Culicoides (Culicoides) fortinensis, Spinelli & Huerta & Cct-Ilpla & InDRE, 2015

Spinelli, Gustavo R., Huerta, Herón, Cct-Ilpla & InDRE, 2015, Four new species of Mesoamerican biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (2), pp. 811-824 : 812-816

Culicoides (Culicoides) fortinensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 5–8 , 33 ) Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, MEXICO: VERACRUZ: Fortín de la Flores, vi.1964, F.S. Blanton, light trap (USNM). PARATYPE: ♀, same data as holotype except 28.vi.1964 (MLPA).

Diagnosis. Only species in the subgenus C. ( Culicoides ) with sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1–13, third palpal segment broad with irregular pit, scutum without a definite pattern, distal pale spots in cells r 3 and m 1 not contacting wing margin, and distal pale spot in the anal cell broadly abutting the wing margin. Male unknown.

Description. Female ( Figs 1 , 5–8 ). Head ( Fig 5 ) dark brown. Eyes bare, contiguous by distance equal to diameter of 2 ommatidia. Flagellum ( Fig. 6 ) uniformly dark brown; flagellomeres 1–8 vasiform, 9–13 subcylindrical; AR 0.88 (n = 2); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1–13. Palpus ( Fig. 7 ) dark brown; third segment broad with conspicuous irregular pit; PR 2.35–2.85 (2.60, n = 2); P/H ratio 0.72–0.78 (0.75, n = 5). Mandible with 14 (n = 2) teeth.

Thorax dark brown, scutum without definite pattern. Legs dark brown, knees narrowly yellowish, hind tibia pale at extreme base; hind tibial comb with six spines, second from spur longest. Wing ( Fig. 1 ), length 1.38–1.42 (1.40, n = 2) mm; width 0.62–0.66 (0.63, n = 2) mm; CR 0.63–0.65 (0.64, n = 2); with white background, pattern roughly in form of three dark zig-zag bands, each more or less broken into separate dark spots centering on veins; distal pale spot in r 3 rounded, not occupying entire apex of cell to wing margin; distal pale spot in m 1 not abutting wing margin, those in m 2, cua 1, anal cell broadly abutting wing margin. Macrotrichia numerous on distal 2/3 of wing. Halter brown.

Abdomen dark brown. Two pyriform, slightly unequal spermathecae ( Fig. 8 ), each measuring 65–67 (66, n = 2) by 43–45 (44, n = 2) μm, and 60–62 (61, n = 2) by 43–44 (43.5, n = 2) μm; rudimentary third present.

Male. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. hondurensis Spinelli & Borkent, 2004 from El Salvador and Honduras. Culicoides hondurensis can be distinguished from C. fortinensis by the presence of sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, (2–3), (5–8), 9–13, the larger distal pale spot in cell r 3 occupying the entire apex of the cell to the wing margin, and the distal pale spots in cell m

1

and in anal cell broadly abutting the wing margin. Characters to distinguish C. fortinensis from C. rulfoi sp. nov. may be found in the discussion under the latter species.

Etymology. The name of this species refers to Fortín de las Flores, the type-locality.

Distribution. Known only from the type-locality in Mexico (Veracruz, Fortín de las Flores, 1048 m a.s.l.) ( Fig. 33 ).

Figures

Figs 1–4. Female wings. 1 – Culicoides fortinensis sp. nov., holotype female; 2 – C. rulfoi sp. nov., allotype female; 3 – C. pseudodecor sp. nov., allotype female; 4 – C. woodruffi sp. nov., holotype female.

Figs 5–8. Culicoides fortinensis sp. nov., holotype female. 5 – head (anterior view); 6 – flagellum; 7 – right palpus; 8 – spermathecae.Scale bars: 5 = 0.16 mm; 6–8 = 0.04 mm.Abbreviations: sbas – sensilla basiconica; scoe – sensilla coeloconica; scap – sensilla capitate; schaet – sensilla chaetica; stri – sensilla trichodea.

Fig. 33. Distributions of described species. Square – Culicoides fortinensis sp. nov.; circle – C. rulfoi sp. nov.; triangle – C. woodruffi sp. nov.; asterisk – C. pseudodecor sp. nov.