Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey, 1955

Sinclair, Bradley J., Vajda, Élodie A., Saigusa, Toyohei, Shamshev, Igor V. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2019, Rhamphomyia Meigen of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland and Iceland (Diptera: Empididae), Zootaxa 4670 (1), pp. 1-94 : 50-54

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey

( Figs 33–35 )

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoelsi Frey, 1950: 100 . Type-locality: Greenland.

Rhamphomyia hoeli: Frey, 1955b: 482 (revision); Downes, 1970: 779 (behaviour); Danks, 1981: 465 (arctic insects); Yang et al., 2007: 171, 195 (catalogue); Barták, 2015: 576 ( Greenland fauna).

R. sp. nr. lamelliseta Oliver, 1963: 178 (species list); McAlpine, 1965: 250 (flower feeding).

Notes on synonymy. The specific epithet of Rhamphomyia hoeli Frey (1950: 100) was originally published as “ hoelsi ” but subsequent authors (e.g., Frey 1955b; Downes 1970; Barták 2015) used the spelling “ hoeli ”. The spelling “ hoeli ” is an incorrect subsequent spelling according to Article 33.3 of the Code (ICZN 1999) but because it is in prevailing usage and is attributed to Frey (1950), it is deemed to be the correct original spelling in compliance with Article 33.3.1.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE ♂ (here designated in order to fix identity of the species) ♂ ( Fig. 33A ), labelled ( Fig. 33B ): “ Hoels eksp.1930/ Østgrønland.Aug./ 606”; “Gl.1700/ ZM. Oslo ”; “ NHMO / Norway [data matrix code]”; “ LECTOTYPE / Rhamphomyia / (Pararhamphomyia)/ hoeli Frey / des. Sinclair 2017 [red label]” ( NHMO) . PARALECTOTYPES: Hoels eksp. 1930, Østgrønland, Aug. (1 ♂, MZH).

Additional material examined. CANADA. Northwest Territories: Banks Is., Aulavik NP, 73.22412°, - 119.55255°, 7–11.vii.2011, wet, MT, Repl.1, NBP field party, CCBD-21399-A07 (1 ♂, barcoded, LEM); Victoria Is., 71°17′N, 114°W, 1–28.vii.1975, G. & M. Wood (17 ♂, 10 ♀, CNC). Nunavut: Axel Heiberg Is., 79°25′N, 90°45′W, 19–21.vii.1963, H.K. Rutz (1 ♂, 4 ♀, CNC); Axel Heiberg Is., 79°25′N, 90°45′W, Gypsum Hill, 20– 21.vii.1963, H.K. Rutz (5 ♀, CNC); Axel Heiberg Is., 79°25′N, 90°45′W, Wolf Rd., 24.vii.1963, H.K. Rutz (1 ♀, CNC); Alexandra Fiord, 78.875, -75.799, Bowl Trap White & Blue, 4–6.vii.2012, S. Robinson (2 ♂, 6 ♀, CNC); Al- exandra Fiord, 78.875, -75.799, Netting, 5.vii.2012, G. Galto (1 ♀, CNC); Cambridge Bay, 69.11993°, -105.42065°, Repl.1, mesic, MT, 7–11.vii.2011, NBP Field Party (1 ♂, LEM); Cambridge Bay, 69.12070°, -105.42582°, Repl.2, mesic, MT, 11–15.vii.2011, NBP Field Party (3 ♂, LEM); Cambridge Bay, 69.12157°, -105.43124°, Repl.3, mesic, MT, 15–19.vii.2011, NBP Field Party (1 ♂, LEM); Cambridge Bay, 18–22.vii.1950, E.H.N. Smith (3 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC); Cambridge Bay, 20–26.vii.1950, G.K. Sweatman (5 ♂, 8 ♀, CNC);Chesterfield, 12–30.vii.1950, J. R. Vockeroth (11 ♂, CNC); Head of Clyde Inlet, Baffin Is., 7.viii.1958, G.E. Shewell (1 ♂, CNC); Coral Harbour, Southampton Is., 5–18.vii.1948, G.E. Shewell (15 ♂, 16 ♀, CNC); Hazen Camp, 81°49′N, 71°16′W, 19–24.vi.1962, J.F. McAlpine (7 ♂, 1 ♀, CNC); Hazen Camp, 81°49′N, 71°18′W, 1.vii.1962, P.S. Corbet (1 ♀, CNC); Hazen Camp, 81°49′N, 71°18′W, 7–16.vii.1963, H.K. Rutz (35 ♂, 91 ♀, CNC); 81°49′N, 71°18′W, Hazen Camp, 6.vii.1964, R.E. Leech (1 ♂, CNC, in alc.); 81°49′N, 71°18′W, Hazen Camp, 25.vi., 1.vii.1962, R.B. Madge (27 ♂, CNC; 1 ♂, UGIC); Hazen Camp, Ellesmere Is., 14–20.vii., 3.viii.1961, D. R. Oliver (10 ♂, CNC); Hot Weather Creek, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Is., 79°58′N, 84°28′W, 19–22.vi., 1–9.vii.1990, F. Brodo (5 ♂, 14 ♀, CNC); Tanquary Fiord, Ellesmere Is., 18.vii.1963, H.K. Rutz (10 ♂, 18 ♀, CNC); Hazen Camp, 81°49′N, 71°18′W, 1.viii.1963, J. R. Vockeroth (2 ♂, 3 ♀, CNC); Hazen L., Ellesmere Is., 11–13.vii.1963, C.D. Sharplin (13 ♀, CNC); Hazen L., Ellesmere Is., 11–13, 26.vii.1963, B. Hocking (6 ♂, 17 ♀, CNC); Lady Melville Lk., 93°15′W, 69°25′N, 3.vii.1951, J.G. Chillcott (1 ♂, CNC); Spence Bay, 30.vi., 1–26.vii.1951, J.G. Chillcott (16 ♂, CNC); Spence Bay, 30.vi., 1–23.vii.1951, A.E. R. Dome (6 ♂, CNC). Yukon: Dempster Hwy near North Fork Pass, 64.59736° -138.31009°, 1180 m, Repl.2, wet, MT, 24–27.vi.2011, NBP Field Party (9 ♂, LEM); same data except, CCBD-21399-B10, CCBD-21399-B11, CCBD- 21399-A06, CCBD-21399-A08, CCBD-21399-A09 (5 ♂, barcoded, LEM); Dempster Hwy, km 128, 64.9292°, -138.2702°, MT near pond, 13–15.vii.2013, S. Rochefort, E. Vajda, T.A. Wheeler (1 ♂, LEM). GREENLAND. Nedre Midsommer Sö [not shown on Fig. 34 ], 26–29.vii., 1–30.vii.1966, Can. Peary Land Expedition (223 ♂, 149 ♀, CNC; 1 ♀, UGIC); Hoels eksp. 1929, Østgrønland, July (1 ♀, MZH); Hoels eksp. 1930, Østgrønland, July (1 ♂, 1 ♀, NHMO).

Diagnosis. This dark-legged and dark setose species is distinguished from other Pararhamphomyia by the male mid tibia with 3–4 dark, stout anterodorsal setae, longer than 2X tibial width; hind tibia with 5 stout anterodorsal setae, shorter than 2X tibial width; and apex of subepandrial lobe pointed. Female legs without pennate setae.

Redescription. Wing length 3.5–4.2 mm. Male. Head greyish-blue, with greyish pruinescence on face, frons, postgena and occiput. Holoptic, eye with ommatidia larger on upper half, smaller on lower half. Frons represented by very small triangular space below ocellar tubercle and larger subtriangular space above antennae, bare. Face slightly divergent towards mouthparts; bare, with narrow oral margin shiny. Ocellar triangle dark, subshiny, with 1 anterior pair of dark, parallel setae, with 2–3 pairs of posterior setulae more than 1/2 length of anterior setae; 2–3 pairs of postocellar setae slightly shorter and finer than posterior ocellar setae. Occiput with row of dark, long postocular setae on upper 1/2 half; otherwise with slightly shorter setae; postgena with similar setae. Antenna dark brown (scape and pedicel sometimes paler than postpedicel); scape and pedicel of equal lengths; postpedicel about 3X basal width; stylus equal to postpedicel basal width. Palpus dark, with dark setulae. Clypeus with greyish pruinescence; labrum lustrous and dark reddish-brown, subequal to head height; labellum dark and bearing dark setulae.

Thorax dark in ground-colour, largely densely grey pruinescent. Scutum with 2 indistinct, dark grey vittae between acr and dc rows; flanked by brownish tinges. Pleura mostly grey, with faint brownish shadows on sclerites. Proepisternum with 3–4 dark setae on lower section; upper proepisternum in front of spiracle with 2 short setae; prosternum bare. Antepronotum with row of short, stout dark setae. Postpronotum with 1 pprn and 3–4 shorter, dark setae. Scutum with dark 1–2-serial acr; biserial dc longer than acr, increasing in length posteriorly, anterior 1–2 setae offset laterally; 1 presut spal (= posthumeral) and several setulae; 2–3 npl and several shorter setae anteriorly; 2 posterior npl setae stouter and longer than anterior setae; 1–4 prealar setae; 1 psut spal; 1 pal and 1 setula; 2 pairs of sctl. Laterotergite with several long, stout, dark setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles dark brown with outer black ring.

Legs dark reddish brown, subshiny; coxae with faint bluish pruinescence. Coxae with dark setae. All femora with distinct white ventral pile; mid and hind femora with 1 anteroventral and 1 posteroventral row of setae, stronger than on fore femur, nearly subequal to corresponding femur width ( Fig. 34B ). Fore tibia clothed with thin anterodorsal and anterior setae, with similar but shorter ventral setae. Mid tibia with 3–4 stout anterodorsal setae and several long posterodorsal setae; with stout anteroventral and posteroventral rows of setae and circlet of preapical setae. Hind tibia with 5 stout anterodorsal setae and several long posterodorsal setae; with rows of stout anteroventral and posteroventral setae ( Fig. 34B ); 1 long seta in posteroapical comb. Hind tarsomere 1 slender, with dark, stout ventral setae, shorter than ½ tarsal width; fore tarsus clothed in ventral pile.

Wing whitish with yellowish brown veins; all veins complete (except Sc); CuA+CuP extending as faint fold. Pterostigma darker yellow, although faint; basal costa seta present; anal lobe well-developed. Axillary incision right angle. Halter pale brown to yellow.

Abdomen dark brown with greyish pruinescence; covered with long brown to black setae, shorter on tergites dorsally. Sternite 8 with long setae posteriorly, subequal to length of sclerite; sternite 8 closely appressed laterally with tergite 8. Tergite 8 half length of sternite 8; marginal setae short.

Terminalia ( Fig. 34A ) dark grey, barely longer than abdominal width. Epandrium subtriangular, with ventral margin pubescent; tapered to truncate, slightly bilobed setose apex, curved medially; outer apex with cluster of long, dark, stout setae; inner apex thinly sclerotized with short, pale setae. Cercus with broad base, tapered at mid-length to narrow apical portion; dorsal margin of cercus bearing many short, fine, erect dark setae. Subepandrial lobe cylindrical, with pointed apex; projecting slightly farther than cercus; arched medially; apex bearing short, dark, spine-like setae. Hypandrium short, boot-shaped, ending in middle of swollen phallus base; phallus lustrous and reddish brown to yellow, not forming loops, gently arched between epandrial lamellae; apex with shallow S-shaped curvature. Ejaculatory apodeme half width of epandrium, fan-shaped, lateral wings shorter than vertical wing.

Female. Similar to male except wing slightly infuscate; leg chaetotaxy reduced, without pennate setae.

Distribution. This species is known from the low and high arctic region of North America east of Hudson Bay and Greenland ( Fig. 35 ).

Remarks. The type series was collected during the Norwegian Expedition to East Greenland (lat. 71– 75°N) on board the “Veslekari” in 1929 (leadership A.K. Orwin) and 1930 (leadership Alfred Hoel), and the collector was Nils Knaben (Henriksen 1939; Böcher 2015). The description of Rhamphomyia hoeli was based on an unspecified number of male and female specimens. Although Frey (1950) stated that the type series was collected in “ August 1930 ”, we examined additional specimens, labelled “Hoels Expedition, July 1929 and July 1930 ”, that were probably also examined by Frey. Given that the Hoel’s Expedition was restricted to 1930, the errors in labelling suggest that Frey overlooked the different years and months in his description. Nevertheless, we have restricted the syntype series to specimens labelled “ August 1930 ”, from which a lectotype was selected to avoid any future confusion.

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli is assigned to the R. lapponica (= rufipes Zetterstedt ) species group (Saigusa unpubl. data). Specimens of R. hoeli were observed feeding on nectar from flowers of Dryas integrifolia M. Vahl and Lesquerella arctica (Wormskj.) Wats. ( McAlpine 1965) .

Figures

FIGURE 33. Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey. A. lectotype, lateral view; B. type labels.

FIGURE 34. Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey. A. Male terminalia, lateral view; B. Male hindleg, anterior view.

FIGURE 35. Known distribution of Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey in North America (arrow indicates localities beyond border of map).