Macropelopia (Macropelopia) kibunensis (Tokunaga)

Tang, Hongqu & Niitsuma, Hiromi, 2020, Revision of the Chinese Macropelopia (Diptera: Chironomidae: Tanypodinae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4834 (2), pp. 207-218 : 212-215

Macropelopia (Macropelopia) kibunensis (Tokunaga)

( Figure 3 )

Anatopynia kibunensis Tokunaga, 1937a: 41 ; 1937b: 82.

Macropelopia kibunensis: Fittkau 1962: 113 ; Niitsuma et al. 2004: 44.

Macropelopia togawidea Sasa et Okazawa, 1992: 217 .

Macropelopia tomosecunda Sasa, 1993: 58 .

Macropelopia nipponotana Sasa et Suzuki, 1993: 119 . Syn. nov.

Macropelopia ogasasextdecima Sasa et Suzuki, 1997: 342 .

Macropelopia sukayusecunda Sasa et Suzuki, 1998: 31 .

Macropelopia rotunda Wang, Cheng et Wang, 2011: 4126 . Syn. nov.

Material examined. Holotype of Macropelopia rotunda : M ( BNKU), labelled “BDN No. 20789”, CHINA: Fujian Prov., Nanping City, Mt. Mangdang , 23.ix.2002, Z. Liu . Paratype of Macropelopia nipponotana : M (NSMT-I-Dip- 4905), labelled “ paratype, 920927, 244.12”, JAPAN: Toyama Pref., Toyama City, Tomosaka , 27.ix.1992 , M. Sasa. Non-types: 1M, CHINA: Guangdong Prov., Shantou City, Nan’ao County, Shen-Ao Reservoir , 22.iv.2016 ; 1M, Guangdong Prov., Guanghzou City, Conghua Dist., Lyutian Town , Dongkeng Reservoir , 29.iii.2016 ; 1 Pe, Fujian Prov., Wuyishan City, Mt. Wuyi NNR, Qili Village , 8.viii.2014 ; 1 Pe, Yunnan Prov., Honghe Pref., Pingbian County, Daweishan NNR, 22°54'36.41"N 103°41'59.86"E, alt. 2100m, 5.vi.2017 ; 1M, Yunnan Prov., Honghe Pref., Jinping County, Maandi Town , 22°46'04.37"N 103°31'10.29"E, alt. 1320m, 8.vi.2017 .

Remarks. In the original description of Macropelopia rotunda Wang, Cheng et Wang, 2011 , the authors (op. cit.: 4129) wrote, “Tergite IX developed, without setae.” However, reexamination of the holotype disclosed that the male possesses a setiferous anal tergite. There is no significant difference between the male and that of M. (Macropelopia) kibunensis ( Tokunaga, 1937a) belonging to the notata group (see Niitsuma et al. 2004: 44).

The male of M. (Macropelopia) amplituberculata Hazra et Chaudhuri, 2000 is very similar to that of M. (Macropelopia) kibunensis in the following diagnostic characters (op. cit.: 298), “the presence of distal end of Cu 1 with one infuscation, wing otherwise unmarked, 54 squamal setae, AR 1.54, postnotum with 8 setae, fore tibial comb of 5 setae, and gonostylus less broadened at base”. However, the pupa of M. amplituberculata is distinct from that of M. kibunensis in the somewhat triangular plastron plate of the thoracic horn and the simple D 2 - and D 3 -setae on abdominal tergites III–V ( Hazra & Chaudhuri 2000: 298). In the pupa of M. kibunensis , the plastron plate is semicircular, and the D 2 - and D 3 -setae are long and taeniate, according to Niitsuma et al. (2004).

Sasa (1993: 58) described Macropelopia tomosecunda based on one male specimen (collection No. A 244: 12) from Toyama Prefecture. In another paper published simultaneously in the same research report, Sasa & Suzuki (1993: 118) described another male based on a single specimen (collection No. A 226: 45) from Kagoshima Prefecture under the same species name. Unfortunately, the caption for the figure associated with the second description ( Sasa & Suzuki 1993, fig. 9.11) gave a different species name, “ Macropelopia nipponotana sp. nov. ”, and the corresponding specimen has been lost (T. Ide, NSMT, Japan, pers. comm.). Niitsuma et al. (2004) treated Macropelopia tomosecunda Sasa as a junior synonym of Macropelopia kibunensis (Tokunaga) based on the first of these two descriptions (Sasa 1993: 58). Recently, we reexamined the “ holotype ” (collection No. A 244: 12) of Macropelopia tomosecunda . Sasa (1993: 58) wrote “ Holotype: No. A 244: 12” and Sasa & Suzuki (1993: 118) wrote “designated as the holotype (No. A 244: 12)”, and the morphological features of the specimen still preserved in the Sasa collection (NSMT), including the numerical data, are consistent with the description on p. 58, rather than with that on p. 118. Curiously, however, the slide ( Figure 3 ) carries one label reading “ paratype ” and another label reading “ Macropelopia nipponotana ”. Moreover, on the second label there also are remnants of an earlier entry, the name “ tomosakasecuna ” crossed out with the slide number “244.12”. Therefore, it appears quite likely that some mislabeling has occurred, and that the intended holotype of M. tomosecunda has been lost. In any case, however, there is no significant difference among the features of the “ paratype ” (current No. A 244: 12), the description of M. nipponotana by Sasa & Suzuki (1993: 118, fig. 9.11) and the redescription of M. (Macropelopia) kibunensis by Niitsuma et al. (2004). Consequently, we treat M. nipponotana as another synonym of M. (Macropelopia) kibunensis .

Previously, the species was recorded from Palaearctic, Oriental and Oceanian areas of Japan ( Niitsuma et al. 2004). The records by the first author show the distribution of the species as extending to Oriental China.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Macropelopia (Macropelopia) kibunensis (Tokunaga), paratype male of Macropelopia nipponotana Sasa, NSMT- I-Dip-4905, showing labels.