Pseudosmittia xanthostola (Kieffer)

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 : 186-188

Pseudosmittia xanthostola (Kieffer)

( Fig. 69 A–C )

Dactylocladius xanthostolus Kieffer, 1911: 362 .

Dactylocladius heterostolus Kieffer, 1911: 363 .

Smittia melanostola (Kieffer) , Freeman 1956: 357, pro parte.

Pseudosmittia melanostola (Kieffer) , Freeman & Cranston 1980: 186, pro parte.

Pseudosmittia xanthostola (Kieffer) , Saether 2004: 298.

Material examined: SEYCHELLES: Mahé, Cascade Estate , lectotype male, iii. 1909, J. S. Gardiner ( BMNH). Other material as in Saether (2004: 298) .

Diagnostic characters: The imagines are characterized by having a strong apical seta in both sexes, 12–14 scalpellate sensilla clavata located subapically on the third palpomere, postcubitus forked in both sexes, 16–20 dorsocentrals and 9–15 setae on the clypeus. The male imago is easily recognized by the sharply triangular large and dark anal point and the extremely long digitiform volsella ( Fig. 69 A ). The female can be separated from the very similar females of Pseudosmittia brevifurcata by having a distinct postcubital fork and a posterior group of only 5–6 prealar setae in addition to being smaller in size.

The male and female imagines are redescribed by Saether (2004: 298).

Ecology and distribution

The species has been collected from seaweed and in a mangrove area, and larvae are likely to live in the intertidal zone. The species is known only from the Seychelles.

Figures

FIGURE 69. Pseudosmittia spp., imagines. A–C. P. xanthostola (Kieffer), male, female. A—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect; B—female genitalia, ventral view. C—female genitalia, dorsal view. D–G. P. palauensis (Tokunaga). D— wing; E—head; F—virga; G—hypopygium, left dorsal aspect, right ventral aspect.