Parydra (Parydra) nigritarsis Strobl, 1893

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2025, Taxonomic and faunistic comments on European Parydra Stenhammar, 1844 (Diptera: Ephydridae) with new species from Finland and Jordan, Zootaxa 5686 (1), pp. 49-105 : 62-63

Parydra (Parydra) nigritarsis Strobl, 1893

( Figs. 14 , 83–88 )

Parydra nigritarsis Strobl 1893: 280 ; type-locality: „ Auf Sumpfwiesen des Natterriege l (c. 5500') und um Hohentauern (4000')“ [ Austria]; lectotype ♂ herewith designated [NMBA].

Primary type material examined:

Lectotype ♂ of P. nigritarsis , herewith designated, with these labels pinned at the specimen: (1) “ Syntypus ”; (2) “ Lectotypus / Parydra nigritarsis / Strobl, 1893 ♂ / des. Stuke 2025 ”. Additional with this collection label: (3) “ Par. nigritarsis m. / Natterriegel & illegible sign & 22 / 8 91 ♂.” The lectotype is pinned on a minute. The right wing is missing, otherwise the specimen is in a good condition ( Fig. 14 ).

Additional material examined: ROMANIA: 1♂, 25.v.1983, Calimăni [47,264°N 25,351°E], 1700 m, leg. I. Ceianu ; 1♀, 2.vi.1978, Carpathian , „Val. Pulnei“, 1000 m, leg. I. Ceianu ; SWITZERLAND: 1♀, 1.–15.vii.1991, Kanton Graubünden, Dischmatal [46,780°N 9,872°E], 1800, leg. P. Brodmann ; 1♀, 15.–30.vi.1990, dito; 2♀♀, 16.–30.vi.1990, dito; 1♂ 1♀, 22.v.1991, dito; 1♀, 24.vii.2012, Kanton Uri, Furkapass, Alpfor aerea 11.2 [46,572°N 8,415°E], 2400, leg. G. Bächli ; 1♀, 21.vi.2003, Kanton Wallis, Morgins , La Chaux-Culet, 1799–1900 m, leg. B. Merz.

Diagnosis: A small black legged Parydra with a strongly dusted face, broad gena, the knob of the haltere usually dark brown and wing brown infuscated without obvious wing markings nor additional vein stump is a good candidate for P. nigritarsis . It is most similar to P. arctica and P. kahanpaai . The frontal triangle is subshining, especially at the tip, and contrasts with the more densely dusted frontal vita. The scutum always has a central stripe of pale dusting though this can be indistinct. Examination of the unique male terminalia, characterised by phallus and phallus apodeme separated, phallus apodeme without lateral arms, postgonite narrow, curved and pointed apically ( Fig. 86 ) is recommended for reliable identification.

Taxonomy: Chvála (2008) remarked that an unpublished lectotype designation of Canzoneri & Meneghini is invalid and that the specimen herewith designated as lectotype was already proposed by Kubátová-Hiršová, who examined the material 2003. However, to date there was no lectotype designation published. The designation of this lectotype is necessary due to the difficulty of interpretation of P. nigritarsis and the possibility that the type series of Strobl may also include other Parydra species.

P. nigritarsis was wrongly synonymised with P. obliterata by Zatwarnicki (1991). This mistake was corrected by Zatwarnicki & Beschovski (2004) but the identification of P. nigritarsis was not properly documented and the subgenus position of P. nigritarsis was not clarified. Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995) placed P. nigritarsis in the subgenus Parydra s. str. Due to the characters of the male terminalia this placement can be confirmed.

Distribution in Europe: Due to identification difficulties the distribution of P. nigritarsis is unclear and only the records listed above are reliable. These indicate a disjunct montane distribution in Europe with records from the Alps ( Austria, Switzerland) and the Carpathians ( Romania). Scandinavian records of P. nigritarsis may all belong to P. kahanpaai .

Biology: No specific information about the habitat is available. Parydra nigritarsis is a montane species with records from May to July.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Habitus of Parydra nigritarsis Strobl (lectotype).

FIGURES 83–88. Terminalia and sternites of Parydra nigritarsis Strobl. 83, terminalia, dorsal view. 84, hypandrium, maximal expansion. 85, phallus and phallus apodeme, lateral view. 86, hypandrium with postgonite, lateral view. 87, subepandrial plate. 88, sternites 2–4, ventral view.hy—hypandrium. pg—postgonite; ph—phallus; pha—phallus apodeme; S—sternite.