Thienemanniella spreta

Wiedenbrug, Sofia, Lamas, Carlos E. & Trivinho-Strixino, Susana, 2013, A review of Neotropical species in Thienemanniella Kieffer (Diptera, Chironomidae), Zootaxa 3670 (2), pp. 215-237 : 222

The Thienemanniella spreta species group

The examination of the material of T. sanctivincenta Saether , T. liae Paggi , T. sancticaroli sp. n. and T. ubatuba sp. n. revealed that all four species are very similar. Small differences are found in the pupae or larvae. Due to the high similarity in several life stages, we suggest these species to represent a probably monophyletic group. Besides the four species already mentioned, more material examined from the neotropics is included in this species group. Possibly this material includes undescribed species, but complete associations and more material are necessary to assure species diagnosis in this very homogeneous group.

In the Nearctic key ( Hestenes & Saether 2000), the species of the T. spreta group run to T. taurocapita Hestenes & Saether. The male, pupa and larva of this Nearctic species fit the T. spreta group as defined here. According to the original description, the diagnostic features of T. taurocapita males are the basally flattened third palpomere and the two megasetae on the gonostylus.

The Asian species Thienemanniella ginzanquerea Sasa & Suzuki sensu Fu et al. (2010b) seems to belong to the T. spreta group as well, but immature stages are required to evaluate this relationship.

According to Langton and Visser (2003), long spinules on pupal abdominal sternite II are found in the West Palaearctic exuvial morphotype Thienemanniella Pe 4.

Material examined but unplaced to species. Six males, MEXICO, Morelos, 2.5 km N, 4 km W of Huautla, Estación Ceamish, 940 m a.s.l., 18°27.671´N, 99°02.475´W, 13.XI.1996, light trap, Zaragoza et al., ZMBN Nos 20481, 20483-20487. One male, COSTA RICA, La Selva OTs., malaise trap, 2.III.1993, T. Andersen, ZMBN No. chi 20081. One male, VENEZUELA, Falcón, P.N. Sierra de San Luis, 11°11.750´N, 69°41.454´W, 8-9.VI.2001, 1.371 m a.s.l., M. T. Holzenthal et al., ZMBN No. chi 1619. Four males, PERU, Rio Llullapichis, light trap, 15.IX.1987, C. J. Otto, ZSM. Three males, BRAZIL, MT, Nova Xavantina, faz. Sr. Queté, córrego Cachoeira, 14°32.817´S, 52°31.395´W, 16.X.2007, light trap, L. C. Pinho et al., ZMBN Nos 20071, 20072, 20074. One male, SP, Teodoro Sampaio, Parque Estadual do Morro do Diabo, foz córrego Taquara, 27.VII.2000, net, H. F. Mendes. One male, SP, Sertãozinho, Reserva Ecológica Augusto Rushi, 28-30.X.2010, malaise trap, 21°09.208´S, 48°05.691´W, 540 m, Brown, Kung et al. Three males and four females, all with pupal and larval exuviae, SP, Jundiaí, Represa do Parque da Cidade, 01.XI.2007, on Eichhornia sp., S. Wiedenbrug. One pharate female with pupal exuviae, ARGENTINA, Iguaçu Nat. Park, river before the waterfalls, 4.XII.1996, F. Reiss, ZSM. Three males, one pupal exuviae, CHILE, Reg. Metropolitana, Cajon del Maipo, Puente el Yeso, 33°47.127´S, 70°13.625´´W, 1.842 m a.s.l., 16.II.1999, T. Andersen, ZMBN No. chi 20479. One pharate male, Region VI, Rio Mataquito W. of Curico, 34°59.393´S, 71°25.913´W, 150 m a.s.l., 18.XI.1998, drift net, T. Andersen, ZMBN No. chi 4729.

Diagnostic characters. Male. Tergites I-IV clear with darker median part or totally brown ( Chile, Costa Rica); TV brown; TVI and TVII brown with a white posterior rectangle; TVIII and hypopygium brown. Antenna with 12 flagellomeres; AR = 0.2–0.7; terminal flagellomere thicker apically, medially concave or pointed, not clubbed. Fore trochanter with rounded keel ( Figs 5 A, 9 A); hind tibial scale small, with one long curved seta and short spur. Tergites III–V with 5 setae. Hypopygium with tongue-like or triangular inferior volsella apically on gonocoxite. Superior volsella transparent, elongate, as long as half of gonocoxite, posterior margin straight or slightly concave, at 45° angle to gonocoxite median margin. Gonostylus with weak or strong crista dorsalis; transverse sternapodeme slightly curved, with or without small oral projections.

Pupa. Tergites without strong spines. Tergites III and IV with fine shagreen; shagreen points slightly larger and wider-based posteriorly; posterior tergites with elongate spinules in the oral-median region. Sternite II with shagreen of elongate spinules; sternites III–VIII with fine shagreen; male pupa with posterior shagreen on sternites VII and VIII slightly stronger, sometimes wide-based. Anal lobe rounded; male genital sac with posterior median margin oblique, not rounded.

Larva. Mentum with 3 median teeth, the central tooth usually smaller than the adjacent ones; first lateral teeth adpressed to outer median teeth. Head capsule and antenna brown, or head capsule yellow and antenna with segment 2 brown.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Thienemanniella sancticaroli sp. n., adult male. A. Fore trochanter. B. Hind trochanter. C – D. Apex of hind tibia in posterior (C) and anterior view (D). E. Wing. F – G. Hypopygium. F. Tergite IX (part) and gonostylus. G. Tergite IX and gonostyli removed, internal sclerites hatched; left: ventral view, right: dorsal view.