Culicoides neoregalis Majumdar & Das Gupta

Sarkar, Ankita, Banerjee, Paramita, Sinha, Shuvra Kanti & Mazumdar, Abhijit, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the Indian species of the ‘ Aterinervis’ group of Culicoides Latreille Subgenus Hoffmania Fox (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 5258 (4), pp. 405-428 : 412-414

Culicoides neoregalis Majumdar & Das Gupta

( Fig 4a–i )

Culicoides neoregalis Majumdar & Das Gupta , in Majumdar, Das Gupta & Gangopadhyay 1997: 29; Majumdar 1972: 161–165; Nandi 2014: 90–92

Materials examined. Holotype (1 ♀), Darjeeling Govt. College. 02.vi.1968, Coll. Dr. P.K. Chaudhuri; Allotype (1 ♁), Darjeeling Govt. College, 04.ix.1968, Coll. P.K. Chaudhuri.

Diagnosis. Pale spot over r-m cross vein broad, extending posteriorly to cell m 2; broad dark band apical to r-m crossvein, straddling vein M continuous to cell m 1; distal pale spot in cell r 3 broad reaches apex of cell, confluent with distal pale spot of cell m 1 and m 2; poststigmatic pale spot crossing vein M 1, confluent with proximal pale spots of cells m 1 and m 2 and distal pale spot in cell cua 1; anal cell with one broadly constricted distal pale spot.

Female.

Head ( Figs. 4a and 4b ). Antenna with SCo on flagellomeres 1, 9–13; third palpal segment slender, medially swollen, gradually tapering towards apex with minute capitate sensilla; second palp segment longer than first, fourth and fifth segments, fifth palpal segment with 4 apical sensilla chaetica.

Thorax. Brown; long dark markings on scutum; humeral region pale; postscutellum dark.

Legs ( Figs. 4c and 4d ). Brownish; fore femora with apical bands, mid femora with basal, apical pale bands, fore and mid tibiae with basal pale bands, hind femora with basal pale bands; hind tibia with pale basal and apical bands; hind tibial comb with 6 spines, second one longest; spur tip frayed; claws equal.

Wing ( Fig. 4e ). Brownish with many interconnected pale areas, pale area of wing base extending to posterior margin of anal cell; pale spot over r-m crossvein broad, continuous posteriorly to cell m 2; dark spot at the junction of radial cells crossing vein M 1; poststigmatic pale spot posteriorly converging with pale area of cell m 1; pale spot in cell r 3 broadly reaching wing margin; pale spot in cell cua 1 extending to wing margin, touching vein CuA 1; one medially constricted distal pale spot in anal cell, anteriorly extending to the stem of Cu fork, posteriorly expanded at posterior wing margin.

Abdomen ( Fig. 4f ). Brownish with dark streaks; lateral margin of sternite VIII straight; spermatheca two, pyriform, equal to subequal, well developed, with a short, oblique scletotized neck, a small sclerotized ring; fingerlike rudimentary spermatheca present.

Male. Similar to female with usual sexual differences.

Genitalia ( Figs. 4g, 4h and 4i ). Sternum IX sclerotized with medially shallow caudomedian excavation; tergum IX with weakly developed apicolateral processes, median cleft present at caudal margin; posterior margin of tergum IX ending beyond the apex of gonocoxite. Gonocoxite stout with well developed dorsal root, more or less narrow distally. Gonostylus broad basally, abruptly curved medially, narrowing to blunt tip.Aedeagus V shaped, represented by two sclerites with stout basal arms, distal process elongated. Parameres with broad basal arms joined at mid portion, narrowing distally with minute fringing setae.

Immatures. Unknown

Larval habitat. Unknown

Distribution. India (Darjeeling, West Bengal)

Remarks. C. neoregalis resembles C. regalis in retaining pale area of wing base extending to posterior wing margin of anal cell, a constricted distal pale spot in anal cell but C. neoregalis varies in antennal ratio, palpal ratio, mandibular teeth ( Table 1 ), larger, coalescing pale areas over wing, distal pale spot in cell r 3 broadly meeting wing margin, poststigmatic pale spot covering almost 2 nd radial cell and crossing vein M 1. C. pararegalis varies from C. neoregalis by having a reduced distal pale spot in cell r 3 and two separate, round distal pale spots in anal cell.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Culicoides neoregalis. a) maxillary palp; b) mandibular teeth; c) hind tibial spines; d) fore tarsis; e) wing; f) spermathecae with ring; g) male genitalia; h) paramere and i) aedeagus