Macropelopia excavata and Macropelopia quadrimacula with black spots on tergites

NEWS - The researchers report two new species that are particularly related to the presence of four distinctive black spots found on the tergites. Macropelopia excavata comes from “excavatus” meaning concave on the posterior edge of tergite IX and Macropelopia quadrimacula comes from “quartri” and “macula” meaning “four” and “spots”, “stains” or “marks” respectively.

Xiangliang Fang, Zigang Xu and Yue Fu from Huanggang Normal University in Huanggang City, and Yuanyuan Yao from Tianjin Natural History Museum in Tianjin City described the new species based on genetic distance and morphological characteristics.

M. excavata is characterized by two thick, elongated and prominent spots in the middle of tergites II to IV, wings with brown markings on the distal end of Cu1 and the base of the an cell. In addition, tergites from V to IX display a brown hue. The posterior edge of tergite IX is concave and lacks an anal point.

The gonostylus is markedly curved at a right angle. Length 4.69 mm, thorax length 1.45 mm, wing length 2.66 mm, TL/WL 1.76 and WL/Pfe 2.19. This new species occurs in Hubei Province, East China.

M. quadrimacula has two short longitudinal striped spots on each side of tergites II to V, and two elliptical spots in the middle. Wings with brown markings on the apical Cu1, M3+4 and the base of the an cell. Tergite IX with a triangular anal spot outside the border of tergite IX.

Gonostylus curved inward for two-thirds of its length, and apex strongly pointed. Length 4.49–5.55, 5.02 mm, Wing length 2.72–3.27, 2.99 mm, TL/WL 1.65–1.76, 1.71, WL/Pfe 2.08–2.59, 2.34. This new species occurs in Hubei Province, East China.

M. excavata is closely related to M. kibunensis and occurs on the same tree branch. Findings consistent with similar morphological characteristics, such as tergite color, lack of anal spot and thoracic features. M. quadrimacula is closely related to M. excavata and M. kibunensis with distinguishing features on the hypopygium and dorsal stripe on the tergite.

Interestingly, M. kibunensis has yellow femora and wings with dense setae. Both new species have brown femora and dorsal stripe on the tergite. Thus, Macropelopia has the main criteria for morphological classification including hypopygium characteristics and dorsal stripe pattern on the tergite, followed by wing markings and macrotrichia, coloration and leg features.

Macropelopia was first formally described by August Friedrich Thienemann (1882–1960) in 1916 in Thienemann & Kieffer, Arch. Hydrobiol., Suppl., 2. This genus has more than 30 species with two BOLDs and most of the specimens were collected in Europe.

Original research

Fang X, Xu Z, Yao Y, Fu Y (2024). Two new species of Macropelopia (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Oriental China, delineated with morphology and COI sequences. ZooKeys, 1210: 287-298. DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1210.127183

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