The Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Iran
Author
Khazeni, Atefeh
Author
Adler, Peter H.
Author
Telmadareiiy, Zakieh
Author
Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali
Author
Vatandoost, Hasan
Author
Abtahi, Seyed Mohammad
Author
Lotfi, Abolfazl
text
Zootaxa
2013
3694
1
67
74
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3694.1.5
75007f42-6e17-49d3-8022-35669d982903
1175-5326
284320
D444950C-B742-4000-A9CF-81F42A892349
Genus
METACNEPHIA
Crosskey
1.
Metacnephia persica
(Rubtsov)
This species is one of five formally described from
Iran
(Rubtsov 1940). It is known from only one definitive location in the country, the
type
locality in Tabriz, Tehran Province (Crosskey 2002), in the Eastern Anatolian Montane Steppe ecoregion.
Genus
SIMULIUM
Latreille
Subgenus BYSSODON Enderlein
GRISEICOLLE species-group Subgenus CROSSKEYELLUM Grenier & Bailly-Choumara
2.
Simulium
(
Byssodon
)
heptapotamicum
Rubtsov
|
Rubtsov (1956) merely lists Iran as part of the |
distribution |
of |
S.
|
heptapotamicum
;
|
no |
further |
information |
is |
available for this species in Iran. |
3.
Simulium
(
Crosskeyellum
)
zagros
(Yankovsky)
This species is known from a single female described by Yankovsky (2010) from Lorestan Province. Its occurrence in
Iran
is oddly disjunct from the only other species in the subgenus
Crosskeyellum
, which inhabits
Morocco
. The
type
of
S. zagros
, therefore, requires restudy to test its current subgeneric assignment.
Subgenus
EUSIMULIUM
Roubaud
The following two members of the
S. aureum
group previously have been identified morphologically from
Iran
:
4.
Simulium
(
Eusimulium
)
brachyantherum
Rubtsov
A series of larvae, pupae, males, and females was examined from the Elburz Mountains by Crosskey (2002) and assigned tentatively to
S. brachyantherum
. The record falls within the Elburz Range Forest Steppe ecoregion.
5.
Simulium
(
Eusimulium
)
paucicuspis
Rubtsov
|
A single male from the Caspian Sea coast in the |
Caspian |
Hycranian |
Mixed |
Forests |
ecoregion |
was recorded |
for |
Iran by Crosskey (2002). |
Simulium
(
Eusimulium
)
morphoforms
Our larval collections in ethanol could not be analyzed chromosomally and, therefore, are recorded here to the level of subgenus.
New records:
Site 2 (
2 larvae
on
4 Sept 2010
; 1 larva on
5 Nov 2010
), Site 5 (
8 larvae
on
21 March 2011
), Site 9 (
3 larvae
on
28 March 2012
), Site 11 (
5 larvae
on
12 May 2012
), Site 12 (
2 larvae
on
27 April 2012
).
Simulium
(
Eusimulium
)
cytoforms
We found two chromosomally distinct species of the
S. aureum
group, neither of which has been reported previously in the literature and neither of which could yet be tied to a nominal species. One of these species, based on a larva taken near Tehran (Site 2,
5
Nov 2010), is chromosomally similar to
Simulium
(
Eusimulium
)
velutinum
(Santos Abreu)
, but had 2 additional homozygous inversions in IS. Whether the larva represents true
S. velutinum
or a closely related species must await further sampling. The second species, which previously had been found in
Armenia
(Adler, unpublished), is based on
3 larvae
collected from North Khorasan Province (Site 11,
12
May 2012). These larvae had unique sequences in all 4 arms, but to determine if some of the inverted sequences represent polymorphisms, rather than fixed inversions, requires additional sampling.
Subgenus MONTISIMULIUM Rubtsov Subgenus NEVERMANNIA Enderlein
6.
Simulium
(
Montisimulium
)
assadovi
(Djafarov)
|
The Iranian record for
S. assadovi
is based on larvae
|
collected |
in |
the |
Elburz Mountains |
23 |
km |
north |
of |
Tehran |
(Crosskey 2002). |
RUFICORNE species-group
7.
Simulium
(
Nevermannia
)
brevitarse
(Rubtsov)
The larvae of this species have not been described, but our identifications of larvae were based on the similarity of the pupal gill histoblasts to published descriptions of the pupal gill. The only previous record of this species in
Iran
is from the Elburz Mountains (Crosskey 2002). Our collections of larvae from two distinct ecoregions suggest the possibility of multiple species.
New records:
Site 11 (
4 larvae
on
12 May 2012
), Site 13 (
6 larvae
on
25 Sept 2012
).
8.
Simulium
(
Nevermannia
)
crassicaulum
(Rubtsov)
We record this species, previously known only from
Uzbekistan
, for the first time from
Iran
(Lorestan Province).
New record:
Site 13 (1 larva and
2 pupae
on
25 Sept 2012
).
Subgenus
SIMULIUM
Latreille
BEZZII
species-group
9.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
alajense
Rubtsov
We identified this species chromosomally, based on the marked similarity with chromosomal material studied by Adler (unpublished) in
Mongolia
more than
3500 km
to the northeast. In the absence of associated adults from either country, the name ‘
alajense
’ is linked tentatively with the material, which actually might represent one of the other members of the
S. bezzii
species-group, such as
S. coarctatum
.
New record:
Site 7 (
18 larvae
on
14 May 2012
).
10.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
bezzii
(Corti)
Simulium bezzii
, previously known in
Iran
from a single collection
26 km
northeast of Tehran (Crosskey 2002) was common in our samples. Our chromosomal examination of larvae indicated the presence of at least two cytological forms, based on inversion differences in the long arm of chromosome III, one cytoform across northern
Iran
and the other in Doaab (Site 13).
New records:
Site 1 (
20 larvae
and
10 pupae
on
28 Feb 2012
;
3 larvae
on
14 October 2011
), Site 2 (
33 larvae
on
4 Sept 2010
;
50 larvae
on
5 Nov 2010
), Site 3 (
3 larvae
on
7 Sept 2010
;
6 larvae
on
9 Nov 2010
), Site 7 (
2 larvae
on
29 Feb 2012
;
19 larvae
on
27 March 2012
;
2 larvae
on
14 May 2012
), Site 9 (
5 larvae
on
28 March 2012
;
45 larvae
on
16 May 2012
), Site 10 (
16 larvae
on
18 April 2012
), Site 11 (
33 larvae
on
12 May 2012
), Site 12 (
5 larvae
on
27 April 2012
), Site 13 (
7 larvae
on
25 Sept 2012
), Site 15 (
20 larvae
on
18 March 2011
).
11.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
coarctatum
Rubtsov
Yankovsky (2010) identified a single female of
S. coarctatum
from Lorestan Province.
12.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
iranicum
(Yankovsky)
This species was described from
10 females
collected in Lorestan Province (Yankovsky 2010).
ORNATUM
species-group
Along with
S. bezzii
and the subgenus
Wilhelmia
, the
S. ornatum
species-group was the most commonly represented taxon in our collections.
13.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
kiritshenkoi
Rubtsov
As
a member of the chromosomally diverse and morphologically homogeneous
S. ornatum
group, the identification of
S. kiritshenkoi
is problematic. The
type
(female) of
S. kiritshenkoi
was collected in the Shahrud area of northern
Iran
on
26 May 1944
. We examined the chromosomes of larvae from North Khorasan and Tehran Provinces, within
250-300 km
both east and west of Shahrud. These samples were chromosomally cohesive, suggesting that they represent the
type
specimen and can be considered
bona fide
S. kiritshenkoi
. We also tentatively consider a population in Doaab (Alashtar; Site 13) to be
S. kiritshenkoi
, although it is chromosomally different from populations in northern
Iran
. Crosskey (2002) provided additional, morphologically based records for
S. kiritshenkoi
.
New records:
Site 2 (
6 larvae
on
4 Sept 2010
;
9 larvae
on
5 Nov 2010
), Site 3 (1 larva on
7 Sept 2010
), Site 6? (
3 larvae
on
23 Feb 2012
), Site 7 (
2 larvae
on
29 Feb 2012
;
17 larvae
on
27 March 2012
;
10 larvae
on
14 May 2012
), Site 8 (
6 larvae
on
24 Feb 2012
), Site 9 (
45 larvae
on
28 March 2012
;
45 larvae
on
16 May 2012
), Site 11 (
24 larvae
on
12 May 2012
), Site 12 (
50 larvae
on
27 April 2012
), Site 13 (
20 larvae
on
25 Sept 2012
), Site 15 (1 larva on
18 March 2011
; 1 larva on
22 Aug 2011
), Site 16 (
200 larvae
on
10 Aug 2012
).
14.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
fontanum
Terteryan
The only known record of this species in Iran—a single male with its pupal exuviae—is from the Elburz Mountains (Crosskey 2002). The identity of this species needs to be resolved chromosomally vis à vis other Asian members of the
S. ornatum
group.
VARIEGATUM
species-group
15.
Simulium
(
Simulium
)
variegatum
Meigen
Crosskey (2002) provided the first record of
S. variegatum
for
Iran
, a single collection of larvae, pupae, females, and males from the Elburz Mountains. We provide a chromosomally verified record from Doaab (Site 13), based on a female larva with the basic banding sequence characteristic of
S. variegatum
.
New records:
Site 3 (
5 larvae
on
9 Nov 2010
), Site 8? (7 small larvae on
26 March 2012
), Site 13 (1 larva on
25 Sept 2012
).
Subgenus TRICHODAGMIA Enderlein
ALBELLUM species-group
16.
Simulium
(
Trichodagmia
)
margaritae
(Rubtsov)
The Iranian record for this species comes from a veterinary report of biting problems on cattle in the Arasbaran area of northwestern
Iran
(Nikdel et al. 2003).
17.
Simulium
(
Trichodagmia
)
transcaspicum
Enderlein
Previous Iranian records of
S. transcaspicum
in
Iran
are of adults from the Elburz Mountains and Caspian Sea coast (Crosskey 2002). We provide the world’s southernmost record for this species. Our collection was based only on larvae. Additional life stages from this area should be studied to determine if the material is conspecific with the
type
from
Turkmenistan
.
New record:
Site 14 (
40 larvae
on
15 April 2012
).
Subgenus
WILHELMIA
Enderlein
EQUINUM species-group
18.
Simulium
(
Wilhelmia
)
lineatum
(Meigen)
Simulium lineatum
is at the southeastern extreme of its distribution in
Iran
. All previous records, except one from Tabriz (ca.
80 km
south of the Armenian border), are from the Isfahan area (Crosskey 2002). The pupae are the most easily identified of the
Wilhelmia
species in
Iran
. The identity of our larvae from the Zayandeh River in the Isfahan area (Site 4) was confirmed chromosomally.
New records:
Site 4 (
34 larvae
on
26 March 2011
), Site 10 (
2 larvae
and
1 pupa
on
18 April 2012
).
19.
Simulium
(
Wilhelmia
)
lurestanicum
(Yankovsky)
Simulium lurestanicum
was described by Yankovsky (2010) from a series of females collected in Lorestan Province. The size and shape of the spermatheca is diagnostic for females of the subgenus
Wilhelmia
in
Iran
(Crosskey 2002). Given the size and shape of the spermatheca illustrated by Yankovsky (2010), and the lack of additional convincing diagnostic characters, we suspect that
S. lurestanicum
is a synonym of
S. paraequinum
. Pending study of the
type
series, we refrain from proposing formal synonymy.
20.
Simulium
(
Wilhelmia
)
paraequinum
Puri
One previous record for
S. paraequinum
in
Iran
, based on a single male from Chalous on the Caspian Sea coast, was reported (Crosskey 2002). The larvae and pupae can be difficult to distinguish morphologically from those of
S. pseudequinum
, and our material here is recorded as
S. paraequinum
/
pseudequinum
, unless a chromosomal identification was made.
New records
(for
S. paraequinum
/
pseudequinum
): Site 1 (
12 larvae
on
28 Feb 2012
), Site 5 (
2 larvae
on
21 March 2011
), Site 6 (1 larva on
23 Feb 2012
), Site 7 (
15 larvae
on
29 Feb 2012
;
30 larvae
on
27 March 2012
;
19 larvae
on
14 May 2012
), Site 8 (
2 larvae
on
26 March 2012
), Site 9 (1 larva on
28 March 2012
), Site 13 (
200 larvae
on
25 Sept 2012
), Site 14 (
3 larvae
on
15 April 2012
).
21.
Simulium
(
Wilhelmia
)
pseudequinum
Séguy
The only previous record (Shahrud) of
S. pseudequinum
in
Iran
was given by Rubtsov (1951; as
Wilhelmia mediterranea
). We chromosomally identified this species from the Zayandeh River in the Isfahan area (Site 4), which also allowed us to distinguish the immature larvae from those of
S. lineatum
in the same collection. The chromosomes of
S. pseudequinum
, unlike those of
S. paraequinum
and
S. lineatum
, lack the chromocentric-like arrangement of the centromeres (Chubareva & Petrova 2008).
New record:
Site 4 (
51 larvae
on
26 March 2011
).
22.
Simulium
(
Wilhelmia
)
veltistshevi
Rubtsov
The record of
S. veltistshevi
in
Iran
is uncertain. It appeared with a query mark in the world inventory of Crosskey & Howard (1997), and has been carried through subsequent revisions of the inventory. Its occurrence in
Iran
, however, requires verification.
Genus
SULCICNEPHIA
Rubtsov
23.
Sulcicnephia znoikoi
(Rubtsov)
Crosskey (2002) provided the only record (Sarab) of this species from
Iran
.