Simulium (Psilopelmia) callidum (Dyar & Shannon)

HERNÁNDEZ, LUIS MIGUEL, SHELLEY, ANTHONY JOHN, DE LUNA DIAS, ANTONIO PAULINO ANDRADE & MAIA-HERZOG, MARILZA, 2007, New specific synonymies and taxonomic notes on Neotropical black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) belonging to the subgenera Chirostilbia Enderlein, Hemicnetha Enderlein, Inaequalium Coscarón & Wygodzinsky, Psaroniocompsa Enderlein and Psilopelmia Enderlein, Zootaxa 1506 (1), pp. 1-80 : 26

Simulium (Psilopelmia) callidum (Dyar & Shannon)

( Figs. 47, 48 , 93 , 111 , 160, 161 )

Simulium callidum Dyar & Shannon, 1927: 16 . HOLOTYPE ♀, MEXICO: Veracruz State, Córdoba , 16.iii.1908, (F. Knab) (USNM, cat no. 28677) [Examined.]

Simulium mooseri Dampf, 1928: 127 . SYNTYPES ♀, MEXICO: Oaxaca, Tiltepec, [Collection date unknown.], (Larumbe) [Depository unknown.] [Synonymy by Bequaert, 1934: 211.]

Simulium costaricensis Smart, 1944: 132 . HOLOTYPE ♀, COSTA RICA, [Without locality or date.], (A. Heyne) (NHUM) [Replacement name for Acropogon rufidorsum Enderlein, 1936: 119 ; preoccupied by Psilopelmia rufidorsum Enderlein, 1934a: 289 described from Peru.] [Examined.]. New synonymy.

The taxonomy of S. callidum and its junior synonym S. mooseri has been reviewed in Shelley et al. (2002), who provided a description of the female, male and pupa and discussed it biology and distribution in Belize. Since then we have been able to examine primary types of some Neotropical simuliid species described by Enderlein and have the following comments to make. Acropogon rufidorsum was described by Enderlein (1936) based on a single female collected in Costa Rica by V. Heyne. No further data were given in the original description. Smart (1944) concluded that the name rufidorsum was preoccupied in Simulium Latreille as it also applies to S. rufidorsum [as Psilopelmia rufidorsum ] described by Enderlein (1934a) from Peru. In order to avoid homonymy within Simulium Smart (1944) then proposed a new name Simulium costaricensis for the female collected in Costa Rica, which Crosskey & Howard (2004) listed as unplaced to subgenus. Subsequently, Vargas in 1945 also recognized this homonymy and gave the name S. costarricence . We have examined the holotype of this species, which is deposited in the NHUM. The specimen is in relatively good condition, but with one wing and both hind legs missing (Material Examined). The abdomen has been dissected, probably by Peter H. Adler, and it is in a small vial with glycerine attached to the pin before being dissected and the genitalia transferred to a slide by L.M.Hernández. We have taken digital images of the thorax prior dissection of the head, one wing, and remaining legs, which are now together with the genitalia and abdomen on a slide. The thorax remains pinned. The thoracic pattern ( Figs. 47, 48 ), nudiocular area ( Fig. 93 ), cibarium ( Fig. 111 ), leg coloration, wing setation and morphology of the genitalia ( Figs. 160, 161 ) [the gonapophyses were not visible after final mounting of the abdomen on the slide] fall within the morphological variation of S. callidum . Therefore, we consider the two names as synonymous. The species described as Psilopelmia rufidorsum by Enderlein (1934a) from Peru was later synonymized with S. escomeli Roubaud by Vargas & Díaz Nájera (1953). Coscarón (1987) inadvertently placed S. costaricense Smart [new name for Acropogon rufidorsum Enderlein ] as a synonym of S. escomeli instead of S. rufidorsum [as Psilopelmia rufidorsum Enderlein ]. This was subsequently corrected in Coscarón (1991).

Shelley et al. (2002) suggested the morphological closeness of S. pseudocallidum Díaz Nájera (1965) to S. callidum . Simulium pseudocallidum was described by Díaz Nájera (1965) based on females, males, pupae and larvae collected in Avándaro, Valle de Bravo, 1800 m on 12–13.xii.1956 by A. Díaz Nájera & A. Rodriguez Salgado. The holotype was said to have been deposited in INDRE, but we have been unable to obtain type material from this source for this study. We have consulted the original description of this species and examined the paper of Coscarón et al. (1996) in which they distinguished S. pseudocallidum from S. callidum on various characters in all life stages. Although we think that these are all relatively minor differences that need more detailed investigation, we prefer at this juncture to maintain S. pseudocallidum as a valid species in the subgenus Psilopelmia .

The female of S. callidum can be easily recognized by the presence of 1+1 curved, silvery white, submedian bands extending from the anterior margin of the scutum for three quarters the length of the scutum, thereby forming a lyre-shaped pattern (see also Shelley et al., 2000). Simulium callidum is a relatively common species in Central America, where it is largely zoophilic ( Dalmat, 1955), but it will bite man below the waist in relatively small numbers ( Shelley et al. 2000). The species is mainly confined to Central America being recorded in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panamá and El Salvador ( Coscarón, 1987; Coscarón et al., 1996; Crosskey & Howard, 1997). The record for Venezuela in Crosskey & Howard (1997) stems from Vulcano (1981) and needs verification because Ramírez Pérez (1983) in his revision of the Simuliidae of Venezuela does not include this species for this country and that for Colombia has not been confirmed (see Shelley et al., 2002).

Figures

PLATE 4. FIGURES 45–58. Colour patterns of the female thorax. For each species first figure is with anterior illumination and second figure with posterior illumination. 45, 46: S. minuanum paratype; 47, 48: S. costaricensis holotype; 49, 50: S. stellatum holotype; 51, 52: S. spinifer holotype; 53, 54: S. spinifer paratype; 55, 56: S. hoffmani lectotype; 57, 58: S. sicuani lectotype.

PLATE 6. FIGURES 79–96. Female nudiocular area. 79: Thyrsopelma striginotum holotype; 80: S. pillosum holotype; 81: S. dekeyseri paratype; 82: S. acarayense paratype; 83: Trichodagmia manicata lectotype; 84: Thyrsopelma argentata holotype; 85: S. clarki paratype; 86: S. subnigrum (Brazil); 87: Psaroniocompsa opalinifrons holotype; 88: S. jujuyense (Argentina); 89: S. auripellitum holotype; 90: Pliodasina guttata holotype; 91: S. bonaerense paratype; 92: S. minuanum paratype; 93: S. costaricensis holotye; 94: S. spinifer holotype; 95: S. hoffmani lectotype; 96: S. sicuani lectotype.

PLATE 7. FIGURES 97–114. Female cibarium. 97: Thyrsopelma striginotum holotype; 98: S. pillosum holotype; 99: S. dekeyseri paratype; 100: S. acarayense paratype; 101: Trichodagmia manicata lectotype; 102: Thyrsopelma argentata holotype; 103: S. clarki paratype; 104: S. subnigrum (Brazil); 105: Psaroniocompsa opalinifrons holotype; 106: S. jujuyense (Argentina); 107: S. auripellitum holotype; 108: Pliodasina guttata holotype; 109: S. bonaerense paratype; 110: S. minuanum paratype; 111: S. costaricensis holotye; 112: S. spinifer holotype; 113: S. hoffmani lectotype; 114: S. sicuani lectotype.

PLATE 11. FIGURES 157–170. Female genitalia (cercus and pararprocts, eighth sternite and gonopophyses). 157– 159: S. minuanum paratype; 160–161: S. costaricensis holotye; 162–164: S spinifer holotype; 165–167: S. hoffmani lectotype; 168–170: S. sicuani lectotype.