Culicoides (Avaritia) fenggangensis Liu & Hou

Chang, Qiong Qiong, Jiang, Xiao Hong, Liu, Guo Ping, Li, Xiao Fei & Hou, Xiao Hui, 2017, A species checklist of the subgenus Culicoides (Avaritia) in China, with a description of a new species (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), ZooKeys 706, pp. 117-135 : 128-129

Culicoides (Avaritia) fenggangensis Liu & Hou sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3

Diagnosis.

Male: only species of Culicoides in China with the following combination of features: the 3rd segment of the palpus is slender, PR 3.11; the apex of 9th tergite has lateral processes; parameres with apical portion elongate, bent abruptly; aedeagus nearly triangular, with a long ovoid process at its apex. Female: only species of Culicoides in China with the following combination of features: cell m2 with four sparsely distributed pale spots; the 3rd segment of the palpus is slender, PR 3.20-3.75.

Description.

Female.Head (Fig. 2a). Brown. Eyes (Fig. 2b) contiguous, abutting medially for length of 1.5 ommatidia, with interfacetal hairs. Antennal pedicel brown; Lengths of antennal flagellomeres in proportion of 19: 14: 14: 15: 15: 15: 16: 17: 25: 25: 25: 31: 47; AR 1.22-1.28 (1.24, n = 3); sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, 9-13. 3rd segment of palpus slender, slightly swollen at apical 1/3, with small, rounded sensory pit (Fig. 2 c–d); PR 3.20-3.75 (3.45, n = 3). Mandible with 14-18 (16, n = 4) teeth (Fig. 2e); Maxilla with 17 teeth (n = 3); P/H ratio 1.04-1.17 (1.11, n = 3).

Thorax (Fig. 2f). Dark brown. Scutellum without distinct pattern in slide-mounted specimens. Wing (Fig. 1a) with contrasting pattern of pale, dark spots; distal 1/2 of 1st, proximal 1/2 of 2nd radial cell in dark spot; three pale spots near anterior margin: 1st over base of cell r1 and r-m crossvein extending from below M1 to margin of costa, 2nd over distal of cell r2 from dorsal portion of M1 to costa, 3rd morphological variation, from dorsal portion of M1 to just below costa; cell m1 with two separated pale spots: one spot small, ovoid, another large, triangle, far from distal portion of wing; cell m2 with four different shapes, sizes pale spots: 1st proximal to CuA, 2nd between medial and mediocubital forks, 3rd and 4th below M2, latter reaching wing margin; cua1 with a large, ovoid pale spot abutting wing posterior margin; anal cell with two pale spots: proximal pale spot on Cu2 and CuA, distal pale spot near mediocubital fork; wing base with faint pale spot on M; macrotrichia sparsely distributed on distal 1/3 of wing, but not in basal cell; wing length 1.45-1.60 (1.52, n = 3) mm, width 0.68-0.73 (0.70, n = 3) mm; CR 0.55-0.59 (0.57, n = 3). TR and F-T of legs (Fig. 2f) are given as Table 1, metatibial distal bristles (Fig. 2 g–h) with 5 or 6 spines, 1st spine is longest.

Abdomen. Brown. Two subequal-size ovoid spermathecae (Fig. 2i), measuring 65.0-72.5 × 50.0-57.5 (n = 3) μm, 65.0-72.5 × 50.0 (n = 2) μm, slender sclerotized necks with 2.5-7.5 (n = 3) μm; third slender, elongate rudimentary spermatheca, length 20.0-25.0 (n = 3) μm.

Male. Similar to female with usual sexual differences. Sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1, 11-13; AR 0.87 (n = 1); PR 3.11 (n = 1). Wing with pattern of pale spots as in Fig. 1b, wing length 1.58 (n = 1), width 0.55 (n = 1); CR 0.57 (n = 1). TR and F-T of legs are given as Table 2. Genitalia (Fig. 2j): 9th tergite squarish, distal portion flat with short, conical processes at apicolateral. Ninth sternite with broad, deep, semicircle caudomedian excavation. Gonocoxite twice as long as broad, sclerotized; gonostylus tapering distally, distal portion curved. Parameres (Fig. 3b) separate, contiguous in midportions; each with moderately long, slender basal arm, swollen at base, stem long, slightly curved near base; apical portion tapered, elongate, abruptly bent without lateral fringe of spicules. Aedeagus (Fig. 3a) nearly triangle, basal arms short, unciform, tapering toward end, basal arch low, extending to 1/5 of total length, distal process 1/6 total length, long ovoid process at apex.

Type material. Holotype female, Chongxin village, Yong’an town, Fenggang county, Zunyi city, Guizhou province, China (28°06'31.49"N, 107°35'57.94"E), 12. IV. 2016, alt. 908m, Qiongqiong Chang col. Paratypes: 2 males and 3 females, same data as holotype.

Distribution.

China (Guizhou Province).

Etymology.

This species is named in tribute to Fenggang county, where the specimens were collected.