Bicellaria uvens Melander

Barták, Miroslav & Kubík, Štěpán, 2013, Species of Bicellaria Macquart (Diptera: Hybotidae) of Europe, with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 3647 (2), pp. 251-278 : 270-272

Bicellaria uvens Melander

( Figs 41–42 )

Bicellaria uvens Melander, 1928: 74 .

Bicellaria bisetosa Tuomikoski, 1936: 84 , syn. nov.

Type material examined. B. bisetosa : PARALECTOTYPES: Russia: 13, Kuusamo [probably collected in area of today’s Russia], 21.vii.1934, Krogerus (labelled: “Mus. Zool. H:fors, Spec. typ. No. 8143 Bicellaria bisetosa Tuomikoski “); 13, same locality, 19.vii.1934, Krogerus (labelled: “Mus. Zool. H:fors, Spec. typ. No. 8142 Bicellaria bisetosa Tuomikoski “); 13, same locality, 13.vii.1934, Krogerus (labelled: “Spec. Typ.”)—(NHMH).

Additional material examined (193, 9Ƥ). NEARCTIC: Canada: BC, 13, Summit L., Alaska Hwy mi. 392, 4500’, 17–19.vii.1959, E.E. McDougall; 13, Atlin, 2200’, 23.vii.1955, B.A. Gibbart; Labrador, 13, Hebron, 10.vii.1954, J.F. McAlpine; Quebec, 13, Ft. Chimo [= Kuujuaq], 16.vii.1948, H.N. Smith; 13, Indian House Lk., 24.vii.1954, W.R. Richards; 2Ƥ, same locality, 5.vii.1954, R. Coyles–all “ B. uvens ” B. Sinclair det.–(CNC). USA: Alaska, 13, King Salmon, Naknek, 13.vii.1952, J.B. Hartley; 13, Unalakleet, 4.vii.1961, B.S. Heming; 1Ƥ, same locality, 5.viii.1961, B.S. Heming—all “ B. uvens ” B. Sinclair det.—(CNC). PALAEARCTIC: Finland: 13, Utsjoki, R. Tuomikoski; 13, same locality, R. Frey; 1Ƥ, Muonio, 2.vii.1867, J. Sahlberg–(MHNH). Russia: 1Ƥ, Kuusamo, 13.vii.1934, Krogerus; 13, same locality, 19.vii.1934; 53, 2Ƥ, same locality, 19.vii.1934; 1Ƥ, same locality, 21.vii.1934; 13, same locality, 29.vii.1934; 13, Suistamo, R. Tuomikoski; 13, Kamtschatka, Bolscherjetsk [now Ust—Bolsheretsk], 20.vii.1917, Y.Wuorentaus; 1Ƥ, same locality, 3.vii.1917 (“Mus. Zool. H:fors, Spec. typ. No. 8201 Bicellaria stackelbergi Tuomikoski ”– paratype of B. stackelbergi )–(MHNH); 13, Amurskaja oblast, Zeja, 8.vii.1981, A. Shatalkin (ZMMU).

Diagnosis. The species belongs to a distinct complex of species [along with at least B. pilipes (Loew) and one still undescribed speices from Siberia] characterized by broad hypandrial processes and usually more than 10 setae on intra- and posthumeral areas. Two dorsal setae usually occur on the fore trochanter (hence the name “ bisetosa ”); however, we found also specimens with only a single seta here (two of them being paralectotypes of B. bisetosa ), and, contrary, other species may have occasionally two such setae (e.g., B. sulcata ). Males of B. uvens may be easily identified according to the genitalia with both phallic hooks present and postgonites slightly broadened laterally and narrow in lateral view ( Figs 41–42 ). There is considerable variability between individual specimens of the species in colour of mesoscutum (being usually darker in Nearctic specimens), in length of ventral setae on hind tibia, in number of scutellar setae (4–6), and in the shape of hind basitarsus (which is sometimes slightly broadened). However, these characters are not consistently different between specimens from North Europe, Eastern Asia and North America; moreover, genitalia of all specimens studied are identical. There may be problems with identification of females of this complex of species.

Distribution. Holarctic species. In Europe known only from Fennoscandia. Published records from Italy (Raffone 2008) and Romania (Parvu 2003) are both probably based on misidentifications and were not included in recent catalogs (Chvála 2012; Yang 2007).

Remarks. The species B. uvens was described from numerous specimens from Fort Chimo [= Kuujuaq], Ungava Bay, Hudson Straits, and northern Labrador ( Canada). The species B. bisetosa was described from an unknown number of specimens from Finland and North European part of Russia. In a later work (Tuomikoski 1955), “Ussuri” was added. Chvála (1983) redescribed this species (under B. bisetosa ), provided illustrations of the face, antenna, fore and hind leg, and genitalia, and designated the lectotype. According to the study of Nearctic materials of B. uvens , we consider both species identical.

Figures

FIGURES 41 – 48. 41 – 44. Hypandrium (ventral view) and phallus with postgonites (lateral view). 41 – 42. Bicellaria uvens Melander. 43 – 44. Bicellaria vana Collin. 45 – 46. Distal part of front tibia and proximal part of front basitarsus (posterior view). 45. Bicellaria spuria (Fallén). 46. Bicellaria vana Collin. 47 – 48. Antennae. 47. Bicellaria dispar Oldenberg. 48. Bicellaria alpina Bezzi (microchaetae mostly omitted). Scale bars = 0.10 mm.