Neobezzia Wirth & Ratanaworabhan
Creators: name: Borkent, Art
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
Neobezzia

description: Neobezzia Wirth & Ratanaworabhan
(Figs. 21G, 27C, 30P, 39B, 45N, 52A, 66C, 76F)
DIAGNOSIS: Only pupa of Ceratopogonidae with the metathorax with only one campaniform sensillum (M-3-T) situated at least ⅓ the length of the metathorax from its anterior margin (Fig. 52A), abdominal segment 1 with D-2- I and D-3-I well separated (Fig. 52A), and abdominal segment 4 with L-1-IV a long seta (Fig. 66C).
DESCRIPTION: Total length = 3.81 mm. Without larval exuviae retained on abdomen. Exuviae with flagellum appressed against lateral margin of midleg, wing (as in Figs. 16B, 33B). Ecdysial tear extending into eye sheath (as in Figs. 17A, 79I). Head: Dorsal apotome (Fig. 21G), without ventral line of weakness, without dorsomedial tubercle, without central dome; dorsolateral cephalic sclerite (as in Fig. 13H) fused to scutum, each side separated medially by dorsal apotome in whole pupa; mouthparts (Fig. 27C) with mandible well-developed, lacinia absent; palpus extending posterior to posterolateral margin of labium; labium separated medially by labrum, hypopharynx; apex of antenna (Fig. 39B) barely anterior to equal to posterior extent of midlength portion of midleg (portion lateral to mesosternum), narrowed posteriorly; sensilla: dorsal apotomals (Fig. 21G)—1 elongate seta, 1 campaniform sensillum; dorsolateral cephalic sclerite sensilla—1 seta, 1 campaniform sensillum; clypeal-labrals (Fig. 27C)—2 thick setae; oculars (Fig. 27C)—2 setae, 1 campaniform sensillum. Thorax: Prothoracic extension (Fig. 27C) wide, well-developed, extending from palpus to antenna; mesonotum with short tubercles, not extending posteromedially, not dividing metathorax medially (Fig. 52A); respiratory organ (Fig. 45N) length/width = 3.50, very short, squat, somewhat flattened apically, with pores closely abutting at apex of respiratory organ, arranged in single curved row, outer surface smooth, with short, wide pedicel, base with short posteromedial apodeme, membranous base of respiratory organ short, tracheal tube straight to slightly curved along length, with spirals restricted to base, wrinkles to 1/3 length; wing (Fig. 39B) without apical tubercle or angle, separated medially by fore-, midlegs; halter apex and hind leg (as in Fig. 33A) broadly abutting; halter apex abutting anterolateral knoblike extension of tergite 2; legs (Fig. 39B) with lateral margin of foreleg near midlength of wing evenly curved; hind leg visible at lateral margin of wing (as in Fig. 33E); with apex of foreleg moderately anterior to apex of midleg; apex of hind leg abutting apex of midleg laterally; sensilla: anteromedials—1 short peg, 1 elongate seta, 1 campaniform sensillum (as in Fig. 31N); anterolaterals—1 moderately long seta; dorsal setae (Fig. 30P)—D-1-T, D-2-T, D-5-T peg-like setae, D-4-T seta, D-3-T campaniform sensillum; D-1-T, D-2-T on single, short tubercle, D- 3-T lateral to D-4-T; supraalar 2—campaniform sensillum; metathoracics (Fig. 52A)—1 campaniform sensillum; M-3-T distant from margin of metathorax (at least 1/3 length of metathorax). Abdomen: pigmentation light brown, with tergite 1 with 3 medial spots, tergites 2–7 with medial area with stripe, 2 anterolateral spots, 2 pairs on tergite 8, at least sternites 3–5 with medial stripe, anterolateral spot (sternites 6–7 membranous), segment 2 as wide or slightly wider than segment 3, segments with undivided, peg-like or thin to thick setae, with rounded to pointed, short to moderately elongate tubercles, with sternites 6–7 each with membranous disc; segment 9 (Fig. 76F) not strongly modified, terminal processes closely approximated basally, each projecting posterodorsolaterally, tapering to pointed apex; sensilla: tergite 1 (Fig. 52A) with 8 setae, 2 campaniform sensilla, including 3 lateral sensilla, D-2- I, D-3-I well separated, D-7-I situated anteriorly near D-3-I; segment 4 (Fig. 66C)—D-2-IV, D-3-IV short to moderately elongate setae on short tubercles; D-5-IV, D-8-IV peg-like setae, D-9-IV moderately elongate seta; D- 5-IV on single tubercle, D-8-IV, D-9-IV on separate but closely approximated tubercles, posterior dorsal sensilla in transverse row, arranged medially to laterally: D-5-IV, D-4-IV, D-8-IV, D-9-IV; D-7-IV near D-3-IV; L-1-IV elongate seta on pointed tubercle, well anterior of posterior lateral setae; L-2-IV, L-4-IV short setae, L-3-IV elongate seta on pointed tubercles, V-5-IV, V-7-IV short setae, V-6-IV elongate seta, on short or moderately elongate tubercles, all closely approximated; segment 8 without D-3-VIII, without L-1-VIII; segment 9 (Fig. 76F)—with D-5-IX, D-6-IX campaniform sensilla.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT: The genus Neobezzia is known from eight species in the Neotropical Region (Borkent 2014). Immatures were found in mats of the floating aquatic fern Salvinia auriculata in a lagoon or among plants and algal mats in a pond.
TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Only two species of Neobezzia are known as pupae (Tables 2–3). Ronderos et al. (2011) provided detailed SEM photomicrographs as well as description of N. fittkau. They reported the total length of male pupae as 4.06–4.64 mm and that of females as 4.86–4.98 mm but included the length of the terminal process (not included here). Regardless, this genus shows the sexual dimorphism in size present in all Heteromyiini + Sphaeromiini s. lat. + Palpomyiini + Stenoxenini and some genera of Ceratopogonini.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: N. fittkaui: 1 pupal exuviae, Ilha da Marchantaria, Município de Iranduba, Amazonas, Brazil, 27-VII-2010 (MLPA).
description: Published as part of Borkent, Art, 2014, The Pupae of the Biting Midges of the World (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), With a Generic Key and Analysis of the Phylogenetic Relationships Between Genera, pp. 1-327 in Zootaxa 3879 (1) on pages 87-88, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3879.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4949051