Mesosmittia

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iMesosmittia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Chironomidae Subfamily: Orthocladiinae Genus: Mesosmittia Brundin, 1956

The genus Mesosmittia is cosmopolitan, thus occurring in all biogeographical regions except for Antarctica. Almost nothing or very little is known about its ecology, the larva of one species was described by Strenze (1950) as terrestrial, but adults can be collected using emergence traps set over rivulets.

The genus was recently revised for the Neotropics with descriptions of new species.

The genus comprises:

• Mesosmittia acutistylus Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia annae Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Guatemala and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia flexuella (Edwards), recorded from all over Europe.
• Mesosmittia glabra Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Ecuador.
• Mesosmittia guanajensis Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Mexico.
• Mesosmittia hirta Andersen & Mendes, recorded from Ecuador, only the holotype is known.
• Mesosmittia lobiga Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia patrihortae Sæther, recorded from various locations in the Neotropics, USA, China, and South Africa.
• Mesosmittia prolixa Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia tora Sæther, recorded from USA and Mexico.
• Mesosmittia truncata Sæther, recorded from Panama, only the holotype is known.

[edit] References

Andersen, T.A. & Mendes, H.F. 2002. Neotropical and Mexican Mesosmittia Brundin, with description of four new species (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae). Spixiana 25: 141-155. Brundin, L. 1956. Zur Systematik der Orthocladiinae (Dipt., Chironomidae). Rep. Inst. Freshwat. Res. Drottningholm 37: 5-185.