A description of the larva and pupa of Culicoides charruus Spinelli & Martínez (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from leaf axils of Eryngium pandanifolium (Apiaceae) in Argentina

RONDEROS MM; SPINELLI GR; BORKENT A

RUSSIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL JOURNAL

Russian Entomological Society

Lugar: Moscow; Año: 2008 vol. 17 p. 115 - 122

0132-8069

ABSTRACT: The larva of Culicoides charruus Spinelli & Martínez is described, the pupa redescribed, and biological notes on the immatures are included. The larvae, collected in water accumulated in the leaf axils of Eryngium pandanifolium Cham and Schlecht, were reared to adult in the laboratory in Petri dishes on substrate containing water and detritus from their natural environment. Both stages were photomicrographed with a Scanning Electron Microscope, a phase-contrast microscope with oil immersion and a binocular microscope. Some features of the larva appear to be related to their presence in phytotelmata. The species is recorded for the first time from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.