Parydra (Chaetoapnaea) flavitarsis ( Dahl, 1964 )

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 : 71-73

Parydra (Chaetoapnaea) flavitarsis ( Dahl, 1964)

( Figs. 6 , 48–51 )

Napaea flavitarsis Dahl 1964: 101 ; type-locality: „ Spanish Sahara: Meseiet pr. Aaiun“; holotype ♀ [ZIN, Mathis & Zatwarnicki 1995].

Parydra (Chaetoapnea) taurrensis Canzoneri 1980: 9–10 ; type-locality: „fiume Jato a Ponte Taurro“ [ Italy]; holotype ♀ [PSCA, Canzoneri 1980], synonymy by Canzoneri & Vienna (1994).

Parydra (Chaetoapnaea) danensis Stuke 2012: 208–213 ; type-locality: „ Jordanien / Dana, Quellen und / Bewässerungsgräben / (30°40.51'N 35°36.61'E)“ [ Jordan]; holotype ♂ [ZMB, Stuke 2012] jr. syn. nov.

Material examined: 142 specimens from France , Italy , Jordan , Morocco and Portugal with new country records from Cyprus and first records from the French Atlantic coast: CYPRUS : 1♂ 1♀, 29.iii.2015, creek nw Kouris Stausee [34.766°N 32.902°E] ; 1♂ 1♀, 1.vii.2016, floodplain e Agios Mamas [34.851°N 32.980°E] ; 1♀, 1.vii.2016, floodplain e Agios Mamas [34.851°N 32.980°E] ; 1♂, 30.iii.2015, Foinikas reservoir [34.758°N 32.578°E] ; 2♂♂ 1♀, 29.iii.2015, Germasogeia reservoir outflow [34.742°N 33.084°E] ; 1♂ 1♀, 28.iii.2015, outflow reservoir 2.5 km w Meneou [34.867°N 33.558°E] ; 4♂♂, 1.iv.2015, pond on golf course 1 km se Kouklia [34.691°N 32.597°E] ; 7♂♂ 2♀♀, 27.iii.2015, reedbed n Akrotiri Salzsee [34.632°N 32.963°E] ; 1♀, 2.vii.2016, reservoir 4.5 km w Flasou [35.062°N 32.837°E] ; 1♂, 30.iii.2015, riparian forest s Kidasi [34.798°N 32.705°E] ; 2♂♂ 2♀♀, 1.vii.2016, river Kato Milos [34.894°N 33.008°E] ; 1♂ 1♀, 2.vii.2016, river Pera Pedi [34.862°N 32.873°E] ; 1♂ 1♀, 30.vi.2016, stream s Arakapas [34.841°N 33.112°E] ,; 11♂♂ 4♀♀, 27.iii.2015, wetland Phasouri [34.633°N 32.932°E] ; 1♀, 27.iii.2015, wetland s Akrotiri Salzsee [34.600°N 32.971°E]; FRANCE : 1♂, 9.vii.2024, Nouvelle-Aquitaine , Étang de Langouarde [44.863°N 1.153°W] ; 1♀, 2.vii.2024, Nouvelle-Aquitaine , small salt marsh n Claouey [44.757°N 1.178°W] .

Diagnosis: Typical specimens are recognised by the light tibiae ( Fig. 6 ). Only P. articulata shares this character but this species is separated by the more densely dusted face (subshining in P. flavitarsis ) and the vein stump at radius r 2+3 (no vein stump in P. flavitarsis ). However, specimens occur with dark brown tibiae that are hardly lighter than the femora. Such specimens can closely resemble P. hecate . These two species are very similar and, with the exception of the different colouration of the tibiae in typical specimens, are only separable based on the shape of the postgonite which has a distinct notch in its lateral margin in P. flavitarsis .

Taxonomy: Mathis & Zatwarnicki (1995) incorrectly placed P. flavitarsis in the subgenus Parydra s. str. However, the species conforms to all characters given by Clausen & Cook (1971) for the subgenus Chaetoapnaea (new subgenus position).

Due to its assignment to the wrong subgenus Stuke (2012) did not take P. flavitarsis into account when describing P. danensis . When material identified as P. flavitarsis was made available from Morocco and Portugal it became obvious that P. danensis is conspecific. Therefore, Parydra danensis Stuke, 2012 must be placed as a junior synonym of Parydra flavitarsis (Dahl, 1949) (syn. nov.).

Distribution in Europe: Mainly a mediterranean species with records from Cyprus westwards to Spain. Isolated recent records are from the French Atlantic coast at around 45°N. Outside of Europe P. flavitarsis is known from Jordan ( Stuke 2012) and Morocco ( Canzoneri & Vienna 1994, Vitte 1988, 1991) southwards to Western Sahara ( Dahl 1964).

Biology: Parydra flavitarsis is polyvoltine and flies throughout the year as long as suitable habitats with water are present. It has been recorded in densely vegetated wetlands including rice fields, small ponds, lakes, wet meadows and rivers. It has also regularly been recorded from saline wetlands.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habitus of Parydra flavitarsis (Dahl).

FIGURES 48–51. Terminalia of Parydra flavitarsis (Dahl). 48, dorsal view. 49, hypandrium, maximal expansion. 50, phallus and phallus apodeme, lateral view. 51, hypandrium with postgonite, lateral view. hy—hypandrium; lpha—lateral arms of phallus apodeme; pg—postgonite; ph—phallus; pha—phallus apodeme.