Rhamphomyia (Dasyrhamphomyia) nigrita

Rhamphomyia (Dasyrhamphomyia) nigrita (Zetterstedt)

(Fig. 13)

Rhamphomyza nigrita Zetterstedt, 1838: 567. Type-locality: Greenland.

Other references: Barták & Danielson, 2007: 107 (type data); Sinclair et al., 2019: 24 (full list of references).

R. (Dasyrhamphomyia) nigrita: Frey, 1922: 66 (key); Frey, 1955b: 518 (revision); Sinclair et al., 2019: 24 (Nearctic faunal survey, redescription).

R. (Rhamphomyia) nigrita: Chvála & Wagner, 1989: 288 (catalogue); Shamshev, 2001b: 333 (key); Yang et al., 2007: 186 (catalogue); Barták, 2015: 576 (Greenland fauna); Shamshev, 2016: 78 (checklist).

Empis borealis Fabricius, 1780: 211 (junior primary homonym of Empis borealis Linnaeus, 1758). Type-locality: Greenland.

Rhamphomyia conservativa Malloch, 1919: 48. Type-locality: Bernard Harbour, Nunavut, Canada.

Material examined. RUSSIA. Chukotka AO (Wrangel Island): middle flow of Neozhidannaya River, 71°01′N 179°09′E, BT 2, YPT, 12–16.vii.2016, LFV (1 ♂, ZIN); environs of Somnitelnaya Bay, 6.vii.1972, KBG (1 ♀, ZIN); 4 km N of Somnitelnaya Bay, Somnitelnaya River, shore slope and flood-lands, 28.vii.1972, KBG (2 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN); 5 km N of Somnitelnaya Bay, valley of Somnitelnaya River, foothills 150 m, on flowers of Dryas, 25, 28.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 (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, south slope of Mineev Mtns, 100 m, pebbles, rubbly placer, 26.vii.1966, KBG (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, Sw on Epilobium latifolium L., 23.vii.1971, KBG (1 ♀, ZIN); basin of Khischniki River, 8 km SE of Sovetskaya Mtn, lawn near stream, 250 m, 13.vii.1972, KBG (1 ♂, ZIN); environs of Tundrovaya Mtn, near stream, 18.vii.1972, KBG (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, tundra, 18.vii.1972, KBG (2 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, 71°18′N, 179°48′W, BT 3, PT, 1–19.vii.2015, LFV (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 5, 1–19.vii.2015, PT, LFV (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 1, 71°18.342′N 179°48.367′W, 30.vi.–6.vii.2018, U. V. Babiy (1 ♀, ZIN); middle flow of Mamontovaya River, N Perkatkun, osier-bed in river valley, 17, 21.vii.1972, KBG (4 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); same locality and collector, 21.vii.1972 (19 ♂, 11 ♀, ZIN); same locality and collector, 29.vii.1972 (1 ♂, ZIN); same locality and collector, 18.vii.1972 (1 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 4, 71°09′N 179°45′W, 26.vi.– 19.vii.2011, А.А. Rodionov (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, 71°10′N 179°45′W, in house, 29.vi., 1.vii. 2015, OAK (2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 20 A, Sw, 1–2.vii.2015, OAK (2 ♂, 3 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 14, Sw, 2.vii.2015, OAK (7 ♂, 19 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 3, Sw, 1.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, 4 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 2, Sw, 2.vii.2015, OAK (2 ♂, ZIN); same locality, BT 1 A, Sw, 2.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN); same locality and biotope, YPT, 2–4.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 7, Sw, 1.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, 6 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 6, Sw, 2–3.vii.2015, OAK (5 ♂, 5 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 6 A, Sw, 1.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 11, Sw, 30.vi.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 5, Sw, 30.vi.2015, OAK (2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 10, Sw, 30.vi.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 17, Sw, 3.vii.2015, OAK (9 ♀, ZIN); same locality, Arctic fox burrow, Sw, 1.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN); same locality and biotope, PT, 1–23.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality and biotope, Sw, 18.vii.2019, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); brook Vesely, 71°11′N, 179°43′W, BT A, Sw, 18.vii.2019, OAK (1 ♂, ZIN); spurs of Pervaya Mtn, 71°09′N, 179°27′W, BT 11, Sw, 28.vi.2015, OAK (5 ♂, 3 ♀, ZIN); same locality and biotope, Sw, 13.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); upper flow of Neizvestnaya River, 71°13′N, 179°19′W, BT 4 A, Sw 5.vii.2006, OAK (11 ex., SZM); same locality, BT 7 A, 5.vii.2006, OAK (1 ex., SZM); same locality, BT 3 A, 6.vii.2006, OAK (1 ex., SZM); same locality, BT 12, Sw, 6.vii.2015, OAK (3 ♂, 2 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 5 A, PT, 26.vi.–10.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality and biotope, Sw, 12.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 3 B, Sw, 7.vii.2015, OAK (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT C1, Sw, 21.vi.2015, OAK (3 ♀, ZIN); same locality, wormwoods near house, Sw, 24.vi.2015, OAK (1 ♂, ZIN); middle flow of Neizvestnaya River, BT 1, YPT, 71°20.287′N 179°29.779′W, 5–14.vii.2018, U. V. Babiy (1 ♀, ZIN); same locality, BT 2, YPT, 71°20.416′N 179°29.651′W, 13–14.vii.2018, U. V. Babiy (2 ♀, ZIN).

Recognition. Large (wing length 6–7 mm) brownish grey species. Male (Fig. 13) holoptic; thorax black setose, scutum densely brownish grey pruinescent, with dark vittae beneath acrostichal and dorsocentral rows; mesonotal setae mostly fine, long, presutural dc and acr multiserial; legs robust, entirely dark brown, hind femur without setae on about apical 2/3 ventrally, only densely pale pilose, hind tibia evenly thickened toward apex; wing brownish infuscate, halter yellowish; cerci directed anteriorly, very long, extended nearly to middle of abdominal tergite 3, epandrium dark. Female wing broadened; legs without pennate setae.

Distribution. A Holarctic species with huge area of distribution; in Eurasia, R. nigrita is widespread across the low and high arctic of Norway, Sweden and Russia (with some records from the boreal zone; e.g., Altay, Magadanskaya Province); in North America, from Greenland to Alaska and as far south as Churchill, Manitoba and northern British Columbia (Sinclair et al. 2019). However, among the Russia Arctic islands, R. nigrita was found only from Wrangel Island.

Habitat. On Wrangel Island this species is most common in the warmer central region of the island, where it is found in various biotopes. In colder areas (Neozhidannaya River, coastal plain in Somnitelnaya Bay), a single specimen was found.