Taxonomic status of Nimbocera Reiss, 1972, a junior synonym of Tanytarsus Van Der Wulp, 1874 (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Abstract

In the past, the Nearctic Tanytarsus limneticus Sublette, 1964, as well as the Neotropical T. rhabdomantis (Trivinho-Strixino & Strixino, 1991) and Caladomyia ortoni Säwedal, 1981 were erroneously placed in Nimbocera Reiss, 1972 due to the annulated Lauterborn organ pedicels of the larvae, a feature first thought to be unique to this genus. In the present paper, the systematic position of T. limneticus, T. patagonicus and T. rhabdomantis is discussed in detail. Complete morphological diagnoses of the adult males, pupae and larvae of T. patagonicus and T. limneticus are given, in addition to descriptions and drawings of the adult males and pupae of both species. As a result, Nimbocera patagonica Reiss, 1972, recorded from southern Chile and Argentina, is transferred to the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874. The monotypic genus Nimbocera becomes a junior subjective synonym of Tanytarsus. Copyright © 2010 Magnolia Press.