Zalutschia Lipina, 1939

Chamutiová, Tímea, Hamerlík, Ladislav & Bitušík, Peter, 2020, Subfossil chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) of lakes in the Tatra Mountains an illustrated guide, Zootaxa 4819 (2), pp. 216-264 : 246

Zalutschia Lipina ( Figs 70, 71 )

Head capsule yellow with brown occipital margin. Antenna with 6 segments, sixth segment vestigial. Premandible bifid apically with one inner tooth. Apical mandibular tooth shorter than combined width of 3 inner teeth. Mentum usually dark with double median tooth and 6 pairs of lateral teeth, first lateral reduced, occasionally with 2–3 light coloured median teeth and first and sixth lateral teeth reduced. Ventromental plates well developed extending beyond mentum with fine beard.

Remarks: Zalutschia is a distinctive genus. It resembles Hydrobaenus which has similar shape of mentum however without beard. Zalutschia may be confused with Psectrocladius due to distinct ventromental plates and beard, however mentum of Psectrocladius has only five lateral teeth.

Zalutschia tatrica (Pagast, 1935) is considered to be typical inhabitant of small, acidified Tatra Mts. lakes ( Bitušík et al. 2006a; Kownacki 2011). Recently, larvae belonging to tornetraeskensis species group were found ( Novikmec et al. 2015).

Subfossil Zalutschia remains were recorded from small number, mostly acidified lakes.

Two morphotypes were recognized.

Key to morphotypes:

1 Mandible and mentum lighter than occipital margin; outermost mental tooth reduced in size; third inner mandibular tooth not significantly smaller than second tooth............................................... Zalutschia mucronata - type

- Mandible and mentum darker than occipital margin; outermost mental tooth not significantly reduced; first and second mandibular teeth subequal in size, third tooth markedly smaller....................................... Zalutschia type B

Figures

FIGURES 66–71. Synorthocladius: 66—head capsule, A—detail of mentum. Synorthocladius: 67—mandible (arrow indicates spine). Thienemanniella clavicornis-type: 68—head capsule. Tvetenia bavarica-type: 69—head capsule (arrow indicates seta submenti). Zalutschia mucronata-type: 70—head capsule, A—antenna, blade longer than flagellum. Zalutschia type B: 71—head capsule.