Paratrichocladius sp.

Namayandeh, Armin, Bilyj, Bohdan, Beresford, David V., Somers, Keith M. & Dillon, Peter J., 2012, 3324, Zootaxa 3324, pp. 1-65 : 38-39

Paratrichocladius sp.

Figs 30A–D

Diagnosis. Head capsule infuscate brown, mentum, mandible posterior margin dark brown; body bluish purple becoming brownish towards the thoracic segments.

Labrum as in Fig. 30A; SI seta bifid; pecten epipharyngis with three narrow scales; premandible with single apical tooth, without brush; antenna ( Fig. 30B) with large LO, AR 1.4; mandible ( Fig. 30C) with outer margin deeply crenulate, seta subdentalis with minute spines at base; mentum ( Fig. 30D) with single median tooth, 1 st lateral rounded apically and somewhat constricted basally, about half the width of median tooth, 2 nd lateral smaller than the 3 rd; VM plates narrow, extended posterolaterally as a darkened plate; setae submenti placed posteriad of VM plates; body setae weak, barely discernible on abdominal segments.

Notes. Morphologically this larva is very similar to Paratrichocladius rufiventris (Meigen) , but it has a dark head capsule, which is yellow to pale brown in the other species. The only other differentiating character may be the strongly crenulate outer margin of the mandible, which is more or less smooth in P. rufiventris . From the three known Nearctic species, including Paratrichocladius skirwithensis (Edwards) and Paratrichocladius nitidus (Malloch) , it may belong to the latter that so far is not known in the larval stage. The larva of P. skirwithensis has a pale head and the setae submenti are at a level anterior to VM plates according to Schmid (1993).

Ecology and habitat. Species occur in cool lentic and lotic habitats ( Epler 2001).

Sampling sites. Muskoka District.

Nearctic distribution. Canada: Ontario.