Limonia episema Alexander, 1924

Podenas, Sigitas & Podeniene, Virginija, 2017, Limonia crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) of Korea, Zootaxa 4231 (1), pp. 1-37 : 10-11

Limonia episema Alexander, 1924

( Figs. 9–10 )

Limonia episema Alexander, 1924: 551 .

Examined material: Paratype 1 female (slide-mounted wing), Japan, Toyohava , Saghalien, July 23, 1922, Teiso Esaki ( USNM) ; 1 female (pinned), North Korea, Seren Mts. , [alt.] 3700 ft ., VI–30, 1938, Yankovsky ( USNM); 1 female (pinned), North Korea, Kankyo Nando , Puksu Pyaksan, alt. 5500 ft ., VI–25, 1939, A. Yankovsky ( USNM); 1 female (pinned), N. Korea: Chonsani , [alt.] 3000 ft ., VI–7–1940, coll. Yankovsky; 1 female (pinned), N. Korea: Pontani Paiktusan , [alt.] 4000 ft ., VII–25–1940, coll. Yankovsky.

General body coloration brownish yellow. Female body length 8.5–10.5 mm, wing length 10.1–11.7 mm. Wing reaches distinctly beyond tip of abdomen.

Head. Dark brown, dusted with gray, posterior margin dorsally narrowly rusty brown. Female antenna 2.1–2.4 mm long, 14-segmented. Scape elongate, brownish. Pedicel oval, obscure yellow. Basal flagellomere yellow with brownish distal margin. Few terminal flagellomeres dark brown, intermediate flagellomeres dark brown with obscure yellow base. Segments covered with dense whitish pubescence. Verticils about 2.5 times as long as respective segments. Rostrum semi polished, dark brown with black spot dorso-basally, palpus black, labella grayish brown.

Thorax. Pronotum dark brown dorsally, obscure yellow laterally. Mesonotal prescutum semi-polished, brownish-yellow with three dark brown longitudinal stripes. Median stripe getting narrower posteriorly, not reaching suture. Scutal lobe brown with yellow postero-lateral angle. Scutellum and mediotergite brownish yellow. Pleuron obscure yellow with brownish areas at the middle of episternum and ventral part of katepisternum. Wing ( Fig. 9 ) yellowish. Very small brown spots at base of Rs, tip of Sc2 and tip of R1. Stigma light, but surrounded by brownish margin. Veins brown, except yellowish Sc. Venation: Sc1 reaching to about middle of Rs, Sc2 at tip of Sc1. Rs medium long, slightly arched. Basal deflection of CuA1 slightly before branching point of M. Stem of halter yellowish at base, brownish at apex, knob brown. Female halter 1.6–1.7 mm long. Coxae brownish yellow, trochanters yellow. Femora yellow, distally with two distinct dark brown rings preceded by yellow areas, middle of femur slightly darkened. Tibiae yellowish brown, distal part narrowly darkened. Tarsomeres brown, except yellowish base of basal tarsomere. Female femur I: 5.7–7.1 mm, II: 7.6 mm, III: 7.5–8.5 mm; tibia I: 8.1–8.6 mm, II: 7.9–8.0 mm, III: 7.8–8.7 mm; tarsus I: 7.1 mm, II: 6.9 mm, III: 6.6–7.2 mm.

Abdomen. Brown to dark brown, caudal margins yellowish. Basal sternite yellow, two succeeding sternites yellowish brown. Ovipositor ( Fig. 10 ) yellowish brown, base of cercus and hypovalva marked with dark brown. Cercus long and narrow, slightly arched. Hypovalva reaching to about one third of cercus.

Elevation range in Korea. Adults were collected at altitudes ranging from 900 m to nearly 1700 m.

Period of activity. Adults are active and on the wing through entire June and July.

Habitat. Information for the habitat of this species in Korea is unavailable. Yadamsuren et al. (2015) mentions that species develops in wet soils, Savchenko (1983) writes that this species is flying in mixed and coniferous woods.

General distribution. Currently known from the Far East of Russia, Mongolia and Japan, and recorded here from the Korean Peninsula for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 10. Limonia episema. 9: wing; 10: ovipositor, lateral view.