Atrichopogon (Meloehelea) chilensis Ingram & Macfie 1931

• Main Authors: Tóthová, Andrea, Spinelli, Gustavo R., Marino, Pablo I.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2009
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Ceratopogonidae; Atrichopogon; Atrichopogon chilensis; Patagonia; Argentina; Seta; Pablo; Gustavo; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6216607; https://zenodo.org/record/6216607

Atrichopogon ( Meloehelea ) chilensis Ingram & Macfie, 1931 Atrichopogon ( Kempia ) chilensis Ingram & Macfie, 1931: 175 (female; Argentina, Chile). Atrichopogon chilensis : Wirth, 1974: 13 (in Catalog of south USA; distrib., Brazil record erroneuos). Atrichopogon ( Meloehelea ) obnubilus : Spinelli & Wirth, 1992: 94 (synonymy); Spinelli & Wirth, 1993: 24 (in list; Argentina); Borkent & Wirth, 1997: 26 (in World Catalog); Borkent & Spinelli, 2000: 11 (in Catalog, southern USA); Spinelli et al. , 2006: 314 (diagnosis; distrib.); Borkent & Spinelli, 2007: 46 (in Neotropical Catalog). Diagnosis: Male adult : only extant species of Atrichopogon ( Meloehelea ) in the Neotropical region with posterodorsal projection of aedeagal-parameral complex tapering to cap-like process and the lateral margins of posteroventral process sinuate, its posteromedial portion notched. Female adult : not distinguishable from those of A . oedemerarum . Description: Male adult : Descriptive measurements in Table 1. Head : Ommatidia without interfacet pubescence (Fig. 1 D). Antenna light brown; with plume well developed; with 13 flagellomeres, proportions as shown in Fig. 1 B; flagellomeres separate; flagellomere 13 with apical projection not constricted basally. Maxillary palpus light brown (Fig. 1 B); third segment moderately long, with well-developed pit located at midlength; segments 4, 5 separate. Thorax (Fig. 1 A) dark brown; scutum with setae arising directly from surface; paratergite with 1 seta. Anepisternum well developed, sharply bilobed posteriorly. Wing (Fig. 1 E) without pattern of pigmented membrane, with macrotrichia at the apex of r 3 and m 1. Halter : white. Legs : Light brown; empodia present. Abdomen (Fig. 1 A): medium brown. Genitalia (Fig. 1 C): Of moderate size, segment 9 about equal in width to segment 8, tergite 9 short, not extending to apex of gonocoxite; posterior margin rounded. Sternite 9 with posterior margin concave, with scattered setae. Gonocoxite without medial lobe. Gonostylus tapering from base, gently curved, apex pointed. Aedeagal-parameral complex broad; posterodorsal projection tapering to cap-like process; lateral margins of posteroventral process sinuate, posteromedial portion notched; gonocoxite length/ width 2.00– 2.14. Cercus short, lobe-like, ventral to tergite 9. A . ( M .) chilensis A. ( M .) ladislavi MALE FEMALE FEMALE n= 5 n= 11 n= 2 Wing length (mm) 1.42–1.72 1.60–2.04 1.1 Costal ratio 0.63–0.65 0.71–0.75 0.70–0.71 Head width/mouthpart length 1.9–2.2 1.50 –2.0 1.0– 1.1 Antennal ratio 1.02–1.10 1.81–2.27 1.96–2.06 Tarsal ratio 2.46–2.72 2.35–2.69 2.20–2.45 Palpal ratio 3.11–3.50 2.75–3.08 4.76–4.89 Flagellomeres 9 / 10 0.61–0.69 - - Gonocoxite length/width 2.00– 2.14 - - Length of spermatheca (μm) - 86.47–115.9 68.40–86.72 Female adult : As for male, with following differences. Descriptive measurements in Table 1. Head : Antenna medium brown, with 13 flagellomeres, flagellomeres 1–8 moniliform, proportions as shown in Fig. 2 E. Mandible well developed, with 26–33 small, fine teeth (Fig. 2 D). Laciniae with pale indistinct teeth, elongate spicules. Palpus (Fig. 2 B) moderately elongate, pit at midlength. Thorax : scutum brown, with faint, narrow, pale lateral stripes from pale humeral areas, scutellum pale brown (Fig. 2 A). Wing (Fig. 2 F) without pattern of pigmented membrane, with macrotrichia on entire membrane, not below basal radial cell, macrotrichia very abundant in r 3 and m1, 30– 35 in m2, 10– 15 in cua 1, and 22–35 in anal cell. Abdomen (Fig. 2 C): light brown. Genitalia : Two equal ovoid spermathaecae, each with moderately elongated neck. Distribution and bionomics: Atrichopogon chilensis inhabits Nothofagus forests within the Valdivian forests of Chile and Argentina. The dominant species in these forests are N . dombeyi (“coihue”), N . pumilio (“lenga”) and N . antarctica (“ñire”), from sea level to an elevation of 791 m. Most specimens were collected in the Valdivian rain forests, a very humid environment with an annual rainfall of 2000 to 4000 mm, which possesses a very rich biota. Taxonomic discussion and notes on types: On the basis of the variability of characters used by Ingram & Macfie (1931) to distinguish the Patagonian species A . assimilis , A . chilensis and A . obnubilus , Spinelli & Wirth (1992) proposed that A. assimilis and A . chilensis be considered as junior synonyms of A . obnubilus . A recent reexamination of the slide-mounted types of A. assimilis , A. chilensis and A . obnubilus revealed that A . chilensis , a species only represented by female specimens in the type-series, has pale humeral areas (scutum uniformly dark brown in the male holotype and female paratype of A . obnubilus ) and possesses 29 macrotrichia in the anal cell and 15 in cua 1 (2 and 3, respectively, in the female paratype of A . obnubilus ). Moreover, the collections by J.A. Downes in the 1980 s in Chile and the specimens recently obtained in Argentina, provided specimens that perfectly match with the female paratype of A . chilensis that was collected and associated with males showing differences when compared to the male holotype of A . obnubilus . The male wing of A . obnubilus is lacking macrotrichia, and its male genitalia are easily distinguished from those of A . chilensis by the rounded posteroventral margin of the aedeagal-parameral complex. The genitalia of the male holotype of A . assimilis are not in position to be examined, and it is almost impossible to observe the features of the aedeagal-parameral complex. Because of this, and the fact that the extragenital characters are very similar to those of A . obnubilus , the species must remain under synonymy. The male of A . oedemerarum shares with A . chilensis the presence of macrotrichia in r 3 and m 1, but differs in the triangular posterodorsal projection of the aedeagal-parameral complex (tapering to cap-like process in A . chilensis ). Specimens examined: Argentina, Bariloche, 1.xii. 1926, F. & M. Edwards (female holotype, BMNH); Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Puerto Blest, Estación Biológica, 41 º01’ 34.4 ”S 71 º 48 ’ 55.7 ”W, 791 m, 13 / 16.xii. 2006, A. Garré – F. Montes de Oca, 2 females, 1 male, light trap; Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Mallín La Cortadera, 41 º05’ 13 ”S 71 º 48 ’ 26 ”W, 769 m, 8.i/ 3.ii. 2007, A. Garré – F. Montes de Oca, 1 female, Malaise trap; Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, La Cantera, 41 º 21 ’ 16 ”S 71 º 42 ’ 27.3 ”W, 764 m, 11 / 30.xii. 2006, A. Garré – F. Montes de Oca, 3 males, Malaise trap; same data except 15.i/ 7.ii.2007, 1 female (MLP). Chile, Cautín Prov., Lago Conguillio, 6. xii. 1984, J. A. Downes, 1 female (1661 / 8 / 3), 7.xii. 1984, J. A. Downes, 1 female (1662 / 1 / 5), 16.xii. 1984, J. A. Downes, 1 female (1670 / 3 / 8), 22.xii. 1984, J. A. Downes, 2 females (1677 / 1 /4, 1677/ 1 / 8), 1 male (1677 / 1 / 6), 1.i. 1985, J. A. Downes, 1 female (1688 / 1 / 2), 12.– 14.i. 1985, J. A. Downes, 1 female (1696 / 5 / 23), (CNCI). : Published as part of Tóthová, Andrea, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Marino, Pablo I., 2009, A new Nearctic species of Atrichopogon (Meleohelea) and a redescription of Atrichopogon (M.) chilensis Ingram & Macfie (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), pp. 47-54 in Zootaxa 2023 on pages 48-50, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.274735 : {"references": ["Ingram, A & Macfie, J. W. S. 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