Antillocladius antecalvus Saether

Humberto F. Mendes, Trond Andersen & Ole A. Saether, 2004, A review of Antillocladius Saether, 1981; Compterosmittia Saether, 1981 and Litocladius new genus (Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae), Zootaxa 594, pp. 1-82 : 27-29

Antillocladius antecalvus Saether

( Fig. 2 A–E)

Antillocladius antecalvus Saether, 1981: 4 , Fig. 2 A–G.

Antillocladius antecalvus Saether ; Spies and Reiss 1996: 75.

Material examined: Type material as in Saether (1981). BRAZIL: São Paulo, Pedregulho, Furna São Pedro, 1 male with pupal exuviae, 7.vii.2000, S. Mateus ( MZUSP); Santa Catarina State, São Bento do Sul, 26°19'25.6''S, 48°18'26.5''W, 1 male, 13–16.x.2001, Malaise trap, M.V. Yamada (UFSCar). VENEZUELA: Aragua, Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, Rancho Grande, 10°21.047'N, 67°41.198'W, 21 males, 16–18.ix.1999, about 1000 m a.s.l., sweep net & light trap, T. Andersen (2 MIZA, 19 ZMBN); Falcón, Rio Mitare near San Luis, 11°07.930'N, 69°39,184'W, 18 males, 7.vi. 2001, 589 m a.s.l., light trap, R.W. Holzenthal, R. Blahnik, H. Paprocki & C. Cressa (2 MIZA, 16 ZMBN).

Diagnostic characters: The male imago can be separated from other members of the genus by having 0–3 apical setae on the wing membrane; squama with 1–3 setae ; few scalpellate to non­scalpellate acrostichals in the middle of scutum; virga absent; and inferior volsella large with anterior bare, strongly set off rounded projection and low posterior lobe. The female differs from other known females by having tergite IX undivided, but tergite setae still in two groups. The pupa has thorn­like macrosetae and anal lobe laterally expanded.

Remarks: The species was previously known only from Saint Vincent. Saether (1981) described the male and female in detail. The males from Venezuela vary slightly from the specimens from Saint Vincent, as they have scalpellate acrostichals (not observed from St. Vincent), the transverse sternapodeme is straight to weakly arcuate, and the shape of gonostylus varies slightly. The pupa is described below. The specimens from Venezuela were all taken in mountainous areas with rainforest. The Brazilian specimen was taken in a Cerrado formation in the northeast São Paulo State.

Pupa (n = 1)

Total length 2.04 mm. Exuviae pale, nearly transparent.

Cephalothorax. Frontal apotome as in Fig. 2 C. Ocular field with three pairs of setae . Antennal sheath smooth. One median antepronotal, 14 µm long. Precorneals in single row ( Fig. 2 D), each about 20 µm long; distance between anterior and median seta 9 µm, between median and posterior seta 5 µm, between anterior and posterior seta 16 µm, other thoracic setae not measurable.

Abdomen ( Fig. 2 A–B). Numbers of caudal spines on tergites II–VIII as: 23, 24, 22, 22, 23, 23, 20. Length (in µm) of longest caudal spines on tergites II–VIII as: 8, 11, 11, 9, 9, 9, 7. Anal lobe ( Fig. 2 E) with three thorn­like macrosetae 19, 18 and 17 µm long. Genital sac overreaches anal lobe by 47 µm.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Antillocladius antecalvus Saether, 1981, pupa. A – tergites I – IX; B – sternites I – IX; C – frontal apotome; D – thorax, anterior part, lateral view; E – detail of anal lobe.