Aedokritus adotivae, Pinho, 2018

Pinho, Luiz Carlos, 2018, Bringing taxonomy to school kids: Aedokritus adotivae sp. n. from Amazon (Diptera: Chironomidae), Zootaxa 4399 (4), pp. 586-590 : 586-588

Aedokritus adotivae sp. n.

( Figure 1 )

Type material. Holotype: male, BRAZIL: Pará State, Fordlândia, 02.xi.1970, light, leg.: Expedição Permanente da Amazônia ( MZUSP) . Paratype: 1 male, same data as holotype. ( UFSC) .

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the Adotiva Liberato Valentin Public Elementary School, as proposed by its students and community during the outreach activity.

Diagnostic characters. The species can be separated from other Aedokritus species by its small size (total length lower than 3.7 mm, remaining species higher than 4.5 mm) and superior volsella with billhook-shaped apical projection.

Description. Male (n = 1–2). Total length 3.49–3.68 mm. Wing length 1.68–1.76 mm. Total length / wing length 2.08–2.09. Wing length / length of profemur 1.95–1.97.

Coloration. Head brown. Thorax ( Figure 1A ) dark brown; vittae indistinct; halteres brown; wing ( Figure 1C ) with a dark brown crossband which extends from base of r4+5 to base of m3+4; apical 1/4 of wing, distal 2/3 of cu and an cells and whole area between C and R veins light brown. Legs ( Figure 1B ) with coxae, trocanthers, femora and tibiae dark brown; tarsomeres 1 with yellowish basal half and brown distal half; tarsomeres 2–5 brown. Abdominal segments brown.

Head. Frontal tubercles absent. Antennae lost. Temporal setae 10–12. Clypeus with 20–24 setae. Tentorium 123–137 µm long, 34–49 µm wide. Palpomere lengths (in µm): 48–49, 54–59, 162–176, 309. Third palpal segment without sensilla clavata.

Wing ( Figure 1C ). VR 1.05–1.09. Brachiolum with 1 seta. R with 18–19 setae; R1 with 8–9; R4+5 with 2 apical setae; remaining veins bare. Squama with 7 setae. Anal lobe moderately developed.

Thorax ( Figure 1A ). Scutum without tubercle. Dorsocentrals 7–9; acrostichals absent; prealars 2–3. Scutellum with 11–12 setae, biserial.

Legs ( Figure 1B ). Spur of foretibia 34–39 µm long. Spur of mid tibia 38–39 and 40–44 µm long, including 20 µm long comb. Spurs of hind tibia 34–39 and 49–51 µm long, including 25 µm long comb. Width at apex of foretibia 49–54 µm, of mid tibia 44–49 µm, of hind tibia 54–59 µm. Lengths (in µm) and proportions of legs as in Table 1.

Hypopygium ( Figure 1C–D ). Tergite IX with 15–16 small posterior setae. Anal tergite band well developed. Laterosternite with 5–6 setae. Anal point without lateral setae, 40–57 µm long, 12–20 µm wide at base. Phallapodeme 92–95 µm long, transverse sternapodeme 82–97 µm long. Gonocoxite 167–179 µm long. Superior volsella 75–77 µm long, with billhook-shaped apical projection, without microtrichia and with 15–16 median small setae. Median volsella 82–85 µm long, with slender lamellae. Inferior volsella 75–85 µm long, with 11–12 apical setae. Gonostylus 137–144 µm long. HR 1.21–1.24; HV 2.54–2.56.

Female and immatures. Unknown.

Distribution. A. adotivae sp. n. is known only for its type-locality, Fordlândia, a village on the banks of Tapajós River in Aveiros municipality (western Pará State, Brazilian Amazon).

Remarks. The new species is similar to A. souzalopesi due to overall color pattern, (except for tarsomeres which are mostly light brown in A. adotivae sp. n. and yellowish in A. souzalopesi ) but it is easily distinguished by its much smaller size and unique billhook-shaped superior volsella.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aedokritus adotivae sp. n., male. A, wing. B, hypopygium, dorsal view. C, hypopygium with tergite IX and anal point removed, dorsal view left, ventral view right.