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Name-bearing Type

• Theobald
• 1903a:319
• Type Species: Runchomyia frontosa

Classification

• Subfamily Culicinae, tribe Sabethini. Runchomyia includes seven species grouped in two subgenera, Ctenogoeldia (2 species) and Runchomyia (5 species).

Distribution

• Species of Runchomyia occur in the Neotropical Region.
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Phylogeny

• Runchomyia was recovered as the sister of Johnbelkinia in the cladistic analysis of Harbach & Kitching 91998). This relationship was supported by a single synapomorphy: maxillary brush of the larva represented by a flexible bundle of coalesced spicules. This character only occurs elsewhere in certain Topomyia, hence it lends rather strong support to the relationship. However, the cladistic analyses of Judd (1996) provided evidence that genus Runchomyia is not a monophyletic taxon. Judd recorded four differences in larval mouthparts and one involving the pupal trumpet that distinguish the two subgenera of Runchomyia, and apparently support closer relationships with other New World genera of tribe Sabethini.

Characteristics

• The adults of Runchomyia are distinguished from other members of tribe Sabethini in the New World by the following combination of characters: dorsal head scales with brilliant silver and blue reflections, proboscis distinctly longer than forefemur, scutal scales narrow and curved, postpronotum with one or more posterior setae, lower mesokatepisternal setae not extended above lower edge of mesepimeron and tarsi entirely dark-scaled. Runchomyia larvae possess a slit-like occipital foramen and a filamentous pecten on the siphon which distinguish them from Johnbelkinia, Onirion, Shannoniana and Trichoprosopon. The presence of a maxillary bundle distinguishes them from all other New World sabethines. Runchomyia are otherwise very similar to larvae of genus Isostomyia, but differ in having seta 3-X single and seta 6-S weakly developed, flexible and not hooked at the tip. See Sabethini.

Bionomics

• Little is known about the bionomics of Runchomyia. Larvae have been collected from flower bracts (Calathea and Heliconia), leaf axils (aroids) and both arboreal and terrestrial bromeliads. The adults of at least two species have been captured during landing-biting collections in forest.

Medical

• Runchomyia species are unlikely to be of medical or economic importance to humans.

Important References

Lane, 1953 (see next reference for included species) Zavortink, 1979 (genus as currently defined) Clark-Gil & Darsie, 1983 (Guatemala) Darsie, 1985 (keys, Argentina)

Included Taxa

Subgenus CTENOGOELDIA Edwards, 1930 magna (Theobald, 1905) walcotti (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)

Subgenus RUNCHOMYIA Theobald, 1903 cerqueirai (Stone, 1944) frontosa Theobald, 1903 humboldti (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942) reversa (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942) theobaldi (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)

The materials presented in the Classification, Distribution, Phylogeny, Characteristics, Medical, and Important References sections, and links to subgenera, are reproduced with permission of Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory, moderated by Ralph Harbach on behalf of the contributors who retain copyright. For additional information on reuse parameters, please contact Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory. Images and maps, unless otherwise attributed, and links to the literature are provided by the WRBU.