Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli : Frey 1955

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hoeli Frey

(Fig. 34)

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); Sinclair et al., 2019: 50 (lectotype designation, redescription).

Material examined. Russia. Chukotka AO (Wrangel Island): Somnitelnaya Bay, on flower of Dryas integrifolia, spotted tundra, 19.vii.1966, KBG (2 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); environs of pass Vjuchny, NW Somnitelnaya Bay, 21.vii.1972, KBG (1 ♂, ZIN); 5 km N Somnitelnaya Bay, valley of Somnitelnaya River, small meadow, 25.vii.1972, KBG (2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, 7–8.vii.1972, KBG (2 ♀, ZIN); Somnitelnaya Bay, valley of Somnitelnaya River, Mineev Mtns, 150 m, pebbles, on flower of Potentilla emarginata, 22.vii.1966, KBG (7 ♂, 3 ♀, ZIN); near north slope of Berri Peak, 6 km ESE Sovetskaya Mtn, 15.vii.1972, KBG (5 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); upper flow of Khischniki River, 7 km SE mountain Sovetskaya, Dryas tundra near river, 200 m, 11.vii.1972, KBG (7 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); middle flow of Mamontovaya River, N Perkatkun, osier-bed in river valley, 17,22. vii.1972, KBG (8 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, 71°10′N 179°45′W, BT 20 A, YPT, 2–4.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, ZIN); spurs of Pervaya Mtn, 71°09′N, 179°27′W, BT 11, Sw, 28.vi.2015, OAK (2 ♂, ZIN); same locality, BT 14, Sw, 28.vi.2015, OAK (1 ♂, ZIN); upper flow of Neizvestnaya River, 71°13′N, 179°19′W, BT 5 А, 26.vi.2006, OAK (1 ♂, ZIN); same locality and biotope, 26.vi.2015, OAK (1♂, ZIN).

Recognition. Rather small species (wing length 3.5–4.2 mm) with dark legs and densely pruinescent thorax and abdomen. Male (Fig. 34) holoptic; antenna dark brown; scutum brownish grey with two indistinct darker vittae between rows of acr and dc (dorsal view); thorax dark setose, upper proepisternum in front of spiracle with 0–2 short setae; mesonotal setae well differentiated, bristle-like, acrostichals and dorsocentrals long, 1–2-serial, 2–3 npl, 4 sctl; spiracles dark brown; legs dark setose, fore coxa with fine setae anteriorly, tibiae and tarsomeres slender; mid tibia with 2–3 anterodorsal setae (except 1 long seta of subapical circlet), about 2X as long as tibial width; hind tibia with moderately long strong setae dorsally, 1 seta in posteroapical comb; hind femur with complete row of anteroventral setae (longest subapical setae nearly as long as femur width), hind basitarsus only with short setae dorsally; wing whitish, CuA+CuP evanescent apically, not quite reaching wing-margin or extended as faint fold, basal costa seta present, axillary incision right-angled, halter pale brown to yellow; abdomen greyish, paler than thoracic pleuron, dark setose; terminalia small; cercus shorter than epandrium, with broad base, tapered at midlength to narrow apical portion, covered with short setulae; subepandrial lobe present, cylindrical, with pointed apex, projecting slightly farther than cercus; epandrium subtriangular, tapered to truncate, slightly bilobed setose apex, curved medially, outer apex with cluster of long, dark stout setae; hypandrium short, boot-shaped, ending in middle of swollen phallus base; phallus short, gently arched between epandrial lamellae, not forming loops, base swollen, apex with shallow S-shaped curvature. Female similar to male, except eyes dichoptic; wing slightly infuscate, CuA+CuP entirely sclerotized, brownish; leg chaetotaxy reduced, without pennate setae.

Distribution. Holarctic; in North America, R. hoeli is known from the low and high arctic region east of Hudson Bay and Greenland (Sinclair et al. 2019); in Eurasia, it is recorded only from Wrangel Island.

Habitat. On Wrangel Island this species was collected mainly in valleys of rivers and streams as well as some wet biotopes.