Pseudosmittia tropis, Andersen & Saether & Mendes, 2010

Andersen, Trond, Saether, Ole A. & Mendes, Humberto F., 2010, Neotropical Allocladius Kieffer, 1913 and Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932 (Diptera: Chironomidae) 2472, Zootaxa 2472 (1), pp. 1-77 : 65-67

Pseudosmittia tropis sp. n.

( Figs 181–187 )

Pseudosmittia sp. 5 Pinho et al. (2009: 164).

Type material. Holotype male, ECUADOR: Pastaza Province, Puyo, Terminal Terrestre , 950 m a.s.l., 11.ii.1997, J. Skartveit ( ZMBN Type No. 427) . Paratypes: 7 males, BRAZIL: São Paulo State, Cajuru, Fazenda Rio Grande , 21º12'S, 47º09'W, 2–18.xiii.1999, Malaise trap (white), G. Melo & F. Nascimento ( MZUSP, ZMBN) ; 1 male, Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins, Peruíbe , 24º31'06''S, 47º12'06''W, 6.v.2002, Malaise trap (Trilha 6), N.W. Perioto et al. (PEJU19: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( ZMBN) . 1male, Rio de Janeiro State, Reserva Biológia Tinguá, Nova Iguaçu , 22º34'32''S, 43º26'07.6''W, 8–11.iii.2002, Malaise trap (Bosque 3), S.T.P. Amarante et al. (BRTIN18: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( ZMBN) . 1 male, Amazonas State, Manaus, Reserva Soka Gakkai (lago), 12–14.ii.2008, Pennsylvania trap, N. Hamada et al. ( INPA) .

Diagnostic characters. The species differs from other members of the genus except P. lamellata sp. n. by having a long virga with lateral lamellae. It differs from P. lamellata by having a long gonostylus with outer corner.

Etymology. From Latin, tropis , keel, referring to the large crista dorsalis.

Male (n = 7–9, except when otherwise stated). Total length 1.09–1.56, 1.29 mm. Wing length 0.61–0.82, 0.72 mm. Total length / wing length 1.70–1.90, 1.80. Wing length / length of profemur 2.79–3.35, 3.04 (4).

Coloration. Brown.

Head. Ultimate flagellomeres 11–13 partially fused; when considered with 13 flagellomeres AR 0.58– 0.92, 0.77; ultimate flagellomere 158–272, 212 µm long; when considered with 11 flagellomeres AR 0.89– 1.29 (2); ultimate flagellomere 209–299 (2) µm long. Temporal setae 1–5, 3; consisting of 0–3, 2 inner verticals and 1–3, 2 outer verticals. Clypeus with 4–6, 5 setae. Tentorium, stipes and cibarial pump as in Figure 181 . Tentorium 79–102, 86 µm long; 9–18, 11 µm wide. Stipes 60–73 (3) µm long, 23 (1) µm wide. Palpomere ( Fig. 182 ) lengths (in µm): 9–15, 12; 14–23, 18; 26–32, 28; 16–30, 25; 23–45, 39. Third palpomere with 4–7, 6 lanceolate sensilla clavata; longest 10–14, 11 (5) µm long.

Thorax ( Fig. 183 ). Median antepronotal lobes reduced; antepronotum with 0–2, 1 lateral seta. Dorsocentrals 3–6, 5; acrostichals 2; prealars 1–4, 2; supraalar absent. Scutellum with 2–4, 2 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 184 ). VR 1.71–1.86, 1.80 (6). Anal lobe absent. Cu 1 weakly curved. R 4+5 ending proximal to apex of Cu 1. Costa not extended. Brachiolum with 1–2, 1 seta, other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of fore tibia 24–31, 27 (5) µm long; spurs of mid tibia 10–15, 12 (6) µm and 9–11, 10 (6) µm long; of hind tibia 20–33, 28 µm and 10–16, 13 µm long. Width at apex of fore tibia 14–18, 17 µm; of mid tibia 15–19, 17 µm; of hind tibia 20–26, 23 µm. Comb with 10–12, 11 setae; longest 23–29, 26 µm long; shortest 11–18, 13 µm long. Length and proportions of legs as in Table 24.

Hypopygium ( Figs 185–187 ) (n = 11). Anal point 14–26, 17 µm long; 7–12, 8 µm wide at base, with 4–6, 4 weak setae. Tergite IX with 2–7, 5 additional weak setae. Laterosternite IX with 2–3, 2 setae. Phallapodeme 43–55, 49 µm long. Sternapodeme evenly rounded without oral projections, arched part about 38–55, 48 µm long. Virga consisting of 2 spines, 36–48, 42 µm long; with lateral lamellae. Gonocoxite 75–100, 91 µm long. Superior volsella, if regarded as present, consisting of bulge of inner margin of gonocoxite. Inferior volsella weak, adpressed, reaching to 0.62 of gonocoxite length. Gonostylus 39–50, 43 µm long, with outer corner produced, with large, bluntly triangular apical crista dorsalis; megaseta 3–6, 4 µm long. HR 1.83–2.50, 2.12. HV 2.54–3.29, 3.01 (9).

Distribution and biology. Taken in Ecuador and in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Amazonas States in Brazil. In Brazil it was collected in Malaise traps in lowland areas with fragmented Mata Atlântica forest in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States, as well as in a Pennsylvania trap in the Amazon forest in Amazonas State. In Ecuador it was netted in herbaceous vegetation at about 950 m altitude near the bus terminal in Puyo.

Figures

FIGURES 181–187. Pseudosmittia tropis sp. n., male. 181–tentorium, stipes, and cibarial pump; 182–palp; 183–thorax; 184–wing; 185–hypopygium, dorsal aspect; 186–hypopygium with anal point and tergite IX removed, dorsal aspect to the left, ventral aspect to the right; 187–gonostylus.