Pseudosmittia hirtella (Freeman)

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 : 190-192

Pseudosmittia hirtella (Freeman)

( Fig. 70 D–I , 72 )

Orthosmittia hirtella Freeman, 1953: 208 .

Smittia hirtella (Freeman) , Freeman 1956: 355.

Pseudosmittia hirtella (Freeman) , Freeman & Cranston 1980: 185.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Zeekoe Vlei , paratypes, 1 male, 1 female, 3.xi.1952, K. M. F. Scott ( BMNH) .

Diagnostic characters: The male imago is characterized by the long, tapering anal point and the median widening (crista dorsalis?) of the gonostylus. The female has a divided tergite IX with altogether 16 setae and spermathecal ducts with small bulbs before the common opening.

Male imago (n = 1)

Total length about 1.40 mm. Wing length about 0.80 mm. Coloration black.

Head ( Fig. 70 D ). AR 0.73. Terminal flagellomere 208 µm long. Temporal setae 6, consisting of 2 inner verticals and 4 outer verticals. Clypeus with 13 setae. Tentorium 105 µm long, 16 µm wide. Cibarial pump and stipes as in Fig. 70 G . Stipes 78 µm long, 18 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 22, 25, 57, 61, 101. Third palpomere ( Fig. 70 E ) with 4 scalpellate sensilla clavata at apex.

Thorax. Median antepronotal lobes somewhat reduced, antepronotum with 2 lateral setae. Dorsocentrals 20, acrostichals 2, prealars 3. Scutellum with 8 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 70 F ). Basal part of wing damaged and anal lobe absent. VR 1 about 1.75, VR 2 about 1.48. Costal extension 27 µm long. R 4+5 ending well proximal to apex of M 3+4; Cu 1 slightly curved, R with about 5 setae, R 1 with 3 setae, other veins probably bare.

Legs. Hind leg lost. Spur of front tibia 32 µm long, only one broken spur on middle tibia. Width at apex of front and middle tibiae each 22–23 µm long. Lengths and proportions of front and mid legs as in Table 43.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 70 I ). Anal point 50 µm long, with concave sides, pointed apex, lateral setae and apparently microtrichia to apex; tergite IX with 14 setae, including those on anal point; laterosternite IX with 3 setae. Phallapodeme 57 µm long; transverse sternapodeme 46 µm long, no oral projections. Virga ( Fig. 70 H ) 21 µm long. Gonocoxite 123 µm long; inferior volsella reaching to 0.67 gonocoxite length. Gonostylus 48 µm long; megaseta 8 µm long. HR 2.57, HV about 2.95.

Female imago (n = 1)

All measurements and ratios within the range of variation of P. forcipata (p. 300) with the following exceptions and additions: Wing ( Fig. 71 A ) length 0.67 mm; Total length/ wing length 2.08. Wing length/length of profemur 2.87; AR 0.32; fifth flagellomere with 32 µm long strong apical seta; temporal setae 6, including 2 inner verticals, and 4 outer verticals; clypeus with 15 setae; antepronotum with 3 lateral setae; dorsocentrals 17; scutellum with 8 setae; VR 1.52, no postcubital fork observed; costal extension 85 µm long; Cu 1 straight; costa with 8 non-marginal setae between FR and apex of R 4+5; spur of middle tibia 17 µm long (only one present); BV 1 3.81; SV 3 3.25; abdomen with 4 setae on tergite I, with 17 setae on each of T III–V; tergite IX ( Fig. 71 F ) divided, altogether with 16 setae; apodeme between gonocoxite and tergite 73 µm long; gonocoxite not produced; seminal capsule relatively darkly sclerotized, ovoid to circular, spermathecal ducts ( Fig. 71 E ) with small bulbs before separate openings.

Remarks

The female wing does not appear to have a postcubital fork and the VR is lower than in any of the males of species distinguished by Trend 33 except P. dupla and P. bicinctura . This indicates that the male and female may not be conspecific. However, the unusually high number of setae on the clypeus and higher number of dorsocentrals strongly suggest they are of the same species.

Distribution

The species is known from South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe (Freeman & Cranston 1988: 185).

Figures

FIGURE 70. Pseudosmittia spp., male. A–C; P. yapensis (Tokunaga); A—wing; B—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect; C—virga. D—I; P. hirtella (Freeman); D—head; E—third palpomere; F—wing; G—cibarial pump and stipes; H—virga; I—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.

FIGURE 71. Pseudosmittia hirtella (Freeman), female. A—wing; B—dorsomesal lobe; C—ventrolateral lobe; D—apodeme lobe; E—genitalia, ventral view; F—genitalia, dorsal (partly lateral) view.

FIGURE 72. Pseudosmittia spp., male. A–E. P. nishiharaensis Sasa et Hasegawa. A—wing; B—head; C—third palpomere; D—cibarial pump and stipes; E—virga; F—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect. G, H. P. macrobrachia (Edwards); G—hypopygium, dorsal aspect; H—hypopygium, ventral aspect. (A–E from Saether 2006.)