Pollenia mystica Rognes, 1988

Rognes, Knut, 2019, The Calliphoridae (Diptera) of Armenia, Zootaxa 4576 (2), pp. 375-391 : 384

Pollenia mystica Rognes, 1988

Most recent taxonomic treatment. Rognes (1988).

Material. Aragatsotn: Mt Aragats, N 40°29 E44 ° 11, 3240–3350 m, 21.vii.2015, 2 ♂ [2545, 2550]; 3380–3420 m, 21.vii.2015, 1 ♂ 3 ♀ [2544, 2552, 2553, 2554]; 3190–3350 m, 29.vii.2015, 2 ♂ 4 ♀ [2546, 2547, 2555, 2556, 2557, 2558]; 3450–3560 m, 29.vii.2015, 3 ♂ 3 ♀ [2543 (dissected), 2548, 2549, 2559, 2560, 2561]; 3530–3550 m, 13.viii.2017, 3 ♂ 2 ♀ [2616, 2617, 2618, 2619, 2620]; 3520–3580 m, 13.vii.2015, 3 ♂ 4 ♀ [2621, 2622, 2623, 2624, 2625, 2626, 2627]; 3310 m, 16.viii.2017, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ [2614 (dissected), 2615]; River Kasakh between Alagyaz and Aparan, N40°37 E44 ° 20, 1950 m, 31.vii.2015, 1 ♂ [2551].

Distribution. Armenia (this paper), Georgia (holotype and a single paratype) ( Rognes 1988).

Remarks. The holotype male from Georgia was collected on stones at 2460 m, whereas the female paratype from Georgia was collected “in upper levels of forest” ( Rognes 1988: 325, citing label text in Russian). In Armenia it is mostly a high altitude species collected on heath above the treeline ( Fig. 1 ). It is a very dark species with an almost imperceptible layer of microtrichosity on the abdomen, divided lengthwise according to the angle of view: one half appearing evenly but very thinly microtrichose, the other half appearing shiny black. Under some light angles, the abdomen has a slight dark greenish sheen. The male frons is very narrow, about as wide as anterior ocellus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Armenia, Aragatsotn Province, Mt Aragats, heath at 3500 m, 13 August 2017.