Culicoides asiatica Bellis

Bellis, Glenn, Dyce, Alan, Gopurenko, David, Yanase, Tohru, Garros, Claire, Labuschagne, Karien & Mitchell, Andrew, 2014, Revision of the Culicoides (Avaritia) Imicola complex Khamala & Kettle (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Australasian region, Zootaxa 3768 (4), pp. 401-427 : 407-413

Culicoides asiatica Bellis sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 4, 5 , 12, 15, 18 , 21, 25, 28, 31 , 34–36, 43)

Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer (misident.) Kitaoka 1984 (in key); Henna et al. 1991, Wada et al. 1996 ( Japan records); Lien et al. 1998 ( Taiwan record); Matsumoto et al. 2009 (COI and COII sequence); Yanase et al. 2011 (Kyushu record), Yanase et al. 2013 (larval COI).

Type material examined. Holotype: Japan: Kagoshima, Minamikyushu, 31°19’N; 130°23’E, 11.Sept.2009, T. Yanase, (female, NMNS), Paratypes: same data as holotype (1 female NTQIC); Okinawa, Yonaguni, Feb.2005, T. Yanase, (3 females, NTQIC), Okinawa, Nakijin, 26°41'N; 127°56'E, 9.Dec.2010, T. Yanase (2 males, NTQIC, 1 male NMNS, 2 males KRSC), Kagoshima, Kanoya, 31°27'N; 130°49'E, 16.Oct.2009, T. Yanase, (1 female NMNS, 2 females NTQIC, 2 females KRSC); Okinawa, Yonaguni Is, 16.Nov.1974 Lt.tp. S. Kitaoka (4 females, ANIC); Timor Leste, Surucraic, 9.05583°S; 125.5444°E, 15.Nov.2001, Lt Tp, E. Watkins, (1 female, NTQIC); 4km.N. Same, Lt Tp 24.Aug.1969, D. Nicholls (1 female ANIC). Indonesia: Lombok, Tabane, East Lombok, 20.Oct.1969, DG. Nicholls (1 female, ANIC), West Timor, Kupang, Quarantine Station, Ov. Cattle L.T. 7.Feb.1989, HA. Standfast (1 female, ANIC). Malaysia: Ipoh, Light Trap, 31.May.1978, CS. Shanta, (8 females, ANIC), Ipoh, 7.Dec.1977, S. Kitaoka (2 males, ANIC); Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Aug 1958, R. Traub, light (2 females, ANIC), Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, March 1958, R. Traub, light (1 female, ANIC); Laos: Vientiane, Hatsayfong, Lt Tp. Aug.2010, P. Soysouvanh (1 female, NTQIC). Thailand: Phangnga, Pulau Panjang, 17.Nov.1954, cowshed - night, DH. Colless (1 female, ANIC); TaLee Dist. 8– 9.June.1959, manop, col. light (1 male, ANIC).

Diagnosis. Female: The only species in the Imicola complex with the combination of wing with apical pale marking in cell m1 not narrowed apically and either touching or approaching vein M2 at wing margin, proximal dark marking on costa distinctly longer than stigmatic dark spot and apical third to half of cell r2 included in poststigmatic pale spot. Male: The only species in the Imicola complex with the combination of wing with apical pale marking in cell m1 not narrowed apically and touching vein M2 at wing margin and proximal dark marking on costa distinctly greater than twice as long as the stigmatic dark spot.

Description. Adults: In addition to characters listed in the diagnosis, eyes bare in both sexes; palpus ( Fig. 12 ) pale brown with 3rd segment slightly swollen medially with a round shallow pit with a diameter of about half the width of 3rd segment bearing emergent, capitate sensilla; legs ( Fig. 18 ) pale brown, fore & mid femora with weak apical pale bands, hind femora dark to apex, all tibiae with pale basal bands and unbanded apex; haltere pale. Male hypopygium (Fig. 34) with ventral membrane of ninth sternite bare.

Immatures. Unknown.

Distribution. ( Fig. 43 ) Japan, Taiwan, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (Lombok, West Timor) and Timor Leste.

Biology. Takayoshi et al. (1994), Goto et al. (2004) and Yanase et al. (2010) detected bluetongue virus from field-collected females of this species (reported as C. brevitarsis ) in Japan. Yanase et al. (2011) reported collecting large numbers of this species (as C. brevitarsis ) in light traps set at cowsheds near pasture. Label data of specimens examined herein and molecular analysis of larvae ( Yanase et al. 2013) indicates that C. asiatica breeds in discrete cattle dung pats.

Remarks. The presence of a species morphologically similar to C. brevitarsis in Asia prompted the need to reassess the status of the junior synonyms of C. brevitarsis in Asia, namely C. radicitus and C. superfulvus . Unfortunately, the holotype specimens of both of these species have been lost ( Dyce 1979, Dyce & Wirth 1983) but the neotype male of C. radicitus designated by Wirth & Hubert (1989) and the cotype female of C. superfulvus designated by Dyce & Wirth (1983) were kindly loaned by the USNM. Based on the relative lengths of the first two dark markings on the costa of these two specimens ( Fig. 10 and 11 ), they are both referable to the current definition of C. brevitarsis and thus remain as junior synonyms of this species.

The extensive geographical sympatry between C. brevitarsis and C. asiatica does not allow reliable interpretation of many previously published studies on C. brevitarsis senso lato in Asia. The record of Lien et al. (1998) of C. brevitarsis from Taiwan is supported by a wing photograph which clearly shows that the first costal dark spot is longer than the stigmatic dark spot and this specimen is consequently referable to C. asiatica . Similarly, illustration of the wing of C. brevitarsis from China provided by Yu et al. (2005) is indeed referable to that species although it is not clear if the specimen illustrated is from An Hui , Hainan or Taiwan as all three localities are listed by Yu et al. (2005). Specimens examined herein indicate that C. brevitarsis senso stricto is present in Hainan but the presence of this species in Taiwan and An Hui requires confirmation.

All specimens examined herein from Japan, including representatives from the populations studied by Matsumoto et al. (2009) and Yanase et al. (2010; 2011; 2013), are referable to C. asiatica so it is reasonable to assume that all reports from Japan previously attributed to C. brevitarsis should be referred to C. asiatica . Workers in this region however need to be vigilant for the presence of C. brevitarsis in future studies. All specimens examined from Australia, PNG and the Pacific are referable to C. brevitarsis and any work reported from this region remain referable to that species. The presence of C. asiatica in nearby Indonesia and Timor Leste however, warns that care should be taken when identifying specimens from this region.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Culicoides (Avaritia) Imicola complex species. C. asiatica Bellis sp. n., 1, female eye separation; 4, female wing; 5, male wing. C. brevitarsis Kieffer, 2, female eye separation; 6, female wing; 7, male wing. C. nudipalpis Delfinado 3, female eye separation; 8, female wing; 9, male wing. 10, C. superfulvus Das Gupta cotype female wing. 11 C. radicitus Delfinado neotype male wing.

FIGURES 12 – 20. Female Culicoides (Avaritia) Imicola complex species. C. asiatica Bellis sp. n., 12, palpus; 15, mandibular teeth; 18, legs. C. brevitarsis Kieffer, 13, palpus; 16, mandibular teeth; 19, legs. C. nudipalpis Delfinado, 14, palpus; 17, mandibular teeth; 20, legs.

FIGURES 21 – 33. Culicoides (Avaritia) Imicola complex species. C. asiatica Bellis sp. n., 21, female antenna; 25, male antenna; 28, female tibial comb; 31, female spermathecae. C. brevitarsis Kieffer, 22, female antenna; 24, female antennal flagellomere 6; 26, male antenna; 29, female tibial comb; 32, female spermathecae. C. nudipalpis Delfinado, 23, female antenna; 27, male antenna; 30, female tibial comb; 33, female spermathecae.

FIGURES 43 – 45. Distribution of Culicoides (Avaritia) Imicola complex species. 43. C. asiatica Bellis sp. n. based on specimen data and published records (Lien et al. 1998; Henna et al. 1991, Wada et al. 1996; Yanase et al. 2011). 44. C. brevitarsis Kieffer based on specimen data, NAMP records and published records (Yu et al. 2005). 45. C. nudipalpis Delfinado based on specimen data and published records (Delfinado 1961; Wirth & Hubert 1989; Sukarsih et al. 1993; Lien et al. 1998).