Corethrella (Corethrella) longituba Belkin, Heinemann and Page

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 171-173

Corethrella (Corethrella) longituba Belkin, Heinemann and Page

Corethrella longitubus Belkin, Heinemann and Page 1970:245 . Type locality: Goshen , about 2 mi. N. of Four Paths on Moncho Rd, Jamaica. Holotype ♂ with associated pupal and larval exuviae (USNM).

DIAGNOSIS: Male and female adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with a distinct midlength wing band (Figs. 65B, 71H) and a very lightly pigmented thorax (only mediotergite with dark pigmentation) in which the pigmentation of the anepimeron is restricted to a small spot along its anterior margin (Fig.).

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2-5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 13F). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna light brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 24E, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with welldeveloped apical bifurcation. Palpus pale; segment 3 of nearly constant width. Thorax (as in Fig. 56B): Scutum, scutellum light brown, mediotergite medium brown, pleura mostly pale with following light brown: ventral portion of anterior anepisternum, part of posterior anepisternum, most of katepisternum, small spot on anepimeron anterior margin. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with group of about 6 elongate setae. Prescutal suture short, not extending more than half way to dorsocentral row of setae. Anterior anepisternum divided diagonally by sinuous suture, dorsal portion about equal to ventral portion. Ventral portion of posterior anepisternum triangular, uniformly brown, with anterodorsal margin thick. Wing (Fig. 65B): Apex of R 2 basal to apex of M 1. Anterior margin with differently, discretely pigmented scales (indicating anterior margin of bands), with broad basal band extending posteriorly to M (in some to CuA), with midlength band, apex of R 2, R 3 with darker scales; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter pale, somewhat paler than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 56B): Nearly uniformly light brown. With only slender setae, lacking scales (except for some in patch of whip-like setae on posterior portion of hind tibia). Midleg with thick, subapical setae on each of at least tarsomeres 1-3. Apices of fore-, midleg fifth tarsomeres undivided, with claws slightly subapical to apical (as in Fig. 75F). Claw of foreleg longer than those of mid-, hind leg. Each claw without inner tooth. Anterior claws of each leg without a basal prong. Foreleg claws unequal. Midleg claws equal. Foreleg third tarsomere shorter than fourth tarsomere. Empodia slender. Abdomen (Fig. 80I): Light brown. Genitalia (Fig. 97A): Gonocoxite light brown, strongly tapering; anteromedial area with spicules similar in length to those elsewhere on gonocoxite; with well-defined dorsal row of setae, with setae 1-4 slightly thicker than seta 5, with row restricted to dorsal portion of gonocoxite. With one dorsomedial stout seta, tapering from base. Gonostylus (partially extended) nearly straight or slightly curved, more strongly curved near apex, slender, of more or less equal thickness for most of length, somewhat expanded apically, tapered apically; one elongate, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, short, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually to apex, pointed apically, with lateral margins fused at apex.

Female adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 6-11. As for male, with following differences. Head: Coronal suture elongate, extending ventrally past ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna (describe pigmentation if different); with flagellomeres as in Fig. 31H, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 18 AE) elongate. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 35K. Wing (Fig. 71H). Legs: Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: Light brown with segments 8-9 slightly darker. Cercus light brown.

Pupa. Described by Belkin et al. (1970). Thorax: Scutum, metathorax each with spherical sensory pit (as in Fig. 100A). Respiratory organ (Fig. 103H): Tubular. Abdomen (Fig. 111A): Segments 3-7 somewhat expanded laterally. Paddle only moderately elongate; apicodorsal thick spine articulating; apicoventral seta longer than thick spine.

Larva. Described by Belkin et al. (1970).

Egg. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella longituba is known from the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (Fig. 126) at altitudes ranging from 1-150 m. The specimens from the Belkin “ Mosquitoes of Middle America ” project are identified in Table 12 .

Adults have been reared from immature stages collected in rock pools in coral limestone from several locations (including the type locality), from an artificial container and from a treehole. Adults have also been collected with a light trap.

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and females were associated through the shared presence of of a common pigmentation pattern and were reared together in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The holotype was previously pinned with only its genitalia on a microscope slide. It is now entirely slide-mounted (on two slides). The allotype and two female paratypes are also now on microscope slides. A locality label has been added to the type material examined here. Other paratypes listed by Belkin et al. (1970) not studied here were: allotype larval and pupal exuviae, 1 ♂ with pupal exuviae, 3 ♀ adults, 3 females with pupal exuviae, 2 larval exuviae, 2 pupal exuviae, 5 pupae. The BMNH has 2 pupae (David Notton, pers. comm.) and 1 adult (uncertain sex) is in the Institute of Jamaica (Dionne Newell, pers. comm.; Belkin et al. 1970). The remaining paratypes may be lost.

Reinert (1999) described the dorsal apotome of the pupa.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult male on microscope slide, male genitalia on separate slide, larval and pupal exuviae on separate slide, labeled “ Holotype ♂, Corethrella (C.) longitubus B., H & P., 1970”, “JA 245-42 Jamaica, 64/65, William A. Page”, “Goshen, about 2 mi. N. of Four Paths on Moncho Rd, Jamaica, 150 m, 18-VIII-1965, W.A. Page” ( USNM). Allotype, labeled as for holotype ( USNM) ; Paratypes: 2 ♂, each with pupal exuviae, 3 ♀, each with larval and pupal exuviae, 1 ♀ (pinned) with larval and pupal exuviae labeled as for holotype ( USNM) ; 1 ♀ with part of pupal exuviae, 6 pupae, 2 pupal exuviae, 3 larvae, 2 larval exuviae, 3 larval and pupal exuviae, labeled as for holotype ( USNM) . Other material: 2 ♂, 2 ♂ both with larval and pupal exuviae, 2 ♀, 2 ♀ both with larval and pupal exuviae, S. of Lake Cunningham , New Providence, Bahama Islands, 28-VII-1972 (2 ♂, 2 ♀ both with larval and pupal exuviae, CNCI; others to USNM) ; 2 ♂, each with larval and pupal exuviae, from previous locality but 6-VIII-1972 ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, with larval and pupal exuviae, from previous locality but 11-VIII-1972 ( USNM) ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, each with larval and pupal exuviae, West Bay, Grand Cayman , Cayman Islands, 2 m, 8-IX-1968 ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, both with larval and pupal exuviae, West Bay, Grand Cayman , Cayman Islands, 2 m, 8-IX-1968 ( USNM) ; 2 ♀, both with pupal exuviae, San Francisco Mines , San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, 390 m, 3-VII-1971 ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, Obras Publicas , Aguadilla , Aguadilla, Puerto Rica, 10 m, 16-II-1971 ( USNM) .

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name longituba probably refers to elongate pupal respiratory organ noted by Belkin et al. (1970).