Corethrella (Corethrella) fuscipalpis Borkent, 2008

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 97-98

Corethrella (Corethrella) fuscipalpis Borkent , new species

DIAGNOSIS: Male and female adults: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with a dark brown palpus ( Fig. 9A), a distinct midlength wing band (Figs. 62L, 68I), with a dark brown thorax, dark brown midfemur, base of hind tibia darkly pigmented (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur) ( Fig. 46A), and the midfemur with slender scales (as in Fig. 74A).

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2–5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 9A). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16E). Antenna light brown with basal half of flagellomere 1 dark brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 21F, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus dark brown; segment 3 somewhat ovoid, swollen at or near midlength. Thorax (as in Fig. 46A): Dark brown, pale sclerites around base of wing. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with group of about 8 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. 62L): 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 darker more basal scales restricted to vein M; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter medium brown, lighter than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 46A): Dark brown with knees of foreleg pale, basal half and very apex of hind femur dark, base and apex of hind tibia with non-discrete dark pigmentation, pale at midlength, at least mid-, hind leg tarsomeres 2–4 with banding. All femora, tibiae with slender scales (also 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. 78A): Tergite 1, sternites 1–2 dark brown, segments 3–5 light brown, segments 6–7 increasing pigmented, segments 8, 9 dark brown). Genitalia (Fig. 89B): Gonocoxite dark brown, strongly tapering; anteromedial area with spicules similar in length to those elsewhere on gonocoxite; with welldefined dorsal row of setae, with seta 2 thicker than others, with row restricted to dorsal portion of gonocoxite. With one dorsomedial stout seta, tapering from base. Gonostylus (partially extended) mostly straight, curved near apex, moderately slender, of more or less equal thickness for entire length, expanded apically, rounded apically; one short, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, short, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually from base, more abruptly near 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 elongate, extending ventrally past ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna medium to dark brown; with flagellomeres as in Fig. 28C, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 17 AF) wide. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 34B. Wing (Fig. 68I). Legs: Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: Light brown, with sternites 1–2 somewhat darker, segments 8–9 dark brown. Cercus dark brown.

Immatures. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella fuscipalpis is known from Costa Rica and northeastern Brazil (Fig. 129) at altitudes ranging from 3–30 m. Specimens have been collected using a light trap (holotype and paratype) or by sweeping in a swamp forest in Cahuita National Park (allotype). The specimens from the Belkin “Mosquitoes of Middle America” project are identified in Table 12 .

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and the single female were tentatively associated through the shared presence of a similar pigmentation pattern, even though they are separated by a significant distance (from Costa Rica to Brazil).

TYPES: Holotype, male adult on microscope slide, labeled " HOLOTYPE Corethrella Borkent, Guana River Pump Station , Instituto de Pesquisas e Experimentacao Agropecuarias do Norte , nr Belem, Para, Brazil, 30 m, 29–30-IX-1970, H.G. Aitken, A. Toda, LT", “BRB 43, Belem, Mosq Mid Amer” ( USNM) . Allotype, female adult on microscope slide, labeled “ 3 km E. Cahuita, C.R., 30-X-1993, A. Borkent, CD1645” ( CNCI) . Paratype: 1 ♂ from type locality ( USNM) .

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name fuscipalpis (dark, palpus) refers to the uniformly dark palpus of both male and female of this species.