1.Two new black fly species of the Simulium (Simulium) rufibasis subgroup (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Taiwan
Takaoka, H. ; Low, V.L. ; Huang, Y.T. ; Fukuda, M. ; Ya&rsquo ; cob, Z.
Tropical Biomedicine 2021;38(No.3):403-412
Simulium (Simulium) rufibasis Brunetti originally described from India was once considered a geographic generalist widely distributed in the Oriental Region. In this study, the species previously regarded as S. (S.) rufibasis in Taiwan was morphologically re-evaluated and found to be distinguished in the male and pupa from true S. (S.) rufibasis from India. This new species is described as S. (S.) hehuanense sp. nov. based on a female, a male and their pupal exuviae in Taiwan. This new species is placed in the S. rufibasis subgroup of the S. tuberosum species-group, and is similar to S. (S.) yamatoense Takaoka, Adler & Fukuda from Japan and Korea, but it is barely distinguished by the slenderer forebasitarsi of the female and male. Another new, related species, S. (S.) xiulinense sp. nov., is described based on a male and its pupal exuviae. This new species is distinguished from S. (S.) hehuanense sp. nov. by the number of male upper-eye (large) facets in 20 or 21 vertical columns and 22 horizontal rows (19 vertical columns and 19 horizontal rows in the latter species), and presence of a pair of dorsolateral shiny spots on male abdominal segment 5 (absence in the latter species). Both new species inhabit streams at high elevations (ca, 2,600 m). They differ from S. (S.) sp. (probably S. (S.) arisanum Shiraki) from Taiwan, of the same subgroup, which breeds in streams at low elevations (433–685 m), by the pupal head and thorax covered with tubercles (bare in the latter species).
2.A new species of the Simulium (Simulium) crocinum species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Vietnam
Takaoka, H. ; Ya&rsquo ; cob, Z. ; Sofian-Azirun, M. ; Chen, C.D. ; Low, V.L. ; Lau, K.W. ; Pham, X.D.
Tropical Biomedicine 2019;36(1):245-251
A new black fly species, Simulium yukawai, is described on the basis of one
female and its pupal exuviae from Vietnam. This new species is placed in the S. crocinum
species-group of Simulium (Simulium) (Diptera: Simuliidae). It is characterized in the female
by the paraproct covered with 48–50 distinct hairs on its ventral and lateral surfaces, and in
the pupa by the frons and most of the thorax bare, gill with six dark filaments in three pairs
closely arising from the base, of which the two outer filaments of the dorsal and middle pairs
are much longer than other filaments, abdomen with distinct spine-combs on the dorsal
surface of segments 7–9, and cocoon wall-pocket shaped, with a large anterolateral window
on each side. Taxonomic notes are given to separate this new species from related species.
This species is the fourth member of the S. crocinum species-group known from Vietnam.
3.Morphological revision of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) ogatai (Rubtsov) in the S. ceylonicum species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Japan
Takaoka, H. ; Otsuka, Y. ; Fukuda, M. ; Low, V.L. ; Ya&rsquo ; cob, Z.
Tropical Biomedicine 2022;39(No.2):231-238
Simulium (Gomphostilbia) ogatai (Rubtsov) from Japan, the only Palaearctic species in the S. ceylonicum
species-group, is morphologically revised. Its female is described for the first time and its male and
pupa are redescribed based on specimens from Gifu, Honshu. It is characterized in the female and male
by the base of the radius with a tuft of yellow hairs, in the female by the head slightly wider than the
thorax, 5.89 times as wide as the greatest width of the frons, and short sensory vesicle 0.21–0.24 times
as long as the third palpal segment; in the male by the number of upper-eye (large) facets in 15 vertical
columns and 16 horizontal rows, and hind basitarsus spindle-shaped, enlarged, 3.79 times as long as
wide, and 0.83 and 1.00 times as wide as the greatest width of the hind tibia and femur, respectively;
and in the pupa by the terminal hooks simple and cone-like, and the cocoon with an anterodorsal
projection. Taxonomic notes for this species are given relevant to several related species in the Oriental
Region, and its assignment to the S. ceylonicum species-group is confirmed.
4.Morphological and genetic analyses of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) okinawense Takaoka and S. (G.) tokarense Takaoka (Diptera: Simuliidae) from the Nansei Islands, Japan: redescription and transfer from the S. ceylonicum species-group to the S. asakoae species-group
Takaoka, H. ; Otsuka, Y. ; Fukuda, M. ; Low, V.L. ; Ya&rsquo ; cob, Z.
Tropical Biomedicine 2023;40(No.1):88-100
Simulium (Gomphostilbia) okinawense Takaoka and S. (G.) tokarense Takaoka, both from the Nansei
Islands, Japan, were morphologically reexamined and genetically analysed by using the COI gene
sequences. The female, male, pupa and mature larva of the two species are redescribed. Morphological
reexamination shows that both species are more similar to species in the S. asakoae species-group than
to those in the S. ceylonicum species-group, by having a medium-long female sensory vesicle, yellow tuft
hairs (S. (G.) okinawense) or yellow tuft hairs mixed with a few to several dark hairs (S. (G.) tokarense)
at the base of the radial vein in the female and male, and medium-long larval postgenal cleft. However,
the body of the male ventral plate (viewed ventrally) is parallel-sided (S. (G.) okinawense) or parallelsided or slightly narrowed (S. (G.) tokarense) and not emarginated basally, differing from those of most
species in the S. asakoae species-group. Our genetic analysis shows that S. (G.) tokarense is in the S.
asakoae species-group, and S. (G.) okinawense formed a separate sister clade with other members of
the S. asakoae species-group with high bootstrap support. From the results of morphological and genetic
analysis combined, S. (G.) okinawense and S. (G.) tokarense are transferred from the S. ceylonicum
species-group to the S. asakoae species-group.
5.Morphological redescription of Simulium takahasii (Rubtsov), the first species of the subgenus Wilhelmia Enderlein (Diptera: Simuliidae) recognized in East Asia
Takaoka, H. ; Otsuka, Y. ; Fukuda, M. ; Low, V.L. ; Ya&rsquo ; cob, Z.
Tropical Biomedicine 2023;40(No.2):266-272
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.