Simulium (Simulium)

Takaoka, Hiroyuki, Sofian-Azirun, Mohd, Ya’Cob, Zubaidah, Chen, Chee Dhang, Lau, Koon Weng, Fernandez, Kevin & Lardizabal, Maria Lourdes, 2015, Revision of the Simulium (Simulium) melanopus species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Sabah, Malaysia, Zootaxa 3985 (1), pp. 1-30 : 28

Simulium (Simulium) sp.

Simulium (Simulium) laterale (not Edwards): Smart & Clifford, 1969: 22 –26 (Female, male, pupa and larva)

Specimens examined. Two females, two males, all reared from pupae collected from a small stream (width 3.5 m, depth 10–12 cm, water temperature 17.5˚C, shaded, altitude 1,591 m, 06˚00.665’ N/116˚32.399’ E), moderate to fast flowing in a natural forest, Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, 18-VI-2014, by M. Sofian-Azirun, Z. Ya’cob, C.D. Chen & K.W. Lau; one female, one male, both reared from pupae, and one pupal exuviae, collected from a small stream (width 0.2 m, depth 2–3 cm, water temperature 16.4˚C, shaded, altitude 1,728 m, 06˚01.397’ N/116˚32.611’ E), slow flowing in a natural forest, Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, 18-VI-2014, by M. Sofian-Azirun, Z. Ya’cob, C.D. Chen & K.W. Lau; one male, reared from pupa collected from a small stream (width 6.0 m, depth 0.5 m, water temperature 17.0˚C, partially shaded, altitude 1,714 m, 06˚01.337’ N/116˚36.420’ E), moderate to fast flowing in a natural forest, Mesilau, Kundasang, Sabah, 18-VI-2014, by M. Sofian-Azirun, Z. Ya’cob, C.D. Chen & K.W. Lau; one female, one male (both reared from pupae), collected from a stream (width 3.5 m, depth 25 cm, water temperature 15.7˚C, shaded, altitude 1,763 m, 06˚02.133’ N/116˚35.835’ E), moderately flowing in a natural forest, Mesilau, Kundasang, Sabah, 19-VI-2014, by M. Sofian-Azirun, Z. Ya’cob, C.D. Chen & K.W. Lau; one male, two pharate females and one pharate male, collected from a stream (width 3.5 m, depth 25 cm, water temperature 23.0˚C, partially shaded, altitude 579 m, 06˚03.116’ N/116˚71.284’ E), moderately flowing in a natural forest, Poring, Kundasang, Sabah, 19-VI-2014, by M. Sofian-Azirun, C.D. Chen, K.W. Lau, M.L. Lardizabal & K. Fernandez.

Ecological notes. The pupae of this species were collected from trailing grasses and dead leaves of trees in the water. Associated species were S. (N.) borneoense and S. (S.) nigripilosum .

Distribution. Sabah.

Remarks. Smart and Clifford (1969) redescribed the female of S. (S.) laterale based on material reared from pupae, but their association was wrong, as noted under S. (S.) laterale . The species thought to be S. (S.) laterale by Smart and Clifford (1969) is distinguished from S. (S.) laterale in the female by having a yellowish fore coxa and haired basal portion of the radial vein. The male of this species is characterized by a brilliantly iridescent scutum with a nonpruinose dark median vitta and a small round lateral spot on each side.

There is a possibility that this species has two male morphotypes, which are distinguished from each other by the number of upper-eye facets and the scutal pattern, because pupae of these two male morphotypes are morphologically indistinguishable from each other and always coexist in the same streams. Our preliminary DNA analysis supports this hypothesis. This species will be described as a new species elsewhere as soon as a solid molecular evidence is available.