Smittia pratorum (Goetghebuer, 1927)

Baranov, Viktor & Kvifte, Gunnar Mikalsen, 2016, NEW RECORDS OF NON-BITING MIDGES (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE, ORTHOCLADIINAE) FROM MALLORCA, SPAIN Abstract, CHIRONOMUS Journal of Chironomidae Research 29, pp. 11-14 : 12-13

Smittia pratorum (Goetghebuer, 1927)

Locality: Spain, Mallorca, Esporles, Torrent de San Vic , 39.670459 oN, 2.569193 oE, 1♂, 10 February 2015, stream edges; Cala Figuera, 39.330871 oN, 3.165476 oE, 2♂♂, 1♀, 10 February 2015, forest glade in front of hotel; Banyalbufar, 39.690612 oN, 2.525107 oE, 1♂, 09 February 2015, shaded ditch between Banyalbufar and Esporles.

Distribution: Widely distributed in the Holarctic region; occurring in Oriental China, and possibly also in Argentina in the Neotropical region. In Spain, the species was previously recorded in the Sierra Nevada ( Ashe and O’Connor 2012, Spies and Saether 2013). New to Balearic Islands ( Ashe and O’Connor 2012, Spies and Saether 2013, Soriano et al. 1997).

Remarks: The male collected at Banyalbufar exhibits a curious abnormality in the development of the anal point as the apex of the anal point is bifurcate and Y-shaped ( Fig. 2 ). We have not found similar examples in the literature, but a wide variety of other developmental abnormalities resulting from parasites or gene or chromosomal mutations have been thoroughly documented (see Rempel 1940; Martin and Lee 2000).

Figures

Figure 2. Hypopygium of Smittia pratorum (Goetghebuer, 1927) male with abnormal anal point. Black arrow pointing to the bifurcation in anal point.