A Revision of the Afrotropical Members of the Subgenus Uresipedilum Sasa Et Kikuchi, 1995, of the Genus Polypedilum Kieffer, 1912, with the Description of Eleven New Species (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Abstract

A revision of the Afrotropical members of the subgenus Uresipedilum Sasa et Kikuchi, 1995 showed that most of the earlier species were misidentified. Ten new Afrotropical species are identified and described: P. (U.) spinibojum sp. n., P. (U.) plautum sp. n., P. (U.) lehmanni sp. n., P. (U.) praegnans sp. n., P. (U.) hanisoni sp. n., P. (U.) freemani sp. n., P. (￡/.) dossenudum sp. n., P. (U.) acutulum sp. n., P. (U.) kakumense sp. n., and P. (t/.) gladysae sp. n. Two species, P. (P.) ephippium Freeman and P. (P.) anderseni sp. n. which belong to the nominal subgenus Polypedilum are also described or redescribed because they were misidentified by Freeman (1958) due to the similar colour pattern with P. (U.) freemani sp. n. Two Afrotropical species, P. ((/.) annulatum Freeman and P. (U.) kibatiense Goetghebuer, and one European P. (U.) convictum Walker are redescribed. Only males and a few associated immatures are described. Females and immatures are still in want for description. Generic diagnosis and systematics of the genus Polypedilum Kieffer are given. A key to the male imagines, pupae and larvae (adapted from Saether & Sundal, 1977) of the subgenera species groups and types of Polypedilum is given. A key is also raised for the male imagines of the Afrotropical members of the subgenus Uresipedilum. The ecology and distribution of the Afrotropical species of Uresipedilum show that in general, the Ghanaian species are smaller with lower chaetotaxy than those from Eastern and Southern Africa. This might be an adaptation to the different climatic conditions. The Ghanaian species are known from a warm and humid rain-forest, whereas the species from Eastern and Southern Africa occupy a montane or much cooler habitats. The systematics is based on all available material of Uresipedilum from all the six zoogeographical regions. The subgenus can be divided into three distinct groups when a parsimony analysis is done using PAUP version 3.1.1 and McClade on a Macintosh Ilsi. The anm latum group consists of five Afrotropical and two Nearctic species as their sister group. The convictum group consists of three Japanese species, two Nearctic species, and the Palaearctic and Oriental species. The oresitrophum group consists of three Afrotropical species, three species from New Zealand, and one from Australia. There are other groups or species which belong to uncertain placement The three distinct groups confirmed the initial splitting of Pangaea into Laurasia and Gondwanaland before the subsequent splitting of Laurasia and Gondwanaland.