Axarus dorneri

Axarus dorneri (Malloch, 1915) Malloch, 1915: 471 (Chironomus) [USA: Texas]; Townes (1945: 96 as Xenochironomus dorneri (Malloch) new combination), Spies & Reiss (1996: 74 as Chironomus dorneri Malloch, nomen dubium). Material recorded. Panama, Panamá Oeste Province, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island, 1 male, 22 December 1928, leg C.H. Curran (Townes 1945). As previous except 2 males, 6 February–25 March 1986, light trap, leg H. Malicky, det. F. Reiss [ZSM] (M. Spies, pers. comm.). Distribution in Neotropics. Panama. Note. The species was described based on a female from Texas and was regarded as a nomen dubium by Spies & Reiss (1996). However, Townes (1945: 96) described a male as Xenochironomus dorneri (Malloch) based partly on a specimen from Barro Colorado Island, but he admits that he “can not be sure that the male and female described above are the same species or that either of them are Malloch’s dorneri. There seems to be a number of Neotropical species closely related to dorneri, but the material available is scanty. The male specimen described and figured above is the only available male that can possibly be Malloch’s dorneri.” Since Roback (1963a: 236) and Sublette (1966: 25) the species has generally been considered to be a member of Axarus. Following Townes (1945) we list the species as A. dorneri (Malloch). However, the material from Panama should be re-examined.