Chlorotabanus inanis ( Fabricius, 1787 )

Krolow, Tiago Kütter & Henriques, Augusto Loureiro, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the New World genus Chlorotabanus Lutz, 1913 (Diptera: Tabanidae), Zootaxa 2656, pp. 1-40 : 14-18

Chlorotabanus inanis ( Fabricius, 1787)

( Figures 5 A–H; 6A–M; 13B, D)

Tabanus inanis Fabricius, 1787: 356 ; Knab, 1916: 99 (diagnosis); Bequaert, 1926: 234 (key).

Chlorotabanus inanis, Kröber, 1929: 245 –246, fig. 2 (male); Fairchild, 1940: 714 –715 (key and redescription), 717 figs. 1, 1a, 1b; Fairchild, 1969: 208 (classification); 1971: 55 (catalog); Goodwin & Murdoch, 1974: 99 fig. 25 a,b,c,d (pupae), 100 (key immature), 102 (key to pupae, descriptions of larva and pupa); Henriques & Gorayeb, 1993: 8 (MPEG collection); Fairchild & Burger, 1994: 87 (catalog); Henriques, 1995: 69 (INPA collection); Coscarón, 2002: 13, 17 (immature); Krolow & Henriques, 2008: 269 (citation); Coscarón & Papavero, 2009b: 67 (catalog); Krolow & Henriques, 2009: 209 (citation).

Tabanus (Chlorotabanus) inanis, Kröber, 1930: 15 –16 (key); 1934: 296 (catalog).

Chlorotabanus (Chlorotabanus) inanis, Philip & Fairchild, 1956: 316 –317, Text fig. 1A–E, fig. 1 (review, Neotype).

Chlorotabans inanis, Coscarón & Papavero, 2009a: 3 (manual), error.

Tabanus ochroleucus Meigen, 1804: 172 .

Tabanus sulphureus Palisot de Beauvois, 1819: 222.

Tabanus sulphureus Macquart, 1847: 35 (preoccupied Palisot de Beauvois, 1819).

Tabanus inconspicuus Walker, 1848: 171 .

Tabanus viridiflavus Walker, 1850: 66 .

Tabanus and Chlorotabanus mexicanus from authors not Linnaeus, 1767 (see Fairchild, 1940).

Type locality: French Guiana (Cayenne). Holotype Ψ destroyed ( Philip & Fairchild, 1956).

Diagnosis: Medium sized. Frons somewhat narrow (F.I. 5.3–7.7). Scutum with white pruinosity and yellow hairs that contrast with the orangish scutellum with dark yellow hairs. Hyaline wing with darkened transverse veins.

Redescription (Neotype Ψ): Body length 13.6 mm; wing length 11.5 mm; wing width 3.7 mm ( Fig. 5 A– B).

Head ( Fig. 5 C): Eyes grayish-brown. Narrow frons converges towards base (F.I. 7.2, D.I. 1.4); whitish pruinosity and yellowish pilosity; small mark (gap) at the frontal callus. Subcallus as frons, with hairs only near the parafacialia. Parafacialia, gena and face with pruinosity and pilosity as frons. Palpus yellow with yellow hairs. Proboscis with yellow theca; dark yellow labella. Left antenna damaged with only the scape and pedicel, both yellow with yellow hairs. Right antenna with part of the flagellum; basal plate dark yellow with slightly elevated dorsal (B.P.I. 1.95); only first annulus present.

Thorax: Scutum with white pruinosity and yellow hairs; integument orangish. Scutellum orangish, apparently without pruinosity and with dark yellow hairs, except in antero-dorsal view, where whitish pruinosity is visible. Slender legs, yellow with yellow hairs, except on the fore and mid tibiae with few black hairs on distal ¼ dorsally; distal ¼ of hind tibia with black hairs to the distal margin of the tarsomeres. Hyaline wing ( Fig. 5 D), except for darkening of the basal costal, costal and basal radial veins (upper region). Yellow veins, with faint darkening of transverse veins; without appendix at the fork of the R4+5; yellow pterostigma.

Abdomen: Yellow, with yellowish pilosity; tergites 4–7 darker (possibly due to blood meal); from the fifth tergite, black hairs form posterior transverse bands. Sternites similar to tergites.

Variations (Ψ): Body length 11.1–15.7 mm (X = 13.2 mm, N = 20; wing length 9.6–12.9 mm (X = 11.4 mm, N = 20); wing width 2.8–4.5 mm (X = 3.6 mm, N = 20); F.I. 5.3–7.7 (X = 6.3, N = 20); D.I. 1.1–1.4 (X = 1.2, N = 20); B.P.I. 1.1–1.9 (X = 1.5, N = 20); Flg.I. 1.4–2.7 (X = 1.9, N = 20). Shape and index values of the antennae are quite variable in this species ( Fig. 6 A–M). In general, specimens from Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama have a more elongate basal plate, ~ 2.5x stylus length and almost without antero-dorsal projection. Specimens from the remaining localities have shorter and more robust basal plates, slightly longer than the stylus, with strong antero-dorsal projection. However, this should not be considered a rule because intermediate specimens are found with some exceptions to their distributions. Color is also quite variable in eyes, pilosity and pruinosity, even at the same location. The spot in the middle of the scutum is also quite variable, and often only may be seen in some specimens in dorsal and postero-dorsal views and seems to be due to light angle and is influenced by pruinosity and the orientation of the pilosity. Many samples from the Amazon have this characteristic, but which may also be found in two other species: C. parviceps and C. mexicanus . Thus, the spot on the scutum is considered one more variation of C. inanis .

Male: ( Fig. 5 E–F) body length 11.3–13.7 mm (X = 12.6 mm, N = 20); wing length 9.5–11.0 mm (X = 10.2 mm, N = 20); wing width 3.0– 3.6 mm (X = 3.3 mm, N = 20). Similar to the female with respect to pruinosity and pilosity of the body, and the wing pattern, but differ by having holoptic eyes ( Fig. 5 G), where larger ommatidia occupy the superior 2/3 of the eye and the smaller ommatidia the lower 1/3; without ocellar tubercle, with a fissure at that region; porrect palpus, yellow with yellow hairs; B.P.I. 1.1–1.8 (X = 1.4, N = 20); Flg.I. 0.9–1.6 (X = 1.1, N = 20). The main sexual difference is found in the form and proportions of the antennae ( Fig. 5 H).

Distribution: Southern Mexico to southern Brazil.

Neotype Ψ: Am.[erica] Mer.[idional], at the ZMUC, reasonable state of preservation. Head in good condition except antennae, left without flagellum and right without the last three annuli. Thorax damaged, with a hole through the pleura; scutum hairs almost absent except near the scutellum and post-alar lobe. Wings and legs in good condition. Abdomen with small hole between tergites 3–4. The two synonyms were also examined: T. inconspicuus (Holotype Ψ) and T. sulphureus (Lectotype Ψ), both in good conditions.

Type-material examined: “ NEOTYPE \ Tabanus Ψ\ inanis Fabr. \ Philip & Fairchild\ 1956 ” “ Tabanus \ inanis \ Fabricius, 1787 \ Man. Ins. II\ 1787:356” “Coll. Sehestedt & Lund.” “Var: inanis am. mer.”; “locality?” “ HOLOTYPE \ Tabanus \ inconspicuus Walker \ det. J. E. Chainey 1978” “NHM(E) #\ 253364”; “ Tabanus Ψ\ sulphureus Brasil \ n. Sp. Macq D. Exot.” “ Brazil:\ ex: coll. J. Bigot:\ ex: coll. G. H. Verral.\ B.M. 1914-500” “ Chlorotabanus \ inanis Fabr. \ C.B. Philip 53\ by comp. Homotype” “ LECTOTYPE \ (des. Chainey, 1990: 311)\ Tabanus \ sulphureus Macquart \ det. J. E. Chainey, 1990.” “NHM(E) #\ 253362”.

Additional material examined: MEXICO. Chiapas: Salto de Água, 1Ψ; BELIZE. Cayo: Chiquibul Forest (Las Cuevas clearing), 1Ψ; GUATEMALA. El Peten: São Luis Las Cañas, 1Ψ; COSTA RICA. Heredia: Sarapiquí, 2Ψ; Limón: Hitoy Carara, 1ɗ; Puntarenas: Buenos Aires, 1ɗ; Coto Brus, 1ɗ; Rincon Osa Península, 4ɗ, 8Ψ; Golfito, 2ɗ, 2Ψ; Alachua: Upala , 1Ψ; PANAMA. Zona do Canal: Barro Colorado, 5ɗ, 1Ψ; Moja Pollo, 1Ψ; COLOMBIA. Amazonas: Letícia, 1Ψ; Cauca: Quebrada Huanqui, 1Ψ; Putumayo: Santa Rosa, 1Ψ; [lead department]: Puerto Berrio, 1Ψ; VENEZUELA. Delta Orinoco : Barrancas, 1ɗ, 16Ψ; Monagas: Maturin, 4ɗ, 4Ψ; TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. Vega de Oropouche: Sangre Grande, 3Ψ; GUYANA. [lead department]: Berbice (5,62°N, 57,26W), 2Ψ; Hyde Park, 1Ψ; Issororo NWD, 1Ψ; Mr. Georgetown, 1Ψ; [without locality], 8Ψ; FRENCH GUIANA. Caiena, 1Ψ; Kaw, 1ɗ, 2Ψ; Saint Jean Du Maroni, 1ɗ, 1Ψ; Saint Laurent Du Maroni, 1ɗ, 1Ψ; Maná River, 1ɗ; Régina, 9Ψ; Forêt D'Acarouany, 2ɗ, 2Ψ; Oyapok River, 1Ψ; ECUADOR. Napo: Yasuni, 3Ψ; Puerto Montufar, 10Ψ; BRAZIL. Roraima: Serra Grande, 1Ψ; [without locality] (Rio Jauaperí 042958 N; 612859W), 4ɗ, 34Ψ; idem ( Ilha de Maracá), 1ɗ; Amapá: Macapá, 2Ψ; Santana, 1Ψ; Amazonas: Barcelos (Bacuquara, 000909N; 631038W), 2ɗ, 15Ψ; idem (Em Campina, 002838N; 632818W), 11Ψ; idem (Igarapé Irerê/ Coruja, 000616N; 635101W) 28Ψ; idem (Rio Aracá, Cuqui, 001207S; 631124W), 3ɗ, 18Ψ; idem (Rio Aracá, Prainha, 002441N; 6324W), 1ɗ, 20Ψ; idem (Rio Demeni, Alubiá, 001607S; 624445W), 4Ψ; idem (Rio Demeni, Jalauaca, 001615S, 624449W) 18Ψ; idem (Rio Demeni, Pirico, 001930S; 624721W), 13Ψ; idem (Serrinha, 90m, 002505N; 632305W), 11Ψ; idem (Rio Unini, Urubuquara), 25Ψ; Benjamin Constant, 4Ψ; Beruri (Rio Purus), 24Ψ; Borba (Rio Abacaxis, 051509 S; 584152W), 4Ψ; Carauarí (Gavião, 045010S; 665110W), 18Ψ; Coari (Rio Urucu Duto Urucu, 045016S; 652036W), 3ɗ, 31Ψ; Fonte Boa (Estrada Mamopina), 1Ψ; Guajará (070639 S; 730525W), 1Ψ; Itacoatiara (Madeireira Mil), 3ɗ, 27Ψ; Japurá, 4Ψ; Lábrea, 1Ψ; Manacapuru, 1Ψ; Manaus (AM 0 10 Km 54 BI-2), 16Ψ; idem (Campus Universidade), 1ɗ, 8Ψ; idem (Reserva da Campina), 4Ψ; idem (Reserva Ducke), 15Ψ; idem (Uypiranga), 2Ψ; idem (ZF-2), 4Ψ; Manicoré (Cachoeira, 052944 S; 604921W), 15Ψ; Maués (Rio Abacaxis), 5Ψ; Novo Airão, 1ɗ; idem, (Parque Nacional do Jaú), 44Ψ; idem (Ramal do Olímpio, 023923S; 605544W), 4ɗ; Novo Aripuanã, 15Ψ; idem (Igarapé Arauazinho, 061744 S, 602130W), 23Ψ; Presidente Figueiredo, 6ɗ, 5Ψ; São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Morro dos Seis Lagos), 20Ψ; São Paulo de Olivença, 1Ψ; Santa Izabel do Rio Negro (Maturacá), 3Ψ; Tabatinga, 10Ψ; Tefé (São Mateus), 5Ψ; Tonantins, 3Ψ; Uarini (030257 S, 654142W), 2ɗ, 7Ψ; [Without locality] (Resex Unini, Lago Três Bocas, 013456S, 625828W), 21Ψ; idem, (Rio Juruá, Mineralzinho, 03340585S; 665915W), 10ɗ, 19Ψ; idem, (Rio Urubu- 0210S; 5949W), 2ɗ, 4Ψ; idem, (Rio Nhamundá, 013511S, 573732W), 3Ψ; idem, (CEPLAC, 30km NE de Manaus), 1ɗ, 1Ψ; Pará: Belém, 5Ψ; Benevides, 6Ψ; Chaves ( Ilha Caviana), 3Ψ; Italtuba, 3Ψ; Maraã, 3Ψ; Marajó, 3Ψ; Melgaço Caxiuanã (ECFPn), 7ɗ, 27Ψ; Monte Dourado, 4Ψ; Óbidos, 9Ψ; Oriximiná, 2ɗ, 1Ψ; Santarém, 2Ψ; Serra Norte, 4Ψ; Tucuruí, 2ɗ, 2Ψ; Viseu (Fazenda Ema), 6Ψ; [without district] (Rio Trombetas), 8Ψ; idem (Rio Nhamundá), 2Ψ; Maranhão: A. Parnaíba (Balneário Brejo do Campo), 8Ψ; Alto Turiaçu, 1Ψ; Araguanã (Reserva Indígena Awaguajá), 11Ψ; Carolina (P. Campo Grande) , 6Ψ; Caxias (Reserva Inhamum), 215Ψ; Mirador (Parque Estadual do Mirador), 65Ψ; São P. Água Branca (Fazenda Santa Rosa), 1Ψ; Tuntum (Povoado Cigano), 1Ψ; Vila Nova dos Martírios (Fazenda Jurema), 57Ψ; Acre: Cruzeiro do Sul (Rio Moa, 073702S; 724615W), 29Ψ; Porto Acre, 1Ψ; Rio Branco, 1Ψ; Rondônia: Ariquemes, 2Ψ; Nova Mamoré (Parque Estadual de Guajará Mirim), 10Ψ; Ouro Preto do Oeste (Rio Boa Vista), 1ɗ, 2Ψ; Mato Grosso: Bento Mascarenhas (Reserva Humboldt), 2Ψ; Goiás: Alto Paraíso (Chapada dos Veadeiros), 1Ψ; Minas Gerais: Passos, 1ɗ; Espírito Santo: Conceição da Barra, 1Ψ; Linhares (Reserva Vale do Rio doce, 190905 S, 400410W), 4Ψ; São Paulo: Caraguatatuba, 1Ψ; Cássia dos Coqueiros, 1Ψ; Cubatão, 1Ψ; Guarujá, 1Ψ; Ilha Bela, 1Ψ; Juquiá, 3Ψ; Porto Cabral, 1Ψ; Ubatuba, 2Ψ; Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, 1Ψ; Macaé (221640S; 414135W), 1Ψ; Tinguá, 1Ψ; Rezende, 1ɗ; Paraná: Fonte Nova, 2Ψ; Morretes, 1ɗ; Santa Catarina: Joinvile, 1ɗ; Rio Grande do sul: Canoas, 1ɗ; PERU. Madre de Dios: Puerto Maldonado (Rio Tambopata), 12Ψ; Huanuco: Tingo Maria, 2ɗ, 5Ψ; BOLIVIA. Depto. Santa Cruz: N. de Chaves (Perseveranci), 1Ψ.

Discussion: C. inanis is, without a doubt, the most problematic species in this genus due to extensive polymorphism and its widespread geographic distribution from Mexico to southern Brazil ( Philip & Fairchild 1956). Here we found similar geographic variation ( Fig. 6 ) and some places have more than one form (overlap). At the beginning of this study, we grouped specimens within C. inanis based on distinct characters that, in the future, we thought may be useful for identifying new species. However, during this study we found that none of the characters was constant and there was overlap among many, and therefore we kept these in C. inanis . Thus, either this species is morphologically variable or probably it is a species complex.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Chlorotabanus inanis (A – C Neotype Ψ; D Ψ; E – H ♂): A – B, E – F, Body (dorsal and lateral views); C and G, Head (frontal view); D, Wing (dorsal view); H, Antenna (lateral view).

FIGURE 6. Chlorotabanus inanis (A – M Ψ): Antennae (lateral view). A, Brazil (MA); B, Brazil (RO); C, Brazil (AM); D, Brazil (RJ); E, Brazil (AM); F, Colombia; G, Costa Rica; H, Venezuela; I, Venezuela; J, Peru; L, Peru; M, Panama.