Ectemnoides, Moulton & Currie & Craig, 2018

Moulton, John K., Currie, Douglas C. & Craig, Douglas A., 2018, A New Genus, Ectemnoides, for Seven Species of Australian Gondwanan Simuliidae (Diptera) With Description of a Novel Form of Larval Attachment, Insect Systematics and Diversity 2 (4), No. 4, pp. 1-54 : 2-4

Ectemnoides n. gen.

Type species: S. umbratorum Tonnoir, 1925 .

( LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6C775ED8-9EEB-49AC-99ED-CE5D9598C757 )

Adults: small to medium sized (total body length 1.9–2.9 mm); overall dark colored to blackish. Antenna with nine flagellomeres. Female: frons broad; mandible with teeth on both edges of mandible; terminal palpomere V not elongated; wing not pigmented, apices of R 1 and Rs closely appressed before joining C ( umbratorum ) or not (all others), CuA not sinuous ( umbratorum ), slightly sinuous ( faecofilus ), or moderately sinuous ( acanthocranius ), costa with or without spinous setae on distal half, radius not branched with minor exceptions, M 1 thickened, not doubled, a:b ratios 1.0:2.7–2.8; legs dark brown to blackish, hind basitarsus with calcipala small ( acanthocranius ) or moderately developed with dorsobasal notch ( umbratorum ), tarsomere II with pedisulcus absent to barely expressed; claw tooth if present small; female genital fork with long anterior arm; spermatheca, where known, with either clear area at duct junction or pigment extended down duct; male ventral plate, where known, with small median keel, hirsute; male parameral connector poorly expressed ( umbratorum , faecofilus ) to markedly so ( acanthocranius ); parameres present, possibly absent in umbratorum , parameral spines possibly absent ( umbratorum ), but present as elongated single or double spines ( faecofilus , acanthocranius ), absent ( princeae , absitus ); gonostyli broadly curved distally with one terminal spine ( umbratorum ), or two ( faecofilus , acanthocranius , princeae , absitus ); dorsal plate absent. Pupa: thoracic cuticle with or without low clear granules; frontal plate with setae doubled or absent ( acanthocranius ), cuticle with minute granules, pale yellow ( umbratorum ), light brown ( faecofilus , absitus ) or with dense granules and darker pigmentation ( acanthocranius , princeae ), facial setae present and with curled tips; gill with two or three long main trunks with 18–20 fine filaments either arising predominantly basally, or three trunks and more typical filaments, or filaments arising directly from base; with or without fenestral diverticulum; pupal abdominal chaetotaxy and armature not markedly expressed; pleurites present, but poorly expressed; grapnel hooks poorly expressed as such, rather as stiff curved setae; dorso-terminal spines small, sharp, not sinuous. Cocoon: coarsely woven and unstructured. Larva: body either markedly elongated and narrowed, or more typical and smoothly expanded posteriorly ( absitus ); head pattern markedly expressed ( acanthocranius ) or not; head either expanded dorsoventrally anteriorly, or more typical; labral fan either slightly enlarged in size with narrow stalk, or more typical; cephalic apotome either sub-parallel-sided (e.g., faecofilus , umbratorum , uvulatus ) or expanded posteriorly (e.g., absitus , princeae ), cephalic cuticle with (e.g., acanthocranius ) or without (e.g., princeae ) short spine-like setae; antenna markedly short, colorless, apical antennomere subequal to medial antennomere ( faecofilus , umbratorum ), or longer with apical antennomere subequal to two basal antennomeres ( acanthocranius ), brown, or apical antennomere subequal to medial antennomere ( absitus ), dark brown; mandible with spinous teeth saw-like, serrations and sensillum hairlike ( faecofilus , umbratorum ), well posterior of blade-like region, or with sensillum more cone-like ( acanthocranius ), or all sharply coneshaped on raised region more typically placed ( absitus , princeae ); hypostomal lateral teeth of unusual configuration with teeth 4–8 forming major lateral structure ( faecofilus , umbratorum ), or flanked by hypostomal cone ( acanthocranius ), or teeth 4–6 slightly protrusive with smaller hypostomal cone (in part, e.g., acanthocranius , princeae ), one main hypostomal seta per side; suboesophageal ganglion slightly pigmented; anterior proleg elongated, paddles absent; if abdomen elongated, posterior circlet of hooks directed ventrally ( acanthocranius , faecofilus , umbratorum ), if not elongated, body smoothly expanded posteriorly and circlet of hooks directed posteriorly; abdominal cuticle with ( faecofilus , umbratorum ) or without ( absitus , acanthocranius , princeae ) hexagonal patterning; posteroventral tubercles absent; anal sclerite if present with anterodorsal arms absent and only central region and posteroventral arms present ( faecofilus , umbratorum ), or sclerite absent; markedly low numbers of hooks in circlet. Larvae attached, or not, to trailing thread.

Etymology

In reference to behavior of a component of the genus where larvae construct and attach to a thread, reminescent of larvae of the North American genus Ectemnia . The gender is masculine (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Article 30.1.4.4).

Included Taxa

The following described material is assigned to Ectemnoides n. gen. with one new combination established.

Ect. umbratorum (Tonnoir 1925) . Type species. New combination Ect. faecofilus n. sp.

Ect. acanthocranius n. sp.

Ect. uvulatus n. sp.

Ect. princeae n. sp.

Ect. absitus n. sp.

Ectemnoides sp. A .

Distribution ( Fig. 229)

Southeastern Australia (Victoria): Ect. umbratorum .

Western Australia: Ect. absitus ; Ect. acanthocranius ; Ect. faecofilus ; Ect. princeae ; Ectemnoides sp. A , Ect. uvulatus .

Key to Ectemnoides Species

Larvae (larvae of Ect. sp. A, known only from partial exuviae)

1. Head capsule (slide mounted) with short spine-like setae ( Fig. 32 ) ................................................................................................ 2

- Head capsule (slide mounted) lacking short spine-like setae ( Fig. 170 ) ................................................................................ 3

2. Abdominal cuticle with hexagonal pattern ( Fig. 41 ), anal sclerite present ( Fig. 42 ) ...................................................................... 4

- Abdominal cuticle lacking hexagonal pattern, anal sclerite absent ( Fig. 121 ) .................................. Ect. acanthocranius ; Ect. sp. A

3. Body elongated, anterior proleg markedly elongated, circlet of hooks not markedly small ( Fig. 169 ) ..................... Ect. princeae

- Body not markedly elongated, anterior proleg not markedly elongated, circlet of hooks markedly small ( Fig. 210 ) .... Ect. absitus

4. Postgenal cleft U-shaped, extended 0.5× distance to hypostomal groove ( Fig. 37 ). Hypostoma with lateral teeth (4–8) fused basally into single structure ( Figs. 38 and 73 ) ......................... 5

- Postgenal cleft small, angulate, extended 0.3× to hypostomal groove ( Fig. 116 ). Hypostoma teeth all subequal, lateral structure formed by hypostoma, not teeth ( Fig. 117 ) ......................... ................................................................... Ect. acanthocranius

5. Postgenal cleft lacking medial projection ( Fig. 37 ), larvae attached to threads (Fig. 44) .......................... Ect. umbratorum (Victoria) ; Ect. faecofilus (Western Australia)

- Postgenal cleft with medial projection ( Fig. 133 ), larvae not on threads .................................................................. Ect. uvulatus

Pupae (only partially known for Ect. uvulatus )

1. Gill, two main trunks with fine filaments ( Figs. 24 and 25 ), basal fenestral diverticulum present (poorly expressed in Ect. acanthocranius ).......................... Ect. uvulatus ............................... 2

- Gill, not as above ( Figs. 163 , 206 , and 224) .............................3

2. Frontal plate of female, narrow, ovoid, frontal setae doubled ( Fig. 60 ) ................................ Ect. umbratorum ; Ect. faecofilus .

- Frontal plate of female, broader, angulate, frontal setae absent ( Fig. 103 ) ................................................... Ect. acanthocranius

3. Gill, three main trunks with fine filaments ( Fig. 163 ) ................. .............................................................................. Ect. princeae

- Gill, three trunks with thicker filaments, or lacking trunks ( Figs. 206 and 224 ) ............................... Ect. absitus ; Ect. sp. A.

Adults (Adults of Ect. sp. A, and Ect. uvulatus are unknown)

1. Western Australia .................................................................... 2

- Eastern Australia............................................. Ect. umbratorum

2. Wing lacking substantial spinous setae on costa ( Fig. 86 ) ....... 3

- Wing with substantial spinous setae on costa ( Fig. 50 ) .............. ............................................................................ Ect. faecofilus

3. Calcipala small, but distinct ( Fig. 87 ) ......... Ect. acanthocranius

- Calcipala essentially absent ( Fig. 146 ) ........................................ .......................................................... Ect. princeae ; Ect. absitus

Figures

Figs. 30–32. Ectemnoides umbratorum last instar larva (30) Habitus (Grampians).Scale bar = 1.0 mm.(31) Dorsal view of head (Grampians).Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (32) Cephalic setae.Scale bar = 0.05 mm.

Figs. 169–171. Ectemnoides princeae last instar larva. (169) Habitus. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. (170) Dorsal view of the head. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (171) Ventral view of the head. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 39–42. Ectemnoides umbratorum larva (Grampians). (39) Anterior thoracic proleg. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (40) Lateral view of pupal gill histoblast. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (41) Abdominal cuticle. Phase contrast. Scale bar = 0.05 mm. (42) Posterior proleg, circlet of hooks, anal sclerite. Arrows indicate campaniform sensilla. Scale bar = 0.05 mm.

Figs. 116–121. Ectemnoides acanthocranius last instar larva. (116) Postgenal cleft. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (117) Hypostoma. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (118) Anterior proleg. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (119) Pharate pupal gill. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.(120) Pharate pupal gill base.Scale bar = 0.5 mm.Arrow indicates fenestral diverticulum. (121) Circlet of hooks.Arrows indicate campaniform sensilla. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 210–212. Ectemnoides absitus last instar larva. (210) Habitus.Scale bar =1.0 mm.(211) Dorsal view of the head.(Hotham).Scale bar = 0.5 mm.(212) Ventral view of the head. (Hotham). Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 33–38. Ectemnoides umbratorum last instar larva (Grampians). (33) Antenna. Scale bar = 0.05 mm. (34) Maxilla. Scale bar = 0.05 mm. (35) Mandible. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (36) Mandible apex. Abbreviations: a t – apical tooth; o t – outer teeth; sub t – subapical teeth; s – serrations and sensillum; s t – spinous teeth. Scale bar = 0.02 mm. (37) Postgenal cleft. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (38) Hypostoma. Numbers indicate teeth. Scale bar = 0.05 mm.

Figs. 72–77. Ectemnoides faecofilus larva. (72) Postgenal cleft (Carey Brook). Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (73) Hypostoma (Carey Brook). Scale bar = 0.05 mm. (74) Pharate pupal gill (Carey Brook). Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (75) Prothoracic proleg (Carey Brook). Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (76) Abdominal cuticle. Paratype.Phase contrast. Scale bar = 0.05 mm. (77) Anal sclerite and circlet of hooks. (Rosa Brook).Arrows indicate campaniform sensilla. Scale bar = 0.05 mm.

Figs. 133–136. Ectemnoides uvulatus last instar larva. (133) Post genal cleft. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (134) Hypostoma.Scale bar = 0.05mm (135) Pharate pupal gill. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (136) Anal sclerite, circlet of hooks.Arrows indicate campaniform sensilla. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 23–28. Ectemnoides umbratorum pupa.(23)Thoracic cuticle (Acheron).Scale bar = 0.2 mm.(24) Gill, from histoblast (Grampians).Arrow indicates fenestral diverticulum. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (25) Gill base.Arrow as for Fig. 24. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (26) Head capsule, female (Grampians). f s – facial setae; fnt s – frontal setae.Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (27) Head capsule,male (Acheron).Incomplete.Abbreviations:as for Fig.26. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (28) Abdominal armature (Acheron). Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 162–167. Ectemnoides princeae pupa. (162) Habitus, male. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.(163) Gill. Arrow indicates fenestra. Note absence of diverticulum. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (164) Gill surface structure. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (165)Thoracic cuticle. Scale bar = 0.25 mm. (166) Female cephalic capsule. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (167) Male cephalic capsule.Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 204–208. Ectemnoides absitus pupa. (204) Habitus, female. Scale bar = 1.0 mm. (205)Thoracic cuticle. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (206) Gill. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (207) Female cephalic capsule. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (208) Male cephalic capsule. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 57–61. Ectemnoides faecofilus pupa. (57) Dorsal view of female (Rosa Brook). Scale bar = 1.0 mm. (58) Gill (Rosa Brook). Arrow indicates fenestral diverticulum Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (59) Gill base (Rosa Brook). Arrow as for Fig. 58. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (60) Male frontal plate. f s – facial setae; fnt s – frontal setae. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. (61)Thoracic cuticle and dorsocentral setae.Arrow as for Fig. 58. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 103–105. Ectemnoides acanthocranius pupa. (103) Female cephalic capsule. Arrow indicates facial seta (f s). Scale bar = 0.25 mm. (104) Male cephalic capsule.Arrow as for Fig. 103. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (105)Thoracic cuticle and dorsocentral setae. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 223–225. Ectemnoides sp. A, pupa. (223) Frontal plate, female. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (224) Pupal gill. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (225) Thoracic cuticle. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 85–89. Ectemnoides acanthocranius female.(85)Wing. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.(86)Wing veins.Rs – radial sector vein. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.(87) Hind basitarsus and tarsomere II. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (88)Tarsal claw. Scale bar = 0.02 mm. (89) Abdominal tergites. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 45–50. Ectemnoides faecofilus male adult. (45) Holotype male (teneral). Habitus. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (46) Holotype labels. (47) Frontal view of pharate paratype male head (Northridge Creek).Scale bar = 0.25 mm.(48) Antenna.Paratype.Scale bar = 0.1 mm.(49) Maxilla,palp,mandible,lacinia.Scale bar = 0.1 mm. (50) Anterior wing veins (pharate) of paratype. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 144–146. Ectemnoides princeae female. (144) Wing. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (145) Wing veins.Rs – radial sector. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. (146) Hind basitarsus and tarsomere II. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.