Culicoides (Silvicola) sierrensis Wirth and Blanton, 2022

Phillips, Robert A., 2022, Culicoides Latreille and Leptoconops Skuse biting midges of the southwestern United States with emphasis on the Canyonlands of southeastern Utah (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (907), pp. 1-214 : 95-96

Culicoides (Silvicola) sierrensis Wirth and Blanton

( Fig. 72 , 125 , 184, 282, 286)

Culicoides (Culicoides) sierrensis Wirth and Blanton, 1969b: 232 (key; numerical characters; female, male; fig. female antenna, palpus, wing, eye separation, spermathecae, male genitalia, parameres; California). Wirth et al. 1985: 10 (numerical characters; fig. female wing).

Culicoides (Silvicola) sierrensis: Mirzaeva and Isaev 1990: 156 in English translation (as part of Cockerellii group, assignment to new subgenus Silvicola ).

Culicoides cockerellii variety a: Wirth 1952a: 172 (female; male genitalia; California).

Diagnosis. ( Tables 14, 15) Wing pattern extensive, with distinct distal stripes and pale spots; pale spot over at least distal half of r 2; cua 1 without central dark spot; dark spot over r 1 –r 2 merged with spot over M fork; eyes contiguous; superior transverse suture present; palpal segment 3 with scattered sensilla instead of pit; scutum with sub-lateral dark patches; hind tibiae with basal pale band ~2× longer than wide; fore and hind tarsomeres with apical spines; spermathecae subequal to unequal by 1.2×; male tergite 9 with tiny apicolateral processes not projecting beyond median lobe; ventral apodeme of gonocoxite shorter than dorsal apodeme, strongly tapered, pointed, 1–2× as long as basal width; gonocoxite with fine setae on mesal surface; aedeagus V-shaped, median process tapered triangular, aedeagal ratio ~0.4; parameres separate, apices slender, posteriorly directed, with fringe of tiny hairs at tip.

Distribution. northern California, Idaho (Blaine County, new state record), Nevada, Utah (San Juan, Summit, Uintah counties, new state record). New records, all collected with UVLT: two females on 16 July 2019 at 43.73340°N 114.27168°W and 1974 m elevation along Corral Creek in the Pioneer Mountains of central Idaho; two females on 11 July 2019 at 40.80841°N 110.87270°W and 2752 m elevation along the Bear River in the Uinta Mountains in Utah; one female during June 2017 at 39.4639°N 109.2869°W and 2436 m elevation on the Tavaputs Plateau in Utah; and two females on August 2019 at 38.41373°N 109.22369°W and 2894 m elevation in the La Sal Mountains in Utah.

Adult behavior. The mandibular and lacinial teeth on the female indicate it feeds on vertebrate blood; however, its hosts are unknown.

Remarks. The two females collected in San Juan County, Utah, had the eyes contiguous at a point, distinct wing pattern, and basal pale band on the hind tibia characteristic of C. sierrensis , but had SCo patterns 1, (3), (5), (6), 7, (8), 9–13 more characteristic of C. neomontanus . See also subgenus Silvicola discussion and C. cockerellii and C. neomontanus remarks.

Figures

Figures 66–72. Male genitalia of Culicoides subgenus Silvicola, ventral view. 66) C. cockerellii (Bonneville County, ID). 67) C. freeborni (San Diego County, CA [BM]). 68) C. lahontan. 69) C. neofagineus (paratype, Mendocino County, CA [FSCA]). 70) C. neomontanus, basal and apical tips of aedeagus triangulated. 71) C. saltonensis (Imperial County, CA [FSCA]). 72) C. sierrensis (paratype, Modoc County, CA [FSCA]).

Figures 117–125. Male wings of Culicoides subgenera Avaritia and Silvicola. 117) C. boydi (in grayscale) (Riverside County, CA [BM]). 118) C. obsoletus (MD [FSCA]). 119) C. cockerellii (Bonneville County, ID). 120) C. freeborni (San Diego County, CA [BM]). 121) C. lahontan. 122) C. neofagineus (in grayscale) (paratype, Mendocino County, CA [FSCA]). 123) C. neomontanus. 124) C. saltonensis (Imperial County, CA [FSCA]). 125) C. sierrensis (paratype, Modoc County, CA [FSCA]).