Muscina pascuorum Meigen, 1826

Vikhrev, Nikita E. & Esin, Mikhail N., 2023, Notes on Palaearctic Muscina (Diptera, Muscidae), Amurian Zoological Journal XV (1), pp. 31-41 : 36-37

Muscina pascuorum Meigen, 1826

Figs 1 , 2, 12

Muscina japonica Shinonaga, 1974 , syn. nov.

AZERBAIJAN: Lankaran Distr., Hircan park, 38.65 ° N, 48.78 ° E, K. Tomkovich, 15– 22.05.2009, 3♂ ; Yardimli Distr., Kyurekchi vill., ulmus forest, 38.86 ° N, 48.11 ° E, 1700 m, K. Tomkovich, 23– 25.05.2009, 2♂ ; Lankaran Distr., Xanbulan vill., 38.66 ° N, 48.80 ° E, N. Vikhrev, 25.10.2008, 2♂ ;

CHINA, Port-Artur (=Dalian, 38.9 ° N, 121.6 ° E), Chernyshov, 12.07.1904, 1♂ ( ZIN) ; KAZAKHSTAN, Almaty Reg., Almaty env. (43.2 ° N, 76.9 ° E), B. Kuzin, 06.1945, 2♂ ;

KYRGYZSTAN: Jalal-Abad Reg., Chatkal Distr. , Sary-Chelek L. (41.9 ° N, 72.0 ° E), L. Zimina, 29.05.1952, 2♀ ;

NEPAL, Rasuwa Distr. , Dhunche env., 28.10 ° N, 85.32 ° E, 2000 m, A. Medvedev, 7– 9.06.2017, 8♂, 2♀ ( ZMUM) .

RUSSIA: Buryatia Reg., Tarbagatay (51.5 ° N 107.3 ° E), K. Grunin, 3.07.1957, 3♂ ( ZIN) ; Mordovia Reg., Pushta vill. env., 54.71 ° N, 43.22 ° E, 1– 5.09.2020, N. Vikhrev, 1♀ ( ZMUM); 1000 ♂ ♀, see Notes on habits of Muscina below ;

Moscow Reg., Serpukhov Distr. , Prioksko- Terrasny NR (54.9 ° N, 37.6 ° E), E. Knyazeva, 3.09.2020, 1♂ ( ZMUM) .

Tyumen Reg ., Tyumen suburb (57.2 ° N, 65.7 ° E), G. Veselkin: 15.09.1975, 1♂ ; 1.06.1976, 1♀ ; Primorsky Reg.: Slavyanka (42.87 ° N, 131.38 ° E), K. Grunin, 5.07.1971, 1♂ ( ZIN) ; Kamenushka , 43.62 ° N, 132.23 ° E, N. Vikhrev, 22– 24.06.2014, 1♀ ; Gorno-Tayozhnoe , (43.70 ° N, 132.16 ° E), K. Borisova, 10.08.1962, 1♂ ( ZIN) ;

Sakhalin Reg., Iturup Island , 5 km SW of Kurilsk (45.20 ° N, 147.85 ° E), V . Rikhter , 22.06.1968, 1♀ ( ZIN) ;

Samara Reg., Shiryaevo env., 53.40 ° N, 50.05 ° E, I. Melnik, 13.07.2012, 1♂ ; TAJIKISTAN, Varzob Gorge , Takob, 38.84 ° N, 68.90 ° E, K. Tomkovich, 2– 4.06.2010, 1♀ ; UKRAINE: Zakarpattia Reg., Uzhgorod Distr. , Turya Polyana vill. (48.7 ° N, 22.8 ° E), L. Zimina, 27.06.1954, 1♀ ;

Cherkasy Reg., Kaniv , (49.7 ° N, 31.4 ° E), M. Delicatny, 01.08.1977, 3♀; V . Sychevskaya, 16.09.1975, 1♂;

USA, RI state., Coventry Co , 41.69 ° N, 71.55 ° W, A. Medvedev, 1– 14.05.2017, 1♀ .

VIETNAM, Sa Pa env., 22.321 ° N, 103.856 ° E, 140 m, N. Vikhrev, 19– 29.03.2019, 1♂, 1♀ .

DISTRIBUTION. The Holarctic and the north of Oriental region. It is remarkable that M. pascuorum is the only Palaearctic Muscina which did not expand to remote Atlantic islands (Azores, Canary or Madeira).

SYNONYMY. M. japonica Shinonaga, 1974 was described as a species similar to M. pascuorum but with the lower calypter dark brown. However, in his publication on Muscidae of Nepal, Shinonaga (1994: 140) described Nepalese Muscina as having “Lower squama dark brown, broad” as M. pascuorum . (As follows from the listed material we also examined series of M. pascuorum from Nepal and our specimens also have lower calypter brown.) Later Shinonaga (2003: 10) came back to the initial diagnosis, “Lower squama yellowish white — pascuorum … Lower squama dark brown — japonica ’. It seems that the author himself is unsure of the validity of his species. Actually, the colour of calypters in M. pascuorum varies widely and gradually (white or yellow to brownish or brown), and we did not find a correlation of this character with any other variable characters. Our specimens of M. prolapsa have calypters white, but a single male from Tenerife has the calypter brown. We believe that such colour differences should be considered as intraspecific variability until serious reasons for otherwise are obtained. So, we suppose Muscina pascuorum Meigen, 1826 = M. japonica Shinonaga, 1974 , syn. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. Male Muscina pascuorum (photo by Andreas Haselboeck) Рис 1. Самец Muscina pascuorum (фото: Andreas Haselboeck)