Polypedilum

Saether, Ole A., Andersen, Trond, Pinho, Luiz C. & Mendes, Humberto F., 2010, The problems with Polypedilum Kieffer (Diptera: Chironomidae), with the description of Probolum subgen. n., Zootaxa 2497, pp. 1-36 : 13

Polypedilum subgenus Tripodura Townes

Tripodura Townes, 1945: 36 .

Kribiotima Kieffer, 1921a: 274 .

Kribiophilus Kieffer, 1921c: 30 ; 1921b: 98; 1922: 43.

Type species

Polypedilum (Tripodura) simulans Townes Polypedilum (Tripodura) simulans Townes, 1945: 43 .

Diagnostic characters. The male imagines of the subgenus either have a broad and often club-shaped superior volsella without an apical projection, or trifid anal point or lateral teeth or shoulders to each side of the anal point or both. The wings often have dark markings and no setae on the wing membrane except for one Afrotropical and two Neotropical species. The anal point is often broad. The superior volsella is almost always covered with microtrichia and normally has setae on distal parts of the outer and inner margin.

Female imagines can be distinguished by the lobes of gonapophysis VIII, of which the dorsomesal lobe is clearly longer than the ventrolateral and straight spermathecal ducts, usually combined with strong wing markings.

Pupae of the subgenus have dorsal setae on the anal lobe; sometimes numerous branches in the thoracic horn; often well-developed cephalic tubercles; sometimes frontal tubercles present and usually with longitudinal anal combs.

Larvae of the subgenus have a long antennal blade reaching well beyond the flagellum. Antennal segment 3 is at most one-third the length of segment 2, antennal segments 3–5 are sometimes all reduced. Normally the first lateral teeth of the mentum are much shorter than the median and second lateral teeth. The ventromental plates sometimes have well developed posterior lobes.

Remarks. A case must be prepared for the ICZN for the priority of Tripodura as a subgeneric name.