A NEW BLACKFLY SPECIES OF SIMULIUM (DIPTERA: SIMULIIDAE) FROM GUIZHOU PROVINCE,CHINA*

Abstract The present paper deals with a new species of Simulium (Simulium) from Leigongshan, Guizhou province, S. (S.) qianense sp. nov. The specific name was given in the place of production. On the basis of the morphological characters, the new species (S.) qianense sp. nov evidently falls into S. variegatum species‐group, is most similar to S. (S.) taiwanicum, 1979, but can be distinguished from the latter by the characteristic pattern of scutum and legs color in the both sexes, the shape of male geritalia and several characters in the larva. The type specimens are kept in the Department of Biology of the Guiyang Medical College.     

Are black flies of the subgenus Wilhelmia (Diptera: Simuliidae) multiple species or a single geographical generalist? Insights from the macrogenome

Organisms with vast distributions often represent geographical mosaics of cryptic species. The black fly Simulium (Wilhelmia) lineatum is among the most widely distributed members of the family Simuliidae, ranging from the British Isles to eastern China. Rather than viewing S. lineatum as a possible aggregate of multiple species, taxonomists have suggested a more inclusive taxon with additional synonyms. Accordingly, S. lineatum is an ideal candidate for testing the hypothesis that a wide geographical distribution signals the presence of more than one species. A cytogenetic approach was used to probe the macrogenome of S. lineatum and other taxa proposed by taxonomists as conspecific. The banding patterns in the polytene chromosomes of 480 larvae from 15 countries across the Palearctic Region revealed 128 rearrangements of the complement. All rearrangements were autosomal and 89% were inversions nonrandomly distributed among species and among chromosome arms. The analyses clarify long‐standing confusion over previously proposed names and reveal a longitudinal succession of four species sequentially replacing one another from west to east: Simulium lineatum s.s., Simulium balcanicum, Simulium turgaicum, and Simulium takahasii. Thus, S. turgaicum is recalled from synonymy and the other three species are validated. Within the most‐represented species, S. balcanicum, the frequency of inversions follows a longitudinal gradient with a north–south bias; as the distance between the sites increases along this north‐west–south‐east axis, the similarity of inversion frequencies between sites decreases. Validation of the concept that broadly distributed black flies are composites of structurally similar species provides a framework for guiding discovery of additional biodiversity. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 114 , 163–183.     

A multi‐locus approach resolves the phylogenetic relationships of the Simulium asakoae and Simulium ceylonicum species groups in Malaysia: evidence for distinct evolutionary lineages

A multi‐locus approach was used to examine the DNA sequences of 10 nominal species of blackfly in the Simulium subgenus Gomphostilbia (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Malaysia. Molecular data were acquired from partial DNA sequences of the mitochondria‐encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes, and the nuclear‐encoded 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes. No single gene, nor the concatenated gene set, resolved all species or all relationships. However, all morphologically established species were supported by at least one gene. The multi‐locus sequence analysis revealed two distinct evolutionary lineages, conforming to the morphotaxonomically recognized Simulium asakoae and Simulium ceylonicum species groups.     

贵州蚋科一新种 (双翅目:蚋科)(英文)

本文记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属一新种 ,以产地命名为黔蚋Simulium (Simulium )qianensesp .nov。新种隶属于杂色蚋组S .variegatumspecies group ,与台湾蚋S .taiwanicum最近似 ,但可依其特殊的盾饰、足的颜色、雄尾中骨端裂和幼虫后颊裂深并在后腹部具附骨等特征与其他近缘种相区别。模式标本存放于贵阳医学院生物教研室。     

Emergence patterns and ecological associations of some haematophagous blackfly species along an oligotrophic hydrosystem

Emergence patterns of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) were investigated for 2 years at nine sites in the Plitvice Lakes area of Croatia, using pyramid‐type traps. A total of 38 012 specimens representing 10 haematophagous species were collected. The dominant species was Simulium angustipes Edwards, 1915, a vector transmitting avian trypanosomes. Water temperature, alkalinity, conductivity and habitat type represented the factors with the greatest degree of influence on blackfly species composition, structure and distribution along a longitudinal gradient of this oligotrophic karstic hydrosystem. Simulium angustipes was highly associated with lake outlets. The blackfly communities at all sites were dominated by species typical of the rhithral zone, but there was a shift in species composition along a longitudinal gradient from the hypocrenal–epirhithral to the epirhithral–metarhithral zone. Multiple generations per year were detected in S. angustipes, whereas in Simulium costatum Friederichs, 1920, the number of generations differed between sites with constant and those with variable water temperature.     

Sibling species distributions of the Simulium damnosum complex in the West African Onchocerciasis Control Programme area during the decade 1984–93, following intensive larviciding since 1974

Abstract .During the decade from 1984 to 1993, nine species of the Simulium damnosum complex of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) were identified from the area covered by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme. These were S. damnosum s.s., S. dieguerense, S. konkourense, S. leonense, S. sanctipauli, S. sirbanum, S. soubrense, S. squamosum, and S. yahense. Some of these species were found to consist of two chromosomal variant populations. These were S. konkourense‘Konkouré' and ‘Menankaya' forms, S. sanctipauli sensu stricto and‘Djodji' form, S. soubrense‘Chute Milo' and ‘Beffa' forms. The distribution of these twelve cytological taxa was assessed in relation to the two main vegetation zones of West Africa (forest and savanna), topography, river size and other factors. The range of each species was influenced by seasonal climatic changes in wind movement and river water level. The most widely distributed species were S. sirbanum and S. damnosum s.s., associated with savanna areas, recorded from all river basins. Simulium dieguerense was restricted mainly to Western Mali on the Rivers Bafing and Bakoye in the Senegal River basin. Simulium squamosum was identified from rivers draining mountainous areas in both the forest and savanna zones. Simulium yahense was found in small permanent rivers along a wide forested band parallel to the coast and was absent from the plains of Togo and Benin. Members of the S. sanctipauli subcomplex had restricted distributions except for S. sanctipauli s.s., which was widespread in large rivers of the forest zone from Sierra Leone to the Volta Lake in Ghana. Simulium soubrense‘Beffa' form occurred in Togo and Benin, S. soubrense‘Chutes Milo' form in Guinea, both ‘Konkouré' and ‘Menankaya' forms of S. konkourense occurred predominantly in Guinea and S. leonense in Sierra Leone. The relevance of the distribution maps and the importance of the data bank to vector control larvicidal operations are discussed.     

Occlusal pattern of cheek teeth in extant Spermophilus: A new approach to the identification of species

Discrete characters of the occlusal surface (additional cusps) have been studied to elaborate a new approach to the identification of the Ground Squirrel species Spermophilus odessanus, S. suslicus, S. pygmaeus, S. citellus, and S. xanthoprymnus. Data on the presence/absence of the additional cusps have been represented as star plots and, in addition, have been studied using discriminant function analysis. The species‐specific sets of the characters (patterns of bunodonty) have been revealed and are of high diagnostic value. The Citellus‐set is defined by the presence of mesostyles and the rareness of the metastylids, paraconules and metaconules, hypostyles and protostyles. The Pygmaeus‐set is characterized by the presence of additional cusps in the lower cheek teeth. The Odessanus‐oriented set is found in the Spermophilus pygmaeus, S. odessanus, and S. suslicus. The relatively high frequency of additional cusps of the metaloph and the paraloph is characteristic for this set. The Plesiomorphic‐set (characters shared by all the studied species and for this reason regarded herein as ancestral) is found in S. xanthoprymnus. The patterns of bunodonty serve as diagnostic criteria only as a whole: the shape of a star plot (relations among the character frequencies), rather than certain character values, is indicative. An optimal level of identification of species is possible based on the combination of the discrete characters mentioned and on the size parameters of the third upper molar. The occlusal sets are intended to remain stable during the time of species existence and seem to correspond to trends in specialization. The functional meaning of the sets can be explained by the dependence between the presence/absence of the discrete characters and the shape of the crown and its main lophs. Each pattern is likely to correspond to a trophic niche, and this niche corresponds to the species. J. Morphol. 277:814–825, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

四川省蚋属纺蚋亚属一新种记述(双翅目,蚋科)

泸定纺蚋,新种Simulium(Nevermannia)ludingense sp.nov.(Figs.1-17)根据雄虫尾器和蛹呼吸丝特征,新种应隶属于纺蚋亚属的宽足蚋组uernum-group.新种的主要特征是幼虫后腹节具附骨,这一特征在该组见于报告者仅有5种,即产自我国台湾的S.(N.)yushangense、湖南的S.(N.)zhangjiajiense和贵州的S.(N.)qinshuiense、菲律宾的S.(N.)aberrans以及马来西亚的S.(N.)caudisclerum.但新种蛹茧无前背突可与S.(N.)yushangense、S.(N.)qingshuiense、S.(N.)zhangjiajiense和S.(N.)caudisclerum相区别;其雄性生殖腹板呈半圆形以及幼虫上颚缘齿无附齿列可与S.(N.)caudisclerum相区别.正模♀,副模7♀♀,5♂♂,12蛹,5幼虫,2003-09-19,采自泸定县药王庙小溪水草.模式标本存放于贵阳医学院生物学教研室.     

Phylogenetic analysis based on multiple gene sequences revealing cryptic biodiversity in Simulium multistriatum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Phylogenetic relationships among four species of the Simulium multistriatum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand were examined based on two mitochondrial genes (COI, COII) and one nuclear gene (18S/ITS1). Simulium takense was found to be genetically divergent (>20.3% for COI) from the other species, consistent with their distinctive morphology. Simulium chainarongi and S. chaliowae were monophyletic but were included in paraphyletic S. fenestratum. Simulium fenestratum was divided into three distinct lineages with high levels of genetic divergence. This suggests that S. fenestratum is a species complex. Neither morphological nor cytological examinations revealed evidence of sibling species. The clades derived from phylogenetic analyses were found to be correlated with the ecological conditions of larval habitat. Therefore, ecological adaptation may have played a role in black fly diversification and evolution. These results suggest the use of integrated, multidisciplinary approaches for fully understanding black fly biodiversity and systematics.     

Biting behaviour and potential vector status of anthropophilic blackflies in a new focus of human onchocerciasis at Minaçu, central Brazil

Monthly collections were made of man‐biting female blackflies: Simulium auripellitum Enderlein, S. guianense Wise, S. minusculum Lutz and S. nigrimanum Macquart (Diptera: Simuliidae) from four catching stations in the newly discovered focus of human onchocerciasis at Minaçu (13°35′ S 48°18′ W), 300 km north of Brasília in Goiás State. These provided baseline data on biting habits, population density and seasonal prevalence during the year before completion of the Serra da Mesa hydroelectric dam on the Rio Tocantins near Minaçu, in a project investigating the effect of dam construction on onchocerciasis transmission in the area. All four simuliid species were most abundant during the dry season, and only bit in low numbers (S. auripellitum S.minusculum, S. nigrimanum) or were absent (S. guianense) in the wet season. Simulium minusculum was the predominant species at all catching stations, being particularly abundant by the large River Tocantins. The other three species were mainly associated with smaller rivers. In the dry season, biting rhythms of S. minusculum varied with catching site, while S. nigrimanum showed peaks of activity in early morning and during the afternoon. Experimental infection with Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart) (Nematoda: Onchocercidae), from a human volunteer, showed that this parasite could develop fully in the four simuliid species, which are all considered to be potential vectors in the area.     

Legs of deception: disagreement between molecular markers and morphology of long‐legged flies (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

Conflicting hypotheses in phylogenetics and systematics, generated by different data sets (e.g. morphological versus molecular), are common in biology. The clarification of such instances may allow understanding general mechanisms involved in the speciation process in an evolutionary light. Here, we present and discuss the case of the Dolichopus plumipes species group in the long‐legged flies, Dolichopodidae. A phylogenetic survey was performed based on both morphological and molecular data. The full data set comprises 31 morphological characters and 2252 molecular characters (mitochondrial – COI: 810; 12S: 343; 16S: 514; nuclear – ITS2: 585) of 49 different species, represented by 82 specimens. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed a clade (composed by the species D. plumipes, Dolichopus wahlbergi, Dolichopus polleti, Dolichopus simplex, and Dolichopus nigricornis) that disagrees with the traditional morphological view based on external characters. In particular, specimens of the species D. plumipes and D. simplex were indistinguishable with the molecular markers used here. Yet, we still consider D. plumipes and D. simplex as two distinct taxa and provide explanatory hypotheses on the evolutionary background. The conspicuous male secondary sexual characters (present in plumipes but not in simplex) are key factors in sexual selection and their presumably rapid reduction in D. simplex is thought to be of main importance for the explanation of the speciation process. The plumipes–simplex case may therefore be viewed as a paradigmatic illustration showing that a better integration of the molecular and morphological approaches is needed to understand and clarify the, in some cases, complex systematics and phylogeny of organisms.     

Revision of the Ketaketa subcomplex of blackflies of the Simulium damnosum complex

A revision of the taxonomy of the Ketaketa subcomplex of the Simulium damnosum Theobald complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) is presented including new material from Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa. The cytotaxonomy, morphology and molecular identity of known and new taxa are described. The Ketaketa subcomplex is cytotaxonomically defined by the paracentric inversion 1L-7. We recognize three sibling species, namely Simulium latipollex (Enderlein), Simulium plumbeum Krueger, sp.n. and Simulium kipengere Krueger, sp.n., the latter comprising three cytoforms: 'Typical', 'Linthipe' and 'Mombo'. The cytoforms 'Mwamphanzi', 'Ketaketa' and 'Hammerkopi' are synonymized with S. plumbeum. Identification keys are provided on the basis of chromosomal and morphological characters. In view of their potential role as vectors of human onchocerciasis (river blindness) we also discuss the possible medical importance of the different cytoforms and their geographical distribution.     

Cytogenetics and evolution of Simulium ornatipes skuse (Diptera:Simuliidae) I. Sibling speciation

Larval populations of the morphologically distinct species Simulium ornatipes and S. neornatipes and a subspecies of the former, S. ornatipes norfolkense, were analysed using polytene chromosome cytology. Fixed inversion differences, distinct differentiated sex chromosomes and unique arrays of chromosomal polymorphisms reveal two sibling species, S. ornatipes A and B, within S. ornatipes, and two, S. neornatipes 1 and 2, within S. neornatipes. Chromosomally S. ornatipes norfolkense is similar to S. ornatipes A. An unprecedented level of shared inversion polymorphism is shown by S. ornatipes A and B indicating a very close relationship between them. While it may be postulated that such a situation has arisen by independent origin of the shared inversions within each species, or by introgression of these rearrangements between the two species, it is concluded that the shared polymorphisms in fact originate from a common ancestor. Within the four chromosomally defined species, differentiated sex chromosome systems occur which may involve any of the three chromosome pairs. Simulium ornatipes A is particularly interesting because there are indications that it may be polymorphic for differentiated sex chromosomes on two different elements and that it may also share a sex chromosome marker with S. ornatipes B, a unique situation in the Simuliidae. The evolution of sex chromosome systems in the four species is compared with that of other Simulids and its intimate connection with speciation emphasised. Finally the data on fixed inversions, differentiated sex chromosomes and shared polymorphisms is used to construct a phylogeny of the four species outlining their patterns of speciation.     

Development and evaluation of methods to assess populations of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) at nests of the endangered whooping crane (Grus americana)

Hematophagous insects can negatively affect the reproductive success of their vertebrate hosts. To determine the influence of hematophagous insects on endangered vertebrates requires specially designed programs that minimize disturbance to the hosts and address problems associated with their small populations. We developed and evaluated a surveillance program for black flies potentially affecting a population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) introduced to central Wisconsin, U.S.A. In one of the few studies to survey host‐seeking female black flies and their immature stages concurrently, we processed nearly 346,000 specimens and documented 26 species, of which only two, Simulium annulus and Simulium johannseni, were attracted to nesting whooping cranes. Attempts to assess black fly populations with artificial nests and real crane eggs were unsuccessful. Carbon‐dioxide traps performed well in describing black fly taxa on the landscape. However, the number of black flies at whooping crane nests was consistently higher than the number captured in carbon‐dioxide traps. The carbon‐dioxide traps poorly described the presence/absence, population fluctuations, and periodicity of black flies at whooping crane nests. The weak performance of the carbon‐dioxide traps might have resulted from microhabitat differences between trap locations and nests or from Simulium annulus and Simulium johannseni using sensory cues in addition to carbon dioxide to find hosts. Choice of trapping techniques, therefore, depends on the information required for the particular study objectives.     

陕西省蚋属一新种记述(双翅目:蚋科)

Simulium (Simulium) liubaense, sp. nov. is described based on the female specimens collected from Liuba, Shaanxi Province, China. This species is assigned to the variegotum-group of the subgenus Simulium, and is closely related to S. (S.) jingfui Cai and An, 2008, S. (S.) taiwanicum Takaoka, 1979, S. (S.) hackeri Edwards 1928, S. (S.) chamlongi Takaoka and Suzuki, 1984. However it is clearly differentiated from them by the structure of cibarium, genital fork, genital plate, paraproct and cercus of the female. All the specimens are kept in the Medical Entomology Collection Gallery, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing.     

Cytotaxonomy of four species in the Simulium perflavum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Brazilian Amazonia

Polytene chromosomes of four members of the Simulium perflavum species group in Brazil are described, and a standard map for the species group is presented. Simulium rorotaense Floch & Abonnenc, S. perflavum Roubaud and an undescribed species (S.‘X’) are chromosomally conservative, each representing a single species with a unique preimaginal habitat. Chromosomal, morphological and ecological evidence indicates that S. maroniense Floch & Abonnenc, previously considered synonymous with S. rorotaense, is a good species. Independent morphological and chromosomal analyses yielded 99.4% agreement in separating larvae of S. rorotaense and S. maroniense. The two species can be distinguished by gill morphology or by a subterminal inversion on the long arm of chromosome III. Simulium maroniense consists of at least four cytotypes, each with different sex chromosomes and autosomal polymorphism profiles and associated with a particular landscape type, altitude, temperature regime or geographical location. Simulium rorotaense and S. maroniense share one unique inversion, as do S. perflavum and S. ‘X’, indicating two pairs of sister species. The anthropogenic S. perflavum probably dispersed into Central Amazonia sometime after the mid-1970s.     

贵州雷公山蚋属二新种记述(双翅目:蚋科)

记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属二新种,即细板蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｔｅｎｕａｔｕｍ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,多枝蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｒａｍｕｌｏｓｕｍ,ｓｐ。ｎｏｖ。并对其分类地位进行讨论。     

CHARACTER DISCRIMINATORY POWER,CHARACTER-SET CONGRUENCE,AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS FROM HYBRID ZONES: AN EXAMPLE USING STONE CRABS (MENIPPE)

Many investigators categorize individuals from hybrid zones to facilitate comparisons among genotypic classes (e.g., parental, F₁, backcross) for comparative studies in which components of fitness or geographic variation are being analyzed. Frequently, multiple character sets representing genetically independent traits are used to classify these individuals and various methodologies are employed to combine the classifications obtained from the different character sets. We adapted the principles of total evidence and taxonomic congruence (two formalized approaches used by systematists in formulating phylogenetic hypotheses) to address the problem of discriminating hybridizing species and classifying individuals from hybrid zones. As our model, we used two morphological (coloration and morphometric) and two molecular (allozyme and mitochondrial DNA restriction-fragment-length polymorphism) character sets that differentiate two stone crab species (Menippe adina and M. mercenaria). Using principal-components analysis, we determined that combining character sets and eliminating characters or character sets that did not have large eigenvector coefficients for the principal component that best separated the two species yielded the highest level of discrimination between species and allowed us to classify a broad range of morpho-genotypes as hybrids. For the stone crabs, three diagnostic allozyme loci and five diagnostic coloration characters best separated the species. The two character sets were not completely congruent, but they agreed in their classification of 50% of the individuals from the hybrid zone and rarely strongly disagreed in their classifications. Classification discrepancies between the two character sets probably represent variation between traits in interspecific gene flow rather than intraspecific, ecologically mediated variation. Our results support the assertions of previous investigators who espoused the benefits associated with using multiple character sets to classify individuals from hybrid zones and demonstrate that, if character sets are reasonably congruent and numerically balanced, combining diagnostic characters from multiple character sets (a total-evidence approach) can enhance discriminatory power between species and facilitate the assignment of hybrid-zone individuals to genotypic classes. On the contrary, classifying hybrid-zone individuals using character sets separately (a taxonomic-congruence approach) provides the opportunity to compare levels of introgression between species and to assess reasons for discordance among the data sets.     

Blackfly (Diptera, Simuliidae) communities and species richness estimation in Carpathian montane streams

The present work gives the result of blackfly fauna research of the Slovenský raj (West Carpathians, Slovakia). Our aim was to describe the composition of blackfly communities, find indicator species for communities, describe environmental factors affecting communities and determine the potential changes in species richness. Research was carried out in 2007 and 2008. The presence of 22 species of blackflies was confirmed at 20 sites in the area of Slovenský raj. 12 species were recorded for the first time in this area. The potential for further increase in diversity was calculated by a nonparametric estimation of species richness. Two main groups of sites with their typical blackflies communities were indentified using a TWINSPAN analysis. The presence of Simulium ornatum, S. variegatum and S. argyreatum was typical in larger streams in broad valleys. The absence or low abundance of these species was typical for smaller streams in canyons. Based on the species composition of blackflies communities, we identified 6 groups of sites: 1. anthropogenically disturbed submountain rivers (typical species: Simulium ornatum, S. reptans, S. equinum), 2. undisturbed metarhithral (typical species: Simulium bertrandi, S. codreanui, S. costatum, S. vernum, S. argenteostriatum, S. degrangei, S. argyreatum, S. variegatum), 3. undisturbed hyporhithral (typical species: Simulium trifasciatum, S. tuberosum), 4. undisturbed epirhithral (typical species: Prosimulium hirtipes, P. rufipes), 5. hypocrenal (typical species: Simulium cryophilum, S. monticola) and 6. anthropogenically disturbed epirhithral (typical species: Simulium brevidens, S. maximum). The most important environmental factors explaining differences in species composition like altitude, flow speed, pH, conductivity, oxygen saturation, sulphates concentration and presence of riparian vegetation were identified by the CCA analysis.     

广西大明山蚋属一新种(双翅目,蚋科)

记述采自广西大明山的蚋属1新种,大明蚋Simulium（Simulium）damingensesp.nov.（图1～15）。新种依其两性尾器特征,隶属于淡足蚋组malyschevi group（Takaoka and Davies,1996）。新种雌虫第7腹节有分支毛丛,雄虫生殖腹板的形状,与印度的S.（S.）hirtipannus Puri和日本的S.（S.）nacojapi Smart近似。但新种雌虫食窦弓光滑,爪简单,足的颜色及幼虫后颊裂伸达亚颏后缘等特征可与以上两种相区别。报道自日本的S（S.）kyushuense Takaoka,1978的幼虫后颊裂延伸达亚颏后缘,但其雌虫第7腹节无分支毛丛可资鉴别。正模♀,副模7♀♀,5♂♂,21蛹,6幼虫,均采自广西大明山小溪急流向阳水草中。模式标本存放于贵阳医学院生物学教研室。