, Revision of the New World Ceratoculicoides Wirth & Ratanaworabhan (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Ceratopogonini), European Journal of Taxonomy 875, pp. 159-202 : 188-190

Ceratoculicoidesvirginianus ( Wirth, 1951)

Figs 4d , 6d , 9a–c , 12c

Helea (Isohelea) virginiana Wirth 1951: 318 (original description), fig. 5.

Ceratoculicoides blantoni With & Ratanaworabhan, 1971: 172 (original description), fig. 2. Syn. nov.

Ceratopogon (Nilohelea) virginianus – Wirth 1965: 133 (combination, in catalog).

Ceratoculicoidesvirginianus – Wirth & Ratanaworabhan 1971: 172 (redescription), fig. 3. — Knoz 1987: 391 (key). — Borkent & Wirth 1997: 95 (in catalog). — Huerta & Borkent 2005: 114 (catalog). — Borkent & Grogan 2009 (in catalog). — Borkent & Dominiak 2020: 157 (in catalog).

Ceratoculicoidesblantoni – Knoz 1987: 391 (key). — Borkent & Wirth 1997: 95 (in catalog). — Huerta & Borkent 2005: 114 (catalog). — Borkent & Grogan 2009 (in catalog). — Borkent & Dominiak 2020: 157 (in catalog).

Diagnosis

Male

Ceratoculicoides virginianus can be separated from congeners by the following combination of characters: femora and tibiae yellow or brown; apices of paramere broadly rounded, not tapering, minute apical point displaced laterally; aedeagus subquadrate, slightly constricted apically ( Fig. 9b–c ).

Female

Only species of Ceratoculicoides with the following combination of characters: FR 1.57–1.75; femora and tibiae yellow or brown, wing length ~ 0.9–1.3 mm; 2 major spermathecae, largest 52–69; medial margin of 9 th sternite deeply concave.

Material examined

Holotype

USA • ♂; Virginia, Augusta Co., Mount Solon ; 11 Jul. 1950; W.W. Wirth leg.; USNM.

Other material

CANADA • 1 ♀; Ontario, Elgin Co., Springwater Conservation Area ; 9 Jul. 1984; A. Borkent leg.; CNCI • 1 ♂; Quebec, Outaouais Region, Gatineau Park , Black Lake ; 27 Jun. 1985; L. Forster leg.; originally identified as C. blantoni ; CNCI.

USA • – Florida 1 ♂; Alachua Co., Gainesville ; 20 Apr. 1967; W.W. Wirth leg.; USNM • 1 ♀; Levy Co., Yankeetown ; 21 Jan. 1983; A. Wilkening leg.; light trap with CO 2; originally identified as C.blantoni ; FSCA • 1 ♂; Liberty Co. Torreya State Park ; 15 May 1971; G.B. Fairchild and B.L. Trap leg.; USNM • 1 ♂; Wakulla Co., Sopchoppy ; 13–14 May 1979; J.A. Downes; CNCI – Maryland • 2 ♂♂; Prince Georges Co., Patuxent Wildlife Research Center ; 28 Apr. 1976; W.L. Grogan leg.; originally identified as C. blantoni ; FSCA • 1 ♀; 6 May 1976; originally identified as C.blantoni ; FSCA • 1 ♂; Patuxent Wildlife Refuge ; 10 May 1978; W.W. Wirth leg.; originally identified as C.blantoni ; USNM • 1 ♂; 12 May 1979; originally identified as C.blantoni ; USNM • 1 ♀; Wicomico Co., Salisbury; 15–21 May 1979; W.L. Grogan leg.; Malaise trap; FSCA • 1 ♂ (holotype of C.blantoni ); Worcester Co., Snow Hill ; 19 May 1968; W.H. Anderson leg.; USNM – North Carolina • 1 ♂; Jackson Co., Dunaley bog, 7 mi S of Cashiers ; 18 Jun. 1986; W.W. Wirth leg.; USNM • 1 ♂; Macon Co., Highlands, Wightman Cottage ; 21 Jun. 1986; W.W. Wirth leg.; USNM • 1 ♀; Highlands; 3 Jun. 1957; J.R. Vockeroth leg.; CNCI – Virginia • 1 ♂; Falls Church [independent city]; 4 May 1959; W.W. Wirth leg.; originally identified as C.blantoni ; USNM • 1 ♂; 7 May 1960; originally identified as C.blantoni ; USNM • 1 ♂; Falls Church, Holmes Run ; May 1962; W.W. Wirth leg.; originally identified as C.blantoni ; USNM .

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS (n = 3). Head width282–295(289); flagellomeres50–54(52), 25–30(28), 22–31(26), 25–28(26), 21–27(25), 22–32(26), 24–28(26), 23–36(27), 29–33(32), 26–37(28), 81–114(103), 63–77(69), 51–69(59); AR 0.74–0.8(0.75); FR 1.63; wing length (n = 10) 0.81–1.21(1.04); wing width (n = 10) 0.25–0.4(0.34); costal ratio (n = 1) 0.49; GCR 1.87–2.17(2.08); GSR 0.97–1.14(1.08); aedeagus ratio 0.66–0.91(0.78).

THORAX. Dorsocentral punctations prominent and interspersed in posterior half of dorsocentral setae. Legs with femora and tibiae yellow or brown.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 9a–c ). Distal portion of parameres not tapered, apex broadly rounded, with small subacute point displaced laterally. Aedeagus lateral margins convex, rounded, posterior margin straight, notched medially without hyaline incision, posterolateral point triangular, shifted medially nearly to lateral margin of medial notch, curving smoothly into dorsally directed, acute apical point.

Female

MEASUREMENTS (n = 5). Head width (n = 3) 267–306(274); flagellomeres (n = 3) 27–30(27), 17–25(18), 18–25(22), 23–28(26), 24–32(28), 24–32(27), 23–32(31), 24–37(31), 42–52(47), 44–50(47), 48–54(52, 50–54(54), 55–70(66); AR 1.15–1.33(1.29); FR 1.57–1.75(1.69); wing length (n = 6) 0.92–1.29(1.19); wing width (n = 6) 0.34–0.49(0.45); costal ratio 0.56; spermathecal length 52–69(64); spermathecal width 37–56(47); spermathecal neck 12–23(19); spermatheca/neck ratio 0.3.

THORAX. Legs with femora and tibiae yellow or brown.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 12c ). 9 th sternite anterior branch truncate or obtusely rounded, apices widely separated; base of posterior branch directed posteriorly, distal half curving medially, tip rounded or pointed. 2 major spermathecae.

Distribution

Eastern North America ( Canada and USA) ( Fig. 13 ).

Remarks

Wirth & Ratanaworabhan (1971) described C. blantoni , distinguishing it from C.virginianus based on leg coloration (brown in C.blantoni , yellow in C.virginianus ), orientation of the apex of the paramere (posterolateral in C.blantoni , ventroposterior in C.virginianus ), and the aedeagal proportions (broader than long in C.blantoni , as long as broad in C.virginianus ). My examination of additional material of both species found that these characters are not diagnostic. Leg color appears to be a spectrum; while some specimens have completely yellow and others completely brown legs, there are intermediates with solid brown femora and yellow tibiae or femora proximally brown and yellow distally. The legs of the holotype of C.blantoni are now yellow with brown bands on the femora, probably a result of the slide mounting process. The male genitalia characters used by Wirth & Ratanaworabhan appear to be artifacts of slide mounting. Specifically, the direction of the apex of the parameres is directly correlated to the compression of the genitalia by the coverslip during mounting: when there is little pressure the parameres point ventroposteriorly, but when compressed the apices are displaced laterally. The proportions of the aedeagus are similarly affected by the mounting of the specimen, the degree of tilt of the aedeagus in the dorsal plane changes its apparent proportions on the slide mount due to foreshortening. As no characters consistently separate C.blantoni from C.virginianus , C.blantoni is here considered a junior synonym of the latter species.

Currently, females of this species can be recognized by being the only known species in eastern North America with spermathecae <70 μm long. There are several morphospecies from the western Nearctic and Neotropics with similarly sized spermathecae. Ceratoculicoides virginianus ( Fig. 12c ) can be separated from C.grogani sp. nov. by the deeply concave and rounded medial margin of the 9 th sternite (vs weakly concave and sinuous, Fig. 11e ), the base of the posterior branch being posteriorly from the base, curving medially in its apical half (vs directed posteromedially in an even curve in C.borkenti , Fig. 11b ), the posterior branch tapering only in its apical half (vs C.borkenti sp. nov. and C. sp. F3 where it tapers to an acute spine in the basal half, Figs 11b , 12f ). Accordingly, C.virginianus cannot be distinguished from C. sp. F1 based on morphology from our current knowledge. There is some variability in the shape of the apices of the anterior and posterior branches of the 9 th sternite. The anterior branch can be obtusely rounded or somewhat flattened and truncate, while the tip of the posterior branch may be either pointed or acutely rounded. Males can be separated from all other Ceratoculicoides by the broadly rounded apex of the paramere with subacute triangular point ( Fig. 9b ), the aedeagus with convex lateral margins, no hyaline medial incision, and the dorsolateral and apical points directed dorsally ( Fig. 9c ).

Figures

Fig. 4. Male heads I. a. Ceratoculicoides confusus sp. nov. b. C. pacificus sp. nov. c. C. confusus (Colombia). d. C.virginianus (Wirth, 1951). Scale bars = 100 μm.

Fig. 6. Female heads I. a. Ceratoculicoidesconfusus sp. nov. b. Ceratoculicoides sp. F2 (Colombia). c. C. pacificus sp. nov. d. C.virginianus (Wirth, 1951). Scale bars = 100 μm.

Fig. 9. Male genitalia II. Ceratoculicoides virginianus (Wirth, 1951): a. Genitalia, aedeagus and parameres removed.b. Parameres.c. Aedeagus.C.borkenti sp. nov:d. Genitalia, aedeagus and parameres removed. e. Parameres.f. Aedeagus.C.grogani sp. nov.: g. Genitalia, aedeagus and parameres removed. h. Parameres. i. Aedeagus. Abbreviations: ALP = apicolateral point of epandrium; AP = apical point of aedeagus; BA = basal arch of aedeagus; CRC = cercus; GC = gonocoxite; GCA = gonocoxal apodeme; GNS = gonostylus; HI = hyaline incision of aedeagus; HYP = hypandrium; PA = paramere apex; PB = paramere base; PLP = posterolateral point of aedeagus. Scale bars = 100 μm.

Fig. 12. Female sternite 9 II. a. Ceratoculicoides pacificus sp. nov., paratype (CNCI), Carmanah Valley, British Columbia, Canada.b. C. pacificus paratype (CNCI), East Sooke Peak, British Columbia, Canada. c. C.virginianus (Wirth, 1951), Springwater Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada. d. Ceratoculicoides sp. F1, Tuparro National Park, Colombia. e. Ceratoculicoides sp. F2, Tuparro National Park, Colombia. f. Ceratoculicoides sp. F3, Rincon, Costa Rica. Linework has been added to make sternite 9 easier to discern. Scale bars = 100 μm.

Fig. 13. Distribution. a. Western North America. Solid star =Ceratoculicoides aliciae Huerta & Borkent, 2005; solid circles = C.borkenti sp. nov.; open triangles = C.grogani sp. nov.; open star = C. longipennis (Wirth, 1952); open square = C. pacificus sp. nov.; solid triangle = C.propinquus sp. nov.; solid cross C. sp. M1. b. Eastern North America. Solid circles = C. confusus sp. nov.; open squares = C.virginianus (Wirth, 1951). c. Central and northern South America. Solid circle = C.confusus; open squares = C. sp. F1; open triangles = C. sp. F2; solid triangle = C. sp. F3.

Fig. 11. Female sternite 9 I. a. Ceratoculicoides aliciae Huerta & Borkent, 2005, paratype, Chamela Biological Station, Jalisco, Mexico. b. C. borkenti sp. nov., paratype, Nogales, Arizona, USA. c. C. confusus Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada. d. C.confusus, paratype, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. e. C.grogani sp. nov., paratype, Corvallis, Oregon, USA. f. C.moravicus Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. Linework has been added to make sternite 9 easier to discern. Scale bars = 100 μm.