> Sorry, I have got no material of S. baffinense
Manfred Car
Hello
>
> We have recently recorded together with Kalevi Kuusela many localities
> of Simulium (H.) crassum and S. (H.) baffinense in Finland. During the
> identification of my material from northern Finland the material for
> both species has increased, and I have found both species also in spring
> brooks in southern Finland. However, I have some doubts about the
> identity of these species. They are, in priciple, easy to identify as
> mature larvae by antennae and pupal gills and as pupae by gills, but I
> have recorded considerable variation in the gills of crassum, the
> branching point of the third filament into two varies a lot and
> sometimes a specimen may have three filaments on one side and four on
> the other. Recently I have also recorded larvae with distinct crassum
> gills but with 8-10 antennal segments. I have also managed to dissect
> mature pupae, both male and female of both species, but the
> identification by genitalia seems very difficult if not impossible.
> First, the male genitalia of crassum are not as described by Usova, the
> parameres have a prominent spine not drawn by U., and the thing that in
> particular worries me with baffinense is that the gonostylus of males
> dissected from distinct baffinense pupae (but are they?) has only one
> apical spine, not two as depicted in some sources.
>
> What I'm asking is material of S. baffinense from anywhere in the
> holarctic region, preferably male and female genitalia on slides,
> mounted or non-mounted larvae are welcome as well. I'm also trying to
> find the original description by Twinn.
>
> Yours,
>
> JI
> ***********************************************************
> Jari Ilmonen
> SUOMEN YMPÄRISTÖKESKUS
> Finnish Environment Institute
> P.O. Box 140, FIN-00251 Helsinki
> Tel: +358 40 5855350
> Fax: +358 9 40300190
> email: [log in to unmask]
> ***********************************************************
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