Sympotthastia annularis sp. nov. from Oriental China (Diptera: Chironomidae: Diamesinae) with a worldwide key

A new species from Hubei Province, China (Oriental region), Sympotthastia annularis sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on the adult male.A key to the known males of Sympotthastia worldwide is additionally provided. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the new species was sequenced and submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Based on the new species’ COI sequence data and those of 19 other Sympotthastia sequences obtained from existing public databases NCBI, phylogenetic relationships within the genus were inferred, placing the new species closest to Sympotthatsia takatensis (Tokunaga, 1936).

The molecular analysis of cytochrome oxidase (COI) genes and the obtained minimum interspecific K2P distance to the closest species, S. takatensis (5.9%), further confirms the species status of the new species.