Culicoides boyi: Nielsen 2009: 170; nomen nudum.

Culicoides boyi: Lassen et al. 2012b: 1767; nomen nudum.

Culicoides dk1: Lassen et al. 2012b: 1767.

Culicoides boyi: Nielsen and Kristensen 2015: 9; nomen nudum.

Female: Eyes bare and contiguous dorsally (Fig. 1a), length of contact divided by diameter of one ocellus = 1.5 ± 0.2. Length of antennal flagellum 746 ± 44 µm. Antennal ratio (AR: length of flagellomeres 9–13 divided by length of flagellomeres 1–8) 1.03 ± 0.04, number of sensilla coeloconica 14.71 ± 1.26. First flagellomere with 3.65 ± 0.24 sensilla coeloconica, long and slender (Fig. 1b). First flagellomere ratio (length divided by width) = 1.78 ± 0.07 (Fig. 1b​). Maxillary palp ratio (PR: length/width of third palpal segment) = 2.9 ± 0.3 (Fig. 1c), P3/P2 (length of third palp segment divided by length of second) = 1.04 ± 0.11 (Fig. 1c). Numbers of mandibular and maxillary teeth = 15.1 ± 1.2 and 17.1 ± 1.4, respectively. Ratio of mandibular versus maxillar teeth (M/M) = 1.13 ± 0.10. Head height/proboscis length ratio (H/P) = 1.29 ± 0.07.

a

b

c

d

e

f

Figure 1.

Culicoides (Culicoides) boyi sp. nov., female. Details of adult morphology.

a: Vertex. Scale = 50 µm.  
b: Antennal pedicellus and first two flagellomeres. Scale = 50 µm.  
c: Left palp, dorsal view. Scale = 50 µm.  
d: Wing, brightfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  
e: Wing, darkfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  
f: Spermathecae. Scale = 50 µm  

Wing length 1,641 ± 10 μm (Fig. 1d, e​). The dark hourglass-shaped mark in the centre of cell r₃ is broadest above the longitudinal fold above M₁. Wing markings light brownish, distinct from the remaining, hyaline wing membrane. Cubital cell usually with a distinct spot (Fig. 1d, e; observed in about two thirds of the specimens), but this spot may be very small or entirely absent.

Two normal-sized spermathecae, ovoid, of almost equal size, with a short neck and a third rudimentary one (Fig. 1f​).

Male: Unknown.

Named as a tribute to Boy Overgaard Nielsen, an outstanding Danish entomologist and current emeritus at Aarhus University.

Palaearctic – Denmark (northern Jutland).

The length divided by the width of the first flagellomere is significantly higher in C. boyi compared to all other Scandinavian species of this subgenus.

Culicoides dk3: Lassen et al. 2012b: 1767.

Culicoides selandicus: Nielsen and Kristensen 2015: 9; nomen nudum.

Female: Eyes bare and contiguous dorsally (Fig. 2a), length of contact divided by diameter of one ocellus = 1.5 ± 0.8. Length of antennal flagellum 616.3 ± 10 μm, antennal ratio (AR: length of flagellomeres 9–13 divided by length of flagellomeres 1–8) = 1.12 ± 0.04, number of sensilla coeloconica = 12.29 ± 0.95. First flagellomere with 3.65 ± 0.70 sensilla coeloconica (Fig. 2b). First flagellomere ratio (length divided by width) = 1.56 ± 0.11 (Fig. 2b). Maxillary palp ratio (PR: length/width of third palpal segment) = 3.2 ± 0.3 (Fig. 2c), P3/P2 (length of third palpal segment divided by length of second) = 0.96 ± 0.06 (Fig. 2c). Numbers of mandibular and maxillary teeth = 15.0 ± 1.0 and 19.6 ± 1.5, respectively. Ratio of mandibular vs. maxillary teeth (M/M) = 1.31 ± 0.12. Head height/proboscis length ratio (H/P) = 1.16 ± 0.06.

a

b

c

d

e

Figure 2.

Culicoides (Culicoides) selandicus sp. nov., female. Details of adult morphology.

a: Vertex. Scale = 50 µm.  
b: Antennal pedicellus and first three flagellomeres. Scale = 50 µm.  
c: Left palp, dorsal view. Scale = 50 µm.  
d: Wing, brightfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  
e: Wing, darkfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  

Wing length 1,339 ± 33 μm (Fig. 2d, e). The dark hourglass-shaped mark in the centre of cell r₃ is broadest above the longitudinal fold above M₁. The dark areas on the wing are extensive and encompassing vein M₁ and sometimes M₂. Small pale spots may be found at the tip of veins M₁ and M₂. Wing with a large dark spot in cell cu separated from the dark areas bordering Cu₁ and Cu₂ (Fig. 2d, e​).

Spermathecae not observed.

Male: Unknown.

The species epithet refers to the name of the major Danish island Sjælland (Latin = Selandia; English = "Zealand" or more rarely "Sealand"), where the type series was collected.

Palaearctic – Denmark (Zealand).

Culicoides selandicus may be confused with C. kalix but differs habitually by the extensive dark areas on the wings. The head/proboscis ratio of C. selandicus (1.16 ± 0.06) is smaller than in C. kalix (1.29 ± 0.07), although a small overlap should be expected when more specimens are measured. The average number of antennal sensilla coeloconica (12.29±0.95) is higher than in C. kalix (10.70 ± 0.82), and the first flagellomere has a higher average of sensilla (4.1) compared to C. kalix (3.0). The P3/P2 ratio (0.96 ± 0.06) differs from that of C. kalix (0.87 ± 0.08), but with a large overlap. Second maxillary palp segment is about as long as the third, while in C. kalix the second palp segment is longer than the third. Third maxillary palp segment is more slender (PR = 3.2 ± 0.3) than that of C. kalix (PR = 2.9 ± 0.2). Maxillary palp segments four and five of equal length provides a difference from C. kalix, where the fifth palp segment is longer than the fourth. The ratio of mandibular vs. maxillary teeth is significantly higher in C. selandicus (1.31 ± 0.12) than in C. kalix (1.17 ± 0.12).

Culicoides Kalix: Lassen et al. 2012b: 1767.

Culicoides kalix: Nielsen and Kristensen 2015: 10; nomen nudum.

Female: Eyes bare and contiguous dorsally (Fig. 3a​), length of contact contact divided by diameter of one ocellus = 1.2 ± 0.3. Length of antennal flagellum 646 ± 14 μm. Antennal ratio (AR: length of flagellomeres 9–13 divided by length of flagellomeres 1–8) 1.13 ± 0.04, number of sensilla coeloconica 10.70 ± 0.82. First flagellomere with 3.0 ± 0.0 sensilla coeloconica. First flagellomere ratio (length divided by width) = 1.46 ± 0.06. Maxillary palp ratio (PR: length/width of third palp segment) = 2.9 ± 0.2 (Fig. 3c), P3/P2 (length of third palp segment divided by length of second) = 0.87 ± 0.08 (Fig. 3c). Numbers of mandibular and maxillary teeth = 12.8 ± 0.6 and 14.9 ± 1.5, respectively. Ratio of mandibular vs. maxillary teeth (M/M) = 1.17 ± 0.12. Head height/proboscis length ratio (H/P) = 1.29 ± 0.07.

a

b

c

d

e

f

Figure 3.

Culicoides (Culicoides) kalix sp. nov., female. Details of adult morphology.

a: Vertex. Scale = 50 µm.  
b: Antennal pedicellus and first three flagellomeres. Scale = 50 µm.  
c: Left palp, dorsal view. Scale = 50 µm.  
d: Wing, brightfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  
e: Wing, darkfield photo. Scale = 500 µm.  
f: Spermathecae. Scale = 50 µm.  

Wing length 1,423 ± 39 μm (Fig. 3d, e). The shape of the dark hour-glass formed mark in the middle of r₃ is broadest above the longitudinal fold above M₁. The dark areas on the wings are extensive and surrounding vein M₁ and M₂. Wings have a large dark spot in cell cu, which is separated from the dark areas bordering Cu₁ and Cu₂ (Fig. 3d, e).

Two functional spermathecae, ovoid, of almost equal size, with a short neck; a third rudimentary one present (Fig. 3f).

Male: Unknown.

The species epithet refers to the municipality Kalix in northern Sweden, in which the type series was collected.

Palaearctic – ​Sweden (Norrbotten).

Culicoides kalix could be confused with C. selandicus but may be separated from this as already discussed above under the description of the latter species and as outlined in the key.