Two new species of Bryophaenocladius Thienemann, 1934 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from China

Abstract Two new species of Bryophaenocladius Thienemann, 1934, Bryophaenocladius mucronatus sp. n. and Bryophaenocladius parictericus sp. n. are described and illustrated as males. A key to male imagines of the genus from China is presented.


Introduction
The genus Bryophaenocladius was erected by Thienemann in 1934 with Orthocladius muscicola Kieffer, 1906 as type species. To date, more than 100 species have been recorded all over the world (Andersen and Schnell 2000, Ashe and Cranston 1990, Chaudhuri et al. 2001, Du and Wang 2010, Du et al. 2011, Freeman and Cranston 1980, Liu and Wang 2005, Makarchenko and Makarchenko 2006, 2009, Saether 1973, Saether et al. 2000, Sasa and Kikuchi 1995, Spies and Reiss 1996, Strenzke 1957, Wang 2000, Wang et al. 2001, 2004, Yamamoto 2004. So far 7 species of the genus were recorded in China, namely B. cuneiformis Armitage, 1987, B. parimberbus Wang, 2010, B. propinquus (Brundin, 1947), B. scanicus (Brundin, 1947), B. vernalis (Goetghebuer, 1921), B. wufengensis Du and Wang, 2010, and B. xinglongensis Du and Wang, 2010. The adult males of most Bryophaenocladius species can be recognized by strong and decumbent acrostichals beginning close to antepronotum; wing membrane without setae, but with coarse punctation visible at 40x magnification, squama with one to several setae; tibial spurs strongly developed, with well developed, but not divergent lateral denticles; hind tibial comb well developed; sensilla chaetica absent; tergite IX distinctive, with strongly pigmented, semi-circular band running around posterior margin; anal point projecting from setose area, large, semicircular to triangular; virga consisting of simple spines; gonostylus often distinctly broadened, strong megaseta (Cranston et al. 1989). However, there are exceptions to nearly all of these diagnostic characters. B. psilacrus Saether is lacking acrostichals (Saether 1982). Several species with bare squama (Andersen and Schnell 2000). The tibial spurs may be essentially without lateral denticles as in most Afrotropical species (Wang et al. 2001) and thus differ from the typical condition with lateral denticles separated but not as much as in Chaetocladius Kieffer. Tergite IX and the anal point may deviate from the typical form and it is the association of those species which are most in doubt such as B. productus (Freeman, 1953) (Saether 1973).
After examinzing the type specimen of B. bicolor Wang, Saether & Andersen, 2001 and the specimens of B. ictericus (Meigen, 1830) collected from Canada, China and Sweden, two new species from oriental China are described. A key to male imagines of Bryophaenocladius from China and a distribution map of genus Bryophaenocladius in China is presented (Fig. 1).
Remarks. The present new species resembles to B. bicolor Wang, Saether & Andersen, 2001 in the shape of anal point, but it can be separated from B. bicolor in the following combination of characters in Table 2.
Female and immature stages unknown. Distribution. The species was found in Fujian, Sichuan and Zhejiang Provinces (Oriental China).
Female and immature stages unknown. Distribution. The species was found in Sichuan and Zhejiang Provinces (Oriental China).