Polypedilum (Tripodura) procerum Zhang, Song, Wang & Wang

Zhang, Ruilei, Song, Chao, Qi, Xin & Wang, Xinhua, 2016, Taxonomic review on the subgenus Tripodura Townes (Diptera: Chironomidae: Polypedilum) from China with eleven new species and a supplementary world checklist, Zootaxa 4136 (1), pp. 1-53 : 29

Polypedilum (Tripodura) procerum Zhang, Song, Wang & Wang

Polypedilum (Tripodura) procerum Zhang, Song, Wang & Wang, 2015: 575 .

Material examined. Holotype (BDN. 21333), male. CHINA, Guangdong Province, Fengkai County, Heishiding Natural Conserve, 12. IV. 1985, light trap, X. Wang. Paratypes: 2 males. 1 male as holotype. 1 male: Fujian Province, Fuzhou City, on campus of Fuzhou Agricultural College, 22. IV. 1993, light trap, X. Wang.

Diagnostic characters. P. (T.) procerum Zhang & Wang can be separated from other related species by the following characters: tergite IX sub-circular; anal tergite bands very short, gradually narrowed, abruptly terminating at the base of tergite IX; superior volsella S-like, bare and very long, with a crotchet-like apex; inferior volsella slender, uniformly elongated.

Key characters of male imago. Total length 2.03–2.43 mm, wing length 1.08–1.46 mm. AR 0.86–1.24. Clypeus with 8–12 setae. Wing clear without marking. R with 13–18 setae; R1 with 8–9; R4+5 with 11–16. Squama with 4–5 setae. Dorsocentrals 7–9, acrostichals 9–15, prealars 2–3. Scutellum with 3–4 setae. Terminal scale of front tibia triangular and apically pointed; fore leg ratio 2.30–2.33.

Tergite IX sub-circular; anal tergite bands very short, gradually narrowed, interrupted at a long distance from the basal area of anal point. Anal point 40–50 µm long, broad and apically rounded; the lateral projections weak, about 5–8 µm long; dorsally with a V–shaped ridge bearing 5–6 setae on each side. Superior volsella S-shaped, pointed apically, with a crotchet–like apex, nearly reaching apex of anal point and distal part of inferior volsella. Inferior volsella 95–105 µm long, slender, uniformly elongated, curved inwards on its proximal half, distal half straight and uniformly elongated, dorsally with 4–5 orally projected setae, 1 longer apical seta present apically. HR 0.71–0.78, HV 1.66–2.23.

Distribution. The species distributes in Fujian and Guangdong Province (Oriental China).

Remarks. The species is very close to P. (T.) leptovolsellae Ree, 2009 and P. (T.) pseudacifer Zorina & Makarchenko, 2001 in having long, extremely slender and apically curved superior volsella. The differences between them consult Zhang, et al. (2015: 577).