Antillocladius pluspilalus Saether 1982

Antillocladius pluspilalus Saether, 1982: 474, Fig. 6; Saether (1984: 1, Figs 1–2); Spies and Reiss (1996: 75); Mendes et al. (2004: 48).

Material examined: Type material as in Saether (1982). ECUADOR: Provincia Pichincha: Setor Palmeras, unión Rios Guajalito y Bricador, Bosque Protector Rio Guajalito, 00°14.925'N, 78°48.193'W, 1900 m a.s.l., 1 male, 4–10.ii.2000, light trap, F.M. Quesada. MEXICO: Campeche: Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul, Zona Arqueológica, 18°07'26.7''N, 89°48'56.7''W, 265 m a.s.l., 1 male, 20.ix.1997, light trap, A. Contreras-Ramos et al. (ZMBN).

Diagnostic characters: The male can be separated from all other members of the genus by having numerous apical setae on the wing membrane, cell m 3+4. with several setae; setose squama; acrostichals in mid scutum, all more or less scalpellate; long virga; anal point long, tapering, with moderately strong lateral setae; and inferior volsella prominent with anterior digitiform projection equally long as and partly covering rounded posterior lobe. The pupa has thorn-like macrosetae, caudal spines on tergites, no pearl row on antennal sheath, and anal lobe not extended laterally.

Remarks: Antillocladius pluspilalus, A. yakyijeus, A. scalpellatus and A. subnubilus are only separable on the size of the virga and the chaetotaxy of squama and cell m 3+4. We retain the four species as separate species. However, further studies using different approaches should be carried out in order to clarify whether this is a single, widespread and variable species or four closely related species. A. pluspilalus is Nearctic-Neotropical, while the remaining three are Palaearctic.

Biology and distribution: The species was described from southeastern U.S.A., and has later been recorded from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Mexico (Spies & Reiss 1996; Mendes et al. 2004). It is described as male, pupa and larva. The larva was taken in a seep area on the shore of a reservoir in South Carolina, U.S.A. (Saether 1984).