Spilogona pusilla Huckett (1932)

Spilogona pusilla Huckett (1932) View in CoL

Fig. 6 B View FIGURE 6

Limnophra (Spilogona) pusilla Huckett, 1932b: 134 , March. Type locality: “ Tennessee Pass , Colorado (10240 feet), J.M. Aldrich [ USA] [seen].

Limnophra (Spilogona) albisquama Ringdahl, 1932: 156 , October. Type-locality: “Mehrere Männchen bei Abisko und Kiruna in der subarktischen Region von mir gefangen, Juli 1918 ” [ SWEDEN]. Syn. nov.

Spilogona albisquama Ringdahl (1932) View in CoL ; Sorokina, 2017: 52 (Nenetz AO); Sorokina, 2018: 234 (Altai Mts); Tridrikh & Sorokina, 2021: 826, 832 (Magadan region).

Notes. Huckett (1932a: 62, key, March; 1932b: 134, June) described Limnophra (Spilogona) pusilla from specimens from Colorado ( USA) and Nettilling Lake, Baffin Land ( Canada). In the same year Ringdahl (1932, October) described two species Spilogona albisquama View in CoL and Spilogona subfuscisquama View in CoL from specimens from Abisko ( Sweden) and pointed out their minor differences, mainly in the colour of calypters and male terminalia. Later Huckett (1965) synonymized Spilogona subfuscisquama Ringdahl View in CoL with Spilogona pusilla View in CoL because both species have calypters tinged, the lower one with margin markedly dark brownish infuscated. However, Huckett’s figures of the male terminalia of Spilogona pusilla View in CoL ( Huckett, 1965: 353, Plate XVI, fig. 173) agreed well Hennig’s figure of the male terminalia of Spilogona albisquama View in CoL ( Hennig, 1959a: Taf. XIV, fig. 288). Hennig examined Ringdahl’s specimens of Spilogona albisquama View in CoL and Spilogona subfuscisquama View in CoL ( Hennig, 1959b: Taf. XVIII, fig. 354), and gave good illustrations of the male terminalia of both species which are very different. Ringdahl’s figures of the male terminalia of Spilogona albisquama View in CoL and Spilogona subfuscisquama View in CoL are also different ( Ringdahl, 1956: 180, figs 76, 78). Moreover, Hennig pointed to weak elongate pv setae on the hind femur of Spilogona albisquama View in CoL and their absence in Spilogona subfuscisquama View in CoL ( Hennig, 1959a: 265, key).

Specimens of Spilogona pusilla in the CNC were examined. The paratype of Spilogona pusilla [Nettilling Lake, Baffin Land, July 9, 1925, J.D.D. Soper] and a long series of specimens from Clyde, Baffin Island, belong to Spilogona humeralis Huckett, 1965 . Among specimens of Spilogona pusilla I also found female specimens of Spilogona atrisquamula Hennig, 1959 and male specimens of Spilogona subfuscisquama from Salmita Mines (NWT). All correctly identified specimens of Spilogona pusilla in this collection have hind femur on basal half with short, weak but distinct pv setae. The terminalia are the same in specimens from different localities which fit the terminalia of Spilogona albisquama , and in these specimens the colour of calypters varies from light yellow to brownish.

I examined and dissected the holotype of Spilogona pusilla . The type has hind femur with short weak pv setae, lower calypter a little darkened but not much, and the terminalia fits Spilogona albisquama . I therefore conclude that Limnophora (Spilogona) albisquama Ringdahl, 1932 is a new junior synonym of Limnophora (Spilogona) pusilla Huckett, 1932 , but Spilogona subfuscisquama Ringdahl (1932) is valid species (see below).

Additional material examined. RUSSIA, Magadan area : 1♀, 100 km NNE Seimchan, Nature Reserve “Magadansky”, 63°38’N 153°16’E, shrub swamp, sweeping in grass, 15.vii.2019, leg. N. Tridrikh GoogleMaps ; 1♀, the same data, but larch woodland, 24.vii.2019 GoogleMaps ; 1♀, the same data, but 63°39’N 153°17’, cotton grass swamp, 25.vii.2019 GoogleMaps ; 1♀, the same data, but 63°41’N 153°22E’, Karasevoe lake , 25.vii.2019 GoogleMaps (all SZMN).

Distribution. PALAEARCTIC: Finland, Norway, Russia (Siberia and Far East), Sweden. NEARCTIC:Alaska, Yukon, NWT, Manitoba, Quebec, Labrador.

DNA barcode. BOLD BIN: BOLD:ACR4125. See Table 1 for GenBank accession numbers.