Morphological redescription of Simulium takahasii (Rubtsov), the first species of the subgenus Wilhelmia Enderlein (Diptera: Simuliidae) recognized in East Asia
https://doi.org/10.47665/tb.40.2.020
- Author:
Takaoka, H.
1
;
Otsuka, Y.
2
;
Fukuda, M.
3
;
Low, V.L.
1
;
Ya’cob, Z.
1
Author Information
1. Higher Institution of Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2. International Center for Island Studies, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-8580 Japan
3. Institute for Research Management, Oita University, Idaigaoka 1-1, Hasama, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Black fly;
morphotaxonomy;
biodiversity;
biting fly.
- From:Tropical Biomedicine
2023;40(No.2):266-272
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Simulium takahasii (Rubtsov), which was originally described from Japan, and recorded from Korea and
China, is the first among the 19 species of the subgenus Wilhelmia Enderlein recorded from East Asia.
It is striking in mating, blood-feeding and ovipositing in captivity and in experimentally transmitting
Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) and Brugia pahangi (Buckley & Edeson), and it is a severe biter of cattle and
horses, rarely of humans. Nevertheless, updated information about its morphological characteristics
was lacking, making comparisons with related species described from China difficult, since species of
the subgenus Wilhelmia are almost indistinguishable from one another, in particular, in their female
terminalia, male genitalia and most of larval features. In this study, as many morphological characteristics
as possible of S. takahasii based on specimens from Japan are redescribed. New information about
many features of this species including the length of the female sensory vesicle against the third palpal
segment, number of male upper-eye (large) facets, arrangement of the eight pupal gill filaments,
presence or absence of tiny dark setae on the dorsum of the larval abdomen and the number of rows
and hooklets of the larval posterior circlet will be useful in evaluating the species status of several
Wilhelmia species in China including the species regarded as S. takahasii.
- Full text:8.2023my1416.pdf
