Ceratoculicoides confusus Fasbender 2023, sp. nov.

Ceratoculicoidesconfusus sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 71C1E0FF-3BE9-46F1-8121-8D3C237262D6 Figs 4a, c, 6a, 8a–f, 11c–d non Ceratoculicoideslongipennis – sensu Wirth & Ratanaworabhan 1971: 172 (incorrect assignment of male adult), fig. 1. — Wirth & Grogan 1988: 116, fig. 16. Diagnosis Male Ceratoculicoides confusus sp. nov. can be separated from congeners by the following combination of characters: femora and tibiae brown, apices of parameres acute, tapering distally; aedeagus lateral and posterior margins convex, medial apex of aedeagus without hyaline incision, apical points absent, posterolateral points spiniform, emerging from dorsal surface of aedeagus, apex curving posterior, <0.25 times width of apex of aedeagus (Fig. 8c, f). Female Only species of Ceratoculicoides with the following combination of characters: FR 1.37–1.64; femora and tibiae brown, wing length 1.2–1.5 mm; 2 major spermathecae, largest 99–105; medial margin of 9 th sternite deeply concave. Etymology ‘ Confusus ’ is the Latin participle for ‘confusion’, in reference to the past misapplication of the name C. longipennis to this species. Material examined Holotype CANADA • ♂; Nova Scotia, Victoria Co., Baddeck; Jul. 1971; G.B. Fairchild leg.; black light trap; CNCI. Paratypes CANADA • 3 ♀♀; New Brunswick, Kent Co., Kouchibouguac National Park; 2–13 Jul. 1977; J.R. Vockeroth leg.; CNCI • 1 ♂; Quebec, Outaouais Region, Masham, Duncan Lake; 7 Jun. 1985; K. Mikkola leg.; CNCI. USA • 1 ♂; Georgia, Murray Co., Fort Mountain State Park; 11 Jun. 1968; R.E. Woodruff leg.; USNM • 1 ♀; Maryland, Prince Georges Co., College Park; 12 May 1975; W.L. Grogan Jr. leg.; light trap; FSCA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; New York, Cattaraugus Co., Alleghany State Park; 28 May–3 Jun. 1963; W.W. Wirth leg.; stream margin; FSCA • 1 ♂; North Carolina, Macon Co., Highlands, Wightman Cottage; 5 Jul. 1987; W.W. Wirth leg.; UV light trap; USNM • 1 ♀; Tennessee, Sevier Co., Clingman’s Dome, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, ATBI Plot; 16–29 Aug. 2001; Parker, Stocks and Petersen leg.; FSCA. Other material COLOMBIA • 1 ♂; Vichada, PNN Tuparro, Bosque Sabana; 5.35° N, 67.85° W; 29 Nov.–8 Dec. 2000; W. Villalba leg.; CNCI. Description Male MEASUREMENTS (n = 4) [Colombian specimen in brackets]. Head width (n = 3) 308–345(322) [315]; flagellomeres (n = 2) 41–58 [49], 24–34 [29], 28–30 [25], 25–30 [30], 24–27 [26], 23–30 [28], 17–31 [26], 24–31 [29], 20–35 [28], 25–38 [34], 97–99 [83], 63–68 [67], 79 [66]; AR 0.81–0.93 [0.71]; FR (n = 1) 1.71 [1.65]; wing length 0.95–1.16(1.09) [0.98] mm; wing width 0.29–0.38(0.32) [0.30] mm; costal ratio (n = 1) 0.53 [0.54]; GCR (n = 2) 1.56–2.0 [1.7]; GSR (n = 2) 0.93–1.0 [1.12]; aedeagus ratio (n = 2) 0.75–0.84 [0.81]. THORAX. Dorsocentral punctations inconspicuous, present among posterior third of dorsocentral setae, may be absent in some specimens. Legs with femora and tibiae brown. GENITALIA (Fig. 8a–f). Distal portion of parameres tapering gradually to acute apex. Aedeagus lateral margins convex, rounded, seamlessly transitioning into rounded posterior margin, medial apex without notch or hyaline incision; posterolateral point a posteriorly directed, hooked acute spine on dorsal surface of posterolateral margin. Female MEASUREMENTS (n = 4). Head width (n = 3) 317–352(336); flagellomeres (n = 3) 31–36(35), 23–26(24), 25–28(25), 25–30(28), 27–30(30), 28–33(29), 28–35(32), 27–35(35), 44–54(52), 46–55(51), 46–59(55), 51–62(56), 60–72(66); AR 1.15–1.2(1.17); FR 1.37–1.64(1.57); wing length 1.26–1.45(1.41) mm; wing width 0.49–0.59(0.55) mm; costal ratio (n=1) 0.58; spermathecal length 99–105(102); spermathecal width 76–86(77); spermathecal neck 18–28(24); spermatheca/neck ratio 0.23. THORAX. Legs with femora and tibiae brown. GENITALIA (Fig. 11c–d). 9 th sternite anterior branch truncate, apices widely separated; base of posterior branch directed posteriorly, distal half curving medially, tip rounded. 2 major spermathecae. Distribution Eastern North America (Canada and USA); Vichada (Colombia) (Fig. 13b–c). Remarks The male of this species was described as C. longipennis in Wirth & Ratanaworabhan (1971). It appears Wirth & Ratanaworabhan conflated three species in their description of C. longipennis, assigning female specimens with large spermathecae from the Pacific Northwest with C. longipennis based on wing length, then associating this eastern male morphospecies to C. longipennis based on the large spermathecae found in the females. The females associated with this eastern morphospecies are consistently smaller than the holotype of C. longipennis, with wing lengths less than 1.5 mm (vs 1.6 in said holotype); thus, the aforementioned male morphospecies represents a new taxon, C. confusus. Subsequent publication records of C. longipennis from eastern North America (Wilkening et al. 1985) represent this species. Female C. confusus can be recognized by being the only known species in eastern North America with a spermathecal length>80 μm. Only the western C. pacificus has similarly sized spermathecae, but it has wing lengths over 1.5 mm, while the female of C. confusus has a wing length between 1.2 and 1.5 mm. The males of this species can be distinguished by the convex lateral and posterior margins of the aedeagus, lack of a hyaline incision along the posterior margin, and absence of apical points (Fig. 8c). I have assigned a male specimen from Colombia to this species based on its essentially identical genitalia features. The other morphological characters of this male fit within the range of North American material (the measurements of this specimen are included in brackets after the North American material in the description), although the dorsocentral punctations are more numerous and the antennal ratio is smaller than in the Nearctic specimens. I have also examined two females from the same locality (see Unassociated Ceratoculicoides female Ceratoculicoides specimens below), each apparently belonging to a separate species based on their wing lengths and the size of their spermathecae (C. sp. F1 with 1.25 mm wing length and 62 μm spermatheca length vs C. sp. F2 with 0.95 mm wing length and 76 μm spermatheca length). I do not feel confident associating either of these female morphospecies with the male based on the currently available material. If either of these female species is conspecific with this Colombian male, it would require reassessment of the species characters and boundaries of C. confusus.

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