Culicoides diplus Santarém & Felippe-Bauer, 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 : 261-263

Culicoides diplus Santarém & Felippe-Bauer sp. nov.

Figs. 3 A–H; Fig. 9

Culicoides reticulatus: Wirth & Blanton, 1959: 393 ; Wirth & Blanton, 1973: 446 (distrib.; in part, at least specimens from Colombia and Panama); Wirth et al., 1988: 42 (in Atlas; fig. wing; distrib. in part, at least specimens from Colombia and Panama); Borkent & Spinelli, 2007: 74 (in catalog; distrib. in part, at least specimens from Colombia and Panama).

Diagnosis. Female: This species can be easily distinguished by 3rd segment of palpus with two well defined sensory pits on distal 2/3 of the segment, the basal one ventrally and the distal one laterally; PR 2.5-2.8. Male: tergite 9 long, tapering, with very short and blunt apicolateral processes, with distinctly posteromedial notch; parameres stem sinuous and swollen in median portion ending in a ventral lobe; basal arch of aedeagus extending 2/3 of total length.

Female. Head. Brown. Eyes bare ( Fig. 3 E), narrowly separated, smaller than ½ ommatidium. Pedicel brown, flagellum pale brown, first eight flagellomeres paler on ½ proximal; AR 1.04–1.13 (1.08, n=2) ( Fig. 3 C); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, 6-8, two on 1, three on 6-8. Palpus ( Fig.3 D) brown; 3rd segment with two well defined sensory pits on distal 2/3 of the segment, the basal one ventrally and the distal one laterally; PR 2.5–2.8 (2.7, n=4). Proboscis long; P/H ratio 1.0–1.05 (1.02, n=2); mandible with 21 teeth (n=2).

Thorax. Dark brown. Scutum without distinct pattern in slide mounted specimens. Wing ( Fig.3 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 cell 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 wing margin and greater than the proximal one; m2 with four pale spots: one proximal, near CuA, two between the 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 and two distal pale spots, one near mediocubital fork and other reaching wing margin; 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 0.94–0.98 (0.96, n=3) mm; breadth 0.46–0.50 (0.47, n=3) mm; CR 0.66–0.67 (0.66 n =3). Halter knob brown in middle, stem pale. Legs ( Fig. 3 H) 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 subequal ovoid spermathecae ( Fig. 3 F), measuring 48 µm (n= 2) by 41.3 µm (n=2) and 45 µm (n=2) by 37 µm (n=2); long, slender, rudimentary third spermatheca present (15 µm) in some specimens.

Male. Similar to female with usual sexual differences. Sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1,7–10, one on 1,7–8, two on 9, three on 10; AR 0.84 (n=1); PR 1.5 (n=1); wing length 0.80-0.85 (0.83, n=2) mm, breadth 0.35- 0.38 (0.36, n=2) mm, CR 0.61 (n=2), pigmentation pattern as in figure 3B. Terminalia ( Fig.3 G) tergite 9 long, tapering, with very short and blunt apicolateral processes, with distinctly posteromedial notch; sternite 9 straight on distal margin. Gonocoxite two times longer than greatest breadth, ventral and dorsal root slender, elongated; gonostylus with ½ distal portion slightly curved. Parameres separated, each with a sclerotized basal knob; stem long, curved near base and sinuous and swollen in median portion ending in a ventral lobe; apical portion tapered, abruptly bent, without lateral fringe of spicules. Aedeagus Y-shaped, lateral arms strongly sclerotized, basal arch triangular extending 2/3 of total length; distal portion rounded without median or distal processes.

Type data and depository. Holotype female, COLOMBIA, Valle Rio Raposo, II.1965, light trap, Lee col., ( CCER). Allotype male, Garachine RP, PANAMA, 24.II.1953, FS Blanton col. (FSP). Paratypes, five as follows: two females, same data except V.1965 ( CCER; MLP); one female, same data as holotype except VIII.1965 ( MLP); one female, PANAMA, Mojinga Swamp, Ft Sherman, 28.VIII.1951, FS Blanton col. (FSP); one male, same data as allotype (FSP).

Distribution and bionomics. This species is restricted to Colombia and Panama ( Fig. 9 ). It is associated with mangrove areas in these countries.

Etymology. The name of this species is based on the presence of two palpal pit on third palpal segment (Greek—diplóos = two).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Culicoides diplus sp. nov. Female: A. Wing; C Antenna; D. Palpus; E. Eyes separation, anterior view; F. Spermathecae; H. Femora and tibiae of fore-, mid- and hind legs (left to right). Male: B. Wing; G. Terminalia.

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