Tipula (Vestiplex) balioptera Loew

Tipula (Vestiplex) balioptera Loew

(Figs 8, 22, 39–49; Map 2)

Tipula balioptera Loew, 1863: 284; Alexander, 1915.

Tipula (Vestiplex) balioptera: Alexander, 1943; 1965; Starkevich & Paramonov, 2016: 82.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE ♂: CANADA, English River [date unknown], Kennicot (MCZ).

Additional material examined. CANADA. Alberta: 1 ♂, Banff, 9.vii.1922, C.B.D. Garrett (USNM). Ontario: 1 ♂, Iroquis Falls, 22.vi.1987 (CNC); Quebec: 1 ♂, Bradore Bay, 23.vii.1929, W.J. Brown (CNC); 1 ♂, Ft. Chimo, 24.vii.1948, H.H. Macleod, (CNC); 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Great Whale R., 8.vii.1949, J. R. Vockeroth (CNC). USA. Alaska: 2 ♂, Anchorage, 20.vii.1978, P.H. Arnaud, Jr., at light, R. W. Doane Collection (CAS); 1 ♂, No. 31 Glenn Hwy, Matanuska val. 60 mi. NE Anchorage, 4.vii.1957, G.W. Byers (SEMC); 1 ♂, No. 18, 15 mi. SE Anchorage, 28.vi.1957, G.W. Byers (SEMC); 3 ♂, Alcan Hwy, Keystone Canyon, 5 mi. W Valdez, 9.vii.1949, E.K. Miller, No. 21 (UMMZ); 2 ♂, Anchorage, 1–15.vii.1930, B. Locker (UMMZ); 1 ♀, Mt. McKinley NP, 3900 ft, 24.vi.1957, G.W. Byers & party (USNM).

MONGOLIA. Bayan-Olgiy Aimag: 6 ♂, Deluun Soum, Gantsmodi Gol 27 km S Deluun, N47.66395, E90.71841, 2196 m, 5–6.vii.2009, S. Podenas, MAIS2009070502. Khovd Aimag: 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Monkhkhayrkhan Soum, Bortin Gol ~ 14 km SSE Monkhkhayrkhan, N46.92136, E91.91077, 2311 m, 15.vii.2009, Salix shrubs, S. Podenas, MAIS2009071501.

Elevation range in Mongolia. Adults were collected at altitudes ranging from 2190 m to 2300 m.

Period of activity. Adults are active from early to the middle of July.

Known distribution. Canada, Russia (Yakutiya) and USA (Oosterbroek 2019). Recorded here for the first time from Mongolia (Map 2).

Redescription. Male. Body length 13.5–16.1 mm, wing length 13.9–15.4 mm. General body coloration brownish yellow.

Head. Brownish gray, vertex and occiput gray pruinose with dark brown median line. Rostrum brownish, sparsely dusted with gray, nasus short. Antenna 13-segmented, if bent backward reaching base of wing. Scape and pedicel yellow, first flagellomere yellowish, succeeding flagellomeres dark brown. Each flagellomere, except first, with small basal enlargement, slightly incised and darkened. Apical flagellomere small, distinctly shorter than preceding flagellomere. Verticils as long as respective segments. Palpus brown.

Thorax. Brownish gray. Pronotum yellowish, gray pruinose with brown median line. Prescutum and presutural scutum brown, gray pruinose with 4 indistinct darker longitudinal stripes bordered by brown. Intermediate pair separated by yellowish line. Interspace between median and lateral stripes gray with light setae. Postsutural scutum dark brown, gray pruinose. Scutal lobe with 2 darkened spots. Scutellum and postnotum brownish with median line. Pleura brown, sparsely dusted with gray. Coxa yellowish, sparsely dusted with gray. Trochanters, femora and tibiae yellowish. Tarsal segments passing into brown. Distal part of femora and tibiae darkened. Tarsal claws without tooth. Wing indistinctly patterened with brown. Halter with pale stem and darkened knob.

Abdomen. Yellow, trivittate, with median line narrow broadly interrupted, reaching tergite 6. Lateral margin of tergites pale. Tergite 1 yellow, sparsely dusted laterally, tergites 2–4 yellow, tergites 5–6 laterally dark brown, tergites 7–9 dorsolaterally dark brown. Sternite 1 slightly dusted with gray, sternites 2–4 yellow, sternites 5–6 brownish, sternites 7–8 dark brown.

Hypopygium. Brownish yellow, at base slightly broader than abdomen. Tergite 9 forming large concave polygonal sclerotised saucer (Fig. 39). Main body of tergal saucer brownish yellow with blackened rim. Posterior margin of tergal saucer broadly emarginated, with broad median V-shaped notch, with 2 yellow oblong projections and black median spinous tooth, with small denticles on either side. Lateral angle of tergal saucer extended as short horn. Anterior and lateral portions of tergal saucer raised into sclerotised border, anterior angle of which armed with black teeth, lateral angle obtuse. Border laterally produced into obtuse point directed caudad and situated under lateral angle; saucer with 2 distal teeth one below other in lateral view. Gonocoxite unarmed (Fig. 40). Outer gonostylus flattened, nearly parallel sided with apex oblique (Fig. 41). Inner gonostylus in shape of curved plate, dorsally with small acute spine, beak extended into rostrum with distal margin blackened, tipped with small tooth (Fig. 42). Gonocoxal fragment large with lateral and medial sclerites well-developed (Fig. 43). Medial sclerites fused, anterior apodeme narrow, posterior part in shape of short and arched arm, posterior apodeme rounded with triangular apex. Lateral sclerite large and bilobed, outer lobe flattened. Aedeagal guide relatively narrow tube-shaped structure (Fig. 44). Sperm pump with central vesicle small and flattened (Fig. 45). Compressor apodeme with median incision. Posterior immovable apodeme slightly longer than compressor apodeme and slightly broadened. Anterior immovable apodeme irregularly shaped. Adeagus shaped as elongate tube, 6.1X as long as sperm pump, basally dark brown, medially brown, passing into yellow towards apex. Distal part ventrally membranous, shovel-shaped (Fig. 46).

Female. Body length 21.4 mm, wing length 15.0 mm. Generally similar to male. Antenna short, if bent backward not reaching the base of wing.

Ovipositor (Figs 47–49). Tergite 10 shiny, brownish-yellow. Cercus yellowish, slightly shorter than tergite 10, with tip curved dorsally, outer margin with rough and obtuse serration (Fig. 47). Hypovalva in shape of pale elongated filament (Fig. 48). Median incision between hypovalvae deeper than posterior margin of sternite 8. Lateral incision deep and narrow (about 6X deeper than wider). Lateral angle of sternite 8 appearing as short obtuse lobe. Sternite 9 with anterior part broad, posterior part round, slightly extended (Fig. 49). Furca anteriorly narrowed, posteriorly broad. Bursa copulatrix with spermathecal ducts sclerotised at base, shaped as short, narrow, dark brown process. Wall of bursa copulatrix on connection site with spermathecal ducts with sclerotisation. Cul-de-sac of bursa copulatrix slightly curved. Spermatheca spherical, lightly broadened at base (Fig. 18).

Remark. This is a new record for the Mongolian fauna and the second record for the Palaearctic Region, previously recorded from Yakutiya, Russia (Starkevich & Paramonov 2016). The Mongolian specimens differ from Nearctic specimens by antennal features. Mongolian specimens have a dark brown flagellum (f3–f13), while the Nearctic specimens have a bicolored flagellum. The male genitalia of Mongolian specimens are identical to Nearctic specimens. Mongolian females have a rounded tipped cercus, while Nearctic specimens have a narrowed tip with shallow preapical incision.