A study of Chironomidae (Diptera) of Africa south of the Sahara, part III

Abstract

Orthocladiinae many species resemble Palaearctic species, but there is more variety in this subfamily, perhaps because of its larger size and preference for warmer water habitats. Keys are given to genera, subgenera and species ; more than loo species are described, 25 of which are new, and notes are given on 12 species of Chironomus (Cryptochironomus) , which were described by KiefEer from females and which cannot be recognized from the descriptions. (DIPTERA) OF AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA 327 Key to Tribes of Subfamily Chironominae Wing membrane without macrotrichia, or if present then squama with marginal fringe of long hairs ; cross-vein r-m definitely oblique to direction of vein R4+5 Chironomini Wing membrane with macrotrichia at least towards the apex, squama without fringe ; cross-vein r-m nearly parallel to and practically continuous with R4+5 Tanytarsini { = Calopsectrini of Townes) (see later part) TRIBE CHIRONOMINI Only one half of this tribe is dealt with in this Part, a later Part will describe species both in the other half and in the Tanytarsini.Apart from a few small and aberrant genera, the tribe was divided by Kieffer into two groups depending on whether the posterior tibia had one or two spurs in association with the combs. This method of dividing the bulk of the species was also adopted by Edwards and Goetghebuer and for most species it is perfectly satisfactory.Genera can then be split off on the development of the prothorax, size of pulvilli and presence of front tibial spur.

Clarification of Einfeldia Kieffer, 1922 (Diptera: Chironomidae) with E. australiensis (Freeman, 1961), comb. n. based on immature stages

“…However, the fact that this volsella configuration does not define any natural grouping (monophylum) was recognised early on (e.g. by Edwards 1929, Kruseman 1933, Freeman 1957. Similar volsellae occur in Benthalia, Chironomus (subgenera Chironomus and Lobochironomus), Conochironomus, Einfeldia, Glyptotendipes (Heynotendipes), Pelomus, Tribelos, and possibly elsewhere.…”

Life stages and taxonomic affinities ofXenochironomus canterburyensis(Chironomidae: Diptera)

“…Species of Xenochironomus have been reported from the Palearctic, Nearctic, Ethiopian, and Australian regions (Kieffer 1921, Townes 1945, Freeman 1957, 1959, 1961. Features of the larva and pupa of the Holarctic Xenochironomus xenolabis (Kieffer) have been described or included in keys by Pagast (1934Pagast ( ), }ohannsen (1937, Chernovskii (1949), Bryce (1960), Roback (1963), Mason (1968), Lellilk (1971), and Bryce & Hobart (1972).…”

News

“…We collaborated subsequently, including over an orthoclad, Elpiscladius, a member of the Brillia group for which Arthur had a pharate male (Harrison & Cranston 2007). Little did we know but the then-unknown larva was in the Eerste-mining in immersed wood as its phylogeny predicted (Cranston 2008 (Freeman 1955(Freeman , 1956(Freeman , 1957(Freeman , 1958, followed by the Chironomidae of New Zealand (Freeman 1959) and of Australia (Freeman, 1961). One third of Freeman's scientific publications (of 86 in total) concerned the Chironomidae: the others ranged across several other families of nematocerous Diptera.…”