Culicoides pararegalis Majumdar & Das Gupta

Sarkar, Ankita, Banerjee, Paramita, Sinha, Shuvra Kanti & Mazumdar, Abhijit, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the Indian species of the ‘ Aterinervis’ group of Culicoides Latreille Subgenus Hoffmania Fox (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 5258 (4), pp. 405-428 : 414

Culicoides pararegalis Majumdar & Das Gupta

( Fig 5a–i )

Culicoides pararegalis Majumdar & Das Gupta , in Majumdar, Das Gupta & Gangopadhyay 1997: 28; Majumdar 1972: 165– 168; Nandi 2014: 92–93

Material examined. Holotype (1 ♀), Darjeeling Govt. College, 25.vi.1968, Coll. Dr. S.K. Das Gupta; 1 ♀, PHE camp, Neora Valley National Park , 14.iii.2021, Coll. S.K. Sinha.

Diagnosis. Pale spot over r-m cross vein broad, extending to cell m 2; distal pale spot on cells r 3 and m 1 reduced, distant from wing margin; anal cell with two separated distal pale spots.

Female.

Head ( Figs. 5a and 5b ). Eyes contiguous, for 3 facets. Antenna with SCo on flagellomeres 1, 9–13; third palpal segment long, slender, numerous capitate sensilla, second segment long, with minute capitate sensilla, first, fourth and fifth segments short, fifth segment with 4 apical sensilla chaetica.

Thorax ( Fig. 5c ). Brown with random dark markings; postscutellum brown.

Legs ( Figs 5d and 5e ). Brownish; fore femora with pale apical bands, mid femora with narrow pale area at base, apex pale, hind femora basally pale, fore and mid tibia with broad pale band in basal half, hind tibia with pale basal and apical bands; hind tibial comb with 6 unequal spines, second one longest; spur tip frayed; claws equal.

Wing ( Fig. 5f ). Pale area at wing base extending to posterior wing margin of anal cell; pale spot over r-m crossvein crossing vein M, continuous to cell m 2; a large poststigmatic pale spot including almost entire 2 nd radial cell expanded at wing margin, ending posteriorly before vein M 1; pale spot in cell r 3 reduced, not reaching wing margin, closer to vein M 1 than to wing margin; pale streak parallel to vein M 1; cell m 1 with a distal small, oval pale spot separated from wing margin; cell m 2 with additional two spots, one overlying over Cu fork, distal one larger, narrowly separated from wing margin; cell cua 1 with a pale spot extending to posterior wing margin, proximal portion of dark spot over vein CuA 2 expanded, posteriorly tapered; anal cell with two rounded distal spots.

Abdomen ( Figs. 5h and 5i ). Brownish with dark streaks; spermatheca two, well developed, ovoid, subequal, well sclerotized with short, oblique prominent necks; rudimentary one small, tubular; ring indistinct.

Male. Unknown

Immatures. Unknown

Larval habitat. Unknown

Distribution. India (Darjeeling, Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal)

Remarks. C. pararegalis similar to C. regalis as pale area of wing base extending to posterior wing margin of anal cell and with a broad pale spot over r-m crossvein. Additionally, the morphometric data ( Table 1 ) of these species overlaps suggesting that C. pararegalis may just be a variant of the more widespread C. regalis . The major difference between these species is the reduced distal pale spot in cell r 3 and two separate distal pale spots in anal cell of C. pararegalis , warrant further investigation to confirm the status of C. pararegalis .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Culicoides pararegalis. a) head; b)maxillary palp; c) thorax; d) hind tarsis; e) hind tibial spines; f) wing; g) halter; h) spermathecae and i) ring