Paradelia abbreviata Pokorny 1889

6. Paradelia abbreviata (Pokorny, 1889)

Fig. 45.

Anthomyia abbreviata Pokorny, 1889: 560.

Pegomyia abbreviata (Pokorny); Stein 1906: 84.

Pegomyia unguiculata Malloch, 1920: 176. Synonymized by Griffiths (1987: 777). Pseudonupedia abbreviata (Pokorny); Hennig 1972: 435, text fig. 386, plate figs. 684, 704, 710. Paradelia abbreviata (Pokorny); Griffiths 1987: 777, figs. 929–935.

Description. A medium-sized species (WL 5.4mm; n = 1) that in the male sex (female not known) resembles P. uleforsi closely in most respects other than colour of appendages and shape of sternite V. Observed differences are as follows:

Male. Antenna wholly dark in Palaearctic specimens, basal segments ochre in Nearctic specimens. Palpus yellow, sometimes slightly darkened at apex. Head and body wholly dark in Palaearctic specimens, anterior part of head, prosternum, pleura and abdomen to varying extent yellow ochre to dark reddish ochre in Nearctic specimens. Legs yellow except darkly infuscated on pd surface of fore femur and on tarsi.

Proepisternals 2–3; proepimerals 15–16. Vein C practically bare dorsally. Terminalia as illustrated by Hennig (1972) and Griffiths (1987). Sternite V with very long upraised posterior lobes (Fig. 45) on which angular lamella has a broadly rounded distal part surpassing a dark-coloured digitiform appendage in shape of a bird’s head with a slender, pointed beak. Hypopygium resembling that of P. uleforsi, but cercal apex less obtuse and surstyli less stout.

Female. Unknown. Griffiths (1987) identified and described the female sex of the present species based on a specimen from Banff, Alberta, Canada that H.C. Huckett had identified as Pegomya unguiculata. However, the absence of crossed interfrontal setae noted in the description suggests to me that a species of Pegomya rather than Paradelia is involved. Wholly yellow, enlarged and spatulate palpi do occur in female Pegomya, e.g. in the previously unidentified female of P. aninotata Huckett (unpubl. obs.).

Material examined. ITALY [MNHU]: Bolzano: Stelvio Pass (‘Stilfser Joch’), male syntype, 3.viii.1888 (E. Pokorny). MONGOLIA [HNHM]: Uws aimak: 4 km ESE Ulaan davaa pass, between lake Örög nuur and Ulaangom, 1700m, 1 male 6.vii.1968 (Exp. Z. Kaszab).

Distribution. A rarely collected species. In the Old World known solely from two males from the Italian Alps and one male from Mongolia. New World records based solely on males are summarized by Griffiths (1987). The three known localities in Alaska and one in Yukon and Alberta respectively indicate a northern Cordilleran distribution.