Subgenus Runchomyia Theobald, 1903
Runchomyia frontosa Theobald, 1903.
Subfamily Culicinae, genus Runchomyia. Subgenus Runchomyia includes six species. Subgenus abbreviation – Run.
Species of subgenus Runchomyia are distinguished from other members of New World Sabethini by the following combinations of characters. Characters that distinguish Runchomyia from Ctenogoeldia are indicated by an asterisk (*).
ADULTS ‒ Scales of vertex with brilliant silver and azure blue reflections; proboscis 1.20‒l .40 length of forefemur; scutal scales narrow and curved; *scales on midlobe of scutellum without silver reflections; postpronotum with 1 or more posterior setae; row of lower mesokatepisternal setae usually not extending dorsad to level of lower edge of mesepimeron; mid- and hindtarsi dark-scaled. MALE GENITALIA ‒ Gonocoxite long, *with distinctly separated basal mesal lobe; aedeagus with narrow sharp apical beak, apex of submedian tergal arm narrow; paraproct with 2‒6 strong apical teeth. LARVAE ‒ Head capsule with short to long transverse slit-like occipital foramen, not bounded by distinct collar; *anterior margin of median labral plate between bases of seta 1-C straight; *mandibular spiculose area absent; *maxilla with rigid apical spine longer than articulated maxillary bundle; *anterior edge of prementoligular teeth posterior to base of seta 1-Lh, *teeth extend laterally and mesally toward ventral premental spicules; *seta 5-T weakly developed, short; *comb plate absent, comb scales arise from hyaline integument; siphon with filamentous pecten; seta 3-X single; seta 6-S weakly developed, flexible, not hooked. PUPAE ‒ *Trumpet widest apically, equal in length to internal section; *seta 5-C subequal in length and not as strong as seta 7-C or at least with 40 branches; puncture present on terga III‒V; seta 5-V,VI well developed, long; *seta 6-I strongly developed, as strong or stronger than setae 3-I and 6-II; seta 6-VII single or double, inserted caudomesad of seta 9-VII; caudolateral angle of tergum VIII not produced or only slightly produced, not extending more than 0.25 distance to apex of segment IX; paddle oval to triangular, inner part glabrous. See genus Runchomyia.
The phylogeneti analyses of morphological data conducted by Judd (1996) indicated that subgenus Runchomyia is not closely related to subgenus Ctenogoeldia, which was recovered as the sister of genus Isostomyia, the relationship supported by two unambiguous characters of the larval labiohypopharynx: (1) anterior edge of the prementoligular teeth level with the bases of seta 1-Lh and (2) the teeth not extending posteriorly beyond the labial palpus.
Very little is known about the bionomics of the species of subgenus Runchomyia. The species are known to be diurnal. Females of Ru. ?frontosa are attracted to and bite humans and their larvae inhabit epiphytic bromeliads and the leaf axils of Heliconia wagneriana (Heinemann et al., 1980). Zavortink (1986) found that the immature stages of Ru. frontosa live in fluids held by the carnivorous bromeliad Brocchinia reducta and noted that the larvae are facultative predators. Campos (2013) considered the larvae of Ru. reversa, which were collected from the internodes of two species of bamboo (Guadua chacoensis and G. trinii), to be potential facultative predators. Larvae listed as uncertain larvae of Ru. cerqueirai and Ru. reversa by Heinemann & Belkin (1979) were collected in terrestrial bromeliads (both species) and epiphytic bromeliads and cut or broken bamboo (the latter species).
Species of subgenus Runchomyia are not known to be of medical or economic importance.
With the exception of Panama, species of subgenus Runchomyia are recorded almost exclusively from countries of South America, including Argentina (Ru. frontosa; Ru. reversa), Brazil (all species of the subgenus except Ru. rapax), Guyana (Ru. frontosa), Paraguay (Ru. reversa) and Trinidad and Tobago (Ru. frontosa, Ru. rapax, Ru. theobaldi). Runchomyia cerqueirai and Ru. frontosa are recorded from Panama.
Lane, 1953 (as subgenus of Trichoprosopon); Zavortink, 1979 (subgenus as currently defined, keys to genus groups); Darsie, 1985 (Argentina, keys include Ru. frontosa and Ru. reversa); Harbach & Peyton, 1993 (comparative morphology of larval maxillae); Judd, 1996 (morphology, phylogenetic relationships).
cerqueirai (Stone, 1944)
frontosa Theobald, 1903
humboldti (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)
rapax (Dyar & Knab, 1906)
reversa (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)
theobaldi (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942)
