Parydra (Chaetoapnaea) mitis ( Cresson, 1930 )

Parydra (Chaetoapnaea) mitis ( Cresson, 1930) View in CoL

( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 25 View FIGURES 22–25 , 79–82 View FIGURES 79–82 )

Napaea mitis Cresson 1930 a: 110 ; type-locality: „Hammern, Upper Austria “ [ Austria]; holotype ♂ [ANSP, Cresson 1930].

Napaea obscuripennis Duda 1942: 37–38 ; type-locality: „Wustung b. Habelschwerdt“ [ Poland]; lectotype ♂, des. by Papp (1979) [ZMB, Papp 1979], synonymy by Papp (1979).

Parydra raffonei Canzoneri 1986: 29–30 View in CoL ; type-locality: „S. Stefano di Cadore, Comelico Superiore“ [ Italy]; holotype ♀ [PSCA, Canzoneri 1986], synonymy by Canzoneri & Vienna (1991).

Primary type material examined:

♂ lectotype of P. obscuripennis in coll. ZMB with these labels: (1) “18 3 29”; (2) “Wustung / b Habelschwerdt / l. Duda””; (3) “obscuri- / pennis / ♂ d. Duda”; (4) “ Lectotypus ” .

Additional material examined: 22 specimens from Finland, Germany and European Russia.

Diagnosis: Parydra mitis is one of the more difficult Parydra species to recognise. Small, compact specimens with the face subshining and obviously contrasting with the dusting on the frontal vita, completely black legs, distinct wing markings, the scutum with submedial dusting stripes but without a medial dusting stripe ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 22–25 ) and usually with no distinct dorsocentral seta in front prescutellar dorsocentral seta are good candidates for this species. The separation of P. mitis from black legged P. hecate with indistinct dusting on scutum and missing or broken dorsocentral setae can be particularly challenging. Males are identified due to the slightly elongated tergite 5 that is clearly longer than tergite 4 ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ). The male terminalia of P. mitis is unique in having an elongated and narrow phallus in dorsal view ( Fig. 79 View FIGURES 79–82 ) that is bent ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 81 View FIGURES 79–82 ) and nearly triangular, blunt postgonites in dorsal view ( Fig. 79 View FIGURES 79–82 ).

Distribution in Europe: Mainly boreo-montane and widely distributed in Scandinavia up to 70°N ( GBIF 2024) and in mountainous regions of central Europe including the Alps. There are isolated records from Umbria, Italy ( Canzoneri & Vienna 2000), from a fen on a German North Sea island and from European Russia ( Stuke et al. 2025). Parydra mitis is rarely recorded in comparison to other Parydra species. It has not been recorded from outside Europe to date.

Biology: Records are from stream valleys, springs in meadows and fens. The flight time spans from March to August with a peak in late summer.