Pseudosmittia catarinense, Andersen & Saether & Mendes, 2010

Andersen, Trond, Saether, Ole A. & Mendes, Humberto F., 2010, Neotropical Allocladius Kieffer, 1913 and Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932 (Diptera: Chironomidae) 2472, Zootaxa 2472 (1), pp. 1-77 : 36

Pseudosmittia catarinense sp. n.

( Figs 94–99 )

Type material. Holotype male, BRAZIL: Santa Catarina State, Urubici, Morro da Igreja , 1.822 m a.s.l., 18.ix.–05.xii.2004, cloud forest, Malaise trap, L.E.M. Bizzo & L.C. Pinho ( MZUSP).

Diagnostic characters. The male imago can be separated from other Neotropical species of the genus by the combination of gonostylus furcate with secondary lobe shorter than main lobe, anal point present and median volsella composed of a single branch.

Etymology. From Portuguese, catarinense , meaning native from Santa Catarina State and referring to the State where the material was collected. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Male (n = 1). Total length 1.87 mm. Wing length 1.10 mm. Total length / wing length 1.69. Wing length / length of profemur 3.43.

Coloration. Thorax and abdomen brown, legs pale brown.

Head. AR 1.07, ultimate flagellomere 338 µm long. Temporal setae composed of at least 2 inner verticals. Clypeus with 6 setae. Tentorium, stipes and cibarial pump as in Figure 94 . Tentorium 107 µm long, 20 µm wide. Stipes 118 µm long. Palpomere ( Fig. 95 ) lengths (in µm): 20, 36, 70, 82, 111. Third palpomere with 4 lanceolate sensilla clavata, longest 11 µm long.

Thorax ( Fig. 96 ). Median antepronotal lobes reduced; antepronotum with 1 lateral seta. Dorsocentrals 12, acrostichals 2, prealars 4, supraalar absent. Scutellum with 6 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 97 ). Anal lobe well developed. Cu 1 curved. R 4+5 ending distal to apex of Cu 1. VR 1.57. Costal extension 16 µm long. Brachiolum with 1 seta, R with 2 setae, remaining veins bare.

Legs. Spur of fore tibia 41 µm long, spurs of mid tibia 25 µm and 16 µm long, of hind tibia 39 µm and 23 µm long. Width at apex of fore- and mid tibia 23 µm, of hind tibia 35 µm. Comb with 16 setae, longest 32 µm long, shortest 18 µm long. Fore femur 328 µm long, fore tibia 396 µm long; mid femur 418 µm long, mid tibia 421 µm long; hind femur 407 µm long, hind tibia 446 µm long; all tarsi lost.

Hypopygium ( Figs 98–99 ). Anal point anterior on tergite IX, narrowly triangular, 16 µm long, 6 µm wide at base, with 3 setae. Tergite IX with 16 additional setae. Laterosternite IX with 7 setae. Phallapodeme 84 µm long. Sternapodeme without oral projections, arched part about 64 µm long. Virga with 2 strong 25 µm long spines and apparently 2 additional 37 µm long lateral spines. Gonocoxite 141 µm long. Superior volsella 35 µm long, digitiform with weakly clubbed apex, with microtrichia in apical half and small tubercles with apical seta basally and medially. Median volsella single, projecting medially, 33 µm long, weakly curved, subquadrangular apically, covered with microtrichia and with fringe along apical and oral margin. Inferior volsella with bluntly digitiform, 15 µm long anterior lobe, with few weak setae; median lobe about 22 µm wide, rounded, with orally curved microtrichia. Gonostylus 62 µm long, basally with 32 µm long lateral lobe densely covered with long microtrichia; megaseta 7 µm long. HR 2.38. HV 3.17.

Distribution and biology. The species is known from a single specimen collected at an altitude of about 1.800 m a.s.l. in a fragmented primary cloud forest belonging to the Mata Atlântica forest in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The specimen was taken in a Malaise trap close to a small stream.

Figures

FIGURES 94–99. Pseudosmittia catarinense sp. n., male. 94—tentorium, stipes, and cibarial pump; 95—palp; 96—thorax; 97—wing; 98—hypopygium, dorsal aspect; 99—hypopygium with anal point and tergite IX removed, dorsal aspect to the left, ventral aspect to the right.