Corethrella (Corethrella) inca Lane, 1942

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 187-188

Corethrella (Corethrella) inca Lane

Corethrella inca Lane 1939a:103 . Type locality: Iquitos , [Loreta], Peru. Holotype ♀ (DEFS).

DIAGNOSIS: Male adult: unknown. Female adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with the clypeus wider than long ( Fig. 18 AL), palpal segment 3 short and somewhat ovoid ( Fig. 35R), flagellomeres 1-3 each elongate ( Fig. 32C), flagellomere 3 with a sensillum coeloconicum, thorax dark brown ( Fig. 58A), a distinct midlength wing band (with darkest scales on C, R 1, a few dark scales on R 2+3, CuA 1, CuA 2), no dark scales basal to midlength band (Fig. 72C), halter pale or light brown, much paler than scutellum, midfemur dark brown and equal to that of base of hind femur, base of hind tibia darkly pigmented (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur), hind tibia with basal and apical pigmentation discrete ( Fig. 58A), and midfemur thick and without scales.

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Unknown. Female adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 6–11. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate ( Fig. 14D). Coronal suture elongate, extending ventrally past ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antennal flagellomeres 5–13 missing, flagellomeres 1–4 light brown, with basal half of flagellomere 1 medium brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 32C, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Clypeus ( Fig. 18 AL) somewhat wider than long. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus ( Fig. 35R) pale, with segment 5 light brown; segment 3 somewhat ovoid, swollen at or near midlength. Thorax (as in Fig. 58A): Dark brown, pale sclerites around base of wing. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with group of about 5 elongate setae. 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. 72C): Apex of R 2 basal to apex of M 1. Anterior margin with differently, discretely pigmented scales (indicating anterior margin of midlength band), with midlength band with darkest scales on C, R 1, a few dark scales on R 2+3, CuA 1, CuA 2; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter pale, lighter than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 58A): Dark brown with knees of fore-, midlegs pale, hind femur with apical 0.4 pale, hind tibia pale with basal and apical discrete dark brown pigmentation, banding of mid-, hind leg tarsomeres 2–4 uncertain but likely present. With slightly thicker 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. Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Empodia slender. Abdomen: Medium brown with segments 8–9 dark brown. Cercus dark brown.

Immatures. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella inca is known from only from the type locality in Peru (Fig. 136) at an altitude of 106 m. It is uncertain how it was collected .

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: The holotype was originally on a pin and was slide-mounted for this study. It is missing one wing, flagellomeres 3–13 of one antenna and 5–13 of the other. Lane (1951) placed C. inca as a synonym of C. ananacola but I consider the species distinct. The female of C. inca has longer flagellomeres 1–3, a shorter, more ovoid palpal segment 3 and a thicker midfemur than do those of C. ananacola . Lane (1942:113) described the male of C. inca (as an allotype) but that specimen is described here as C. brandiae . The allotype designation has no type status because C. inca was previously described by Lane (1939a).

The pigmentation of the tarsomeres was somewhat uncertain because the specimen was rubbed. However, Lane (1939a) states that the tarsi of the holotype are banded.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult female on microscope slide, labeled “ Corethrella inca Lane , 39”, “ Holotype ”, “ Iquitos Peru, Mar Apr 1931 RC Shannon”, “1078”, “1078 101.991” ( DEFS).

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name inca certainly refers to the location of the type locality in Peru, one of the countries included in the ancient Inca empire .