Culicoides subregalis 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 : 421-422

Culicoides subregalis Majumdar & Das Gupta

( Fig 9a–i )

Culicoides subregalis Majumdar & Das Gupta , in Majumdar, Das Gupta & Gangopadhyay 1997: 31; Majumdar 1972: 228–232; Nandi 2014: 104–106

Materials examined. Holotype (1 ♀), Darjeeling Govt. College, 23.vi.1968, Coll. Dr. S.K. Das Gupta; Allotype (1 ♁), Darjeeling Govt. College, 09.vi.1968, Coll. Dr. S.K. Das Gupta; 12 ♀, 2 ♁, Bhotaykhadka , Neora Valley National Park, 19.x.2019, Coll. S.K. Sinha.

Diagnosis. Broad dark band apical to r-m crossvein; indistinct pale spot anterior to Cu fork; anal cell with elongate distal pale spot; posterior margin of tergum IX terminating much before apex of gonocoxite.

Female.

Head ( Figs. 9a and 9b ). Antenna with SCo on flagellomeres 1, 9–13. Third palpal segment long, slender, tapering past middle bearing capitate sensilla, without sensory pit; fifth segment with 4 apical sensilla. Mandible with basal 4–5 teeth broad.

Thorax. Scutum brown, anterior, posterior portion dark brown; humeral region pale; postscutellum dark brown.

Legs ( Figs 9c and 9d ). Brownish; femora indistinctly pale at bases, fore and mid femora with pale apical bands, tibiae pale at bases; hind tibial comb with 5– 6 spines, second one longest; spur tip frayed; claws equal.

Wing ( Fig. 9f ). Dark area at anal angle; pale spot over r-m crossvein narrow, crossing vein M; poststigmatic pale spot covering half of 2 nd radial cell, meeting costa but not reaching vein M 1, distal pale spot distinctly distant from apical wing margin; cell m 1 with an elongate distal pale spot distant from wing margin; cell m 2 with an indistinct pale spot anterior to Cu fork and distal pale spot broadly meeting wing margin; cell cua 1 with broad large pale spot extending posteriorly to wing margin; anal cell with a long distal pale spot, perpendicular to and continuous to posterior wing margin.

Abdomen ( Fig. 9g ). Brownish with dark tergal streaks; spermatheca two, well developed, pear shaped, subequal, moderately sclerotized with distinct oblique necks; third rudimentary one finger like; small ring present.

Male. Similar to female with usual sexual differences.

Genitalia ( Figs 9h and 9i ). Sternum IX broad with shallow caudomedian excavation. Tergum IX quadrate with round apical margin, a narrow medial cleft, without apicolateral process; posterior margin of tergum IX terminating much before apex of gonocoxite. Gonocoxite broad basally, apex narrow with distinct dorsal root. Gonostylus dilated at base, slightly curved medially, ending in blunt tip. Aedeagus weakly sclerotized with short, bent basal arms. Parameres with sclerotized basal arms with broad base, stem dilated basally, gradually tapering.

Immatures. Unknown

Larval habitat. Unknown

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

Remarks. This species differs from C. regalis in antennal ratio, width of the pale spot over r-m crossvein, extent of pale area at wing base to anal angle and the long distal pale spot in the anal cell. C. subregalis is closest to C. isoregalis and C. isoregalis seems to be a variant of this species as morphometric data of these two species overlap and but differs in scutal colour, elongated pale spot in cell m 1 and shape of pale spot in cell cua 1 that may be resulted due to intraspecific variation but status of these species need to be further strengthened by studying more specimens or by molecular approaches.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Culicoides subregalis. a) head; b) maxillary palp; c) fore tarsis; d) hind tibial spines; e) halter; f) wing; g) spermathecae with ring; h) male genitalia and i) paramere