Micropsectra freyi, STORA, 1945

Stur, Elisabeth & Ekrem, Torbjørn, 2006, A revision of West Palaearctic species of the Micropsectra atrofasciata species group (Diptera: Chironomidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4), pp. 165-225 : 192

MICROPSECTRA FREYI STORÅ

Micropsectra freyi Storå, 1945: 31 . Lectotype £ by present designation (ZMUH) Portugal, the Azores, San Jorge, Ribeira Funda , 16–23.vi.1938, R. Frey; 9 paralectotype ££ as lectotype [all examined].

Additional material examined

1$ ( ZMUH) as lectotype; 1£ ( ZMUH) Portugal, San Jorge , Ribeira Salto, 18–23.vi.1938, R. Frey .

Diagnostic characters

Micropsectra freyi can be separated from other species in the atrofasciata group by the following combination of characters: Adult male with AR c. 0.5; frontal tubercles minute to very small; pulvilli present, minute, reaching base of claws; anal point well developed, thin towards apex, anal crests ending far from anal point apex, knob between crests absent; superior volsella with field of microtrichia on stem, setiger small, roundish with dorsoapical tubercle, several long microtrichia ventrally on setiger anterior to base of digitus; digitus long, apically pointed, usually reaching past posteromedian margin of superior volsella; median volsella long, parallel sided, reaching well beyond superior volsella, apically pointed, with about 30 dorsomedially directed spoon-shaped lamellae on distal half, setiform lamellae along whole length medially.

Description

Adult male. Measurements and ratios in Table 1.

Coloration: Body pale brownish with brown eyes, thorax with somewhat darker scutum.

Head. Antenna with 13 flagellomeres. Frontal tubercles present, minute to small (2–10, 5 µm); temporal setae in one row; palpomere three with c. 5 sensilla clavata in row apically.

Wing. Subcosta bare, media bare or with 1 basal seta, brachiolum with 2 setae, squama bare; cell m with 48–70, 60 setae.

Legs. Pulvilli present, minute, reaching base of claws. Fore tibia with small scale, 15–25, 22 µm long spur; middle and hind tibial combs, respectively, 15–20, 18 and 15–25, 20 µm long; middle tarsomere Ta 1 with 0–1 sensillum chaeticum.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 10A, B ). Anal tergite with tergite bands separate, posteriorly directed, not reaching crests of anal point; 4–6, 5 median tergite setae placed on a low hump anterior to anal point base; 10–13, 11 ventral apical setae. Anal point comparatively delicate with long, pointed apex; high, slightly curved anal crests ending far from apex of anal point; knob between crests absent; large microtrichia free area around base. Setiger of superior volsella small, roundish with dorsoapical tubercle, 5–6 dorsal and 2–3 median setae on setiger, 1 strong seta on stem; field of dorsal microtrichia on stem and several long microtrichae ventrally on setiger, anterior to base of digitus. Digitus long, apically pointed, reaching beyond median margin of superior volsella. Median volsella comparatively long, parallel sided, pointed, with medially directed setiform and spoon-shaped lamellae, c. 30 spoon-shaped lamellae on distal 1/2; stem reaching well beyond superior volsella. Inferior volsella with small dorsoapical swelling, distal half with square median margin, bearing numerous distal setae. Inner margin of gonocoxite with 3–4 strong setae.

Pupa and larva unknown.

Remarks

The collection in Helsinki contains 12 Micropsectra specimens from the Azores. Eleven are labelled ‘Ribeira Funda 16.23.VI’, one is labelled ‘Ribeira Salto 18.23.VI’. Storå (1945) only mentioned six male specimens from Ribeira Funda, 16.VI in the original description, but although two males are missing the hypopygium (possibly indicating that they were used to produce the drawings), there is no indication on the labels specimen’s labels or in the text which six specimens these were. All specimens are conspecific. The labelling of all specimens from Ribeira Funda is identical, and Storå was probably aware of their existance when describing M. freyi , thus we regard all the males from Ribeira Funda, labelled ‘16.23.VI’ as part of the type series (ICZN, 1999: article 74.1.1). One specimen is selected lectotype to stabilize nomenclature. The specimen from Ribeira Salto possibly was used in Storå’s description of M. subviridis Goetghebuer , and therefore is not considered part of the type material. The species has been recorded from the Azores and Madeira only ( Freeman, 1959).

Figures

Figure 10. Micropsectra freyi. A, hypopygium. B, superior, median and inferior volsellae.