Chironomid Exchange Forum

Taxa => Uncertain / Unpublished => Topic started by: Laci Hamerlik on April 08, 2017, 06:55:32 PM

Title: Mystery chironomid - C America
Post by: Laci Hamerlik on April 08, 2017, 06:55:32 PM
I have found this head capsule in surface sediments of some C American lakes (Guatemala and Salvador). The ventromental plates are Goeldichironomus-like, the mentum resambles a bit some Caulochironomus... The mandibles are quite unique, dorsally and laterally bearing strong tubercles, seta subdentalis is strong and comb-like as in Goeldichironomus. The (4th) proximal inner tooth of the mandible is reduced.  If you have any idea what it could be, please, let me know!

Thank you!
Laci
Title: Re: Mystery chironomid - C America
Post by: Martin Spies on April 10, 2017, 11:49:45 AM
Dear Laci,

In my view clearly a Goeldichironomus - either completely new or a species the larva of which has not been associated.

Note that Reiss (1974 in Studs Neotrop. Fauna 9) wrote that the larval mandible was strongly wrinkled dorsally in all species of Goeldichironomus known to him at the time, but in your species the wrinkles look even stronger than on Reiss specimens from Brazil I just looked at. For example, G. fluctuans Reiss has very similar mentum and ventromental plates, but the mandible is different also on the medial edge, on which the mola does not project to far medial of the proximal inner teeth as in your photograph.

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Martin Spies