Corethrella (Corethrella) cardosoi Lane, 1942

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 113-115

Corethrella (Corethrella) cardosoi Lane

Corethrella cardosoi Lane 1942:118 . Type locality: Casa Grande, São Paulo, Brazil. Holotype ♂ (DEFS). Lane 1953:86. Corethrella lopesi: Lane 1942:117

DIAGNOSIS: Male adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with a distinct midlength wing band (Fig. 63E), thorax medium to dark brown (as in Fig. 48D), 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) and both basal and apical dark brown pigmentation discrete (as in Fig. 48D), midfemur without scales, segment 8 pale and contrasting against light brown segment 7 and dark brown segment 9, base of gonocoxite and segment nine equally dark brown, gonocoxite uniformly dark brown (Fig. 78H), gonocoxite short and squat, and aedeagus apex pointed (Fig. 90D). Female adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with clypeus nearly square ( Fig. 18A), palpal segment 3 relatively short ( Fig. 34M), flagellomeres 2 and 3 elongate ( Fig. 29B), flagellomeres 3, 9–12 each with a single sensillum coeloconicum, a distinct midlength wing band and more basal darker scales restricted to C (Fig. 69F), thorax medium or dark brown ( Fig. 48D), halter pale and lighter than scutellum, midfemur dark brown and equal to that of base of hind femur, midfemur slender and without scales, base of hind tibia darkly pigmented (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur) and with hind tibia with discrete basal and apical pigmentation ( Fig. 48D).

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2–5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 10C). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16F). Antenna light brown, with basal portion of flagellomere 1 dark brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 22B, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus pale, with segment 5 light brown; segment 3 somewhat ovoid, swollen at or near midlength. Thorax (as in Fig. 48D): Medium or dark brown, pale sclerites around base of wing, scutellum with darker anteromedial spot. Prescutal suture elongate, interrupted by area of pale cuticle. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with 2 elongate setae situated somewhat lateral to one another. Prescutal suture elongate, interrupted by area of pale cuticle. 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. 63E): 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 more basal darker scales on C; veins (other than costa and wing margin) well-developed scales. Halter pale, lighter than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 48D): Medium or dark brown with knees of fore-, midleg pale, hind femur with apical 0.6 pale, hind tibia with discrete basal and apical dark brown 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. 78H): Light brown, with sternites 1–2 darker, sternites 3–6 each darker anteriorly, segment 8 pale, segment 9 medium brown. Genitalia (Fig. 90D): Gonocoxite medium brown, strongly 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 (in retracted position) gently curved, slender, of more or less equal thickness for entire length, somewhat expanded apically, apex rounded; one elongate, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, elongate, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually to apex, slightly rounded apically, with lateral margins separate subapically.

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 medium brown, with basal half of flagellomere 1 dark brown; with flagellomeres as in Fig. 29B, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 18A) squarish. Mandible with small, slightly rounded teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 34M, either similar to male or entirely medium brown. Wing (Fig. 69F). Legs: Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: Dark brown, with segments 8–9 slightly darker. Cercus dark brown.

Immatures. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella cardosoi is known only from the type locality in Brazil (Fig. 123) at an altitude of 603 m. The method of collection is unknown. The teeth on the female mandible appear to be somewhat reduced (or perhaps worn?), suggesting the possibility that the females of this species may not feed .

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and females were associated through the shared presence of a shared pigmentation pattern and were collected together. There may be two species represented here. Of the two female paratypes examined, one had a primarily pale palpus (with segment 5 light brown) and the other had a medium to dark brown palpus, suggesting that two species may be present. In addition, the latter female may have had a dark halter but the single halter present was folded against the thorax and I couldn’t be certain of its pigmentation.

The holotype was in poor condition. It was originally on a pin with the badly damaged genitalia mounted on a glass coverslip and attached to the pin. The entire specimen is now on a microscope slide but is missing its wings and all left legs. A sketch of the male genitalia, probably made by Lane, was also on the pin and has also been glued to the microscope slide. The male paratype is missing its head.

Lane (1942) designated an allotype and one male and 11 female paratypes. I have examined the holotype, one male and two female paratypes and there are three paratypes in the BMNH which I did not study. One additional female paratype is here identified as C. atricornis . The remainder appear to be missing. A male paratype of C. lopesi is identified here as a member of C. cardosoi .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult male on microscope slide, labeled “ Corethrella cardosoi Lane , 41”, “holotipo”, “ ♂ ”, “ S. Paulo Casa Grande, Bar. & Galv. Col. XII-40”, “S274 T 2736” ( DEFS). 1 ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes labeled as for holotype (♂, DEFS; 2 ♀, USNM); 1 ♂ (paratype of C. lopes i), from type locality but 15-IX-1940 ( BMNH).

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name cardosoi was named for Dr. Francisco A. Cardoso by Lane (1942).