Hemineurina algida ( Frey, 1948 )

Vilkamaa, Pekka & Menzel, Frank, 2019, Re-classification of Lycoriella Frey sensu lato (Diptera, Sciaridae), with description of Trichocoelina gen. n. and twenty new species, Zootaxa 4665 (1), pp. 1-67 : 10-11

Hemineurina algida ( Frey, 1948) restit. et comb. n.

Material studied. Lectotype, male (here designated). RUSSIA, ‘ Regio kuusamoensis, Paanajärvi’ [= Republic of Karelia, Kemsky District, village Paanajärvi], specimen no. 739, type no. 8372 (ID GE.250), 24.VI.1937, R. Frey (without genitalia, in MZH) . Paralectotypes. 4 males [all misidentification; = Hemineurina modesta ( Staeger, 1840) ]: FINLAND, Ab (Regio aboensis), Vichtis [= Vihti], Päivölä , wood pile, 28.VIII.1943, R. Frey , 1 male (ID GE.1769, in MZH); FINLAND, Ta (Tavastia australis), Kangasala [SE of Tampere], 11.VI.1942, R. Frey , 1 male (ID GE.1770, in MZH); FINLAND, LKem (Lapponia kemensis), Pallastunturi [= mountain Pallastunturi SW of Raattama], 8.VII.1943, R. Frey , 1 male (ID GE.1773, in MZH); FINLAND, Le (Lapponia enontekiensis), Kilpisjärvi , Malla [= Lapland, Enontekiö, Malla mountains near Kilpisjärvi], 18.VII.1943, R. Frey , 1 male (ID GE.1771, in MZH). The other type specimens of ‘ Bradysia (Hemineurina) algida ’ mentioned by Frey (1948: 84) were collected in ‘ N. Helsingfors, Kottby’ [= FINLAND, Nylandia, Helsinki, Kottby district] and ‘ Le. Saana’ [= FINLAND, Lapponia enontekiensis, Enontekiö , Saana mountain near Kilpisjärvi ]. These paralectotypes could not be found in the MZH collection and were not revised .

Literature. Lycoriella (Hemineurina) globiceps (Becher) — Menzel & Mohrig (2000): 403 [in part, misidentification]; Coulson & Refseth (2004): 103; Salmela & Vilkamaa (2005): 291 [both misidentifications]. Lycoriella globiceps (Becher) — Mukkala et al. (2005): 16, 32; Vilkamaa et al. (2007): 228 [all misidentifications]. Bradysia (Hemineurina) algida Frey—Frey (1948) : 66, 84, pl. 18, fig. 107. Lycoriella algida (Frey) — Jakovlev (1994): 76; Hellrigl (1996): 633. Lycoriella (Hemineurina) algida (Frey) — Tuomikoski (1960): 75, 77; Pavluchenko (1984): 94; Gerbachevskaja-Pavluchenko (1986): 30; Röschmann & Mohrig (1994): 203.

Discussion. Hemineurina algida (Frey) is a small, common, boreoalpine species (body length of the male 1.7–2.0 mm). Of Frey’s original type series, only one male remains, which corresponds with the description by Frey (1948: 66, fig. 107). Frey (1948) prepared his figure 107 based on the now designated lectotype specimen (checked before the loss of male genital during the slide re-mounting). All other revised specimens of the type series in MZH belong to H. modesta (Staeger) , as was already noted by Tuomikoski. Hemineurina algida (Frey) is similar to H. thuringiensis (Menzel & Mohrig) comb. n. The gonostylus of the very variable H. algida is mostly much narrower than that in H. thuringiensis , less impressed medially, the medial megasetae narrower and the basoventral seta groups of the intergonocoxal area hypopygium are less distinct. The seta groups of the intergonocoxal area can be very variable even in material from one locality [e.g., 1488 males were studied from the Tyresta National Park near Stockholm, Sweden (in SDEI, SMNH) and ca. 50 specimens from other European countries, incl. Finland and Norway (in MZH, SDEI)]. A morphological study showed that the basoventral seta groups can vary from 8–10 closely spaced setae to a near absence of setae. Furthermore, H. algida has a longer gonocoxa and somewhat wider basal bodies of the antennal flagellomeres with yellowish-whitish setosity. H. thuringiensis has the gonocoxa shorter and more compact, the flagellomeres slightly longer and with dirty pale brown setosity, the gonostylus shorter and thickened, the medial megasetae mostly stronger and the seta groups of the intergonocoxal area more dense and separated from each other like islands.