Corethrella (Corethrella) alticola Lane, 1942

Published, First, 2008, The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera), Zootaxa 1804, pp. 1-456 : 71-72

Corethrella (Corethrella) alticola Lane

Corethrella alticola Lane 1939a:110 . Type locality: Campos do Jordão , São Paulo, Brazil. Holotype ♂ (DEFS).

Corethrella (Lutzomiops) alticola: Lane 1942:128 .

Lutzomiops alticola: Lane 1953:96 .

Corethrella (Lutzomiops) lutzi Lane 1942:128 . Type locality: Jaraguá , São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Holotype ♀ (DEFS). New synonym.

Lutzomiops lutzi: Lane 1953:95 .

DIAGNOSIS: Male and female adults: only extant species of Corethrella in the New World with unpigmented wings (Figs. 61N, 67J) and banded abdominal tergites 3 and 4. Also, only adults with a distinctly pigmented midfemur, being light at its base (very small patch of pigment at very base), pigmented at midlength, light subapically, and dark at its apex ( Fig. 42C).

DESCRIPTION: Male adult. Descriptive statistics: see Tables 2–5. Head: Outline in anterior view laterally elongate (as in Fig. 7F). Four large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatida (as in Fig. 16D). Antenna with basal half of flagellomere 1 brown, remainder of flagellum pale to light brown (with base of each flagellomeres 2–10 slightly more pigmented); pedicel with at least one distinctive, more elongate, stout, dorsal or dorsolateral seta; flagellomeres as in Fig. 20C, sensilla coeloconica distributed as in Table 1; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Palpus brown; segment 3 of constant width. Thorax (as in Fig. 42C): light brown with lateral dark stripe extending from anterior postpronotum to nearly mediotergite, katepisternum more darkly pigmented but with posterolateral patch pale. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with 2 elongate setae situated somewhat lateral to one another. 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. 61N): Apex of R 2 distal to apex of M 1. Plain, without pattern of pigmented veins and/or scales; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with welldeveloped scales. Halter pale. Legs (as in Fig. 42C): Pale to light brown, with darker pigmentation at base, apex of both forefemur, foretibia; midfemur light at its base (very small patch of pigment at very base), pigmented at midlength, light subapically, and dark at its apex; midtibia, hind femur with small patch of darker pigmentation at base base and apex; hind tibia with discrete patch of darker basal pigmentation. Femora, tibiae with slender scales at areas of darker pigmentation (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 bilobed in dorsoventral view, with claws subapical (as in Fig. 75E). Elongate claw of foreleg shorter than that of midleg, both longer than those of hind leg. Each claw without inner tooth. Anterior claws of each leg without a basal prong. Foreleg claws unequal. Midleg claws unequal. Foreleg third tarsomere longer than fourth tarsomere. Empodia slender. Abdomen: Most of posterior portion of tergites 1– 4 pigmented (tergites 5–8 unknown). Sternites 2–4 with posterior margin pigmented (sternites 5–8 unknown). Genitalia (Fig. 86B): Gonocoxite uniformly pale or very light brown, strongly tapering; anteromedial area with spicules similar in length to those elsewhere on gonocoxite; with well-defined dorsal row of setae, with 2 basal setae of row stout, enlarged and bent subapically, 3 more posterior setae slender, with row restricted to dorsal portion of gonocoxite. With three dorsomedial stout setae, tapering from base, with anterior 2 setae thicker than posterior seta, most anterior seta shorter than middle seta, bases joined by sclerotized plate. Gonostylus (all partially extended) slightly curved, moderately slender, of more or less equal thickness for basal half, apical half more slender, rounded apically; one elongate, thick subbasal seta, situated posteroventrally; apical seta slender, elongate, simple or bifurcating. Aedeagus slender, elongate, tapering gradually to apex, pointed apically, with lateral margins fused at apex or separate apically.

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. 16D). Antenna unknown. Clypeus ( Fig. 17S) squarish. Mandible with small, pointed teeth. Palpus as in Fig. 33U. Wing (Fig. 67J). Legs: Apices of fore-, midleg fifth tarsomeres undivided, with claws situated slightly subapically to apically. Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Abdomen: tergites 2–8 with most of posterior portion with dark band, tergites 1, 9 probably uniformly light brown. Cercus medium brown.

Immatures. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS: Corethrella alticola is known from the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Goias (Fig. 132) at altitudes ranging from 834–1736 m. Specimens have been collected by sweeping and rearing from a larva taken at a rivulet at Anápolis.

TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Males and the single female were associated through the shared presence of a similar and distinctive pigmentation pattern.

Lane (1939a:110) recognized a male holotype and two male paratypes for C. alticola . I have examined the holotype, one complete male paratype and only the male genitalia of the last male paratype (the remainder is likely lost). All are on microscope slides. The paratype represented by only the male genitalia was not identified as a paratype, although it is almost certainly recognized as such by Lane. I have added a paratype label to the specimen to identify as such. Lane (1939b:386) described the female of C. alticola from Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil and Lane (1942, 1953) provided further distributional records from Brazil (from the states of São Paulo, Goias and Rio de Janeiro) but I have not studied these specimens and cannot confirm their identity.

Lane (1942:128) recorded the type series of C. lutzi to be composed of a female holotype and female paratype. I studied only the holotype, which is now on a microscope slide, in good condition but missing its antennae and both hind tarsi. It has the same distinctive pigmentation pattern as the males of C. alticola and I therefore consider the names as synonyms. Lane (1953) indicated in his key to the species of Lutzomiops that female C. lutzi have only narrow abdominal bands but the holotype has broad bands, covering at least the distal half of the each tergite, a feature which Lane considered distinctive for C. alticola .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype, adult male on microscope slide, labeled “ HOLOTYPE, ♂, Corethrella alticola Lane det 38, S. Paulo, C Jordão, F. Lane coll., 378 n. 18, S86, T801, Inst. de Higiene de S. Paulo Parasitologia, No. 881, Lamina 208, Divisão 5, Gavela 134” ( DEFS). 1 ♂ paratype (just genitalia), labeled as for holotype ( DEFS). 1 ♂ paratype of C. alticola, Anápolis , Goias, Brasil, 19-IV-1935 ( DEFS). 1 ♀ holotype, female adult on microscope slide, labeled “holotipo, Corethrella lutsi Lane, 1941 , Jaraguá, Barretto col, 10.9.40, S. 279, T 2784 ( DEFS).

DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name alticola (high, inhabiting) was proposed in recognition of the high altitude from which the type series originated.