New Neotropical Culicoides and redescription of Culicoides reticulatus Lutz (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

Seven new species of the Culicoides reticulatus species group are described and illustrated based on specimens from Colombia, Panama and Brazilian states of northern (Amazonas, Pará and Roraima) and southeast region (Rio de Janeiro). The new species are compared with their similar congener, Culicoides reticulatus Lutz, and a systematic key, table with numerical characters to the females of the species are provided. Redescription of Culicoides reticulatus Lutz is given based on type series deposited in the Ceratopogonidae Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil. The distribution of these species is presented in figure 9.

Hematophagous biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Tefé municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil

“…The seven morphotypes documented here may represent new species. In a recent revision of the reticulatus species group, five new species were described in the Brazilian Amazon (Santarém et al 2014), which demonstrates that our knowledge of Culicoides fauna remains incomplete. The low density of males in the catch is most likely the result of copulation behavior (Castellon et al 1990) that usually occurs near oviposition sites and food sources.…”

“…Veras (2001) listed 82 species from the Brazilian Amazon region. Recently, 12 more species were described by Spinelli et al (2007), Felippe-Bauer et al (2009, 2010, Trindade and Felippe-Bauer (2011) and Santarém et al (2014) from the states of Amazonas, Pará and Roraima. Considering that the distribution of Culicoides reticulatus Lutz, 1913 is now restricted to Bahia and Pernambuco states (Santarém et al 2014), we consider 93 species known for the Brazilian Amazon.…”

A species checklist of the subgenus Culicoides (Avaritia) in China, with a description of a new species (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae)

“…Morphological terms are from the chapter on Ceratopogonidae by Yu et al (2005). Terms of structures specific to Culicoides follow those described by Santarém et al (2014) and Han et al (2017). Measurements of wings, flagellar segments, palpus, and legs are given in millimeters, and measurements of spermathecae are given in microns.…”

List of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the state of Amazonas, Brazil, including new records

“…Culicoides pseudoreticulatus Santarém, Felippe-Bauer & Castellón, 2014 (Figures 9, 12Q) Culicoides pseudoreticulatus Santarém, Felippe-Bauer and Castellón in Santarém et al (2014): 268. Roraima, Brazil.…”