1.Description of male, pupa and larva of Simulium (Asiosimulium) wanchaii (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand, with keys to identify four species of the subgenus Asiosimulium
Srisuka, W. Takaoka, H., Saeung, A.
Tropical Biomedicine 2015;32(3):504-510
The male, pupa and mature larva of Simulium (Asiosimulium) wanchaii Takaoka
& Choochote, one of the four species of the small Oriental black fly subgenus Asiosimulium,
are described for the first time based on samples collected from Thailand. The male S. (A.)
wanchaii is characterized based on the enlarged hind basitarsus and the ventral plate which
is much wider than long. The pupa and larva are characterized by the gill with 19 filaments
and the deep postgenal cleft, respectively. Keys are provided to identify all the four species
of the subgenus Asiosimulium for females, males, pupae and mature larvae.
2.Polytene chromosomes of Simulium arakawae, a pest species in the Simulium venustum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Japan
Huang, Y.T.* ; Adler, P.H. ; Takaoka, H.,
Tropical Biomedicine 2011;28(2):376-381
The chromosomal relationships of Simulium arakawae, a black fly of medicalveterinary
importance, are resolved relative to other members of the Simulium venustum
species group and to the standard reference map for the subgenus Simulium. Simulium
arakawae differs from the subgeneric standard by eight fixed inversions, apparently none of
which are shared with any of the other 17 chromosomally studied nominal members of the
group. The chromosomal features that indicate group membership might have been lost in S.
arakawae, particularly if they were polymorphic in an ancestor.
3.Simulium (Gomphostilbia) sofiani, a new species of black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) from peninsular Malaysia
Takaoka, H.,* ; Sofian-Azirun, M. ; Hashim, R.
Tropical Biomedicine 2011;28(2):389-399
Simulium (Gomphostilbia) sofiani sp. nov. is described on the basis of reared
adult female, male, pupal and larval specimens collected from Cameron Highlands, Pahang
state, Malaysia. This new species is placed in the ceylonicum species-group within the
subgenus Gomphostilbia and is easily distinguished from all the related known species by the
combination of the following characteristics: an elongate sensory vesicle and yellow hair tuft
on the stem vein of the wing in the female, the greater number of large upper-eye facets (15
or 16 vertical columns and 15 or 16 horizontal rows) and almost entirely darkened hind
basitarsus in the male, and the gill bearing a long common basal stalk and 8 filaments
arranged as [(1+2)+ (1+2)] +2 filaments from dorsal to ventral in the pupa.
4.Distribution and abundance of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in recreation parks in Selangor State, Peninsular Malaysia
Chen, C.D. ; Takaoka, H. ; Tan, P.R. ; Lau, K.W. ; Low, V.L. ; Leong, C.S. ; Karen-Chia, H.M. ; Sofian-Azirun, M
Tropical Biomedicine 2016;33(3):583-588
A preliminary survey of larvae and pupae of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) was
conducted in three recreation parks [Templer Recreation Park (TRP), Congkak River Forest
Reserve (CRFR) and Ampang Forest Reserve (AFR)] located in Selangor State, which is
located 18 to 35 km from Kuala Lumpur city center, Malaysia. This study was initiated to
determine the distribution and abundance of filarial vectors, Simulium spp. A total of 12
species of black flies belonging to three subgenera (Gomphostilbia, Simulium and
Nevermannia) were collected. Simulium (Simulium) nobile was incriminated as the most
dominant species in all recreation parks. This study is a first report on the distribution and
abundance of black flies obtained from recreation parks in Malaysia.
5.Description of the female of Simulium (Wallacellum) tuyense Takaoka (Diptera: Simuliidae) from the Philippines
Tropical Biomedicine 2022;39(No.3):451-454
Simulium (Wallacellum) tuyense Takaoka, one of the 14 Philippine species in the subgenus Wallacellum
Takaoka, is a rare species in having the pupal antennal sheath with a row of stout spines on the apex of
each protuberance corresponding to flagellomeres 2–9. The female of this species is described for the
first time based on specimens from Mindoro, the Philippines. It is characterized by an elongate sensory
vesicle, triangular ovipositor valve, genital fork with two projections, and paraproct not produced
anteriorly. This species is morphologically indistinguishable in the female, as in the male and pupa,
from S. (W.) yonakuniense Takaoka from Yonakuni Island, Japan and Lanyu Island, Taiwan. Taxonomic
notes on the female of this species relevant to those of related species are provided. Collection data
to validate earlier distribution records of S. (W.) tuyense and S. (W.) suyoense Takaoka from Mindanao
are presented.
6.Description of the males of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) miblosi Takaoka and S. (G.) apoense Takaoka (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Mindanao, the Philippines
Tropical Biomedicine 2022;39(No.3):332-337
The males of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) miblosi Takaoka in the S. epistum species-group, and S. (G.)
apoense Takaoka in the S. ceylonicum species-group, both from Mindanao, the Philippines, are described
for the first time. The male of S. (G.) miblosi is characterized by the hind tibia yellowish white on the basal
three-fifths, elongate calcipala 1.5 times as long as its basal width, and ventral plate triangular ventrally
(0.74 times as high as its greatest width) when viewed caudally. Tubercles on the frons and trichomes
on the head and thorax of the pupa of this species are illustrated for the first time. The male of S. (G.)
apoense is characterized by the small sensory vesicle 0.16–0.19 times as long as the third palpal segment,
and enlarged hind basitarsus 1.0 and 1.2–1.3 times as wide as the hind tibia and femur, respectively.
Taxonomic notes of these two species relevant to related species in each species-group are given.
7.A new species and four newly recorded species of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Bhutan
Takaoka, H. ; Namgay, R. ; Somboon, P.
Tropical Biomedicine 2021;38(No.1):81-85
Simulium (Simulium) thimphuense sp. nov. is described from a pupa and a mature larva in
Bhutan. This new species is placed in the S. multistriatum species-group, and is characterized
by the pupal gill with eight thread-like filaments divergent basally at an acute angle when
viewed laterally and the cocoon slipper-shaped with several small openings anterolaterally.
Four species of Simulium (Simulium) are newly recorded from Bhutan: S. barraudi Puri in the
S. multistriatum species-group, S. nodosum Puri in the S. nobile species-group, S. chiangmaiense
Takaoka & Suzuki in the S. striatum species-group and S. himalayense Puri in the S. variegatum
species-group. Our study increases the number of black fly species known from Bhutan from
18 to 23.
8.New records of five species of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Myanmar, with descriptions of the male and pupa of Simulium chanyae
Takaoka, H. ; Sato, H. ; Higashihara, J.
Tropical Biomedicine 2018;35(3):804-814
Five species of black flies are newly recorded from Myanmar: Simulium
(Gomphostilbia) gombakense Takaoka & Davies, S. (G.) siamense Takaoka & Suzuki, S.
(Simulium) chanyae Takaoka & Choochote, S. (S.) nigrifacies Datta and S. (S.) tani Takaoka
& Davies (complex). This increases the number of species of black flies from Myanmar from
23 to 28. The male and pupa of S. (S.) chanyae are described for the first time. The pupa of this
species is characterized by having the wall-pocket-shaped cocoon without anterolateral
windows, separating it from most other species of the Simulium multistriatum speciesgroup.
9.Descriptions of adults of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) sachini Takaoka & Henry and S. (G.) williei Takaoka & Thapa in the S. (G.) gombakense species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from India
Takaoka, H. ; Thapa, S. ; Chettri, S. ; Henry, W.
Tropical Biomedicine 2022;39(No.1):78-85
The Simulium gombakense species-group, one of the 15 species-groups of the subgenus
Gomphostilbia Enderlein, is small, being represented by only 12 species, all of which are
distributed in the Oriental Region. It is characterized by the pupal gill composed of an
inflated structure and eight or ten slender filaments. Among the 12 species, S. sachini Takaoka
& Henry, and S. williei Takaoka & Thapa were originally described from two pupae, and one
pupa and two larvae, respectively, from Darjeeling, India. In the present paper, the adult
females and males of these species are described for the first time from specimens reared
from pupae collected at the type locality. Simulium sachini is distinctive in the female by the
claw with a medium-sized basal tooth, and in the male by the somewhat enlarged, spindleshaped hind basitarsus and ventral plate with its ventral margin much depressed medially,
while S. williei is characterized by the small number of male upper-eye (large) facets in
12 vertical columns and 13 or 14 horizontal rows and ventral plate much produced
posteroventrally. Taxonomic notes are given to separate these two species in the adult
stage from their related species.
10.Description of the female of Simulium chayamaritae (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand
Takaoka, H. ; Srisuka, W. ; Saeung, A.
Tropical Biomedicine 2018;35(4):975-980
Simulium chayamaritae Takaoka & Srisuka from Thailand belongs to the
Simulium darjeelingense species-group of Simulium (Simulium) (Diptera: Simuliidae).
The female of this species is described for the first time based on a female reared from a
pupa collected from Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is characterized by the sensory vesicle
elongate and the inner margins of the arms of the genital fork divergent, then convergent
apically. It is similar to the female of S. eshimai Takaoka & Adler of the same speciesgroup
from Vietnam. Taxonomic notes are given to separate it from two other species of
the S. darjeelingense species-group from India and Malaysia, and 28 of 31 other species of
the subgenus Gomphostilbia recorded from Thailand.