Helius (Helius) obliteratus ( Alexander, 1920 )

Podenas, Sigitas & Byun, Hye-Woo, 2014, New Limoniinae crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) of Korea, Journal of Species Research 3 (2), pp. 167-182 : 178-179

Helius (Helius) obliteratus ( Alexander, 1920)

Rhamphidia obliterata Alexander, 1920: 7 .

Helius (Helius) obliteratus : Savchenko and Krivolutskaya, 1976: 115.

General coloration light brown. @ody length of male 6.5 mm. Wing length of male 7.6 mm.

Head dark gray. Anterior vertex narrow, covered with sparse erect brown setae. Male antennae very long, if bent backward, extending beyond the base of the abdomen. Scape comparatively short, approximaly 1.5 times as long as wide, brown. Pedicel rounded, brown. Flagellar segments very elongate, cylindrical, covered with dense brownish pubescence ( Fig. 5C ). @asal flagellomere yellow with slightly darkened apex, remaining flagellomeres brown. Verticils inconspicuous, scarcely exceeding the pubescence. Rostrum elongate, slightly exceeding head in length, dark brown, covered with semi-erect brown setae, 0.55 mm long in male. Palpus same color as rostrum. Mouth parts whitish.

Thorax light brown, yellowish. Pronotum light brown, somewhat darker dorsally and lighter laterally, frontal and caudal margins with few erect setae. Mesonotal prescutum light brown. Prescutal stripes indistinct. Frontal margin of prescutum darkened. Narrow brown vita extends medially. It is somewhat darker frontally and caudally with central part very indistinct. Pseudosutural foveae pale chestnut-brown, shiny. Posterior sclerites of notum light brown frontally, brown posteriorly, yellowish laterally. Scutellum light brown, dusky medially. Mediotergite brown with grayish tinge. Pleura dorsally brownish, ventrally yellowish. Wing ( Fig. 5A ) translucent with a faint brownish tinge, costal area yellowish, faint darkening at base of Rs and at branching point of Rs. Stigma big and distinct, brown and oval. Veins brown. Venation: Sc 1 reaching wing margin slightly before branching point of Rs, Sc 2 close to Sc 1 tip. Rs angulated and short spurred at base. Separate vein R 2 missing. @oth branches of Rs diverging distally. Discal cell large, rectangular, twice as long as wide. @asal deflection of CuA 1 beyond branching point of M, about at one-fifth of discal cell’s length. @oth anal veins long and straight. Anal angle medium-sized. Length of male haltere 1.1 mm. Haltere pale, knob slightly infuscated. Frontal coxae light brown, median and posterior coxae yellow. Trochanters yellow, with distinctly blackened distal ends. Femur yellow. Tibiae yellow slightly darkened towards distal end. Tarsi brown. Male femur I: 5.8 mm long, II: 6.2 mm long.

@asal abdominal tergites brown, basal sternites yellowish brown. Caudal abdominal segments darkened, especially dark ninth segment. Sclerites covered with semi-erect scarce, yellowish setae. Ninth tergite of male genitalia ( Fig. 5 @) dark brown, with two small lobes on posterior margin and shallow medial emargination. Gonocoxite yellow, elongate, unusually complicated ( Fig. 5D ): it is bearing small darkened subbasal lobe, long narrow medial lobe and large subapical lobe on dorsal surface, ventral side swollen distally. Gonostyles comparatively simple, narrow and elongate. Outer gonostylus long and slender, fleshy, with blunt tip. Inner gonostylus darkened with small hook on apex. Paramere short and wide with widely rounded distal end. Penis short, asymmetric, bearing subapical lateral branch, tip distinctly turned upwards.

Period of activity. Adults are flying from very end of May through end of June in Korea.

Habitat. According to Savchenko and Krivolutskaya (1976), species could be found in marshes with sedge grooves, in different wet forests and along streams.

General distribution. Species was known from Japan and Kurile islands (Far East of Russia) ( Oosterbroek, 2014).

Examined materials ( Fig. 7E ): 6@@ (pinned), Korea #12, Hwy. #20, 8 mi. SW. Kangnung , 128 47′E, 37 42′N, 8 June 1954, 1925’, George W. @yers; 1@ (pinn- ed), Korea #13, Hwy. #20, 8 mi. SW. Kangnung , 128 47′E, 37 42′N, 9 June 1954, 1925’, George W. @yers; 1@ (preserved in ethanol), South Korea, Topdong-ri , Jinbu-myeon , Pyeongchang-gun , Odaesan National Park, Gangwon-do, N37.72722, E128.55222, 2012.V.29-VI. 28, S.-J. Park & I.-J. Hur, malaise trap. Also compared with the metatype from Japan: 1@ (slide-mounted), Kosugidani, Yakushima, 2500’, Kiushiu, Apr. 29, 1929 (S. Issiki) .

Figures

Fig. 5. Helius (Helius) obliteratus. A. wing. @. male genitalia, dorsal view. C. basal segments of male antenna. D. male genitalia, lateral view.

Fig. 7. Distribution maps of Korean Limoniinae crane flies. A. Achyrolimonia neonebulosa. @. Dicranoptycha diacantha. C. Dicranoptycha prolongata. D. Helius (Helius) gracillimus. E. Helius (H.) obliteratus. F. Helius (H.) polionotus.