Simulium (Montisimulium) polyprominulum Chen and Lian

Han-Bin, Chen, Guo-Sheng, Lian & Chun-Lin, Zhang, 2011, A faunal summary of Simulium (Montisimulium) with descriptions of five new species from China (Diptera: Simuliidae), Zootaxa 3017, pp. 51-68 : 57-58

Simulium (Montisimulium) polyprominulum Chen and Lian , sp. nov.

( Figs.14–19 )

Female. Body length 3.8 mm.Wing length 3.0 mm.

Head. Slightly narrower than thorax. Vertex and frons black with several dark hairs; Clypeus black, greydusted. Frontal ratio 7.9:4.6:6.2. Frons-head ratio 7.9:26.4. Antenna composed of 2+9 segments, brown except scape brownish yellow; 1st flagellomere about 1.5 times as long as 2nd one. Maxillary palp blackish, with 5 segments?proportional length of 3rd to 5th segments 4.8:5.3:13.2; 3rd segment somewhat enlarged?sensory vesicle elongate, about 0.65 length of respective segment. Maxilla with about 12 teeth on each side. Cibarium bare.

Thorax. Scutum brownish black, not shiny and densely covered with golden pubescence as well as sparse erect black hairs on prescutellar area. Scutellum brownish black with some black hairs. Postscutellum brown and bare. Pleural membrane and katepisterum bare. Legs: Fore coxa and trochanter pale, whereas mid and hind ones brown. All femora pale, except distal 1/4–1/3 of each brown. All tibiae brown with median large portion pale. All tarsi brown expect hind basitarsus and basal 1/3 of second tarsomere pale. Fore basitarsus slender, cylindrical, about 9.0 times as long as wide. Hind basitarsus parallel sided, about 7.5 times as long as wide. Calcipala and pedisulcus moderately developed. Each claw with sharp basal tooth ca. 1/3 length of claw. Wing: Costa with 2 rows of short spines as well as hairs. Subcosta hairy. Basal section of radius fully haired. Base of radius with a tuft of brown hairs.

Abdomen. Basal scale brown with fringe of yellowish brown hairs. Terga dark brown except 2nd segment pale. Genitalia: Sternite 8 with a lot of long hairs on each side. Anterior gonapophyses nearly triangular; inner margins narrowly sclerotized. Genital fork with sclerotized slender stem; arms each with a strong sclerotized posterolateral ridge but devoid of any projection. Paraproct produced ventrally. Cercus of moderate size. Spermatheca elliptical and with weak pattern.

Male. Unknown.

Pupa. Body length about 4.0 mm.

Head and thorax. Integument yellowish brown, densely covered with tubercles. Trichomes all simple and very minute. Gill 10-filamented, approximately 2/3 length of pupal body, arranged in groups of 2+4+4 from dorsal to ventral; all filaments widely divergent and tapering distally and with conspicuous tubercles as well as minute ones.

Abdomen. Arrangement of setae, spines and hooks of dorsal and ventral surfaces of abdomen similar to those of S. (M.) xinzhouense sp. nov. Cocoon: Very characteristic in shape, posterior 1/2 tightly woven, but anterior 2/3 with many interspaces or windows and anterior margin with 4–6 irregular anterodorsal projections.

Mature larva. Unknown.

Type materials. Holotype Ƥ, reared from pupa, slide-mounted, collected on stone in a small stream at Luya Mountain (38° 64ʹN, 112°60ʹ E; 1600m). Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. 19 July 2007. Paratypes: 2 pupae, same data as holotype by Lian Guo-sheng.

Distribution. Shanxi Province, China.

Remarks. This new species also belongs to Simulium (Montisimulium) . Although the male and larva are unknown, the shape of the pupal cocoon is characteristic. This character is shared by S. (M.) hailuogouense Chen et al. 2005 from Sichuan, China, but the latter species differs in the genital fork with prominent projections directed forwards in the female, and by having 12 filaments arranged in groups of 2+5+ 5 in the pupa.

Etymology. The specific name was given for the shape of the pupal cocoon.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 19. S. (M.) polyprominulum Chen and Lian, sp. nov. 14. Female genitalia; 15. Female cibarium; 16. Female sensory vesicle; 17. Claw of female; 18. Cocoon in dorsal view; 19. Filaments.