Chironomus striatipennis Kieffer, 1910 It has been generally assumed that C. striatipennis is a widely distributed species throughout Asia, from India to Singapore and in South America and southern U.S.A. However, while this appears to be the situation based on morphology, the results of Pramual et al. ( 2016) suggested the existence of a number of a number of groups in their samples that had been identified as C. striatipennis. Even so, because the samples were analysed based on the specific name applied to them, this decision led to the results appearing to confirm that C. kiiensis was a synonym of C. striatipennis. However a more detailed analysis of the BARCODE COI sequences from specimens across this region without reference to their species name, while confirming the existence of such groups, showed that the COI sequence of Indian specimens (where C. striatipennis was originally described) is significantly different from that of specimens from further east in Asia. The following description will deal only with Indian material, with those of other areas considered under other available names. Syn: There are no confirmed synonyms Incorrect synonymies: Chironomus kiiensis Tokunaga, 1936. Incorrect synonymy, as DNA analyses indicate that the Indian material is distinct from specimens from other regions. Chironomus pallidinubeculosus - incorrect synonymy by Hashimoto et al. 1981, as this is a distinct species with similarly patterned wings. Chironomus calipterus - misidentification by Saxena (1995) and Bugledich et al. 1999. Chironomus strenzkei, Fittkau 1968 (syn. of C. kiiensis - misidentification by Martin 2017 resulting from incorrect distribution records for C. striatipennis - actually syn. of C. kiiensis. In Bold Bins: BOLDABZ2474; (there are no figures) Female. Brun; tête et antennes roussâtres, nodosités des antennes noirâtres; mesonotum d'un gris blanchâtre, avec 4 bandes d'un brun roux, les deux médianes separées par une ligne et raccourcies en arrière, les deux lateráles raccourcies en avant; scutellum d'un gris blanchâtre; balanciers blancs; pattes blanchâtres, extrémité des 3 ou 4 premiers articles tarsaux et le dernier ou les deux derniers en entier d'un brun noir. Antennes de 5 articles, dont le 2e est rétreci au milieu; 3-5 ellipsoidaux, plus longs que leur col, sauf le 5e, dont l'appendice terminal est de moitié plus long que la nodosité; verticilles 2-3 fois aussi longs que l'epaisseur des articles. Ailes blanchâtres, avec des stries enfumées le long de la partie distale de la discoïdale, de la posticale et de ses deux rameaux, de l'anale et le long du bord du lobe anal; en outre, deux bandes longitudinales et étroites sont situées l'une distalement de l'autre, entre le cubitus et la discoïdale; nervures jaunâtres ; transversale, base du cubitus et de la partie distale de la discoïdale noires et bordées de noirâtre; extremité du radius également distante de l'extremité des deux rameaux de la posticale; cubitus a peine arqué, non dépasse par la costale, distant du bord, aussi rapproché de Ja pointe alaire que la discoïdale; transversale oblique, située un peu en avant de la bifurcation de la posticale. Tibia antérieur égalant les trois quarts du fémur; métatarse double du tibia; 4e article tarsal plus de deux fois le 5e, celui-ci six fois aussi long que gros; aux pattes postérieurs, le 4e article est de moitié plus long que le 5e, qui est 3-4 fois aussi long que gros. Abdomen presque deux fois aussi long que le reste du corps. Taill 4.5 mm. Translation Chironomus striatipennis, Kieff. (Pl. vi, fig. 12, part of the pincer) Lamella of the piners with a prolonged beak; terminal articles suddenly thinned in its distal half, which is cylindrical, hairless and provided with three long bristles on the inner side (fig. 12). Kumaon (Uttarakand):Bhim Tal, at an altitude of 1500 m.; 27-ix-1906 (N. Annandale); 7♂ and 1 ♀. This species is neighbor to calipterus, Kieff. (This gives an AR of 3.) The type in the Indian Museum was re-examined by Chaudhuri and Guha, but they did not redescribe it, while Chaudhuri et al. (1992) refer to a paratype male in the ZSI (Reg.no.980/15) but its status is not clear as there is only a single female in the type material, so it cannot be a Paratype, and the collector (G. Brown) was not named in the later description of the male. Diagnosis: According to Chaudhuri et al. (1992): Adult: Incorporating description of Chaudhuri et al. (1992): Wing length = 2.43 (1.98-2.84) mm.; width - 0.67 (0.53-0.73) mm. VR = 1.04-1.09 (or 0.91-0.96). LR = 1.66 (1.49-1.82; ![]() Thorax pale brown with brown stripes, lateral stripes darker along the medial edge, and ending in a darker spot; postnotum and sternopleuron brown. Setae: acrostichals - abt 10.7 (8-15); dorsocentrals - 16.8 (15-19); prealar - 5.14 (5-6); scutellar - 2.8 (2-4) small in anterior row, 9.0 (8-10) in posterior row, total 11.8 (11-12). Wings with dark spot over the crossvein and with obvious dark clouds and seams, particularly in cell R5. 1-2 setae on brachiolum, abt 13.8 (12-18) setae on squamal fringe. Leg lengths (microns) and proportions as follows: Abdominal tergites mostly dark, with a pale basal band on the anterior segments, About 7-10 setae in individual pale patches on tergite IX. ![]() Male hypopygium (left) and superior appendage (right) of C. striatipennis Wing length 1.68-2.8 mm. VR about 1.06. Cloudy patches as in male. Antennal proportions (including pedicel)(micron) 80, 147, 102, 105, 98, 170: AR 0.37-0.38, A5/A1 1.16. Frontal tubercles 43 µm long, 22 µm wide, i.e. about twice as long as wide. Palps (segs 2-5): 40, 130, 100, 230; P5/P4 2.3, P5/P3 1.8. Leg lengths (microns) and proportions as follows:
Molecular: Mitochondrial COI barcode sequence exists for some Indian specimens, and groups with sequences from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand attributed to C. kiiensis, but with an apparent cline of difference from west to east. Sequence from Brasil shows close relationship to Chinese sequences (Martin 2017). Found: INDIA - Type localities - Bhim tal and Kumaon, Uttar Pradesh. Adult redescribed and immatures described by Chaudhuri, Das & Sublette (1992). Nath & Lakhotia (1989) and Gupta & Kumar (1991) both describe the chromosomes, but it appears they reverse chromosomes I and II. Chromosome arms A, E and F were described by Saxena (1995) as C. calipterus and she also provided some other unpublished sequences. |