Limnia testacea Sack, 1939

Vikhrev, Nikita E., 2023, Notes on the Palaearctic fauna of Limnia (Diptera, Sciomyzidae), Amurian Zoological Journal XV (2), pp. 284-292 : 288-289

Limnia testacea Sack, 1939

Fig. 9

Limnia testacea Sack, 1939

Pherbina testacea Sack, 1939 ( Leclercq 1981) Limnia setosa Yano, 1978 ( Mortelmans 2020) Limnia testacea Sack, 1939 ( Mortelmans 2020) RUSSIA: Buryatia Reg.: Kyren env., 51.7 ° N, 102.1 ° E, 750 m, 16‒ 19.06.2021, N. Vikhrev, 5♂, 6♀; E. Makovetskaya, 1♂, 3♀.

Jewish Reg., Babstovo , 48.12 ° N, 132.48 ° E, 15‒ 20.06.2013, I. Melnik, 1♀ ;

Khabarovsk Reg. : 4 km S Gur R. (near road P454), 50.01 ° N, 137.08 ° E, 21.06.2022, N. Vikhrev, 5♂, 5♀ ; Bychikha , 48.30 ° N, 134.82 ° E, 13.07.2014, N. Vikhrev, 3♂, 1♀ ; Khabarovsk suburb, 48.6 ° N, 135.1 ° E: 25.07.2014, N. Vikhrev, 1♀ ; 27– 30.06.2022, N. Vikhrev, 8♂, 3♀; Mayak env., 48.90 ° N, 136.19 ° E: 8.06.2022, 2♂ ; 24.06.2022, 1♂, 1♀ ; Primorsky Reg.: Andreevka , 42.64 ° N, 131.13 ° E, 25– 30.06.2014, N. Vikhrev, 3♂ ; Khanka L., 45.06 ° N, 131.99 ° E, 15– 19.06.2014, N. Vikhrev, 1♂, 7♀; Khasansky distr., Ryazanovka (≈ 42.79 ° N, 131.26 ° E), 8.06.1989, A. Shatalkin, 3♂, 4♀ ; Lotos L.: 42.46 ° N, 130.64 ° E, 1– 3.07.2014, N. Vikhrev, 2♂, 1♀; 28.07.2018, 1♂; Spassk-Dalny , 44.58 ° N, 132.85 ° E, 15.06.2014, N. Vikhrev, 2♂ .

DISTRIBUTION. Described from China, Heilongjiang province,Harbin.One of the most common Sciomyzidae in Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions, less common in the Japanese and Kuril Islands, the westernmost finding is SE Baikalia.

REMARKS. L. testacea Sack, 1939 ( Fig. 9 ) is a species with a complicated history; Leclercq (1981) transferred it to the genus Pherbina, Mortelmans (2020) transferred it back to Limnia . The same species was described as Limnia setosa Yano, 1978 and synonymized with L. testacea by Mortelmans (2020). I rather agree with Mortelmans’s decision.

However, the presence of both unguicornis and testacea in the same genus makes it problematic to formulate the generic diagnosis for Limnia . These species have different wing patterns and share only few characters: anepisternum and anepimeron with at least some setulae; hind coxa with hairs on inner posterior margin. However, these characters are also present in Psacadina , Pherbina , Trypetoptera and even in Ilione , Elgiva or Dictya . At the same time, since most authors (Sack, Yano, Mortelmans) regarded the taxon testacea ( = setosa ) as belonging to Limnia , I believe that it is better to leave the existing division of Tetanocerini into genera where possible. Note also that the Nearctic Limnia species with unguicornis -like or testacea -like wing pattern are all included in the genus Limnia .

I hope that one day molecular data will clarify the phylogeny of Tetanocerini . So far, the molecular data ( Chapman et al. 2012; Tothova et al. 2012) indicated a close relationship between genera Limnia , Trypetoptera , Pherbina and probable paraphyly of the genus Limnia . What is more, the data by Chapman et al. (2012) indicated that in the case of Nearctic Limnia , the species with unguicornis -like wing pattern are not congeneric with those with testacea -like (or in America boscii -like) wing pattern. If this is confirmed, then L. testacea and related species will move to another genus once again.

Figures

Figs. 9–11. General view: 9 — female Limnia testacea; 10 — male Limnia jakovlevi; 11 — female Trypetoptera punctulata Рис. 9–11. Общий виΑ: 9 — самка Limnia testacea; 10 — самец Limnia jakovlevi; 11 — самка Trypetoptera punctulata