Pseudosmittia amorimi, 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 : 28-30

Pseudosmittia amorimi sp. n.

( Figs 68–73 )

Type material. Holotype male, BRAZIL: Paraná State, Parque Estadual do Pau Oco, Morretes , 25º34'27.9''S, 48º53'46.7''W, 10–13.iv.2002, Malaise trap (Bosque 2), M.T. Tavares et al. (BRPR29: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( MZUSP) . Paratypes: 1 male, same as holotype except (BRPR28: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( MZUSP) ; 1 male, same as holotype except (BRPR32: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( ZMBN) . 1 male, São Paulo State, Estação Ecológica Juréia- Itatins, Peruíbe , 24º31'06''S, 47º12'06''W, 6.v.2002, Malaise trap (Bosque 9), N.W. Perioto et al. (PEJU13: BIOTA-FAPESP) ( ZMBN) .

Diagnostic characters. The species differs from other members of the genus except P. palpina sp. n. by having reduced palpomeres and sclerotized transverse sternapodeme. It can be separated from P. palpina sp. n. by having costal extension 68–94 µm long and R 4+5 ending distal to apex of Cu 1.

Etymology. Named after Dr. Dalton S. Amorim, head of the BIOTA-FAPESP project (03/12074–9), for making the material from the project available to us.

Male (n = 3–4, except when otherwise stated). Total length 1.07–1.20 mm. Wing length 0.70–0.83, 0.74 mm. Total length / wing length 1.44–1.61. Wing length / length of profemur 2.89–3.33, 3.01.

Coloration. Thorax and abdomen brown, legs pale brown.

Head. AR 0.28–0.44, 0.37, ultimate flagellomere 101–158, 125 µm long; one specimen with one antenna with 12 flagellomeres, AR 0.42, ultimate flagellomere 133 µm long. Temporal setae 4–6, 5; including 2–4, 3 inner verticals; 1–2, 2 outer verticals and 0–3, 1 postorbitals. Clypeus with 4–6, 5 setae. Tentorium, stipes and cibarial pump as in Figure 68 . Tentorium 45–73, 60 µm long; 10–12, 11 µm wide. Stipes 57 (1) µm long, 23 (1) µm wide. Palpomere ( Fig. 69 ) lengths (in µm): 12–15, 14; 15–18, 17; 28–30; 23–25; 30–33. Third palpomere with 3–4 lanceolate sensilla clavata, longest 11–14 µm long.

Thorax ( Fig. 70 ). Median antepronotal lobes reduced; antepronotum with 0–2, 1 lateral seta. Dorsocentrals 3–7, 5; acrostichals 2; prealars 2–3, 3; supraalar absent. Scutellum with 4 setae.

Wing ( Fig. 71 ). Wing cuneiform. Cu 1 curved. R 4+5 ending far proximal to apex of M 3+4. VR 1.34–1.76, 1.50. Costal extension 68–94 µm long. Brachiolum with 1–2, 1 seta, other veins bare.

Legs. Spur of fore tibia 21–25, 23 µm long; spurs of mid tibia 14–23 (2) µm and 11–16 (2) µm long; of hind tibia 25–29 (2) µm and 14–16 µm long. Comb with 8–10 setae, longest 18–20 µm long, shortest 13–16 µm long. Width at apex of fore tibia 14–16, 15 µm; of mid tibia 16 (2) µm; of hind tibia 18–21 µm. Length and proportions of legs as in Table 9.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 72–73 ). Anal point bluntly triangular, 13–16, 14 µm long; 14 µm wide at base; with 4– 11, 7 setae. Tergite IX with 0–2, 1 additional setae. Laterosternite IX with 0–2, 1 setae. Phallapodeme 45–54, 48 µm long. Transverse sternapodeme 47–50 µm long, without oral projections. Virga 3–6, 4 µm long; apparently without lateral lamellae. Gonocoxite 93–104, 100 µm long. Superior volsella low, rounded. Inferior volsella broadly rounded, 17–23, 20 µm wide, reaching to 0.66–0.74, 0.69 gonocoxite length. Gonostylus 48–52, 50 µm long, strongly curved; crista dorsalis apparently lacking; megaseta 4–6, 5 µm long. HR 1.78–2.19, 2.00. HV 2.14–2.34.

Distribution and biology. The species is known from two nature reserves in São Paulo and Paraná States in Brazil where it was collected in Malaise traps in areas with Mata Atlântica forest at altitudes varying from sea level up to about 600 m a.s.l.

Figures

FIGURES 68–73. Pseudosmittia amorimi sp. n., male. 68—tentorium, stipes, and cibarial pump; 69—palp; 70—thorax; 71—wing; 72—anal point and tergite IX and dorsal aspect of left gonocoxite and gonostylus; 73—hypopygium with anal point and tergite IX removed, dorsal aspect to the left, ventral aspect to the right.