Corethrella (Corethrella) selvicola Lane, 1939

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 178-180

Corethrella (Corethrella) selvicola Lane

Corethrella selvicola Lane 1939b:391 . Type locality: Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil. Holotype (DEFS). Lane 1953:87; Lane and Cerqueira 1958:562.

DIAGNOSIS: Male adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with flagellomeres 3, 10-12 each with only one sensillum coeloconicum, clypeus wide (as in Fig. 18 AH), a distinct midlength wing band (Fig. 65E), thorax dark brown (as in Fig. 57A), halter pale (much lighter than scutellum), midfemur dark brown and equal to that of base of hind femur, with less than apical 0.4 of hind femur pale, base of hind tibia darkly pigmented (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur), tarsomeres uniformly pigmented (no banding) (as in Fig. 57A), midfemur without scales, with or without abdominal segment 8 paler than the posterior margin of tergite 7, with tergite 9 and the base of the gonocoxite equally medium brown, with the gonocoxite lightening apically (Fig. 80L). Female adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with the clypeus wide ( Fig. 18 AH), each of flagellomeres 1-3 moderately elongate ( Fig. 31K), flagellomeres 3, 10-12 each with one sensillum coeloconicum, a distinct midlength wing band and more basally some dark scales on C, Sc, and M (Fig. 71K), with the thorax dark brown ( Fig. 57A), halter pale (much lighter than scutellum), midfemur dark brown and equal to that of base of hind femur, and the base of hind tibia with non-discrete dark pigmentation (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur) ( Fig. 57A), and midfemur without scales.

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2-5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 13I). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16F). Antenna medium brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 24H, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus light brown; segment 3 of nearly constant width. Thorax (as in Fig. 57A): Dark brown, pale sclerites around base of wing. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with group of about 7 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. 65E): 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, more basally dark scales on C, Sc, M; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter pale. Legs (as in Fig. 57A): Dark brown, with apical 1/3 of hind femur pale, hind tibia with basal and apical darker, non-discrete 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. 80L): Medium brown, with segment 7 with posterior band of darker pigmentation, segment 9 dark brown. Genitalia (Fig. 97D): Gonocoxite medium brown, with apical portion more lightly pigmented, gently tapering; anteromedial area with spicules similar in length to those elsewhere on gonocoxite; with well-defined dorsal row of setae, with seta 2 thicker than others, 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) mostly straight, slender, of more or less equal thickness for entire length, slightly expanded apically, slightly tapered apically; one elongate, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, elongate, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually to apex, pointed apically, with lateral margins fused at apex.

Female adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 6-11. As for male, with following differences. Head: Coronal suture short, extending ventrally about midway along area between ommatidia (as in Fig. 16F). Antenna; with flagellomeres as in Fig. 31K, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 18 AH) wide. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 35N. Wing (Fig. 71K): as for male but with additional dark scales basal to midlength band on R. Legs: Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: Medium brown, with segment 8-9 dark brown. Cercus medium brown.

Pupa. Described by Lane and Cerqueira (1958) but identification uncertain.

Larva and egg. Undescribed.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella selvicola is known from Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil (Fig. 125) at altitudes ranging from 0- 100 m. Specimens have been collected using light and Malaise traps. The adults from 5 km NE Tárcoles were collected with a light trap in Carara National Park, close to a large lagoon (both in August and September). A frog-call trap (using Hyla gratiosa ) was run at both times, with no C. selvicola females appearing in those samples, indicating that they are not attracted to the call of this frog. The specimens from the Belkin “Mosquitoes of Middle America” project are identified in Table 12. Lane and Cerqueira (1958) recorded this species from “running water” and in an epiphytic bromeliad but these identifications were not confirmed (no material available).

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and females were associated through the shared presence of a common pigmentation pattern and have been collected together in several locations. The name of this species is somewhat uncertain because the male holotype was missing its antennae and halters and its genitalia was badly damaged and distorted (mounted by Lane). All remaining type material appears to be missing (allotype female, 1 ♂, 9 ♀ paratypes). However, a male and female from Parque Soóretama, Espirito Santo, Brazil and placed together on the same pin, had been previously identified by Lane (1953) as C. selvicola and, although, Lane misidentified numerous specimens of Corethrella , I am here considering his identification as correct. The holotype is otherwise consistent with this identification. The male from Parque Soóretama had a somewhat thicker gonostylus than other C. selvicola . I here treat this as intraspecific variation but perhaps there are two species actually included under this name.

Most of the holotype was originally on a pin but was mounted on a microscope slide for this study. I added a holotype label to the slide bearing the separate male genitalia.

One female from “km 47, Estrada Rio, São Paulo, Mun. Itaguay” (USNM) may belong to this species but it was missing flagellomeres 4-13 and was otherwise in only moderate condition. It had been previously identified as C. selvicola by J. Lane.

A male from PNN Amazonas , Amazonas, Colombia, 150 m, 27-III-3-IV-2000 ( CNCI), keyed to C. selvicola but had a significantly longer and nearly parallel-sided gonocoxite. It likely represents an unnamed species but was identified too late for inclusion in this study .

TYPES: Holotype, male adult on two microscope slides, slide with most of body labeled " HOLOTYPE Corethrella selvicola Lane 39", “ holotype ”, “ ♂ ” , “ S. Paulo, Juquiá, J. Lane col.”, “1.146”, “1.030”, “1030, 96.943”, slide with genitalia labeled “ HOLOTYPE Corethrella selvicola Lane ”, “Universidade de S. Paulo, Instituto de Higiene Parasitologia , Corethrella selvicola, Lane, 1939 , S. Paulo, Juquiá, Lane, 1.146, Hypg ♂, No. 1.030, Lamina 267, Divisão 5, Gavela 135”, “ HOLOTYPE Corethrella selvicola Lane ” ( DEFS) . Paratypes: 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Reserva Ria Celestún , Celestún , Km 7.5 Carretera Celestún - Kinchil, Yucatán, Mexico, 0-15 m, 8-9-IV-1997 ( IDRE) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, Reserva Ria Largartos , Mpio Ria Largartos , Peten Tucha , Km 10 Carretera Ria Largartos - Las Coloradas, Yucatán, Mexico, 0-15 m, 14-15-X-1996 ( IDRE) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, 5 km NE Tárcoles , C.R., 17-VIII-1993 ( CNCI) ; 14 ♂, 8 ♀, from previous locality but 2-IX-1993 ( CNCI) ; 1 ♂, Estación Los Patos , Corcovado National Park, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, 70 m, 25-XII-2000 ( INBC) ; 1 ♂, from previous locality but 13-II-18-III-2001 ( INBC) ; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, Guana River Pump Stations, Instituto de Pesquisas e Experimentacao Agropecuarias do Norte , nr Belem, Para, Brazil, 30 m, 29-30-IX-1970 ( USNM) ; 1♂, 1♀, Parque Soóretama , Espirito Santo, Brazil, II-III-1948 ( BMNH) .

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name selvicola (forest, dweller) certainly refers to the location of the type locality in an area of tropical jungle.