Simulium (Eusimulium) brachyantheru

Crosskey, R. W., 2002, A taxonomic account of the black y fauna of Iraq and Iran, including keys for species identi cation (Diptera: Simuliidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (15), pp. 1841-1886 : 1864

4. Simulium (Eusimulium) brachyantheru m Rubtsov

Iran references. Crosskey (1988, Iran, world checklist entry), Crosskey and Howard (1997, Iran, world inventory entry).

Iraq references. None.

Material seen

Iran: 4 (11), 7 (61), 30 pupae, 35 larvae, Elburz Mountains, stream at Talharz , 23 km NNE of Tehran (35ss49¾/51ss31¾), 1800 m, 28 September 1978 (Kurtak and Kurtak) ; 19 (181), 14 (121, one alcohol), same data except date 6 October 1978 ; 1, 5 (1, one alcohol, same data except date 13 October 1978) .

Remarks

This species was described from Tajikistan ( Rubtsov, 1947) and Rubtsov’s (1956) later report of it from Armenia, according to Terteryan (1968: 167), is an error. The present identi cation of the species from Iran is based primarily on the close t of the male genitalia to Rubtsov’s material and gures ( Rubtsov, 1956, 1962a). A notable feature not previously recorded is the absence (gure 68) of the sclerotized nipple-like extension of the spermatheca at the duct base that is usually present in Eusimulium ; in this respect S. brachyantherum resembles S. velutinum , a species primarily of the Mediterranean basin countries. It is not fully certain that the two are separate species and cytotaxonomic study is needed to clarify this point. No larvae are available yet from Iran but, given the larval similarity between nearly all species of Eusimulium , they are unlikely to be separable morphologically from those of velutinum (or those of paucicuspis , next species). Equally, the pupae of these species are unlikely to be separable without recource to pharate adult characters (see keys).

An anomaly concerning the primary type needs resolution. The original description consists of a few lines in English stating that the new species is distinguished from S. (E.) aureum by the shape of the ‘adminiculum’ (5male genital ventral plate), referring to the slightly widened ‘hind tarsus in both sexes’, and citing the distribution as ‘Tadjikistan, Hissar mountain range , Kondara , small cool springs, at 1100 m’. Thus the taxon was based on at least two adult ies, while the immature stages were not described or mentioned. Yankovsky (1995: 14), nding a larval slide (No. 6441) in ZISP collection with the original data, designated this larva as the lectotype but the designation is invalid because the larva was not described. I was able to nd in ZISP two pinned males (with their pupal exuviae) and one pinned female, all with the original data and clearly syntypes. Of these I have labelled, and here designate, one of the males to be lectotype: its full data are Tajikistan, Hissar range, near Kondara, tributary of river Varzob, 1100 m, 11 September 1944 (I. A. Rubtsov). There are three dry pupal exuviae in ZISP with the same data as the adult lectotype and paralectotypes but they have no associated adults and no type status (pupal stage not described) .