Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) kjellmanii Holmgren

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) kjellmanii Holmgren

(Figs 36, 37)

Rhamphomyia kjellmanii Holmgren, 1880: 22. Type-locality: Novaya Zemlya Islands, Arkhangelskaya Province, Russia (Shamshev & Sinclair 2018).

Other references: Melander, 1928: 195 (catalogue).

R. (Pararhamphomyia) kjellmanii: Frey, 1955b: 500 [revision]; Chvála & Wagner, 1989: 301 (catalogue); Yang et al., 2007: 172 (catalogue); Shamshev, 2016: 64 (checklist); Shamshev & Sinclair, 2018: 311 (lectotype designation, redescription).

Rhamphomyia uralensis Becker, 1915: 58. Type-locality: “aus der Tundra des Fl. Kara” [Russia, Yamalo-Nenets: mouth of the Kara River (about 69°02′N 64°35′E) (after lectotype designation)]. syn. nov.

R. (Pararhamphomyia) uralensis Becker: Frey, 1955b: 500 [revision]; Chvála & Wagner, 1989: 306 (catalogue); Yang et al., 2007: 178 (catalogue); Shamshev, 2016: 71 (checklist).

Note on synonymy. Rhamphomyia uralensis: Becker (1915) described this species from modern Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrug of Russia. In the original description he noted one locality (“aus der Tundra des Fl. Kara”), which was applied in Empididae catalogues, but with two dates (21 and 28.vii). According to Sorokina & Pont (2015) these dates belong to two different localities—mouth of the Kara River (about 69°02′N 64°35′E) and shore of Kara Sea (about 69°12′ N 65°14′ E), respectively. The type locality after the lectotype designation is the mouth of the Kara River (about 69°02′N 64°35′E), Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrug, Russia.

Type material examined. Rhamphomyia kjellmanii: LECTOTYPE ♀ in NHRS (see Shamshev & Sinclair 2018).

Rhamphomyia uralensis: LECTOTYPE (here designated in order to fix identity of the species) ♂ (Fig. 36A), labelled (Fig. 36B): “golden ring”; “[printed in Cyrillic, Russian] Karskaya tundra/ Tobols. gub., [=Tobolskoy gubernii]/ F. Zaitzev 21 vii [19]09”; “ Rh. uralensis / Beck. [hand-written by Becker]/ det. Becker ”; “ Syntype [red]”; “ LECTOTYPUS / Rhamphomyia uralensis / Becker, 1915/ design. Shamshev, 2017 [red]” (ZIN, INS _DIP_0000508). The lectotype pinned; in very good condition. PARALECTOTYPES: Same data as lectotype (3 ♀, ZIN); same data as lectotype, 28.vii.1908 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZIN) [male hind leg, wing and terminalia dissected, attached to specimen in two plastic vials].

Additional material examined. CANADA. Yukon: Herschel Is., 11–29.vii.1953, J.S. Waterhouse (23 ♂, 19 ♀, CNC); Herschel Is., 20–29.vii.1953, C.D. Bird (12 ♂, 7 ♀, CNC); Herschel Is., 15–31.vii.2007, 69.5706°N 138.9015°W, ATOR, D. Reid, M. Leung, S. Gilbert (2 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC). USA. Alaska: Cape Thompson, 25–26.vii.1961, R. Madge (1 ♂, 1 ♀, CNC); Cape Thompson, 25–29.vii.1961, B.S. Heming (4 ♂, CNC); St. Mathew Is., 60–80 m el, 60.5675° -172.9342°, 203 m alpine meadow, sweep, 4.viii.2012, D.S. Sikes (1 ♂, UAM); St. Mathew Is., 5 m el, 60.55693° -172.93066°, 506 m back beach, Elymus, y, b, w pollinator cups, 2–4.viii.2012, D.S. Sikes, C.E. Bickford (1 ♂, UAM); Umiat, 10–15.vii.1959, J.E.H. Martin (1 ♂, 2 ♀, CNC).

Diagnosis. This dark-legged species is distinguished from other species of Pararhamphomyia by the pale brown setae of the legs and yellowish abdominal setae, strong coxal setae, male hind tibia clavate covered with long, pale outstanding setae increasing in length apically, with similar setae on swollen hind tarsomeres 1 and 2. The apex of the epandrium is gradually tapered and lengthened with an elongate phallus looping beyond the epandrium and curving back to the cercus. Female legs are without pennate setae and the hind tibiae are not clavate.

Redescription. Wing length 4.2–4.5 mm. Male. Head dark in ground-colour, with greyish pruinescence on face, frons and occiput. Holoptic, eye with ommatidia larger on upper half and smaller on lower half. Frons represented by very small triangular space below ocellar tubercle and larger subtriangular space above antennae, bare. Face slightly divergent towards mouthparts; bare, with oral margin dark and shiny. Ocellar triangle dark, with 1 anterior pair of dark setae and 1 pair of shorter posterior setae; 2 pairs of dark postocellar setae, no longer than posterior ocellar setae. Occiput with row of dark and curved postocular setae only on upper half; otherwise with strong black setae, shorter than postoculars. Postgena bearing brown setae longer and more hair-like than occipital setae. Antenna dark and pruinose; scape slightly longer than pedicel; pedicel bulbous and wider than scape; postpedicel nearly 3X longer than basal width; stylus no longer than basal width of postpedicel. Palpus dark and pollinose, with setulae dark. Clypeus shiny; labrum lustrous and black, longer than head height; labellum dark and bearing several dark setae.

Thorax dark, largely densely grey pruinescent, with 2 faint grey vittae between acr and dc rows. Proepisternum with 3–5 stout, dark setae on lower section; upper proepisternum in front of spiracle bare; prosternum bare.Antepronotum with row of short, stout dark setae. Postpronotum with 1 pprn and several shorter, thinned setae. Scutum with biserial acr, shorter than dc; dc uniserial, increasing in length posteriorly, anterior 1–2 setae offset laterally; 1 presut spal (= posthumeral) and several shorter setae; notopleuron with cluster of short, stout, dark setae anteriorly; 4–6 longer, stouter and darker setae posteriorly; 1–2 short prealar setae; 1 psut spal; 1 pal; 3 pairs of sctl. Laterotergite bearing dense cluster of long, pale setae. Anterior and posterior spiracles brown with black outer ring.

Legs entirely dark reddish-brown, shiny, coxae lightly greyish pruinescent; all long setae pale brown. All coxae with strong setae. Femora with white ventral pile; fore and mid femora with 1 anteroventral and 1 posteroventral row of setae, stronger and longer on midleg; hind femur with row of long anteroventral slender setae, doubling in length on apical half, never longer than femoral width (Fig. 36D). Fore tibia with rows of fine posterodorsal setae. Mid tibia clothed in fine anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae, longer apically; anteroventral and posteroventral rows of stout setae. Hind tibia clavate, with long, pale to brownish yellow, wavy anterodorsal, posterodorsal and posterior outstanding setae, some as long as 2X tibial width; anteroventral and posteroventral setae no longer than tibial width (Fig. 36D); 1 long seta in posteroapical comb. Hind tarsomere 1 broader than other tarsal segments (Fig. 36D) with long anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae, 2X tarsal width; hind tarsomeres 2 and 3 swollen, with similar setation to tarsomere 1; tarsomere 1 of all legs with stout anteroventral and posteroventral setae.

Wing faintly infuscate with yellowish veins; all veins complete (except Sc and CuA+CuP), well sclerotized. Anal lobe well-developed and axillary excision right angled. Pterostigma darker yellow, although faint; basal costal seta absent. Halter yellowish.

Abdomen dark grey, with reddish-brown tinges on tergites, posterior margins of segments pale. Abdomen clothed with long, hair-like yellowish or pale setae, longer laterally. Sternite 8 with many long, pale setae posteriorly, subequal to length of sclerite; dorsal margin closely appressed laterally with tergite 8. Tergite 8 half length of sternite 8; posterior margin bearing many fine, pale setae, longer laterally.

Terminalia (Fig. 36C) dark, contrasting with exposed pale phallus. Epandrium subtriangular in lateral view, with spine-like setose expansion prior to elongate, apical finger-like projection bearing many long, pale setae; base of epandrium dark brownish-black; epandrium with yellowish patch in concave margin at mid-length; pruinose with ventral margin bearing many fine, pale setae. Cercus tapered apically, one-third length of epandrium; densely pruinose; dorsal margin bearing many fine, short, dark setae. Subepandrial lobe longer than cercus, clavate, with stem slimmer than apex; apex bearing several fine setae, longer than setae on cercus. Hypandrium cylindrical, short, ending at base of swollen phallus. Phallus slender and reddish brown; gently curved just beyond hypandrium, running slightly sinuous until curved inwards once, forming loop, extending further than length of terminalia, looping back between epandrial lamellae. Ejaculatory apodeme fan-shaped, small, dorsal margin of vertical wing flattened, 2 short lateral wings at base shorter than vertical wing.

Female. Similar to male except frons with several pairs of setulae; leg and abdominal setae much shorter and reduced; abdominal setae entirely pale; hind tibia not clavate; legs without pennate setae; wing more darkly infuscate (see re-description of lectotype in Shamshev & Sinclair 2018).

Distribution. In North America, this low arctic species is known only from the extreme northwestern region (Fig. 37 [St. Mathew Island localities not shown]). This distribution pattern is termed “southern arctic—western” by Danks (1981, fig. 65), for tundra species of the coastal plain, reaching as far east as Herschel Island. This species is also recorded from Russia (Arkhangelskaya Province (Novaya Zemlya), Yakutia) (Shamshev & Sinclair 2018).

Remarks. Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) kjellmanii is assigned to the R. lapponica (= rufipes Zetterstedt) species group (Saigusa unpubl. data).