Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2018-08-14
Page range: 171–178
Abstract views: 96
PDF downloaded: 3

Rediscovery of Dixa repanda Peters and description of its putative sister species, Dixa falcata sp. nov., from the south-central United States (Diptera: Dixidae)

Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, 2505 EJ Chapman Dr., 370 Plant Biotechnology Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996-4560, USA.
Diptera meniscus midge new species aquatic insects Culicomorpha Nearctic

Abstract

Dixa repanda Peters, previously known only from the type series of three males, was rediscovered after targeted collections in the southcentral and midwestern United States. These collections also revealed the presence of its undescribed putative sister species, Dixa falcata sp. nov. The two species are sympatric in the Ozark Mountains. Adults of D. repanda are redescribed and those of Dixa falcata are described. Males of both species are distinguished from related, similarly colored species by a falcate gonostylus and extremely reduced cercus. Males of the two species are easily separated from each other by the shape and thickness of the gonostylus. Females are not reliably separable from each other or related species. Biological insights, including known distributions, of both species are provided.

 

References

  1. Belkin, J.N. (1968) Mosquito Studies (Diptera, Culicidae). VII. The Culicidae of New Zealand. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, 3, 1–182.

    Moulton, J.K. (2016) The Dixa inextricata Dyar & Shannon (Diptera: Dixidae) species group, with two new cryptic species from the eastern Nearctic Region. Zootaxa, 4121 (4), 458–472.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4121.4.6

    Moulton, J.K. (2017) The true identity of Dixa modesta Johannsen (Diptera: Dixidae) resolved: synonymy of Dixa similis Johannsen, designation of the Dixa ubiquita species group, and description of three new eastern Nearctic species. Zootaxa, 4216 (3), 247–260.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.3

    Peters, T.M. & Cook, E.F. (1966) The Nearctic Dixidae (Diptera). Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America, 5, 231–278.

    Shorthouse, D.P. (2010) SimpleMappr, an online tool to produce publication-quality point maps. Available from: http://www.simplemappr.net (accessed 16 July 2018)