Pseudosmittia unniae, Ferrington Jr & Saether, 2011

Ferrington Jr, Leonard C. & Saether, Ole A., 2011, A revision of the genera Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932, Allocladius Kieffer, 1913, and Hydrosmittia gen. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) 2849, Zootaxa 2849 (1), pp. 1-314 : 177-178

Pseudosmittia unniae sp. n.

( Fig. 65 )

Type material: Holotype male, GHANA: Accra , Legon , Botanical Garden, Malaise, 3–6.ii.1993, T. Andersen ( ZMBN Type No. 445) . Paratypes: 1 male as holotype, 3 males as holotype except 8–14.ii.1993 ( ZMBN) .

Diagnostic characters: The male imago differs from the other members of the group by having no inner tibial spur of mid leg; anal point triangular with conspicuous microtrichia to apex; a strong, hooked inferior volsella; curved gonostylus; and, like P. legonensis , having very strong pseudospurs.

Etymology: Named in honor of Unni Saether, the wife of O.A.S., who assisted in the Ghana project in 1993.

Male imago (n = 4–5 except when otherwise stated)

Total length 1.36–1.68, 1.50 mm. Wing length 0.77–0.89, 0.81 mm. Total length/wing length 1.72–2.05, 1.86. Wing length/length of profemur 2.68–3.02, 2.80. Coloration brown.

Head ( Fig. 65 A ). AR 0.85–1.31, 1.07. Terminal flagellomere 220–340, 287 µm long; no apical strong seta. Temporal setae 4–6, 5; consisting of 2–3, 2 inner verticals; 2–3, 3 outer verticals; and 0–1, 0 postorbital. Clypeus with 4–7, 6 setae. Tentorium 78–95, 85 µm long; 15–20, 17 µm wide. Stipes 75–88, 79 µm long; 25–30 µm (2) wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 15–20, 18; 20–27, 24; 39–55, 47; 50–73, 59; 75–110, 98. Third palpomere apparently with 1–2 scalpellate sensilla clavata, without apical projection.

Thorax ( Fig. 65 B ). Antepronotal lobes reduced medially, antepronotum with 1–3, 2 lateral setae. Dorsocentrals 8–12, 10; acrostichals 2; prealars 3–4, 3 (one specimen with one prealar separated and above the other prealars); no supraalar seta. Scutellum with 4 setae.

Wing. VR 1.48–1.59 (2). Postcubital fork not observed. Anal lobe reduced. Costal extension about 50–75 µm long. R 4+5 ending slightly proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 apparently straight. Brachiolum with 1 seta, other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of front tibia 33–40, 37 µm long; spur of middle tibia 30–33, 32 µm long (apparently one spur only although there could be an additional spur in some specimens); of hind tibia 35–38, 37 µm and 18–23 µm (3) long. Width at apex of front tibia 20–24, 21 µm; of middle tibia 18–20, 20 µm; of hind tibia 25–35, 29 µm. Comb of 13–14, 14 setae; shortest setae 15–25, 20 µm long; longest setae 25–33 µm long. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 39.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 65 D ). Anal point 10–15, 12 µm long with microtrichia to apex, with more or less developed up to 60 µm long large triangular base; tergite IX with 4–6, 5 setae; laterosternite IX with 2–4, 3 setae. Phallapodeme 51 µm long; transverse sternapodeme 40 µm long, no oral projections. Virga ( Fig. 65 C ) 8–13, 10 µm long. Gonocoxite 105–123, 112 µm long; superior volsella absent; inferior volsella strongly developed, hooked at apex, reaching to 0.64–0.70, 0.67 gonocoxite length; no accessory lobe. Gonostylus 50 µm long; curved, with rounded preapical crista dorsalis; megaseta 5–6, 5 µm long. HR 2.10–2.45, 2.24; HV 2.72–3.36, 3.01

Female, pupa and larva

Unknown.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality near a pond in the botanical garden on the campus of the University of Ghana in Legon, Accra .

Figures

FIGURE 65. Pseudosmittia unniae sp. n., male. A—head; B—thorax; C—hypopygium; D—virga, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.