Description of the Male of Culicoides lahillei and Revalidation of Culicoides debilipalpis

(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
Author(s): Gustavo R. Spinelli and Maria M. Ronderos
Source: Transactions of the American Entomological Society (1890-), Vol. 123, No. 4 (Dec.,
1997), pp. 303-309
Published by: American Entomological Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25078644 .
Accessed: 11/06/2014 13:02

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

American Entomological Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to
Transactions of the American Entomological Society (1890-).

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Transactions, American Entomological Society 123 (4), 303-309,1997

Description of the male of Culicoides lahillei

and revalidation of Culicoides debilipalpis
(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
Gustavo R. Spinelli & Maria M. Ronderos

Departamento Cient?fico de Entomolog?a, Museo de La Plata. Paseo del Bosque sin,

1900 La Plata, Argentina

ABSTRACT
Culicoides debiltpalpts Lutz is resurrected as a valid species, and
Culicoides ichesi Ronderos & Spinelli is recognized as its junior syn
onym. Besides, the hitherto unknown male of Culicoides lahillei is
described and illustrated and the male of C. debilipalpis is redescribed,
both from specimens collected in Argentina.

INTRODUCTION

Iches (1906) described Ceratopogon lahillei, and although the type

locality was not strictly established, he pointed out that the species
inhabits the Argentinian provinces of Chaco, Misiones and Corrientes,

being one of the best known biting midge in that area. Lutz (1913)
described Culicoides debilipalpis from specimens collected inAnhemby,
Estado de Sao Paulo, and Formoso (Serra da Bocaina), Brazil, and

during the following 70 years, the species was recorded from several
localities from southeastern USA to Argentina (Blanton & Wirth,
1979). Based mainly on the similarity of C. debilipalpis to the original
illustrations of C. lahillei, Spinelli & Wirth (1985) considered C.
debilipalpis a junior synonym of C. lahillei. This synonymy was ac
cepted in several subsequent publications by Wirth et al. (1988),
Spinelli et al. (1989), Spinelli & Ronderos (1991), Spinelli & Martinez
(1991), Waller et al. (1990) and Ronderos & Spinelli (1995). In thelast
of these papers, Ronderos & Spinelli (1995) also redescribed the female
of C. lahillei from specimens collected from near the type-locality in the
of Chaco, and described as new, based on female
province specimens,
a very similar C. ichesi.
species,
While studying material preserved in alcohol in the Museo de La
Plata, we recently discovered males of two species associated with
females of both C. lahillei and C. ichesi. The differences observed in the
male associated with C. lahillei, and the similarities of the male associ
ated with C. ichesi, both with respect to the ones described and
illustrated by Wirth & Blanton (1959) and Blanton & Wirth (1979)
under the name C. debilipalpis, prompted us to recheck the synonymy
of C. debilipalpis wi th C. lahillei, as well as to reconsider the real status
of C. ichesi.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
304 CULICOIDES

We asked the authorities of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil, for the loan of the type of C. debilipalpis, and through
their we received one female mounted on two
courtesy specimen
slides (# 2828-2829). The palpus of this specimen was illustrated by
Costa Lima (1937), who pointed out that it belongs to the type-series
of Lutz, from Salto de Iguasu, Parana (date of collection: January 30,
1918). Since Lutz (1913) described C. debilipalpis from specimens col
lected in Anhemby and Formoso (Serra da Bocaina), it is obvious that
Costa Lima (1937) did not study the type-series of C. debilipalpis. In fact
this specimen mounted on slides # 2828-2829, agrees perfectly with C.
lahillei.
As a consequence of the above mentioned mistake of Costa Lima,
all subsequent ceratopogonid specialists remained confused with
regard to the true feature of the maxillary palpus and wing pattern of
C. debilipalpis. Unfortunately, the type series of C. debilipalpis is appar
ently lost, unable to be located in the collection of the Instituto
Oswaldo Cruz, where itwas housed (Felippe-Bauer, in litt.). Based on
the excellent figure of the female wing in Lutz (1913), we conclude that
the assumption of Spinelli & Wirth (1985) was erroneous and there
fore, C. debilipalpis and C. lahillei must be considered as two distinct
species, and that C. ichesi is a junior synonym of C. debilipalpis.
The purpose of this paper is to resurrect C. debilipalpis as a valid
and to redescribe and illustrate the male of that as well
species species,
as to describe and illustrate for the first time the male of C. lahillei.
The males described herein are mounted on slides in Canada
balsam, and are deposited in the collection of the Museo de La Plata.
For general terminology on Culicoides see Blanton & Wirth (1979)

Culicoides debilipalpis Lutz

i Figs. 1-2

Culicoides debilipalpis Lutz, 1913: 60 (female; Brazil; fig. wing); Macfie, 1937: 7
(female; redescript; Trinidad); Floch & Abonnenc, 1942: 3 (Guyane; fig.
wing, ? Barbosa, 1952:12 Brazil; Forattini,
palpus); (Argentina, fig. palpus);
1957: 383 (in part.; redescript.; figs, eyes separation, antenna, palpus
wing,male genitalia; distrib.); Wirth & Blanton, 1959:442 (redescript.; figs.;
Panama); Franca Rodriguez, 1963: 67 (Uruguay); Messersmith 1964: 339

(Virginia; breeding site); Smith & Varnell, 1967: 520 (Florida; tree holes);
Wirth & Blanton, 1971a: 34 (redescript.; distrib.); Wirth & Blanton, 1971b:
75 (khalafi as synonym; notes); Blanton & Wirth, 1979: 78 (redescript.; figs,
eyes separation, antenna, palpus, wing, hind leg, spermathecae, male

genitalia; distrib.); Vitale et al., 1981:149 (notes; Panama).

Culicoides ichesi Ronderos & Spinelli, 1995: 77 (female; Argentina, Paraguay,
Uruguay; figs, eyes separation, antenna, palpus, legs, spermathecae);
Ronderos & Spinelli, 1998: 81 (in key; record for the Yacyreta dam lake
area). NEW SYNONYM.
Culicoides khalafi Beck, 1957:104 (male, female; Florida; fig. male genitalia).
Culicoides lahillei: Spinelli & Wirth, 1985: 62 (misident., in part., synonym of C.
debilipalpis);Wirth et al., 1988:48 (wing photo); Spinelli et al., 1989: 735 (in
list; diurnal activity); Spinelli & Ronderos, 1991: 91 (record for the Salto
Grande dam lake area); Spinelli & Martinez, 1991:176 (in key; Uruguay);

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 G. R. SPINELLI AND M. M. RONDEROS 305

Waller et al., 1990: 352 (redescript.; Guyana; wing photo).

?
Pernote A medium-sized 0.76-0.95
diagnosis. species (wing length
mm) of the subgenus Haematomytdium Goeldi, 1905, distinguished by
the combination of characters: a distance
following Eyes separated by
to one ommatidial facet. Antennal sensillar 3, 8-10;
equal pattern
flagellar segment 10 subequal or slightly longer than 11. Third palpal
segment short and stout, and rounded; ratio 2.00-2.60.
pit deep palpal
P/H ratio 0.73-0.85. Mandible with 14-17 teeth. Distal pale spot of cell
Ml separated from wing margin for a distance equal to its length;
macrotrichia present in anal cell and in basal portion of cell M2. Halter
brown. Two ovoid, a third and
subequal spermathecae, plus vestigial
sclerotized ring.
Male. ? Wing length 0.61 mm. Genitalia (fig. 1): 9th sternum with
broad, shallow caudomedian excavation; 9th tergum with stout,

pointed apicolateral processes, distal margin with medial notch.

dorsal root slender, ventral root with well devel
Basistyle elongated;
oped heel; dististyle slender, apex hooked. Aedeagus with basal arch
extending 1 /4 of total length; basal arms slender, strongly sclerotized;
distal portion broad, apex crenulated. Parameres 2) each with
(fig.
sclerotized basal stem curved, a
lightly ap?deme; strongly bearing
well ventral lobe, distal slender, recurved, with a
developed portion
lateral fringe of barbs, tapering gradually to sharp point.
?
Specimen described. Argentina, Buenos Aires, Los Talas, 17-XI

1987, G. Spinelli, 1male, CDC light trap.

Distribution. ? Widely distributed, from southeastern United States
south to 35?S in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
?
Types. Not strictly stablished in the original description, but Lutz
(1913) pointed out that the described specimens were collected in
Anhemby, Estado de Sao Paulo, and in Formoso (Serra da Bocaina).
not founded in the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro,
Type-series
Brasil (Felippe-Bauer, in litt.).
?
Discussion. The male described herein agrees with previous
desciptions of males of C. debilipalpis by Wirth & Blanton (1959) and
Blanton & Wirth (1979). In addition, we compared itwith a specimen
from Panama, Port Mensabe, 22-X-1952, F.S. Blanton, which was
determined as C. debilipalpis by W.W. Wirth, but no differences were
observed.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
306 CULICOIDES

Culicoides lahillei (Iches)

3-4
Figs.

Ceratopogon lahillei Iches, 1906: 264 (female; Argentina, Chaco; figs, entire
female, antenna, palpus, proboscis).
Culicoides lahillei (Iches); Cavalieri & Chiossone, 1966:147 (sp. inquir.); Spinelli
& Wirth, 1985: 62 (in key; debilipalpis as syn.; wing erroneous);
photo
Ronderos & Spinelli, 1995: 80 (female redescript.; figs, eyes separation,
antenna, palpus, wing).
Culicoides debilipalpis: Costa Lima, 1937: 415 (in key; palpus redescript.; fig.
palpus); Forattini, 1957: 383 (in part., at least specimens from Chaco,

Argentina).

Female diagnosis. ? A medium-sized species (wing length 0.79-0.91

mm) of the subgenus Haematomyiidium very similar to C. debilipalpis,
from which it can be distinguished by the eyes separated by a distance
equal to two ommatidial facets; flagellar segment 11 longer than 10;
third palpal segment slender (palpal ratio 3.70-4.00), longer proboscis
(P/H ratio 0.98-1.07); mandible with 18-22 teeth; distal pale spot of cell
Ml separated from wing margin by a distance 2 x its length; wing
macrotrichia absent in anal cell and in the base of the cell M2; and pale
halter.
Male.? Wing length 0.68 mm. Genitalia (fig. 3): 9th sternun with
broad, deep caudomedian excavation; 9th tergum with very short
apicolateral processes bearing a small seta, distal margin with deep
notch. Basistyle with slender dorsal root, ventral root well developed;
slender and broader at base, curved, curved, rounded.
dististyle tip
Aedeagus with low basal arch, extending 1/2 of total length; basal
arms slender, sclerotized, rounded, crenulated. Par amer es
lightly apex
(fig. 4) each with lightly sclerotized basal ap?deme, stem nearly
straight, without a distinct ventral lobe, distal portion slender, re
curved, with inconspicuous fringe of barbs gradually tapered distally.
?
Specimen described. Paraguay, Encarnaci?n, Quiteria, 14-11-1994,
H. Ferreyra, 1male, CDC light trap.
? not strictly stablished in the original de
Types. Type-locality
scription, but Iches (1906) pointed out that the species inhabits the
Argentinian provinces of Chaco, Misiones and Corrientes. Type-series
lost.
Distribution. ? Argentina (Chaco, Corrientes, Jujuy, Misiones),
southeastern Brazil, Paraguay (Encarnaci?n, Capit?n Meza).
Discussion. ? The male genitalia of C. lahillei differs from the one of
C. debilipalpis by the very short apicolateral processes of 9th tergum,
dististyle with blunt tip, lower basal arch of aedeagus and main
portion of parameres nearly straight, lacking a distinct ventral lobe.

LITERATURE
CITED

Barbosa, F. A. S. 1952. Novos subsidios o conhecimento dos

para
Culicoides neotropicos (Diptera: Heleidae). Univ. Recife Thesis,
imprensa industrial, Recife, pp. 1-21.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 G. R. SPINELLIAND M. M. RONDEROS 307

Beck, E. 1957. Two new species of Culicoides from Florida (Diptera:

Heleidae). Florida Entomol. 40:103-105.
Blanton, F. S., and W. W. Wirth. 1979. The sand flies (Culicoides) of
Florida (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Arthropods of Florida 10: 1
204.

Cavalieri, F. and I. Chiossone. 1966. Sobre el conocimiento actual del

genero hemat?fago Latreille, 1809, en la Argentina

Culicoides
(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Physis 26: 145-153.
Costa Lima, A. da. 1937. Chave das especies de Culicoides da regiao
Neotropica (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
32: 411-422.
Floch, H. and E. Abonnenc. 1942. Ceratopogonides hematophages de
la Fran?aise. Publ. Inst. Pasteur de la Guyane et du territ.
Guyane
de l'Inini 37:1-10.
Forattini, O. P. 1957. Culicoides da regiao Neotropical (Diptera,
Ceratopogonidae). Arq. Fac. Hig. Saude Pub. Univ. Sao Paulo 11:
161-526.
Franca Rodriguez, M. E. 1963. Primeros estudios sobre los Culicoides
del Uruguay (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae). Rev. Urug. Patol. Clin. 1:
65-70.

Goeldi, E. 1905. Os mosquitos no Para. Mem. Mus. Goeldi 4:1-154.

Iches, L. 1906. Sobre cinco d?pteros nuevos del Chaco austral. Bol.
Minist. 6: 262-273.
Agr. Rep. Argent.
Lutz, A.
1913. Contribucao o conhecimento das
para ceratopogoninas
do Brasil. Parte sistem?tica. memoria. Mem.
hemat?fagas Segunda
Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 5: 45-73.

Macfie, J.W. S. 1937. Ceratopogonidae from Trinidad. Ann. Mag. Nat.

Hist. 20: 1-18.

Messersmith, D. H. 1964. The breeding site of Culicoides debilipalpis

Lutz (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Virginia. Mosquito News 24:
339.

Ronderos, M. M. and G. R. Spinelli. 1995. Redescripcion de Culicoides

lahillei y descripci?n de Culicoides ichesi, n. sp. de la Argentina,
Paraguay y Uruguay (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Neotropica 41:
77-81.

Ronderos, M. M. and G. R. Spinelli. 1998. Las especies de Culicoides en

el area de influencia de la represa de Yacyreta (Diptera:
Rev. Soc. Entomol. 57: 79-83.
Ceratopogonidae). Argent.
Smith, W. W. and J. H. Varnell, Jr. 1967. concentration
Hydrogen-ion
(pH) as related to the ocurrence and abundance of tree-holes
dwelling Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in northern
Florida. Mosquito News 27: 519-521.
Spinelli, G. R. and M. E. Martinez. 1991. The genus Culicoides in
Uruguay (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Insecta Mundi 5:175-179.
Spinelli, G. R. and M. M. Ronderos. 1991. Los polvorines del genero
Culicoides en areas de influencia de la represa de Salto Grande
(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Neotropica 37: 83-94.
Spinelli, G. R., M. M. Ronderos, and E. G. Balseiro. 1989. Analisis de la
actividad diaria de dipteros nematoceros en Punta Lara (Pdo. de

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 308 CULICOIDES

Prov. de Buenos II . con la

Ensenada, Aires). Ceratopogonidae,
de una nueva del
descripci?n especie genero Atrichopogon.
Limnobios 2: 733-737.
Spinelli, G. R. and W. W. Wirth. 1985. Clave para la identificaci?n de
las especies del genero Culicoides Latreille presentes al sur de la
cuenca amaz?nica. Nuevas citas notas sinon?micas
y (Diptera:
Rev. Soc. Entomol. 44: 49-73.
Ceratopogonidae). Argent.
Vitale, G. W., W. Wirth, and T. H. G. Aitken. 1981. New and
species
records of Culicoides reared from arboreal habitats in Panama, with
a synopsis of the debilipalpis group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).
Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 83: 140-159.

Waller, J., R. Lancelot, P. C. Lefevre, and M. Kremer. 1990. Note

faunistique sur les Culicoides de Guyane (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Rev. Elev. Med. Vet. 43: 349364.
Pays Trop.
Wirth, W. W. and F. S. Blanton. 1959. Biting midges of the genus
Culicoides from Panama Heleidae). Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.
(Diptera:
109: 237-482.
Wirth, W.W. and F.S. Blanton. 1971a. New sandflies of the
Neotropical
Culicoides debilipalpis group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Proc.
Entomol. Soc. Wash. 73: 34-43.

Wirth, W. W. and F. S. Blanton. 1971b. New and synonymy of

species
Florida Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Florida Entomol.
54: 73-78.

Wirth, W. W., A. L. Dyce, and G. R. 1988. An atlas of wing

Spinelli.
with a of the numerical characters of the
photographs, summary
Neotropical species of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).
Contrib. Amer. Entomol. Inst. 25: 1-72.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are to Bill Grogan and Alan for their critical review of the
grateful Dyce
We also our Maria and the
manuscript. acknowledge colleague Felippe-Bauer
authorities of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, for the loan of specimens.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 G. R SPINELLIAND M. M. RONDEROS 309

Figs. 1-2. Culicoides debilipalpis, maie genitalia.

Figs. 3-4. Culicoides lahillei maie genitalia.

This content downloaded from 195.78.109.79 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:02:46 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions