Centroptella (Crassolus?) bifida ( Shi & Tong 2019 ), 2020

Kluge, Nikita J., 2021, Review of Centroptella Braasch & Soldán 1980 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae), Zootaxa 5054 (1), pp. 1-144 : 94

2.6. Centroptella (Crassolus?) bifida ( Shi & Tong 2019)

( Fig. 421 )

Bungona (Chopralla) bifida Shi & Tong 2019: 578 (larva);

Centroptella bifida: Kluge, Godunko & Svitok 2020: 92 .

Distribution. China.

Comments. Centroptella bifida is known as larvae only. According to the original description, its larvae differ from others as «submarginal setae on labrum are forked apically» ( Shi & Tong 2019: 578, 584, fig. 37). Actually, these setae are bifurcate in some other species as well, particularly in C. ingridae ( Fig. 395 ), which in the same paper by Shi & Tong (2019) was redescribed under the name « Bungona (Chopralla) liebenauae » and told to have «labrum surface with simple submarginal setae» ( Shi & Tong 2019: 584).

Form of right prostheca (pressed to kinetodontium and lacking long process) suggests that C. bifida belongs either to Chopralla , or to Crassolus . Male larvae used for the original description, are not mature enough to have subimaginal gonostyli, so their pose is unknown (Xiaoli Tong, personal communication). Judging by the presence of denticles on posterior margins of abdominal terga II–X and the presence of setal rows (j) on abdominal sterna III–VI ( Shi & Tong 2019: 578), C. bifida probably belongs to Crassolus .

Judging by the picture provided by Xiaoli Tong ( Fig. 421 ), hypodermal coloration of mature male larva is limited by reddish stripes on posterior margins of abdominal terga, that clearly separates this species from such representatives of Crassolus , as C. ludmilae , C. pontica , C. inzingae and C. saxophila , whose males have more extensive hypodermal coloration on abdominal terga.

Figures

FIGURE 421. Centroptella (Crassolus?) bifida, mature male larva (photo by Xiaoli Tong).

FIGURES 395–398. Centroptella (Crassolus) ingridae, larva. 395, labrum (SEM picture by R. Godunko); 396–397, left and right mandibles; 398, male abdominal terga with reddish and orange hypodermal coloration visible through cuticle.