Rhamphomyia hirtula Zetterstedt

Shamshev, Igor V., Sinclair, Bradley J. & Khruleva, Olga A., 2020, The empidoid flies (Diptera: Empidoidea, exclusive of Dolichopodidae) of the Russian Arctic islands and Svalbard Archipelago, Zootaxa 4848 (1), pp. 1-75 : 51-52

Rhamphomyia hirtula Zetterstedt

( Fig. 56 )

Rhamphomyia hirtula Zetterstedt, 1842: 421 . Type-locality: Greenland.

Other references: Barták & Danielson, 2007: 111 (type data); Sinclair et al., 2019: 78 (revision, redescription, full list of references).

Rhamphomyia (Pararhamphomyia) hirtula Zetterstedt : Frey, 1955b: 482 (revision); Chvála & Wagner, 1989: 301 (catalogue); Yang et al., 2007: 171 (catalogue); Shamshev, 2016: 64 (checklist).

Rhamphomyia (Rhamphomyia) hirtula Zetterstedt : Collin, 1961: 401 (revision).

Material examined. RUSSIA. Archangelskaya Prov. (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago): Novaja Zemlja, acad. Baer, 1837 (2 ♂, ZIN); Propaschaya Guba , sea shore, in mountains, 18.vii.1912, S. Skribova (1 ♀, ZIN) .

Recognition. Mid-sized (wing length 5.5–6 mm) blackish, dark-legged, black setose robust flies. Male ( Fig. 56 ): holoptic; antenna dark, scape and pedicel with long fine setae on outer side, minute setulae on inner side; palpus dark with numerous long fine setae; labrum nearly 1.3X longer than head height; thorax mostly greyish brown pruinose; scutum dark brown pruinescent, slightly lustrous, with two hardly visible and slightly paler vittae between rows of acr and dc; prosternum bare, upper proepisternum in front of spiracle with several long fine setae; mesonotal setae mostly fine (including acr and dc), hardly differentiated, acr 2–3-serial, present on anterior half of prescutellar depression, presutural dc multiserial, not separated from supra-alars by bare space, 12–20 sctl; legs robust, hind tibia slightly uniformly incrassate; fore femur with numerous long fine setae anteroventrally, posteroventrally and posteriorly; mid femur with very short anteroventral (except near base) and somewhat longer posteroventral setae; hind femur with numerous moderately long setae anteroventrally and ventrally; fore and mid tibiae with rows of several moderately long strong setae dorsally and some fine setae posteriorly; hind tibia with numerous long strong setae dorsally and long fine setae anteroventrally, 1 short seta in posteroapical comb; fore basitarsus with some short fine setae posteriorly, hind tarsomeres 1–3 with several long setae dorsally; wing faintly infuscate, CuA+CuP (anal vein) complete, entirely sclerotized, 1 long basal costal seta present, axillary incision acute, halter with brown knob and reddish brown stem; abdomen densely uniformly greyish brown pruinescent, with numerous long setae; structure of segments 7–8 as in R. kaninensis but posteromarginal setae more numerous and stronger; terminalia almost identical to R. kaninensis (including shape of phallus) but larger, cercus more gently rounded apically, with broader basal projection, epandrium with more numerous strong setae and denser cluster of fine setae subapically. Female similar to male, except eyes dichoptic, frons very broad, parallel-sided, body (especially legs and abdomen) with much shorter setation; wing slightly darker, faintly brownish infuscate; legs without pennate setae, hind tibia somewhat dilated, almost bare anteriorly.

Distribution. Holarctic; R. hirtula appears to have a disjunct distribution. In North America, this species is recorded from several localities in Yukon and Greenland; in Eurasia, it is known from Iceland and Scotland, as well as from Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Taymyr, Chukotka and high mountains of Altay Republic of Russia ( Shamshev & Barkalov 2009; Sinclair et al. 2019).

Remarks. Shamshev (2016: 64) has noted R. hirtula from Wrangel Island, but with a question mark. Our study did not confirm the presence of this species on this island. Rhamphomyia hirtula belongs to the R. hirtula group.

Figures

FIGURES 56–61. Rhamphomyia, male. 56. R. hirtula Zetterstedt, habitus, lateral view; 57–61. R. kaninensis Frey. 57. habitus, lateral view; 58. mid leg, anterior view; 59. hind leg, anterior view; 60. terminalia, lateral view; 61. phallus, lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph—phallus.