Homohelea Kieffer
Creators: name: Borkent, Art
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
Homohelea

description: Homohelea Kieffer
(Figs. 27H, 31A, 40A–B, 46A–B, 52F, 68B, 77A)
DIAGNOSIS: Only pupa of Ceratopogonidae with the abdominal tubercles all apically rounded (Fig. 68B), abdominal segment 4 with D-8-IV and D-9-IV on separate or, at most, only basally fused tubercles (Fig. 68B) and abdominal segment 8 with the two ventral sensilla (V-5-VIII, V-6-VIII) on a single tubercle and V-5-VIII tiny and V-6-VIII elongate.
DESCRIPTION: Total length = 4.88 mm. Without larval exuviae retained on abdomen. Exuviae with flagellum appressed against lateral margin of midleg, wing (as in Figs. 16B, 33B). Ecdysial tear around base of antenna, along lateral margin of face to palpus (as in Figs. 17C, 79H). Head: Dorsal apotome as described by de Meillon & Wirth (1981), uncertain 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. 27H) with mandible well-developed, lacinia absent; palpus extending equal to or just posterior to posterolateral margin of labium; labium separated medially by labrum, hypopharynx; apex of antenna (Fig. 40A–B) anterior to posterior extent of midlength portion of midleg (portion lateral to mesosternum), narrowed posteriorly; sensilla: dorsal apotomals (as described by de Meillon & Wirth 1981)—1 elongate seta, 1 campaniform sensillum; dorsolateral cephalic sclerite sensilla—1 seta, campaniform sensillum not visible (dirty specimens); clypeal-labrals (Fig. 27H)—2 slender setae; oculars (Fig. 27H)—2 setae, 1 campaniform sensillum. Thorax: Prothoracic extension (Fig. 27H) wide, well-developed but narrow dorsolaterally, not extending to antenna; mesonotum without tubercles, not extending posteromedially, not dividing metathorax medially (Fig. 52F); respiratory organ (Figs. 46A–B) length/width = 4.55–5.70, elongate, slender, somewhat flattened apically, with pores closely abutting at apex of respiratory organ, arranged in single row, outer surface smooth, with short, wide pedicel, base with elongate posteromedial apodeme, membranous base of respiratory organ short, annulated, tracheal tube straight to slightly curved along length, with spirals restricted to base, plates to half length; wing (Fig. 40A–B) with short tubercle at apex of hind leg, separated medially by fore-, midlegs; halter apex and hind leg (similar to Fig. 33J) broadly abutting; halter apex extending posteriorly to 1/4 length of tergite 2; legs (Fig. 40A–B) with lateral margin of foreleg near midlength of wing evenly curved; hind leg visible at lateral margin of wing (as in Fig. 33I); male with apex of foreleg moderately anterior to apex of midleg, female with apex of foreleg ventral to apex of midleg; apex of hind leg abutting apex of midleg laterally; sensilla: anteromedials—2 elongate setae (as in Figs. 31L–M); anterolaterals—1 moderate seta; dorsal setae (Fig. 31A)—D-1-T, D-2-T, D-4-T, D-5-T setae, D-3-T campaniform sensillum, D-3-T lateral to slightly posterolateral to D-4-T; supraalar 2—campaniform sensillum; metathoracics (Fig. 52F)—1 campaniform sensillum; M-3-T distant from margin of metathorax (at least 1/3 length of metathorax). Abdomen: with tergite 1 uncertain, tergites 2-7 with medial area with stripe, 2 anterolateral spots, sternites 3–7 with anterolateral spots hard to see, segment 2 as wide or slightly wider than segment 3, segments with undivided, thin to thick setae, with rounded, short tubercles, tergites or sternites entire, each without membranous disc; segment 9 (Fig. 77A) not strongly modified, terminal processes closely approximated basally, each projecting posterodorsolaterally, tapering to pointed apex; sensilla: tergite 1 (Fig. 52F) with 8 setae, 2 campaniform sensilla, including 3 lateral sensilla, D-2-I, D-3-I closely approximated, D-7-I situated anteriorly near D-3-I; segment 4 (Fig. 68B)—D-2-IV, D-3-IV moderately elongate setae, D-2-IV on short tubercle; D-5-IV, D-8- IV, D-9-IV moderately elongate setae; D-5-IV on single tubercle, D-8-IV, D-9-IV on basally fused, flattened 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 moderately elongate seta arising from flat surface, moderately anterior of posterior lateral setae; L-2-IV, L-3-IV, L-4-IV short setae on rounded tubercles, those of L- 2-IV, L-4-IV flattened, V-5-IV, V-6-IV, V-7-IV short setae on rounded, flattened tubercles, all closely approximated; segment 8 without D-3-VIII, without L-1-VIII; with V-5-VIII, V-6-VIII on single tubercle, V-5-VIII tiny, V-6-VIII elongate; segment 9 (Fig. 77A)—with D-5-IX, D-6-IX campaniform sensilla.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT: The genus Homohelea is known from 19 species in the Palaearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical Regions (Borkent 2014). Pupae have been collected from a river margin, a brackish marsh, ponds, and ground pools. Ingram & Macfie (1921) noted pupae were common in "puddles of dirty water near a stand-pipe".
TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION: Three species of Homohelea are known as pupae (Tables 2–3). The dorsal apotomes of the available specimens were absent and cannot, therefore, be characterized. The dorsal apotome of H. delanoe was described (but not illustrated) by de Meillon & Wirth (1981) as having "a pair of small tubercles each bearing a slender hair", which is the typical condition in most Ceratopogonidae.
In addition to the male specimens examined, photos were made available (Burgert Muller, NMSA) of the holotype female of H. albitudinis and a non-type female specimen of H. delanoe, allowing comparisons to be made of sexually dimorphic features with the male pupae at hand (see character 44).
MATERIAL EXAMINED: H. delanoe: 2 pupal exuviae, Zoutpan, Transvaal, South Africa, 10-I-1974 (USNM).
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 95-96, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3879.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4949051