Culicoides rhombus Santarém, Felippe-Bauer & Castellón, 2014

Santarém, Maria Clara Alves, Trindade, Rosimeire Lopes Da, Silva, Tiago Do Nascimento Da, Castellón, Eloy Guillermo, Patiu, Cátia Antunes De Mello & Felippe-Bauer, Maria Luiza, 2014, New Neotropical Culicoides and redescription of Culicoides reticulatus Lutz (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 255-274 : 270

Culicoides rhombus Santarém, Felippe-Bauer & Castellón sp. nov.

Figs. 8 A–F; Fig. 9

Diagnosis. Female: This species is easily distinguished by the following combination of characters: palpus 3rd segment rhomboidal, with a shallow, well - developed irregular sensory pit that reaches the extreme distal portion of segment; PR 2.5–3.0; proboscis long.

Female. Head. Brown. Eyes bare ( Fig. 8 B), narrowly separated, smaller than ½ ommatidium. Pedicel brown, flagellum pale brown, first eight flagellomeres paler on proximal ½; AR 1.05–1.10 (1.06, n=4) ( Fig. 8 C); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1,6–8, two on 1, three on 6, two on 7 and three on 8. Palpus ( Fig. 8 F) brown, 3rd segment swollen at middle length, rhomboid, with a shallow, well - developed irregular sensory pit that reaching the distal portion of segment; PR 2.5–3.0 (2.6, n=7). Proboscis long; P/H ratio 1.08–1.28 (1.13, n=6); mandible with 23 teeth.

Thorax. Dark brown. Scutum without distinct pattern in slide mounted specimens. Wing ( Fig. 8 A) with contrasting pattern: second radial cell including dark spot; pale spot over R-M extending from M1 to the costal margin, subdivided; r3 with four small and separated pale spots: first, rounded, between the second radial and M1; second, poststigmatic, extending behind second radial cell, abutting wing margin; third, rounded, in middle of cell, similar to the second one; fourth, distal pale spot slightly reaching wing margin; m1 with two pale spots, the distal one far from the wing margin and greater to the proximal one; m2 with four pale spots: one proximal, near CuA, two between medial and mediocubital forks, a distal one not reaching wing margin; cua1 with a rounded pale spot in the middle of cell; anal cell with a faint basal pale area near base and a distal pale spot near mediocubital fork; wing base with a pale spot on M; M1, M2 and CuA1 with pale apex; macrotrichia scarcely distributed on the distal third of wing; wing length 0.85–0.97 (0.92, n=7) mm; breadth 0.40–0.45 (0.43, n=7) mm; CR 0.64–0.66 (0.65, n=7). Halter knob browm, stem pale. Legs ( Fig. 8 D) mostly brown, femora with subapical pale bands, tibiae with subbasal pale bands; hind tibia pale apically; hind tibial comb with four spines, the one nearest the spur longest.

Abdomen. Brown. Two slightly unequal ovoid spermathecae ( Fig. 8 E), measuring 45.5 µm (n=6) by 37 µm (n=6) and 38.7 µm (n=5) by 32.5 µm (n=5), with sclerotized ducts measuring 4.3 µm (n=6); long, slender, rudimentary third spermatheca present (17.5 µm).

Male. Unknown.

Type data and depository. Holotype female, BRAZIL, Roraima, Maracá, 28.VII.1987, CDC light trap, "mata", E. Castellon & S. Gomes cols. ( CCER). Paratypes six females, same data except: one, 28.VI.1987, "mata 10m " ( CCER); one, 30.VII.1987, "mata 5m " ( MNRJ); one, 22.VII.1987, "mata 5m ” ( ILMD); one, 27.VII.1987, "mata 5m ” ( ILMD); one, Amazonas, Rio Pardo, 17-18.2010, CDC light trap, Capoeira, F. Pessoa col.; one same data except VI-VIII.2010, "borda de floresta" ( ILMD).

Distribution and bionomics. This species is restricted to Brazilian states of Roraima and Amazonas ( Fig. 9 ). It was associated with forest environment far from coastal regions.

Etymology. The name of this species is related with the rhomb shape aspect of the third palpal segment (Greek—rhómbos= rhombus ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Culicoides rhombus sp. nov., female. A. Wing; B. Eyes separation, anterior view; C. Antenna; D. Femora and tibiae of fore-, mid- and hind legs (left to right); E. Spermathecae; F. Palpus.

FIGURE 9. Geographical distribution of Culicoides reticulatus and the seven new related species.