Polypedilum quasinubifer Cranston & Martin & Spies 2016, sp. n.
Creators: name: Cranston, Peter S.
name: Martin, Jon
name: Spies, Martin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Chironomidae
Polypedilum
Polypedilum quasinubifer

description: Polypedilum quasinubifer Cranston sp. n.
(Figs 1A, C, F; 2C, F; 3C; 4B, D, F; 5B)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:70DEF8F7-C4A2-445B-8550-B8417 B29393 F
Type material. Holotype, Le / Pe / ♂, AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Lawn Hill National Park, Musselbrook, Amphitheatre, 18°21’S 138°09'E, 13.v.1995 (Cranston) (ANIC).
Paratypes, Le/Pe/ ♂, Le/Pe/ ♀, as Holotype; Pe, Queensland, Lawn Hill N.P., Musselbrook, Border Pool, 18°36’53”S 137°59’25”'E, 14.v.1995 (Cranston) (ANIC).
Other material examined. SINGAPORE: Upper Seletar Reservoir, 1°24’10"N 103°48'27"E, 29.vii.2012, 16.vii.2013, 8.x.2013 (NUS team) (all life stages); Bedok Reservoir, 1°20’47”N 103°55’31”E, 11.ix.2013, (NUS team) (all life stages) (some of each stage to ANIC, remainder to RMBR—MV).
THAILAND: single L from each of: Chiang Mai, Amphur Doi Saket, Nam Kuang, 19°00’N 99°17’E, 15.v. 2004, 554 m., L-689 (Vitheepradit & Prommi); Mae Kuang, 19°00’N 99°17’E, 15.v.2004 (DuCharme) Kalasin, Amphur Khao Wong, Tad Tong Waterfall, 16°45’N 104°07’E, 204 m., TH62 (Vitheepradit); Petchabun, Khao Khor N.P., stream from Tamtip Waterfall, 16°39.594’N 101°07.901’E, 182 m., 11.v.2004, L-678, TH5 (Vitheepradit & Prommi); Chaiyaphum, Phu Kiew WS, Lam Num Prom, 16°27’N 101°39’E, 589 m., 2.v.2004 (DuCharme); Prachin Buri, Khao Yai N.P., Kaeng Wang Thong, 14°10.077’N 101°43.420’E (Sites & Vitheepradit) (all ANIC).
Description. Adults (Figs 1A, C, F, 2C, 3B). For mensural features see Table 1. Frontal tubercles very small, 8–10 µm long. Foretibial apex triangularly tapering without apical spine (Fig. 1C). Pulvillus (Fig. 5B) divided in 2 parts; outer plumose but not forming ‘pad’, extending to mid-claw; inner part simple, unbranched, subequal in length to outer; empodium sparsely plumose, extending beyond pulvillus apex. Wing pattern very faint on (teneral) type specimens, variably to strongly developed on those from Singapore (Fig. 1A). Male T VIII waisted (tapering anteriorly); TIX with cluster of setae not lying within delimited paler area; anal point narrow. Male genitalia (Fig. 1F) with conventional gonocoxite and slender gonostylus tapering to blunt apex. Superior volsella curved, shorter and stouter than in P. nubifer, bearing dorsolateral seta inserted at about 2/3 length of volsella. Inferior volsella slender, with apical seta arising from weakly bilobed apex, scarcely longer than any other in sparse cluster of setae. Female genitalia: gonocoxite IX with 7–11 setae. Lobes of gonapophysis VIII (Fig. 2C): ventrolateral lobe squat (15–20 µm) bearing short setae; dorsomedial lobe no more than a rounded microtrichiose contour without setae, c. 90 x 125 µm, rounded rectangular.
Pupa (Figs 2F, 3C). Exuviae 5.0– 5.5 mm long, pale with yellow highlights and yellow-brown comb on abdominal segment VIII. Cephalic tubercles triangular, 25–35 µm long and about equally wide at base, bearing 40– 55 µm long frontal seta inserted basally on tubercle. Thoracic horn plumose, arising from oval, golden basal ring. Thorax mid-dorsally with dense cluster of small tubercles. Abdominal tergite spine/spinule pattern and setation as in Fig. 3C. Hook row on segment II c. 45–50% of tergite width, with c. 30–42 hooklets. Caudolateral spur on VIII (Figs 2F, 3E) well-developed, with dominant (apical-most) spine and few significantly smaller subsidiary spines not extending to L4 setal base. Anal lobe fringe evenly uniserial, with 23–30 taeniae, without dorsal seta.
Larva (Fig. 4B, D, F). For mensural features see Table 2. Head yellow, with pale postmentum and narrow dark occipital margin; head total length, postmentum, mentum (Fig. 4D) and mandible c. 30–40% shorter than in P. nubifer. Antennal segment lengths shorter but ratios similar: Antennal blade relatively longer, reaching antennal apex (Fig. 4B). Microsculpture of ventromental plate (Fig. 4F): with sparser striae, terminating anteriorly on outer (lateralmost) corner of plate in 3–4 shallow lobes.
Notes. Polypedilum quasinubifer is smaller in all measurements (e.g. wing length c. 40% of P. nubifer / paranubifer, has fewer setae, and differs significantly in ratios, notably the fore leg ratio of 1.9–2.2 (in both sexes). The pupa is smaller and paler than those of P. nubifer / paranubifer), with smaller cephalic tubercles but longer frontal setae arising nearer the tubercle base. The thorax has a dorsal cluster of small tubercles (rather than aligned rows of larger tubercles). The hook row is narrower (no more than 50% of tergite width) and with fewer hooklets. The 'comb' on segment VIII is paler, smaller, with a more dominant major spine and fewer subsidiary spines. The anal lobe has fewer taeniae (<30) in a uniform uniserial row.
description: Published as part of Cranston, Peter S., Martin, Jon & Spies, Martin, 2016, Cryptic species in the nuisance midge Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse) (Diptera: Chironomidae) and the status of Tripedilum Kieffer, pp. 429-447 in Zootaxa 4079 (4) on pages 440-441, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4079.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/1050863