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PROC.ENTOMOL.SOC.WASH. 105(1),2003,pp.9-12 A NEW SPECIES OF BLACK FLY (DIPTERA: SIMULIIDAE) FROM NOVA SCOTIA Peter H. Adler, Charle.s L. Brockhouse. and Dougla.s C. Currie (PHA) Department of Entomology. Clemson University. Clemson, SC 29634-0365, U.S.A. (e-mail; [email protected]): (CLB) Department of Biological Sciences, Uni- versity of South Alabama. Mobile. Alabama 36688, U.S.A. (e-mail: cbrockho@jaguarl. usouthal.edu; (DCC) Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum. 100 Queen's Park, Torimto. Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada (e-mail: dougc@rom. on.ca) — Abstract. The larva and pupa t)f a new species ofblack fly from the LaHave River in Nova Scotia, Canada, are described and illustrated. Siinuliuin rothfelsi, n. sp.. is most closely related to S.joluiiiiiseni but can be distinguished—from this species and all others in North America by the configuration of the pupal gill two swollen dorsal filaments and two slender ventral filaments. This new species is univoltine, passing the winter as eggs and completing its larval and pupal development in a few weeks during May. Key Words: Simuliidae, Siinuliuiti, new species, aquatic insects. Nova Scotia About 190 nominal species ofblack tlies absence in previous studies. The adults re- have been recorded from North America main unknown after eight attempts to col- north of Mexico (Crosskey and Howard lect them failed. The unique gill of the 1997, Crosskey 1999). with about 60 of pupa, however, should allow adults to be these known from eastern Canada (Ontario reared and associated in the future. eastward). Areas of eastern Canada that Material was collected in Carnoy's fixa- have received the most faunistic attention tive (1 part glacial acetic acid: 3 parts ab- are Ontarioand insularNewfoundland (Da- solute ethanol) and transferred to 80% eth- vies et al. 1962, McCreadie et al. 1995). anol. Descriptive terminology follows pri- The simuliid fauna of the Maritime Prov- marily that of Peterson (1981). The holo- inces remains incompletely studied. The type and some larval paratypes are last published account ofthe fauna, an an- deposited in the Canadian National Collec- notated list of 20 species, appeared more tion, Ottawa. Additional paratypes are de- than two decades ago (Lewis and Bennett posited in the National Museum ofNatural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washing- 1979). New speciesofblack fliescontinue to be ton, DC, and the Clemson University Ar- discovered in North America, although ata thropod Collection. Clemson. SC. declining rate. We describe the larva and pupa of a new species from the LaHave BrockhSoiuinsuel.iuainndroCtuhrferlisei,Andelewr,species River ofNova Scotia, Canada. The species (Figs. 1-2) undoubtedly has a—broader range, but its — rapid development a two- to three-week Larva. Length 5.4-5.7 mm. Head cap- — period in May probably contributed to its sule (Fig. 1) pale brownish yellow, with all PROCEEDINGSOFTHEENTOMOLOGICALSOCIETYOFWASHINGTON Figs. 1-2. Simiilliim rothfehi. 1, Larval head capsule, dorsal view (above), ventral \iew (below). 2. Pupa andcocoon, leftlateral \iew ofholotype. VOLUME 105.NUMBER 1 head spots darkbrown, bold, slightly infiis- honor of Klaus H. Rothfels (1919-1986), cated. Antenna pale brown, extended be- thefatherofsimuliidcytotaxonomy. Inlife, yond apex ofstalk oflabral fan by about Vi he successfully thwarted attempts to name length of distal article: medial article with a species in h—is honor 3 or 4 pale hyaline bands, barely percepti- Diagnosis. Pupae of this new species ble in some specimens. Hypostoma with are distinct from those of all other North median and lateral teeth subequal in size American black flies. The four-filainented andextendedanteriorlytoaboutsamelevel. gill, with thedorsal twofilamentsmarkedly Postgenal cleft extended about % distance inflated and the ventral two slender, is to hypostomal groove, widest at midpoint, unique. Mature larvae can be distinguished tapered and pointed or rounded anteriorly; mostreadily by theconfigurationoftheun- subesophageal ganglion typically lacking curled gill histoblast; otherwise, they re- pigmented sheath. Labral fan with 48-55 semble those of S. johannseni Hart, the primary rays. Body brownish or grayish, probable sister spec—ies ofS. rothfelsi. distinctly banded, with unpigmented inter- Chromosomes. The larval polytene segmental areas. Abdominal segment IX chromosomes of5. rothfelsi have ahaploid with prominent, conical ventral tubercles; numberof3,with standardarmassociations abdominal setae simple,translucent, sparse. and the nucleolar organizer in the base of Posterior proleg with 8-10 hooks in about IS.ThesefeaturesaresharedwithS.Johann- 60 rows. Rectal papillae of 3 compound seni (Golini and Rothfels 1984: 2097). lobes. — Chromosomal maps of S. johannseni have Pupa(Fig. 2). Length ofcocoon, in lat- not been published and. therefore, cannot eral view, 3.8-4.0 mm. Gill with 4 fila- provide further comparative information. ments, about as long as pupa; base short, The two male larvae that we examined had about as long as wide, giving rise to 2 pet- a minute inversion in thecentromereregion iolate pairs offilaments; dorsal and ventral ofchromosome III. suggesting that this re- petiolesshort, subequalinlengthandwidth; gion represents the sex-differential seg- dorsal pair of filaments markedly swollen; ment. — third filament from dorsum slightly swol- Biology. The apparent scarcity of this len; ventralmost filament slender, not swol- new species is probably due largely to its len; filaments directed anteroventrally, ta- remarkably narrow window of develop- pered distally, with surface wrinkled and ment. It is univoltine and overwinters as slightly granulate proximally, and marked eggs. Larvae probably begin to hatch in by transverse furrows distally. Cephalic early May and begin pupating within three plate smooth. Thorax dorsally with sparse, weeks. On 3 May 2001, a large collection irregularly distributed, rounded microtuber- ofsimuliid larvae and pupae from the type cles; trichomes simple. Abdomen with locality revealed no specimens of the new spine combs weakly developed on segment species. By 18 May, the first mature larvae V, well developed on segments VI-IX. Co- were found at the same location. In previ- coon slip—per shaped, densely woven. ous years, no larvae or pupae were found Types. Holotype: pupal exuviae -I- co- after24May. Wehavenotfoundtheadults. coon in ethanol. Canada, Nova Scotia, Lu- Females, like those ofS.Johannseni. prob- nenburg Co., near New Germany, LaHave ably are chiefly ornithophilic. SimuliumJo- River, 44°33'N, 64°43'W, 21 May 1999, C. hannseni is restricted to the central portion L. Brockhouse. Paratypes: samedataasho- oftheUnitedStatesandCanadaandhasnot lotype, 24 May 2000 (1 pupa -I- cocoon, 1 been found east of Ohio. The two species, pupal exuviae without cocoon); 18 May therefore, are allopatric. 200E1ty(m1o3lolgayr.va—e).This species is named in moTrheethLaanHa3v0emRiwviedre,atntohemtoyrpee ltohcaanlit2ymis PROCEEDINGSOFTHEENTOMOLOGICALSOCIETYOFWASHINGTON deep, with a rocky bottom, small islands, Literature Cited and a forested riparian zone. Larvae were Crosskey. R. W. 1999. First update to the taxonomic collectedfrom submergedgrasses. Wehave and geographical inventory of world blackflies foimd the following nine species of black (Diptera: Simuliidae). The Natural History Mu- flies in the LaHave River, mostoverlapping Crossskeeuym.,RL.onWd.ona.nd1T0pMp.. Howard. 1997.Anewtax- to some extent with the development ofS. onomic and geographical inventory of world rothfelsi: Prosimiilium mixtiim Syme and blackflies(Diptera: Simuliidae).TheNatural His- Davies, P. fii.scuin Syme and Davies, Ste- toryMuseum.London. 144pp. goptema miitata (Malloch) (diploid cyto- Davies.D.M..B.V.Peterson,andD.M.Wood. 1962. The black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) ofOntario. species), Siiniiliuni eiiryadminicidum Da- Part I. Adult identification and distribution with vies, S. quebecense Twinn, 5. fibrinflatitm descriptionsofsixnewspecies.Proceedingsofthe Twinn, 5. nyssa Stone and Snoddy. S. vaii- EntomologicalSocietyofOntario92: 70-154. dtuanliicSuamy DseynasruasntrdicStoh.annon, and S. reniis- Golinsmii,omsuVlo.imiI.eismanodcfaKnN.oonrRitocthohhfAiemilensr.ig1cr9ao8nu4p.blT(ahcDekifpltpieoerlsay:tiennStiehmecuhlEriioii--- dae). Canadian Journal of Zoology fi2: 2097- Acknowledgments 2109. Lewis.D.J.andG.EBennett. 1979.Anannotatedlist Wethank Ralph Idemaforillustratingthe oftheblackflies(Diptera:Simuliidae)oftheMar- larva and pupa, and J. C. Morse, J. K. itime Provinces ofCanada. Canadian Entomolo- Moulton, andA. G. Wheeler,Jr. forreview- McCrgeiasdtie11.1:J.1W.2.27R-1H2.30A.dler.andM.H.Colbo. 1995. ing the manuscript. This study was sup- Community structure of larval black flies (Dip- ported in partby agrant(no. 972938) from tera: Simuliidae) from the Avalon Peninsula, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to Newfoundland. Annalsofthe Entomological So- PHA and CLB. This is Technical Contri- Petercsioent.yoBf.AVm.eri19c8a1.88:Si5m1u-l5ii7d.ae, pp. 35.5-.^91. In bution No. 4727 from the South Carolina Manual ofNearctic Diptera. Vol. I. Agriculture Agriculture and Forestry Research System. CanadaMonograph27.674pp.