Corethrella (Corethrella) travassosi Lane, 1942

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 194-195

Corethrella (Corethrella) travassosi Lane

Corethrella travassosi Lane 1942:105 . Type locality: Salobra, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Holotype ♀ (DEFS). Lane 1953: 74.

DIAGNOSIS: Male and female adults: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with flagellomere 1 elongate ( Figs. 25A, 32I), a poorly defined midlength wing band with pigmentation along the anterior margin of the wing uniform (Figs. 65I, 72K), the scutum dark brown ( Fig. 60A), midfemur and hind tibia uniformly dark brown, and the femora without scales.

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2–5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 15C). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna medium brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 25A, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus medium brown; segment 3 segment 3 somewhat ovoid, swollen at or near midlength. Thorax (as in Fig. 60A): Medium to dark brown, pale sclerites around base of wing. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with 2 elongate setae situated somewhat lateral to one another. Prescutal suture short, not extending more than half way to dorsocentral row of setae. Anterior anepisternum divided diagonally by sinuous suture, dorsal portion about equal to ventral portion. Ventral portion of posterior anepisternum triangular, uniformly brown, with anterodorsal margin thick. Wing (Fig. 65I): Apex of R 2 basal to apex of M 1. Anterior margin with uniformly pigmented scales, with poorly defined midlength band, much of basal half with dark scales, somewhat darkened scales on portion distal to midlength band; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter as dark as or darker than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 60A): Dark brown with apex of hind femur somewhat paler. Hind femur with somewhat darker basal and apical pigmentation. With only slender setae, lacking scales (except for some in patch of whip-like setae on posterior portion of hind tibia). Midleg with thick, subapical setae on each of at least tarsomeres 1–3. Apices of fore-, midleg fifth tarsomeres undivided, with claws slightly subapical to apical (as in Fig. 75F). Claw of foreleg longer than those of mid-, hind leg. Each claw without inner tooth. Anterior claws of each leg without a basal prong. Foreleg claws unequal. Midleg claws equal. Foreleg third tarsomere shorter than fourth tarsomere. Empodia slender. Abdomen (Fig. 81D): Uniformly medium brown. Genitalia (Fig. 98D): Gonocoxite uniformly medium brown, strongly tapering; anteromedial area with spicules similar in length to those elsewhere on gonocoxite; with well-defined dorsal row of setae, with setae 1–3 or 4 thicker than last, with row restricted to dorsal portion of gonocoxite. With one dorsomedial stout seta, more or less of even thickness for most of length, tapering near apex. Gonostylus (partially extended) basally straight, curved subapically, slen- der, of more or less equal thickness for entire length, pointed apically; one elongate, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, short, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually to apex, somewhat rounded apically, with lateral margins fused at apex.

Female adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 6–11. As for male, with following differences. Head: Coronal suture elongate, extending ventrally past ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna (describe pigmentation if different); with flagellomeres as in Fig. 32I, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 18 AT) squarish. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 35Z. Wing (Fig. 72K). Legs ( Fig. 60A): Pigmentation as for male but pale apex of hind femur more clearly defined in some. Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: Dark brown. Cercus dark brown.

Pupa. Mostly undescribed. Thorax: Scutum, metathorax each with spherical sensory pit (as in Fig. 100A). Respiratory organ (Fig. 103J): Tubular. Abdomen (Fig. 111C): Segments 3–7 not expanded laterally. Paddle only moderately elongate; apicodorsal thick spine articulating; apicoventral seta longer than thick spine.

Larva. Undescribed.

Egg. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella travassosi is known from Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil (Fig. 130) at an altitude of 1–180 m. The specimens from Trinidad and Tobago were reared from swamp margins. The specimens from the Belkin “ Mosquitoes of Middle America ” project are identified in Table 12 .

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Lane (1953) recorded at least one additional specimen from the State of Goias, Brazil but I have not seen this material. The holotype and paratype females were originally on pins but have been placed on microscope slides for this study .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult female on microscope slide, labeled “ Corethrella travassosi Lane , 41”, “holotipo”,“ M. Grosso Salobra, vii.39, Exp. C.Z.B.”,“1.206”, “S271 T2705” ( DEFS). 1 ♀ paratype labeled as for holotype ( DEFS). 1 ♂, with larval and pupal exuviae, Nariva , “Bush Bush Forest“, Trinidad and Tobago, 1 m, 14-I-1964 ( USNM); 1 ♀, with larval and pupal exuviae, from previous locality but 28-IX-1964 ( USNM).

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name travassosi was proposed in honor of L. Travassos, noted by Lane (1942).