Chironomus pallidivittatus Malloch sensu Edwards 1929

Saether, Ole A., 2012, The Chironomus group (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Lake Winnipeg, Canada, Zootaxa 3275, pp. 1-19 : 12

Chironomus pallidivittatus Malloch sensu Edwards 1929

( Fig. 2 B–D)

? Chironomus tentans var. pallidivittatus Malloch, 1915: 445 .

Chironomus (Camptochironomus) pallidivittatus Malloch sensu Edwards 1929: 382 .

Material examined. Lake Winnipeg light traps: 2 km off Selkirk (Horse) Island, 1 female, 7.vi. 1969; Pine Dock, 1 male, 31.vi. 1969; Hecla Island, 17 males, 27.vii. & 11.viii. 1971.

Normal non-parasitized males ( Fig. 2 B) from Lake Winnipeg have a wing length of 3.77–4.14, 3.93 mm (6); an AR of 2.38–2.70, 2.52 (6); 10–20, 16 (7) sensilla chaetica on ta1 of p2; and 11–14, 13 (7) sensilla chaetica on ta1 of p3. A female presumed to belong to this species has 33 sensilla chaetica on p2, 46 sensilla chaetica on p3. The female genitalia are illustrated by Saether (1977 fig. 82D–E). Two of 8 males are intersexes caused by mermithid infection ( Saether & Galloway 1980). Some specimens look as if they might be hybrids between C. pallidivittatus and C. dilutus , but are obviously closer to C. pallidivittatus ( Fig. 2 C, D).

Remarks. It may be more correct to name this species pallidivittatus Malloch sensu Beerman (1955) since Beerman did not confirm the identity of his material with that of Edwards. Hein & Schmulbach (1971) mention that Oliver examined the lectotype of C. tentans var. pallidivittatus Malloch and found that it did not differ significantly from material of C. tentans . Accordingly a new name is needed for C. palllidivittatus sensu Edwards. However , this should await further examination of available type material. Martin et. al. (2011) propose to recognize the usage of Chironomus (Camptochironomus) pallidivittatus sensu Edwards 1929 and to suppress the Chironomus pallidivittatus Malloch 1915 name. However, the first two authors of the paper had not seen the paper prior to publication and disagree since the name Chironomus pallidivittatus sensu Edwards cannot be introduced in use since its homonomy with Chironomus pallidivittatus Malloch.

Chironomus vockerothi Rasmussen (Rasmussen 1984) is quite similar, but is slightly smaller with a wing length of 3.1–3.7 mm, a longer superior volsella, and well developed scutal tubercle. The scutal tubercle, however, is well developed also in the present specimens.

Distribution and ecology. C. pallidivittatus sensu Edwards is known from streams, lakes, ponds, puddles and brackish waters of the Palaearctic region except North Africa, and from North America, where the exact distribution is not known since the two species was regarded as a synonym of C. tentans by Townes (1945: 135, Palmén & Aho 1966: 229, Kiknadze et al. 1998, Saether & Spies 2011). According to Palmén & Aho (1966: 230) the habitat preference apparently coincides with that of C. tentans . Martin (2012) mentions the species from Saskatchewan and North and South Dakota.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Chironomus spp., hypopygium A: C. dilutus Shobanov, Kiknadze et Butler. B: C. pallidivittatus Malloch sensu Edwards. C – D: Probable hybrids.