Corethrella (Corethrella) lopesi Lane, 1942

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 116-117

Corethrella (Corethrella) lopesi Lane

Corethrella lopesi Lane 1942:117 . Type locality: Japuiba, Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Holotype ♂ (DEFS). Lane 1953:85.

DIAGNOSIS: Male adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with a distinct midlength wing band (Fig. 63F), anepimeron mostly pigmented (as in Fig. 49B), 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, 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 lightening apically (Fig. 78I), gonocoxite moderately short and squat, and aedeagus apex rounded (Fig. 91). Female adult: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with flagellomeres 2 and 3 both very short ( Fig. 29D), flagellomeres 10–12 each with two sensilla coeloconica, thorax dark brown ( Fig. 49B), a distinct midlength wing band and more basal darker scales on C, Sc, and M (Fig. 69H), midfemur dark brown and equal to that of base of hind femur, midfemur without scales, base of hind tibia darkly pigmented (contrasting with pale apex of hind femur) and both basal and apical dark brown pigmentation discrete ( Fig. 49B).

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2–5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 10E). Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna pale, with basal half of flagellomere 1 dark brown, flagellomeres 11–13 slightly darkened or entirely light brown; pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 22C, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus pale or light brown; segment 3 of nearly constant width. Thorax (as in Fig. 49B): light brown, with anterolateral portion of scutum with slightly darker patch, pale sclerites around base of wing, scutellum with darker anteromedial spot. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with group of about 6 elongate setae. 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. 63F): 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 M; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter pale or light brown, lighter than scutellum. Legs (as in Fig. 49B): Light brown with knees of fore-, midleg pale, apices of fore-, midtibiae somewhat darker, base of midtibia somewhat darker, 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. 78I): Light brown, with sternites 1–2 medium brown, posterior portion of tergites 6, 7 slightly darker, segment 8 pale, segment 9 medium brown. Genitalia (Fig. 91A): 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 or setae 1, 2, 3, 4 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, bent subapically, slender, tapering from base, slender at 2/3 length, somewhat expanded apically, apex rounded; one elongate, slender subbasal seta, situated anteriorly or anteroventrally; apical seta slender, elongate, simple. Aedeagus slender, elongate, narrow, tapering gradually to apex, rounded apically, with lateral margins not fused.

Female adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 6–11. As for male, with following differences. Head: Coronal suture elongate, extending ventrally to anteroventralmost ommatida (as in Fig. 16B). Antenna light brown with flagellomeres 9–13 darker; with flagellomeres as in Fig. 29D, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1. Clypeus ( Fig. 18C) squarish. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 34O. Wing (Fig. 69H): as for male but with some basal slightly darker setae on C, Sc. 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 lopesi is known from Brazil (Fig. 134) at altitudes ranging from 43–637 m.

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and females were associated through the shared presence of a common pigmentation pattern. The male and female specimens from Piraja had differently pigmented antennae than those from elsewhere and may represent an unnamed species.

The holotype 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. All the paratypes studied here were also originally on pins and have been slide-mounted.

Lane (1942) noted the presence of 17 male and 8 female paratypes. I have been able to examine only six male (one of these is a member of C. cardosoi ) and two female paratypes. An additional three paratypes of uncertain gender are in the BMNH (David Notton, pers. comm.). Lane (1942) provided further details of the type locality as “Japuiba, Angra dos Reis, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The allotype of C. lopesi is labeled “Japuhyba Andra 23-3-940” a locality which was untraceable. The specimen was collected on the same date as the holotype from Japuiba, Angra and this label is therefore likely a misspelling. Similarly, the “940" almost certainly refers to 1940.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult male on microscope slide, labeled “ Corethrella lopesi Lane , 41”, “ ♂ ”, “holotipo”, “Japuiba Angra, 23-3-40”, “Lane e Lopes” ( DEFS). Allotype, adult female on microscope slide, labeled “ Corethrella lopesi Lane , 41”, “halotipo”, “ Japuhyba Andra 23-3-940 (sic) J. Lane e Lopes”, “S273 T2722” ( DEFS) . 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes, Casa Grande , São Paulo, Brazil, XII-1940 ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, from previous locality but 15-IX-1940 ( USNM) ; 3 ♂ paratypes, Horto Florestal , São Paulo, Brazil, XI-1940 (2 - BMNH, 1 - USNM) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Piraja , Bahia, Brazil, 26-VI-1929 (1 ♀, USNM; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, CNCI) ; 1 ♀, from previous locality but 21-VII-1929 ( USNM) .

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name lopesi was named for Dr. H. de Sousa Lopes by Lane (1942).