Polypedilum (Tripodura), Townes, 1945

Mukherjee, Bindarika, Ray, Namrata, Mukherjee, Arka, Naskar, Atanu & Banerjee, Dhriti, 2024, First report of acifer group of the subgenus Tripodura Townes (Diptera: Chironomidae: Polypedilum) from India, with a new species and updated world checklist, Zootaxa 5512 (4), pp. 531-552 : 541

Key to the Indian male species of the subgenus Tripodura Townes, 1945

1. Anal point poorly developed, elongation extremely reduced (Oriental China and India)................................................................................................ .. P. (T). conghuaense Zhang & Wang, 2016

– Anal point well developed.............................................................................. 2

2(1). Superior volsella large................................................................................. 3

– Superior volsella short................................................................................. 4

3(2). Superior volsella cylindrical with uniform width, having 2–4 setae subapically and submedially ( India).......................................................................... P. (T). chaudhurii Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

– Superior volsella narrow and sickle shaped without uniform width, having 1 seta submedially ( India)... P. (T). prolixus sp. n.

4(2). Superior volsella subtriangular with 3 spines ( India, Bhutan, Egypt, France, Germany, Romania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Niger, Sudan and Sweden)..................................................... P. (T). aegyptium Kieffer, 1925

– Superior volsella without spines.......................................................................... 5

5(4). Anal point tongue-like, medially constricted ( Egypt, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Tanzania, Australia and India)................................................................................... P. (T). griseoguttatum Kieffer, 1921

– Anal point variable shaped.............................................................................. 6

6(5). Anal point hood-like and inverted ( India)....................... P. (T). albipalpum Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

– Anal point paralled-sided............................................................................... 7

7(6). Anal point with pointed apex............................................................................ 8

– Anal point with rounded or blunt apex.................................................................... 10

8(7). Tergite IX with strong lateral projections ( India)................. P. (T). tripunctum Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

– Tergite IX without lateral projections...................................................................... 9

9(8). Anal tergite with median setae; superior volsella with long setae ( India, Pakistan, South Africa, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo)......................................................... P. (T). annulatipes ( Kieffer, 1910)

– Anal tergite band without median setae; superior volsella with numerous short setae ( India)..................................................................................... P. (T). numerum Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

10(7). Tergite IX without lateral projections; inferior volsella cylindrical shaped ( India and China)..................................................................................... P. (T). lineatum Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

– Tergite IX with lateral projections; inferior volsella variable shaped............................................ 11

11(10). Tergite IX with strong lateral projection; inferior volsella broad apically ( India)..............................................................................................… P. (T). lucidum Chaudhuri, Guha & Dasgupta, 1981

– Tergite IX with weak lateral projection; inferior volsella pointed at apex ( India, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Africa and Zimbabwe)........................................................... P. (T). pruina Freeman, 1954