Empis luctuosa Kirby

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, 3561, Zootaxa 3561, pp. 1-61 : 54

Empis luctuosa Kirby

Empis luctuosa Kirby, 1837: 311 . Type locality: “65°” [ Canada], nomina dubium.

Empis geniculata Kirby, 1837: 312 . Type locality: “65°” [ Canada]; Coquillet , 1895: 397.

Iteaphila luctuosa (Kirby) : Melander, 1928: 104; Tuomikoski, 1958: 126.

Remarks. The type series of E. luctuosa was collected from northwestern Canada at latitude 65˚ by the surgeon and naturalist John Richardson who accompanied Sir John Franklin on both of his Polar Seas expeditions (1825–1827), exploring the Arctic Ocean coastline of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Richardson led a party during the second exhibition, mapping the coast west of the Coppermine River (Library and Archives Canada 2006). The results of his collection were published in four volumes of Fauna Boreali-Americana, with the Reverend William Kirby describing the insects.

The type material of E. luctuosa and E. geniculata were not located in the British Museum and are presumed destroyed. Walker (1849, p. 496) recorded a specimen he identified as E. luctuosa from Nova Scotia (from Lieut. Redman’s collection). This specimen is present in the British Museum and labelled: “ R ” [green triangular label]; “ Nova Scotia [printed]”; “ luctuosa, Kirby ,”. The male specimen was examined and although the abdomen is lost, it is definitely a specimen of I. macquarti .

The assumption that E. luctuosa is congeneric (i.e., a species of Iteaphila ) ( Melander 1928) was likely based on Walker’s (1849) examination of the specimen from Nova Scotia, although likely a contemporary, it is not from the original type series. Walker provided no further details in his determination of this species. Since the original description does not permit generic recognition and combined with the loss of the type series, it is concluded that this species should be considered a nomina dubium, assigned as a doubtful species of Iteaphila .