Simulium (Hearlea) ethelae Dalmat
Creators: name: Coscarón, S.
name: Esquivel, D. R. Miranda
name: Moulton, J. K.
name: Arias, C. L. Coscarón-
name: Bernal, S. Ibañez
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Simuliidae
Simulium
Simulium ethelae

description: Simulium (Hearlea) ethelae Dalmat
Figs. 4F–I
Simulium (Hearlea) ethelae Dalmat, 1950: 143–148, Figs. 8 –14; 1951: 52–53; 1955: 258–263, Figs. 106–108, 226–228, 254, 312, 352, 390, 427; Vargas & Díaz Nájera, 1957: 167, 171, 174, 298, Figs. 81–89, 134–142; (as S. capricorne); Díaz Nájera & Vulcano, 1962: 93.
Female: Wing length, 3.6 mm. Scutum velvety black with 1+1 anterior silvery vittae adjoining 1+1 anterior silver pruinose subtriangular spots and light grayish prescutellar area. Basal portion of cibarium smooth, concave medially, with thickened margin bearing 1+1 lateral subovoidal prominences. Hind basitarsus 4.7 times longer than broad. Genitalia as in S. capricorne.
Male: Wing length, 3.4 mm. Coloration of scutum velvety blackish with a silvery pruinose spot on the anterior fourth area; abdominal ornamentation and genitalia morphology similar to that of other S. (Hearlea), with ventral plate subovoidal with median carina. Hind basitarsus 3.3 times longer than broad.
Pupa: length (basal), 2.4 mm. Cocoon slipper shaped, closed anteriorly, neatly woven (no threads evident), with reinforced anterior margin. Gill with two, subequally sized, wrinkled, curved, gradually flattened, annulated, accuminate branches lacking granules or spicules (Figs. 4F–I); dorsal branch slightly longer than ventral branch, with apex gradually curved ventrally. Thorax with sparse accuminate granules; frontoclypeus mostly smooth, with rounded granules only along margins.
Larva: Length, 7 mm. General coloration grayish. Cephalic apotome with only small spots on mid­line and submedian area. Labral fan with 36–40 primary rays. Mandible with 5 or 6 internal teeth and 2 thin marginal teeth. Hypostoma with 12–16 lateral setae per side. Postgenal cleft narrow distally, deeply incised; ratio of hypostoma/hypostomal bridge = 0.9. Lateral sclerite of prothoracic proleg with 36–42 teeth. Rectal papillae with 36–39 lobules, 12–13 lobules per lobe. Posterior circlet with 150–170 rows of 18–20 hooks.
Material examined: Guatemala: (Dalmat collection USNM) Sololá, Panajachel, 1 pupa, 18 December 1949; río Patanatic, 1 pupa (paratype, only cocoon), 16 March 1949; near Los Encuentros, río Los Arcos, 1 female, 3 pupae (paratypes), 4 November 1948; 1 pupa (paratype), 13 December 1948; Mixco, río Campamento, Catarata, R 1, between km 24 and 25, 7 females, 6 males, 1 pupa (paratype), 1 pupa, 9 December 1949.
Distribution: Guatemala: Chimaltenango, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Quezaltenango, Solalá; México, Chiapas.
Discussion: The closest species morphologically is S. capricorne, but the apex of the dorsal gill branch in the latter species is considerably downturned. The female differs in that the scutal vittae do not adjoin the anterior subtrapezoidal spots. Simulium chiriquiense (not figured) has an accuminate dorsal gill branch, but differs having frontoclypeus with numerous platelets.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 1-52 in Zootaxa 396 on pages 21-22, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.396.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5227428