The Frog-Biting Midges of Borneo — From Two to Eleven Species (Corethrellidae: Diptera)
Author
Borkent, Art
Author
Grafe, Ulmar
text
Zootaxa
2012
3279
1
45
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.210864
bc8606df-9e8b-44af-a522-0fd0ae7b1349
1175-5326
210864
Corethrella
(
Corethrella
)
gilva
Borkent & Grafe
,
new species
(
Figs. 5
E, 7D, 8K, 11B, 12K, 13J, 16A)
DIAGNOSIS:
Male
adult.
Unknown.
Female adult.
Only extant species of
Corethrella
in the Palaearctic, Oriental, Oceanian and northern Australasian Regions with the combination of the palpus and clypeus equally dark brown (
Fig. 7D
), a single, midlength wing band (
Fig. 12K
), tergites 2–6 uniformly brown (
Fig. 13J
), midfemur either uniformly brown or lighter apically (non-discrete), and hind tibia with, at most, very light pigmentation at apex (
Fig. 11B
). Only extant species in Borneo with the combination of the palpus and clypeus equally dark brown (
Fig. 7D
), a single, midlength wing band (
Fig. 12K
), hind tibia with, at most, very light pigmentation at apex (
Fig. 11B
), and tergites 2–6 uniformly brown (
Fig. 13J
).
DESCRIPTION:
Male
adult
. Unknown.
Female adult.
Descriptive statistics: See
Tables 1
–5.
Head
: Outline in anterior view somewhat circular (
Fig. 7D
). Coronal suture elongate, extending ventrally nearly past ommatidia. Two large setae on frons between ventromedial area of ommatidia. Antenna uniformly medium brown; pedicel with distinctive elongate, stout setae. Antennal flagellomeres as in
Fig. 8
K; sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1–2, 8–13, only flagellomere 1 with more than one; flagellomere 13 with well-developed apical bifurcation. Clypeus (
Fig. 7D
) somewhat square. Mandible with very small, pointed teeth. Palpus (
Fig. 7D
) medium brown; segment 3 swollen near midlength.
Thorax
(
Fig. 11B
): Scutum, scutellum mostly light to medium brown, contrasting with darker brown pleura; pale sclerites around base of wing. Posterior portion of dorsocentral row with 2 elongate setae situated somewhat lateral to one another. Prescutal suture elongate, thick, uninterrupted, extending to near dorsocentral row of setae. Anterior anepisternum divided diagonally by sinuous suture, dorsal portion about equal to ventral portion. Ventral portion of posterior anepisternum triangular, uniformly brown, with anterodorsal margin not thick.
Wing
(
Fig. 12K
): Apex of R2 equal or slightly distal to apex of M1. Anterior margin with differently, discretely pigmented scales (indicating anterior margin of midlength band), with midlength band, with poorly defined basal band; veins (other than costa and wing margin) with well-developed scales. Halter medium brown, equal to scutellum.
Legs
(
Fig. 11B
): Medium brown, with about apical 0.3 of midfemur, basal 0.5 of midtibia, apical 0.5 of hind femur, all of hind tibia pale other than slightly darker pigmentation on apical 0.2 of hind tibia; with darker pigmentation not discrete. With only slender setae, lacking scales. Midleg with thick, subapical setae on each of at least tarsomeres 1–3. Claws of each leg equal to those of others; equal on each leg, simple (without inner teeth). Empodia thick.
Abdomen
(
Fig. 13J
): Tergites 1–6 pale, sternites 1–6 light brown, segments 7–9 medium brown. Cercus medium brown.
Immature stages
. Unknown.
DISTRIBUTION AND BIONOMICS:
Corethrella gilva
is known from
Brunei
at
30–110 m
(
Fig. 16A
). Habitats include lowland peat swamps (including standing water and very slow moving streams) and steep terrain in mature mixed dipterocarp forest (
Fig. 1
A, as in
Fig. 1
F). Females have been collected with frog-call traps and on calling males of three species of frogs (Table 7).
TAXONOMIC DISCUSSION:
Borkent (2008: 237)
noted three species attracted to the taped call of
Hyla gratiosa
(LeConte)
in
Brunei
and
C. gilva
was one of them (included as a
paratype
here).
We are uncertain of the phylogenetic placement of
C. gilva
because it is known only as female adults and there were few synapomorphies present to interpret.
Corethrella gilva
has synapomorphies 21–23 and lacks synapomorphy 28. It has a banded wing but plain brown abdomen. It may belong to the
drakensbergensis
group but, as presently understood, the loss of wing pigmentation occurred before loss of abdominal pigmentation pattern, which would conflict with what is present in
C. gilva
. In addition,
C. gilva
has synapomorphy 40 (pedicel with strong setae), which would place it higher up in the phylogeny of the
Corethrellidae
. The discovery of the male of this species would help in its placement.
TYPES
:
Holotype
, female adult on microscope slide, labeled "
HOLOTYPE
Corethrella gilva
Borkent and Grafe
", "
12 km
S. Liang,
Brunei
,
15-V-2007
; on
Hylarana glandulosa
; U. Grafe; 34-1/1, DNA extracted", "34-1/1
231007
" (CNCI).
Paratypes
on microscope slides: 1 Ƥ, from
type
locality, but
10-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from
type
locality but
15-V-2007
(CNCI);1 Ƥ, from
type
locality but
23-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from
type
locality but
9-VI- 2007
(UBD); 7 Ƥ, from
type
locality but
11-XII-2007
; 1 Ƥ, from
type
locality but
28-V-2007
(UBD); 1 Ƥ,
15 km
S. Liang,
Brunei
,
40 m
,
9-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
22-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, lower Sungai Apan,
0.9 km
E. headquarters, Ulu Temburong National Park,
Brunei
,
110 m
,
9-II-2010
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, tributary of Sungai Belalong, Temburong,
Brunei
,
110 m
,
115° 09'E
,
4° 33'N
,
7-VIII-2006
(CNCI).
Paratypes
on pins: 3 Ƥ, lower Sungai Apan, Ulu Temburong NP,
Brunei
,
110 m
,
5-II-2010
(2 CNCI; 1 UBD); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
13-VII-2008
(CNCI); 2 Ƥ, Temburong, Ulu Temburong NP,
Brunei
,
7-VII-2008
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ,
12 km
S. Liang,
Brunei
,
30 m
,
11-VI-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
11-VI-2011
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
28-V-2007
(CNCI); 2 Ƥ, from previous locality but
4-VI-2007
(CNCI; UBD); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
23-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
9-VI-2007
(CNCI); 4 Ƥ, from previous locality but
15-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
4-XI-2010
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ,
12.5 km
S. Liang,
Brunei
,
33 m
,
21-II-2009
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
3-I-2009
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ,
15 km
S. Liang,
Brunei
,
40 m
,
5-VI-2007
(CNCI); 2 Ƥ, from previous locality but
12-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
22-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ,
17 km
N. Labi,
Brunei
,
40 m
,
14-V-2007
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, Sungai Ingei,
8.2 km
S. Melilas,
Brunei
,
50 m
,
VII-2010
(CNCI); 1 Ƥ, from previous locality but
10-VII-2010
(CNCI).
DERIVATION OF SPECIFIC EPITHET: The name
gilva
(yellow) refers to the lightly pigmented hind tibiae of females of this species.