Procladius saeticubitus Brodin, 2025

Procladius saeticubitus Brodin , new species

Procladius sp. — Ratnasingham et al. (2024), Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, Norway and Romania, adult males, adult females, pupa, larvae, photos.

Material examined (n = 16). BELGIUM, 1 adult male (as Procladius sp. , RBNS), Mol, Postel, 51.29°N 5.19°E, 39 m a.s.l., +10 °C m.a.t., 9.vii.1922, leg. G. Severin.— FRANCE, 1 adult male (as Procladius sp. VI, LHST), Lake Long, 42.82°N 0.12°E, 2 094 m a.s.l., +3 °C m.a.t., 9.viii.1965, leg. H. Laville.— GERMANY, 1 adult male (as P. choreus, ZSMG ), Plön, Lake Brünner, 54.16°N 10.40°E, 18 m a.s.l., +9 °C m.a.t., vii.1963, leg. E.J. Fittkau; 2 adult males (as P. choreus, ZSMG ), München, Oberföhring, 48.17°N 11.61°E, 497 m a.s.l., +9 °C m.a.t., 2.v.1987, 12.v.1987, leg. M. Wenzl; 1 adult male (as P. choreus, ZSMG ), Memmingen, Benninger Moos, 47.97°N 10.20°E, 600 m a.s.l., +8 °C m.a.t., 14.vi.2002, leg. König.— ITALY, 1 adult male (as Procladius sp. , NHRS), Lake Lago di Centro Cadore, Calazo, 46.44°N 12.39°E, 683 m a.s.l., +8 °C m.a.t., 29.vi.1991, leg. Y. Brodin; 3 adult males (as Procladius sp. , NHRS), Monguelfo, Lake Lago di Valdaora, 46.76°N 12.05°E, 1 087 m a.s.l., +6 °C m.a.t., 29.vi.1991, leg. Y. Brodin.— MONTENEGRO, 2 adult males (as Procladius sp. , LUIZ), Crmnica polje, River Crmnica, 42.23°N 19.07°E, 8 m a.s.l., +15 °C m.a.t., 28.v.2018, leg. M. Grabowski et al. [Barcode BIOUG 56535- D12 and BIOUG 56535-G10].— NORWAY, 1 adult male (Holotype of P. saeticubitus , as Procladius sp. 8 ES, NTNU), Lake Jonsvatn, near Flaten, 63.40°N 10.55°E, 150 m a.s.l., +4 °C m.a.t., 19.vi‒3.vii.2014, 3‒17.vii.2014, leg. E. Stur [Barcode CHMNO 218-15]; 1 adult male (Paratype of P. saeticubitus , as Procladius sp. 8 ES, NTNU), Lake Jonsvatn, near Flaten, 63.40°N 10.55°E, 150 m a.s.l., +4 °C m.a.t., 19.vi‒3.vii.2014, 3‒17.vii.2014, leg. E. Stur [Barcode CHMNO 425-15].— SWEDEN, 2 adult males ( NHRS), Eriksberg nature reserve, Flan wet meadow with small pond, 56.17°N 14.99°E, 2 m a.s.l., +7 °C m.a.t., 4.vi.2015, 13.viii.2015, leg. J. Wolgast.

Diagnostic characters. Figs. 37 View FIGURES 36‒39 , 98‒100 View FIGURES 98‒100 , key couplet 19. P. saeticubitus has a rather short gonostylus process with a GspR that overlaps that of nine other species of Procladius in Europe. Eight of these, P. breviatus , P. clavus , P. bellus , P. nudipennis , P. choreus , P. exilis , P. gemma and P. culiciformis , are separated from P. saeticubitus by more than one other morphological character in the key and the helpdesk.

The GspR of P. saeticubitus substantially overlaps that of P. islandicus (0.14‒0.20 versus 0.18‒0.24). If overlapping, P. saeticubitus can mostly be separated from P. islandicus by the usually shorter front leg tarsi setae (BR 2‒4 versus 3‒6.5), the on average narrower gonostylus (GsmR 5.9‒6.9 versus 5.3‒6.4), frequently more wing vein Cu stem setae (5‒33 versus 0‒14), and the on average narrower palpomere five measured as length divided by width (10.7‒12.3 versus 9.9‒11.9). P. saeticubitus has a greyish to conspicuously grey wing membrane, whereas P. islandicus has a wing membrane ranging from almost uncoloured to slightly greyish.

Neither the adult female, pupa or the larva of P. saeticubitus has been described. Barcodes of adult males, adult females and larvae are available.

Geographical distribution and ecology. The southernmost findings of P. saeticubitus are at latitude 42 °N in Montenegro. The northernmost is from a site at 63 °N in Norway. The species has been found close to the sea at 2 m and up to about 2 090 m above sea level in the French Pyrenees. The temperature range of the sites with records is rather restricted and ranges from +15 to +4 C °.

Larvae of P. saeticubitus have been collected in lakes and are possibly also present in ponds and slowly flowing river sections. The nutrient status of the lakes ranges from naturally oligotrophic to hypereutrophic due to strong human impact. Adults have been caught from early May to the middle of August.

Countries with records of P. saeticubitus in Europe are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Romania and Sweden.

References. Brodin & Wolgast 2019; Gadawski 2020; Gadawski et al. 2022; Laville 1971; Ratnasingham et al. 2024; Thienemann 1954.