Pseudosmittia brachydicrana (Edwards, 1927)

Ferrington Jr, Leonard C. & Saether, Ole A., 2011, A revision of the genera Pseudosmittia Edwards, 1932, Allocladius Kieffer, 1913, and Hydrosmittia gen. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) 2849, Zootaxa 2849 (1), pp. 1-314 : 197

brachydicrana group

Postcubital fork present except in P. kauaiensis , P. mathildae , P. licina and P. christmasensis ; inner tibial spur of mid leg absent in P. kauaiensis , P. littoralis , P. setiforceps and P. brachydicrana ; gonocoxite with apicolateral comb of 4-8 bristle-like to nearly lamellate setae in P. oahuensis , P. setiforceps and P. brachydicrana ; superior volsella absent except strongly reduced in P. setiforceps ; inferior volsella placed posterior on gonocoxite in brachydicrana subgroup and in P. triangula ; crista dorsalis of moderate size. Females known from P. mathildae , P. kauaiensis , P. littoralis and P. brachydicrana ; with subapical antennal seta in P. brachydicrana ; tergite IX divided into two setigerous protrusions, without distinct caudal notch; gonocoxite IX with caudal projection surpassing tergite IX in P. kauaiensis and P. littoralis ; posterolateral corners of segment X conspicuously triangular in P. mathildae . Immatures known from P. mathildae only. Pupa with nose on wing sheath, tergite IX with longitudinal ridge carrying 2–3 rows of strong points, genital sac of both sexes with spinules. Posterior parapods of larva with 8 claws; antennal blade subequal in length to width of basal antennal segment and longer than length of basal antennal segment.

P. mathildae shows numerous autapomorphies in the immatures, but since the immatures of the other species in the group are unknown it is not known whether these will be synapomorphies for the whole brachydicrana group.