Parasites of larval black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Parasites of larval black flies are reported for the first time from Thailand, including mermithid nematodes(Mermithidae), microsporidian fungi (Zygomycota), and the fungus Coelomycidium simulii Debaisieux (Blastocladiomycetes).The following nine species of black flies were infected with one or more parasites: Simulium asakoae, S. chamlongi,S. chiangmaiense, S. fenestratum, S. feuerborni, S. nakhonense, S. nodosum, S. quinquestriatum, and S. tani. The prevalenceof patent infections per host species per season was 0.1–7.1% for mermithids, 0.1–6.0% for microsporidia, and 0.1–3.0% forC. simulii

Simulium tani Takaoka and Davies 1995

<i>Simulium tani</i> Takaoka and Davies, 1995 (complex) <p> The members of the <i>S. tani</i> complex can be distinguished from other species of the <i>S. tuberosum</i> group by the roundish margins of the postgenal cleft (Fig. 3 F, G) and ventral tubercles of the larva, short terminal spines (Fig. 8) of the pupa, absence of a pair of clustered hairs on sternite VII in the female, and a narrow median sclerite in the male (Fig. 9 D). Structural variation within each of the nine cytoforms is typically as great as it is among cytoforms (Table 1), with one exception. The pupa of cytoform H has a lower density of cephalic microtubercles (Fig 5 B) and a longer ventralmost gill stalk (Fig. 7 F) than do other cytoforms in the complex. Variation in meristic characters among cytoforms, such as the number of primary rays in the labral fan, probably is related to habitat (Zhang & Malmqvist 1997). Some of the cytoforms of the <i>S. tani</i> complex might prove to be valid species. Cytoform B or D, because of geographical location, probably represents true <i>S. tani</i>, which was described from Malaya.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 38, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium yuphae Takaoka and Choochote 2005

<i>Simulium yuphae</i> Takaoka and Choochote, 2005 b <p> <i>Simulium yuphae</i> is distinguished by having larvae with an infuscated head-spot pattern on the cephalic apotome (Fig. 2 H); pupae with the ventral pair of gill filaments directed somewhat posteriorly, a pit-like organ near the gill base (Fig. 7 H), and microtubercles on the antennal sheaths; and females with an absence of clustered hairs on sternite VII. The median sclerite (Fig. 9 F) of the male resembles that of <i>S. weji</i>. The pit-like organ associated with the gill base in <i>S. yuphae</i> is presumably homoplasious with the pit-like organ in some species (e.g., described by Takaoka 2003) in the subgenus <i>Morops</i>.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 39, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium rufibasis Brunetti 1911

<i>Simulium rufibasis</i> Brunetti, 1911 <p> <i>Simulium rufibasis</i> is distinguished from other species in the Thai <i>tuberosum</i> group by having pupae with conical cephalic microtubercles (Fig. 4 B) and gill filaments moderately stalked and decreasing slightly in thickness from dorsal to ventral (Fig. 7 C), females with sternite VII bearing a pair of medium-long clustered hairs, and males with the median sclerite about as long as wide and nearly parallel sided (Fig. 9 B). Further study is needed to determine if <i>S. rufibasis</i> in Thailand is conspecific with the type of <i>S. rufibasis</i> from West Bengal, India.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 36, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium

<i>Simulium</i> unknown species 2 <p> This taxon was recognized cytologically based on 8 larvae from Champa Thong waterfall in Phayao Province (Tangkawanit <i>et al.</i> 2009). The larvae are morphologically similar to those of <i>S. yuphae</i>, but lack head spots and infuscation on the frontoclypeal apotome. The larva of <i>S.</i> unknown species 2 is described below, but we defer formal description and naming of this species until pupae and adults are available.</p> <p>Body grayish black to grayish brown. Head capsule yellowish to light brown; head spots faint (Fig. 2 I); ventral surface of head capsule whitish yellow except area along margins of postgenal cleft dark brown; faint negative transverse spot on each side of postgenal cleft (Fig. 3 J). Antenna longer than stem of labral fan; length ratios of articles (proximal to distal) 1.00: 1.05: 0.76. Labral fan with 36–38 primary rays. Hypostoma with median tooth and each lateral tooth longer than others; 5 or 6 hypostomal bristles per side. Postgenal cleft deep, triangular, pointed anteriorly (Fig. 3 J). Abdominal cuticle nearly bare; both sides of anal sclerite moderately covered with simple colorless setae. Anal sclerite X shaped with broadened anterior arms 0.8–0.9 times as long as posterior arms. Abdominal segment IX lacking ventral tubercles. Posterior circlet with 70–80 rows of hooklets and up to 14 hooklets per row.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on pages 40-41, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium setsukoae Takaoka and Choochote 2004

<i>Simulium setsukoae</i> Takaoka and Choochote, 2004 a <p>This species is recognized by the dark gray to grayish brown larvae (Fig. 1 C) with a diffuse brown area posterolaterally on the head capsule (Fig. 2 E); pupae without microtubercles on the antennal sheaths, rounded cephalic microtubercles (Fig. 4 C), narrow gill filaments decreasing in thickness from dorsal to ventral, and gill stalks decreasing slightly in length from dorsal to ventral (Fig. 7 D); females with sternite VII bearing short clusters of hairs; and males with a teardrop-shaped median sclerite (Fig. 9 C) and about 20 upper ommatidia per column in the compound eye.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 37, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium manooni Takaoka and Choochote 2005

<i>Simulium manooni</i> Takaoka and Choochote, 2005 a <p> The cytologically distinct species identified as <i>S.</i> “unknown species 1” by Tangkawanit <i>et al.</i> (2009) is morphologically similar to <i>S. manooni</i>, and we tentatively consider them conspecific. Moreover, the collecting sites for <i>S.</i> “unknown species 1” were, like those of the type locality of <i>S. manooni</i>, in Chaing Mai Province. <i>Simulium manooni</i> can be distinguished from other members of the Thai <i>tuberosum</i> group by the following characters: pupae with round cephalic microtubercles and the dorsalmost gill filament of the dorsal pair about 1.5 times thicker than the counter filament (Fig. 7 B); male with half or less of the basitarsus</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 32, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Simulium doipuiense Takaoka and Choochote 2005

<i>Simulium doipuiense</i> Takaoka and Choochote, 2005 a (complex) <p> <i>Simulium doipuiense</i> consists of two cytoforms, A and B (Tangkawanit <i>et al.</i> 2009). The morphological characters of <i>S. doipuiense</i> A agree with those of the original description of <i>S. doipuiense</i> (Takaoka & Choochote 2005a), suggesting that cytoform A represents true <i>S. doipuiense</i>. The diagnostic characters of cytoform A are the presence in the pupa of microtubercles on the antennal sheaths (Fig. 6), rounded cephalic microtubercles (Fig. 4 A), gill filaments with short stalks, the stalk of the dorsal pair directed upward, and the thickness and length of the filaments slightly decreasing from dorsal to ventral (Fig. 7 A); a pair of clustered medium long hairs on sternite VII of the female; and a nearly bare basal protuberance on the gonostylus of the male. The larvae, similar to those of <i>S. manooni</i> and <i>S. rufibasis</i>, have a reddish body. <i>Simulium doipuiense</i> B is known only as larvae, which are similar to those of <i>S. doipuiense</i> A, with slight numerical differences (Table 2). The postgenal cleft of cytoform B (Fig. 3 B) can be similar to that of cytoform A or broader.</p>Published as part of <i>Tangkawanit, Ubon, Kuvangkadilok, Chaliow, Baimai, Visut & Adler, Peter H., 2009, Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand, pp. 31-46 in Zootaxa 2048</i> on page 32, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/186496">10.5281/zenodo.186496</a&gt

Figure 2 in Cytosystematics of the Simulium tuberosum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Figure 2. IS arm of Simulium rufibasis, representing the IS sequence of the Thai tuberosum species, which is identical to the Simulium subgeneric standard of Rothfels et al. (1978). Breakpoints of floating inversions are indicated with brackets. C = centromere