Metacnephia blanci (Grenier and Theodorides)

Crosskey, Roger W. & Crosskey, Margaret E., 2000, An investigation of the black ¯ y fauna of Andalusia, southern Spain (Diptera: Simuliidae), Journal of Natural History 34 (6), pp. 895-951 : 911

1. Metacnephia blanci (Grenier and Theodorides)

Spain references: Rivosecchi (1978, Spain cited, no locality), GonzaÂlez PenÄa et al. (1986), GonzaÂlez PenÄa (1990), GonzaÂlez (1997).

Andalusia records

Authors’ material. Site 7: 9 larvae. Site 26: 25 pupae, 260 larvae. Site 35: 2 pupae, 2 larvae. Site 95: 3 pupae, 1 larva. Site 118: 1 pupa.

Previous reports. CoÂrdoba: Sierra Morena, RõÂo Yeguas (UH95336 2) (refs GonzaÂlez PenÄa et al., 1986, GonzaÂlez PenÄa, 1990).

Remarks

This species was ®rst described from Morocco (Grenier and Theodorides, 1953) and has since been reported from several southern European countries. In Portugal it has been found only in Leiria District (Santos GraÂcio, 1985). In Spain it is widely distributed but uncommon; we found it at only four (3%) of our Andalusian sampling sites. The species breeds principally in lowland rivers. It is instantly recognized among Spanish simuliids by the pupal gill, con®gured as a tuft of 30±40 very delicate ®laments (33±37 ®laments seen on pupae checked from our sites 26 and 35). The larval postgenal cleft, as in other Metacnephia , reaches forwards to the hypostomium but diOEers in shape from that of M. nuragica : in M. blanci the cleft tapers gradually towards the hypostomium and meets its base quite broadly, whereas in M. nuragica the cleft has an amphora-like outline and meets the base of the hypostomium very narrowly (see ®gures in GonzaÂlez, 1997).