Panorpa helena, Byers, 1962 a

Dickson, Kathryn, 2024, Catalogue of the Family Panorpidae (Mecoptera) in Canada, México and the United States, Zootaxa 5559 (1), pp. 1-63 : 22

helena Byers, 1962a

Panorpa venosa Hine 1901 , in part. Hine 1901: 250 (description); Esben-Petersen 1921: 66, fig 71; Carpenter 1931: 234, figs 16, fig 51; Byers 1962a: 474 ( venosa is restricted to coastal GA, helena represents the inland group of the widespread species previously known as venosa ).

Panorpa helena Byers 1962a: 474 (description), fig 6 (genital bulb of ♂ holotype); Boese 1973: 174 (4th instar larva, general morphology, chaetotaxy, key to species), fig 18 (ninth abdominal segment); Thornhill & Johnson 1974: 49 (key, distribution and habitat in MI), fig 12 (♂ genital plate), fig 34 (♀ genital plate), fig 49 (map of distribution in MI); Webb 1974:172 (comparison with insolens and setifera ); Thornhill 1979:886 (pair formation pheromones); Thornhill 1980a: 180 (ecological and behavioural interactions of Panorpa in MI woodland); Thornhill 1981: 372 (reproductive behavior); Aranguren 1987: 140 (description/figures ♂ ♀ incl. genitalia, distribution, habitat, first records in Canada [MB, ON]); Griffiths 1995: 12 (description, range, susceptibility to trapping methods), fig 8 (forewing), fig 12 (♂ genital bulb), fig 16 (♀ genital plate), fig 31 (distribution within IL), fig 41 (variation in wing maculation); Adams et al. 1997: 759 ( Spiroplasma alleghenense in helena ); Robison et al. 1997: 314 (new record from AR); Misof et al. 2000: 77 (mtDNA evidence for polyphyly of Panorpa ); Cheung et al. 2006: 9 (distribution in ON, photos ♂ genital bulb and wing); Flint 2013: 131–135 (comparison of helena and insolens ), fig 23 (♂ ventral paramere); Miller et al. 2014: 107 (photomicrographs of ♂ genital bulb and wing, unusual record from CA); Chou et al. 2019: 1 (genome of Spiroplasma alleghenense in helena ); Flint, et al. 2020: 7 (key), 11 (VA seasonal and locality records), fig 29 (wings), fig 53 (♂ genital bulb), map 18 (distribution in VA); Keiper & Ivanov, 2020: 302 ( helena feeding at carcasses); Wang & Hua, 2021: 546 (morphological evidence for polyphyly of Panorpa ).

Holotype ♂: SEMC [#6070]. USA. PA, Berks Co., French Creek State Park , swampy woods south of Hopewell Lake, 7.vii.1960, G. W. Byers.

Allotype ♀: SEMC ibid.

Paratypes: ANSP (2♂) , PSUC (2♂, 5♀) , SEMC (9U). Flint (2013) noted that paratypes need to reviewed as some may be misidentified as insolens , particularly those from KS, KY and OH .

Distribution: Canada; MB, ON. USA; DC, MD, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV ( Flint 2013). Given Flint’s (2013) demonstration of misidentifications of helena and insolens , his species range is restated here).

Published misidentification according to Flint (2013): Panorpa helena, Webb et al. 1975: 302–303 (♂ description), fig 126, 127 (♂ genital bulb, ventral paramere).