Diversity of Piophilidae (Diptera) in northern Canada and description of a new Holarctic species of Parapiophila McAlpine
Author
Rochefort, Sabrina
Author
Wheeler, Terry A.
text
Zootaxa
2015
3925
2
229
240
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3925.2.5
abeb2b02-dcf3-4e2f-b265-cb6c308e8b59
1175-5326
240714
E71FDC0A-1211-480F-89A6-2F8BEB304592
Parapiophila atrifrons
(Melander & Spuler)
Piophila atrifrons
Melander & Spuler, 1917
: 66
(
type
locality:
United States of America
. Idaho: Troy).
Allopiophila calceata
Duda, 1924
: 174
(
type
locality:
Sweden
: Gällivare and Abisko),
syn. n.
NBP/NIS material examined.
9 ♂
, 9 ♀ from the following sites: Manitoba: Churchill; Northwest Territories: Norman Wells; Nunavut:
Kugluktuk
; Ontario: Moosonee; Quebec: Schefferville (
vi.1952
, 1962;
vii.2010
,
vi–vii.2011
;
viii.1952
) (
CNC
,
LEM
).
Other material examined
.
Lectotype
of
P. atrifrons
:
1 ♂
labelled Troy, Idaho,
14.vi.08
,
Paratype
Piophila atrifrons
M-S, Lectoholotype
P. atrifrons
, d. G Steyskal 1963,
Lectotype
Piophila atrifrons
Melander, Spuler, 1917
: 66
, by
Steyskal, 1964
: 177, det. A Ozerov, 2002 (
USNM
).
Paralectotypes
:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
. Washington:
Oroville,
Paratype
M.-S.,
Paralectotype
,
Melander et Spuler, 1917
: 66, det. A.L. Ozerov 2003,
USNM
ENT
0 1071201, (1 ♀,
USNM
); Oroville,
Type
M.-S.,
Paralectotype
,
Melander et Spuler, 1917
: 66, det. A.L. Ozerov 2003,
USNM
ENT
0 1071192, (1 ♀,
USNM
).
Comments.
Parapiophila atrifrons
is widespread in northern
Canada
and the northern
United States
(Washington, Idaho, Maine) (
Melander & Spuler 1917
;
McAlpine 1977
). It is also known from the Palaearctic region (
McAlpine 1977
;
Ozerov 2004b
).
Steyskal (1964)
suggested that
Allopiophila calceata
might be conspecific with
Parapiophila atrifrons
but that examination of more specimens would be required. We examined
185 specimens
of both species from CNC and LEM. The only reliable difference between
A. calceata
and
P. atrifrons
is the shape of the tip of the pregonite: one round and one pointed tip in
P. atrifrons
; two pointed tips in
A. calceata
(
McAlpine 1977
)
. The male genitalia are otherwise identical, and the minor difference in the pregonite may not be enough to justify two species.
Parapiophila nitidissima
(Melander & Spuler)
has variation in the shape of the pregonite tip (
Steyskal 1975
). There is variation in the colour of the fore tibia in some specimens, but such variation is seen in multiple species of
Parapiophila
(e.g.,
P. vulgaris
(Fallén)
,
P. fulviceps
(Holmgren)
,
P. kugluktuk
).
In addition to morphological evidence, there was almost no divergence in DNA barcodes (658 bp of CO1) between five specimens of
P. atrifrons
and
A. calceata
from Ontario, Quebec and the Northwest Territories in LEM (Barcode of Life Database numbers: BOLD LYMAA315–14, 316–14, 319–14, 320–14, 321–14) identified by S. Rochefort based on morphological characters and compared with
types
of
P. atrifrons
and original descriptions of both species. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we consider
A. calceata
a junior synonym of
P. atrifrons
.