A review of the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874 (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae) from the Neotropical Region

Tanytarsus is one of the most abundant and diverse genus of
Chironomidae. The delimitation of species is based mainly on
features of the male genitalia, supported by pupal diagnostic
characters. The main purpose of this study was to review all
described Tanytarsus species from the Neotropical Region, including
some closely related taxa, in order to contribute to the knowledge
of the genus Tanytarsus and to the comprehension of the chironomid
systematic. The present dissertation is the first review of the
genus Tanytarsus in the Neotropical Region. The revision includes
more complete diagnoses, morphological descriptions and diagnostic
keys to adult males and pupae, as well as new drawings, more
detailed measurements, discussions, notes on distribution and, as
far as possible, ecological remarks. Pupae and adult males of
Nimbocera patagonica Reiss, 1972, Tanytarsus clivosus Reiss, 1972,
Tanytarsus cuieirensis Fittkau & Reiss, 1973, Tanytarsus
fastigatus Reiss, 1972, Tanytarsus hamatus Reiss, 1972, Tanytarsus
hastatus Sublette & Sasa, 1994, Tanytarsus impar
Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, 2004, Tanytarsus ligulatus Reiss,
1972, Tanytarsus limneticus Sublette, 1964, Tanytarsus magnus
Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, 2004, Tanytarsus marauia
Sanseverino, Wiedenbrug & Fittkau, 2002, Tanytarsus pandus
Sublette & Sasa, 1994, Tanytarsus revolta Sanseverino,
Wiedenbrug & Fittkau, 2002, Tanytarsus rhabdomantis
(Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, 1991), Tanytarsus rinihuensis
Reiss, 1972, Tanytarsus waika Sanseverino, Wiedenbrug &
Fittkau, 2002, and Tanytarsus xingu Sanseverino, Wiedenbrug &
Fittkau, 2002 as well as adult males of Tanytarsus branquini
Fittkau & Reiss, 1973, Tanytarsus capitatus Sublette &
Sasa, 1994, Tanytarsus cururui Fittkau & Reiss, 1973,
Tanytarsus curvicristatus Contreras-Lichtenberg, 1988, Tanytarsus
guatemalensis Sublette & Sasa, 1994, Tanytarsus monospinosus
Ekrem & Reiss, 1999, Tanytarsus paraligulatus Reiss, 1972,
Tanytarsus reissi Paggi, 1992, Tanytarsus riopreto Fittkau &
Reiss, 1973, and Tanytarsus tumultuarius Ekrem & Reiss, 1999
are reviewed, redescribed and diagnosed. The pupa of Tanytarsus
ligulatus Reiss is described for the first time. One paratype and
some specimens of Tanytarsus ligulatus Reiss are slightly different
from the holotype, and thus are described separately as Tanytarsus
cf. ligulatus. The pupa and adult male of Tanytarsus amazonicus
spec. nov. as well as adult males of Tanytarsus digitatus spec.
nov., Tanytarsus friburgensis spec. nov., Tanytarsus
jacaretingensis spec. nov., Tanytarsus pararinihuensis spec. nov.
and Tanytarsus pseudorinihuensis spec. nov. are described as new to
science. Caladomyia tuberculata (Reiss, 1972) comb. nov. and
Caladomyia alata (Paggi, 1992) comb. nov. were previously placed in
Tanytarsus and are transferred to the genus Caladomyia Säwedal,
1981. The pupa and adult male of C. tuberculata as well as the
adult male of C. alata are also redescribed and diagnosed, and
their placement in the genus Caladomyia is discussed. The
Tanytarsus riopreto and Tanytarsus marauia species groups are
discussed in the light of imaginal and pupal morphology. The
diagnostic characters proposed for each group are discussed and
compared among their members. In the past, the immature stages of
the Nearctic Tanytarsus limneticus as well as those of the
Neotropical Tanytarsus rhabdomantis were erroneous placed in the
monotypic genus Nimbocera. A detailed discussion about Nimbocera
patagonica, Tanytarsus limneticus and Tanytarsus rhabdomantis is
presented, including comparisons of immatures and adults and
considerations about the validity of the genus Nimbocera. Some
Neotropical species seem to share diagnostic characters with
Holarctic Tanytarsus species groups. Thus, some Holarctic groups
are also discussed and, as far as possible, figured. It was in the
scope of this study the recognition and selection of useful
characters in imaginal and immature stages in order to improve the
systematic of the genus, to discuss the existence of groups of
species, to construct diagnostic keys and to allow systematic
predictions. The selected morphological features, measurements and
terminology used in the present dissertation are described,
commented and figured. Keys to adult males and pupae of the studied
species were constructed based on diagnostic characters and are
presented here for the first time. Potential morphological
characters and their states were tentatively selected and commented
in the final discussion of the current dissertation.