Eukiefferiella claripennis (Lundbeck, 1898)

Makarchenko, Eugenyi A., Semenchenko, Alexander A. & Palatov, Dmitry M., 2022, Chironomids are commensals of the larvae and pupae of Blephariceridae and Simuliidae from the North Caucasus (Diptera: Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae), Zootaxa 5141 (4), pp. 373-384 : 378-380

Eukiefferiella claripennis group

( Figs. 18–29 )

Material examined. 2 larvae of IV instar and 2 pupae of female removed from pupal Simuliidae , RUSSIA: Republic of Dagestan, Tlyaratinsky District, Greater Caucasus , Avar Koysu River basin, left tributary of the Joahor River , 3 km upstream of its mouth on the Jurmut River , altitude 2218 m above sea level, 41.948975 N, 46.501026 E, 14.VIII.2021 .

Pupa (n=2). Total length 1.8–1.9 mm. Cephalothorax greyish brown, abdominal segments greenish brown. Exuviae greyish yellow.

Cephalothorax. Frontal apotome without setae, tubercles and warts. Antepronotum with 2 thin and hair-like median antepronotal setae 85–92 µm long and with 3 lateral antepronotal setae 112–120 µm long. Surface of thorax dorsally smooth. Thoracic horn light brown to brown, 224–232 µm long, broadest at base (30–32 µm), tapering to apex; length horn base 72 µm; horn smooth ( Figs. 18–19 ). Length horn base/length horn 0.31–0.32. Precorneal setae lengths (in µm): Pc 1 40, Pc 2 112–120, Pc 3 88–100. Bases of setae arranged in form of triangle. Dorsocentrals hairlike, Dc 1 48 µm long, Dc 2 16 µm long, Dc 3 32 µm long, Dc 4 44–48 µm long. Distance between Dc 1 and Dc 2 12–16 µm; between Dc 2 and Dc 3 184 µm; between Dc 3 and Dc 4 16 µm.

Abdomen. Tergite I without shagreen. Tergites II–VIII with weak shagreen of small spinules in anterior third and with 1–2 transverse rows of long needle-like spines, longest of which are 20–28 µm ( Figs. 20–22 ). In addition, tergites III– V behind straight spines with row of hooked spines intermittent in middle, apex of which directed anteriorly; their number on these tergites accordingly 13: 15: 14 ( Figs. 21, 24 ). Shagreen of small spinules in posterior part of sternites V –VII are presented. Segments without PSB and PSA. Segments I–VII with 4 pairs of hair-like lateral setae; length of L 1 of these segments (in µm)—24–32, L 2 —16–24, L 3 —16–24, L 4 —18–20. Segments VIII with 4 pairs of lateral setae; length of L 1–4 of this segment (in µm) accordingly—16–32: 16–28: 80–86: 96–112. Anal segment 180–190 µm long, with dorsal and lateral shagreen. Anal lobe with 3 macrosetae 180–200 µm long. Anal segment length/anal macroseta length 0.95–1.11. Female genital sac rounded and short ( Fig. 23 ).

Larva of IV instar (n= 2). Total length 3.1–3.2 mm. Head brown to dark brown, antenna light brown or yellowish brown, mandible and mentum brown to dark brown; thoracic segments brownish yellow, abdominal segments brownish brown.

Head. Labral S-setae simple ( Fig. 25 ). Premandible distally with 1 wide apex apical tooth. Antenna with 4 segments; length 1–4 segments (in µm): 49–51: 13–14: 7: 5–6; AR 1.88–1.96; apex of segment 2 with Lauterborn organs ending at 2/3 or base of 3 rd segment; antennal blade 25 µm long, its apex slightly not reach apex of 4 th segment; one large ring organs in proximal 1/4 of basal segment and one small in distal 1/3 ( Fig. 28 ). Mandible with apical tooth and 3 true inner teeth and one false tooth; seta interna with 3–4 branches; seta subdentalis leaf-shaped, with pointed; inner margin of mandible (mola) with 2–3 short serrations ( Fig. 27 ). Mentum with 2 median teeth and 5 pairs of lateral teeth; median tooth in 2.0–2.6 times wider than 1 st lateral tooth; ventromental plates large, pointed basally ( Fig. 26 ). Maxilla without pecten galearis.

Abdomen. Anal tubules 72–88 µm long. Posterior parapods long, 208–216 µm long; posterior parapods length/ anal tubules length 2.3–3.0. Procerci are typical for genus, each bearing 7 long anal setae; lower lateral seta 60–68 µm long ( Fig. 29 ).

Remarks. Since the pupae of Eukiefferiella claripennis group were immature and of female, we could not accurately determine their species identity but the larva and pupa are typical representatives of the claripennis group and according to identification keys of Schmid (1993) and Lehmann (1972) similar to E. lobifera Goetghebuer. Unfortunately , there are no data for E. lobifera in the GenBank, and the closest sequence to our E. claripennis group is E. claripennis (Lundbeck) . For more details see section “Results of DNA barcoding”.

Ecology. The larvae and pupae of Eukiefferiella claripennis group in cocoon of black flies pupae were collected on stones with a small amount of algae fouling of a waterfall in a mountain stream at a current speed of 0.6–1 m /s at an altitude of 2218 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 33 ).

Figures

FIGURES 18–24. Pupa of Eukiefferiella claripennis group. 18–19, thoracic horn; 20, tergites I–IV; 21, tergites V–VI; 22, tergite VIII; 23, anal segment; 24, spines and spinules of posterior part of tergites IV.

FIGURES 25–29. Larva of Eukiefferiella claripennis group. 25, S-setae of labrum; 26, mentum; 27, mandible; 28, antenna; 29, procercus with anal setae.

FIGURES 30–33. Localities of Cardiocladius sp. 1 and Blephariceridae larvae (30–32), Eukiefferiella claripennis group and Simuliidae larvae with pupae (33). 30, Greater Caucasus, Tseyskoye Gorge, Terek River basin, Waterfall on the Shalatsikomdon River (Russia: Republic of North Ossetia–Alania); 31, Greater Caucasus, Skazdon River near the Tseyskoe Gorge (Russia: Republic of North Ossetia–Alania); 32, Greater Caucasus, Avar Koysu River basin, the left tributary of the Dzhurmut River opposite of Choroda Village (Russia: Republic of Dagestan); 33, Greater Caucasus, Avar Koysu River basin, left tributary of the Joahor River, 3 km upstream of its mouth on the Jurmut River (Russia: Republic of Dagestan). (Photos by D.M. Palatov).