Litocladius neusae, Mendes, Humberto F., Andersen, Trond & Hagenlund, Linn K., 2011

Mendes, Humberto F., Andersen, Trond & Hagenlund, Linn K., 2011, New species and records of Antillocladius Saether and Litocladius Mendes, Andersen et Saether from Brazil and Costa Rica (Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae), Zootaxa 2915, pp. 39-51 : 49-51

Litocladius neusae sp. n.

( Figs 18–23 )

Type material. Holotype male, BRAZIL: Amazonas State, Manaus, Reserva Adolpho Ducke, 1 km after entrance, 04–08.ii.2010, Malaise trap, L.C. Pinho & H.F. Mendes ( MZUSP). Paratype: 1 male as holotype ( INPA).

Etymology. Named after Dr. Neusa Hamada, for her hospitality and her great effort to increase the knowledge of aquatic insects in the Amazonas State.

Diagnostic characters. This species groups with L. floripa and L. chavarriai sp. n. based on the presence of a spine on third palpomere; it can be separated from both on the shape of the inferior volsella and by having setae restricted to wing veins R and R4+5 and cells r4+5 and m1+2 with less than 30 and 10 setae, respectively.

Description. Male (n = 1–2). Total length 1.94–2.16 mm. Wing length 1.10–1.31 mm. Total length / wing length 1.65–1.76. Wing length / length of profemur 2.31–2.54.

Coloration. Dark brown, thorax without distinct pattern, tarsi slightly lighter.

Head. AR 1.14. Ultimate flagellomere 382 µm long. Temporal setae 9–11 including 4 inner verticals, 2 outer verticals, and 3–5 postorbitals. Clypeus with 9–12 setae. Tentorium, stipes, and cibarial pump as in Figure 18 . Tentorium 116–123 µm long, 18–23 µm wide. Stipes 129 µm long, 41–43 µm wide. Palp segment lengths (in µm): 23– 25, 36–39, 79–98, 86, 89. Third palpomere ( Fig. 19 ) with 2–3 sensilla clavata subapically, longest 10–13 µm long, and with 1 apical spine, 24–26 µm long.

Thorax ( Fig. 20 ). Antepronotum with 3–4 setae. Dorsocentrals 9–14; acrostichals 12–15, composed of 3–4 anterior strong decumbent, 3–4 weak simple, and 6–7 posterior scalpellate; prealars 5–6; supraalar 1. Scutellum with 7–8 setae, uniserial.

Wing ( Fig. 21 ). VR 1.30–1.41. Costal extension 34–39 µm long. Brachiolum with 1 seta, R with 1 seta, M1+2 with 0–3 setae, cell r4+5 with 20–29 setae, m1+2 with 1–3 setae, remaining veins and cells bare. Squama with 7–9 setae.

Legs. Spur of fore tibia 48–61 µm long, spurs of mid tibia 41–54 µm and 20–26 µm long, spurs of hind tibia 50–58 µm and 18–27 µm long. Width at apex of fore tibia 24–34 µm, of mid tibia 27–29 µm, of hind tibia 34–40 µm. Comb with 10 setae, longest 27–41 µm, shortest 18–20 µm long. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 4.

fe ti ta1 ta2 ta3 ta4 ta5 LR BV SV BR p1 472–514 468–544 – – – – – – – – – p2 471–547 478–548 223 119 79 49 36 0.47 4.13 4.22 3.3 p3 497–572 540–623 – – – – – – – – – Hypopygium ( Figs 22–23 ). Tergite IX covered with microtrichia, laterosternite IX with 3–6 setae. Anal point triangular, 51 µm long, 20–25 µm wide at base, 3 µm wide at apex, with 10–14 setae. Phallapodeme 70–72 µm long, transverse sternapodeme 73–95 µm long. Virga 50–51 µm long. Gonocoxite 132–152 µm long. Gonostylus 75–78 µm long, megaseta 7 µm long. HR 1.76–1.94. HV 2.59–2.77.

Biology and distribution. The males were collected in a Malaise trap situated close to a temporary pool / swamp inside the nature reserve Adolpho Ducke in Manaus, Amazonas. The area is covered with primary forest and is relatively flat. During the rainy season numerous small pools are formed scattered on the forest floor.

The genus was previously known only from southern and south-eastern Brazil; this constitutes the first record of Litocladius from the Amazon rainforest.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 23. Litocladius neusae sp. n., male. 18 — tentorium, stipes and cibarial pump; 19 — third palpomere; 20 — thorax; 21 — wing; 22 — hypopygium, dorsal aspect; 23 — hypopygium with anal point and tergite IX removed, dorsal aspect to the left and ventral aspect to the right.