Author: Fittkau and Reiss, 1999
Diagnosis (in part after Fittkau and Reiss, 1999a - in italics)
Exuviae 4.2-4.7mm long (n=9).
Colour: Mostly hyaline; thorax, margins of wing sheaths and abdominal segments, lateral regions of anal lobes, anal combs and areas proximal of the latter brown. Abdominal tergites IV and V with anterior pair of shiny golden patches linked by an arch of weak, greyish pigment.
Cephalothorax: Cephalic tubercles broad conical; frontal setae 115-140(-160)µm long (n=3). Antennal sheath bases with a strong conical projection (146i.jpg). Suture area with limited, weak anterior granulation; orally from level of Dc1 and Dc2, a patch of about 15 bluntly pointed scales of different sizes up to 8µm length. Thoracic horn 225-320(-340)µm long, with long, setiform lamellae mostly in two more or less distinct rows; base of horn oval to spherical; ThR 5.9-10.7 (n=6). Thoracic horn seta 135-170µm long (n=5). Length thoracic horn seta 0.45-0.61x length horn (n=5). Thoracic chaetotaxy matches generic standards; dorsocentrals 90-120µm long (n=5), usually with apical bifurcation. Posterior thoracic mound weakly swollen. Wing sheaths with small nose present, pearl row absent, but with some fine granulation.
Abdomen: Tergite I without armament, II-VI mostly covered with fine to coarse shagreen and spinules, VII with fine shagreen mostly in anterior half, VIII with small antero-lateral patches only. Length hook row II 0.34-0.61x width tergite (n=5); hooks 108-149(-152) (n=6). Tergite II armament intergrading from fine to coarse lateral shagreen to a longitudinal field of slightly longer spinules on each side of mid-line; distal third of tergite with a median oval, bare patch. Tergite III similar to II, but with slightly longer spinules, and their fields more or less extending toward postero-lateral tergite corners. Tergites IV and V nearly covered with strong points, the points of the anterior transverse point patches similar in size but more dense than elsewhere on these segments and may be rendered conspicuous by a golden or brown colouring of the cuticle around them. Tergite VI with pattern similar to IV and V, but spinules less distinct from surrounding shagreen, and mid-line gap between spinule fields more extensive and conspicuously widening posteriorly. Pleura of mid-abdominal segments extensively armed with small points. Pedes spurii B of segment II very weak, or not evident. Comb of segment VIII 33-50µm wide; with 4-6 marginal teeth (n=6). Lateral taeniae of segments IV-VIII: 2,3,4,4,(3)4. Lateral setae: segment I without, segments II and III with 3 simple setae, second seta longest and inserted dorsally; IV as III, but with first and third seta taeniate; V with 3 taeniae, all inserted ventrally; VI-VIII each with 4 ventral taeniae.
Anal segment: Anal lobe ratio 0.99-1.29 (n=5). Fringe of anal lobe complete, with 22-26(-27) taeniae (n=7). Usually with 1 dorsal taenia and exceptionally, a second, simple dorsal seta present.
Pupal case: A 10-11mm long, slightly curving tube; anterior 1/4 widened to approx. 1mm diameter, oral apex conically narrowing to an opening of about 0.3mm diameter; diameter of posterior opening about 0.6mm.
Note: The specimens seen of this species are conspicuously coloured with the anterior point patches of tergites IV and V demarcated by golden-brown cuticle. In Micropsectra Pe3 the middle segments of the exuviae are very pale. The cephalic tubercles of "pharetophora" are conical apically whereas in the Micropsectra attenuata and Micropsectra bodanica they are no more than rounded mounds.
Species keys out at Page 503: Tanytarsini 144 Micropsectra of the Text Key.
Distribution
Italy, France.
(For more information see module IdentifyIt – file: Chironominae).
Ecological notes
Springs.