Simulium (Hearlea) ayrozai Vargas

Coscarón, S., Esquivel, D. R. Miranda, Moulton, J. K., Arias, C. L. Coscarón- & Bernal, S. Ibañez, 2004, Simulium (Hearlea) Vargas, Martínez Palacios, & Díaz Nájera (Diptera: Simuliidae): Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis, Zootaxa 396, pp. 1-52 : 10-11

Simulium (Hearlea) ayrozai Vargas

Figs. 4A, B .

Simulium ayrozai Vargas 1945 a: 74 , pl. 7, Fig. 4 ; pl. 8, Figs. 4 , 7 ; pl. 9, Fig. 5 ; pl. 10, Fig. 3 , 4.

Simulium (Hearlea) ayrozai Vargas : Vargas, Martínez Palacios & Díaz Nájera, 1946: 106, 111, 164, 181, 184, 185, Fig. 125; Vargas & Díaz Nájera, 1957: 166, 167, 170, 172, 173, 282, Figs. 65– 72. Díaz Nájera & Vulcano, 1962: 93, 108; Fig. 1–5 .

Female: Wing length, 3.4 mm. General coloration blackish. Scutum velvety black, with 1+1 silvery vittae adjoining anterior subtriangular spots with whitish pruinose prescutellar area. Fronto­ocular triangle longer than broad. Cibarium broadly U­shaped, smooth, lacking ovoid sublateral prominences. Sc pilose, with 21 hairs. Hind basitarsus 6 times longer than broad; claw with subbasal tooth. Genitalia differing from S. capricorne as follows: sternite VIII with 17–19 trichomes per side, gonapophysis with internal border sclerotized along inner 1/2, cerci with distal margin straight, anal lobe well sclerotized with abundant hairs distally.

Male: Wing length, 3.4 mm. Scutum velvety black. Sc with few hairs. Hind basitarsus 4.2 times longer than broad. Genitalia similar to that of S. capricorne , except ventral plate more elevated distally.

Pupa: ( Figs. 4 A, B ). Cocoon shoe shaped, anterior margin reinforced, coarsely woven; basal length, 3.5–4.7 mm. Frontoclypeus and anterodorsum of thorax smooth, with few platelets; frontoclypeus with 2 small frontal and 1 large facial setae per side. Gill with two broad, curved, pseudoannulated (particularly laterally) branches whose apices meet along longitudinal midline forming ring; gill typically not extended beyond anterior margin of cocoon; dorsal branch, 0.9 mm, with small acute process distally; ventral branch, 1.0 mm. Abdominal tergite X without terminal spines.

Larva (mature): Body length, 8–10 mm. General coloration gray. Cephalic apotome uniformly light brown, with gradually darkened median basally and small half anterior median and submedian spots. Labral fan with 52–54 rays. Hypostoma with straight anterior margin, 14–17 lateral setae per side, and 4+4 discal setae. Mandible with two rows of 7–8 internal teeth, 2 thin marginal teeth, and 1 large lateromandibular process. Ratio of antennal articles = 1:1.5:1.0 (proximal: medial: distal). Ratio of hypostoma/length of hypostomal bridge = 1:1. Postgenal cleft dome­shaped, with narrow anteromedian incision. Cervical sclerites adjoining postgenae posteriorly. Lateral sclerite of prothoracic proleg with 46–52 teeth. Posterior circlet with ca. 150 rows of 24–27 hooks. Rectal papillae trilobed, with 12–15 lobules per lobe (total = 36–45); dorsal lobe larger than ventral ones.

Material examined: México: D. F., Desierto de Los Leones , 1 female pharate, 1 male pharate, 4 pupae, 1 larva on slides, 26 March 1948, A. Díaz Nájera ( MLP), (leg. INDRE) ; same, 1 female (paratype), 5 March 1944, A. Martínez & A. Díaz ( USNM) .

Distribution: Guatemala: Solalá, Totonicapan; México, D.F., México.

Discussion: Simulium ayrozai is very similar structurally to S. microbranchium , especially in features of the pupal gill, but the latter species has the dorsal gill branch narrower and slightly longer than the ventral branch and a more strengthened anterior margin of the cocoon. Simulium ayrozai also differs from S. microbranchium by slight differences in the larva, such as more gray coloration (versus green), posterior circlet with hooklet rows (versus 194–206), and rectal papillae with lobules (versus 25).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Female. A–C. S. (H.) capricorne. A. front; B. fronto­ocular triangle; C. hind basitarsus. D. S. (H.) gorirossiae claw. E. S. (H.) larvispinosum claw. F–G. S. (H.) juarezi, scutum with varying lighting. H–I. S. (H.) microbranchium, scutum with varying lighting. Figures A and C, D and E, and F–I, with same respective scaling.

FIGURE 2. Female. A–E. S. (H.) capricorne, A. basal portion of cibarium, B. basal article of palpus and sensorial organ; C. VIII sternite and gonapophysis; D. paraproct and cercus; E. genital fork. F. S. (H.) delatorrei, basal portion of cibarium. G–I. S. (H.) larvispinosum, G. basal portion of cibarium, H. genital fork, I. spermatheca. (A, C, E, H, I) and (B, F) same scale respectively.

FIGURE 3. A–G Male. A. S. (H.) juarezi, scutum. B. S. (H.) capricorne hind basitarsus; C–E. S. (H.) delatorrei, C. basistylus and dististylus, D. ventral plate, E. endoparameres and median sclerite. F–G. S. (H.) larvispinosum F. basistylus and dististylus, G. ventral plate. H–I. pupa, frontoclypeus of S. (H.) capricorne and S. (H.) delatorrei respectively. (C, H) and (D, E) same scale respectively.

FIGURE 4. Pupa and respiratory organ. A, B. S. (H.) ayrozai, A. lateral view, B. dorsal view. C. S. (H.) canadense gill, lateral view; D, E. S. (H.) capricorne, D. lateral view, E. ventral view; F–I. S. (H.) ethelae, H. dorsal view; I. laterointernal view. J, K. S. (H.) microbranchium, J. lateral view, K. dorsal view; L–N. S. (H.) nigricorne N. dorsal view, M. laterointernal view. (A, D, F, H–N same scale).

FIGURE 5. Pupa and respiratory organ. A, B. S. (H.) burchi; A. lateral view, B. dorsal view. C–F. S. (H.) delatorrei; D. in laterodorsal view; E. dorsal view, F. laterointernal view. G–I. S. (H.) estevezi, H. dorsal view, I. ventral view. J–M. S. (H.) dalmati, J. lateral view, K. dorsal view, L. frontal view. M. ventral view. N–O. S. (H.) juarezi, N. lateral view, O. dorsal view. (A, B–E, G–O same scale).

FIGURE 7. Abdominal chaetotaxy of pupa (S. (H.) capricorne, as example).