© Entomologica Fennica. 29 April 2004 Redescription and biology of Limonia badia (Walker) (Diptera: Limoniidae) Jaroslav Starý & Jukka Salmela Starý, J. & Salmela, J. 2004: Redescription and biology of Limonia badia (Walker) (Diptera: Limoniidae). — Entomol. Fennica 15: 41–47. Limonia badia (Walker, 1848), previously known from the Nearctic Region only, is redescribed from Finland. Its systematic position and biology are currently de- bated. Limonia indigenoides (Alexander, 1920), another Nearctic species, is synonymized with L. badia. The species is distinguished by several distinctive characters, such as the wing pattern and the structure of the male terminalia. These characters are illustrated for the first time. Immature stages are probably associated with decaying wood of aspen (Populus tremula L.). Alist of species of the Tipuloidea associated with L. badia in Finland – including Gnophomyia ach- eron Alexander, 1950, a species new to Europe – is presented. Jaroslav Starý, Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tr. Svobody 26, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic; E- mail: [email protected] Jukka Salmela, Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland; E-mail: [email protected] Received 18 August 2003, accepted 21 January 2004 1. Introduction 2. Material and methods The genus Limonia Meigen, 1803 is relatively The material was collected with trunk-window rich in species: a total of 65 taxa (species and sub- traps in two localities, Sb (Savonia borealis): species) are known from the Palaearctic Region Savonranta, central Finland, and Obb (Ostro- (Savchenko et al. 1992). The larvae of the genus bothnia): Rovaniemi municipality, northern Fin- inhabit a wide array of habitats, such as aqua- land, in 1996 (Martikainen 2001). Solution of tic/semiaquatic and terrestrial substrates (Brink- water, salt and detergent was used as a preserva- mann 1991), leaf detritus (Tjeder 1958), decay- tive in the traps, and later the material obtained ing wood (Beling 1886) and fungi (Lindner was preserved in ethanol. Type specimens were 1958). borrowed from The Natural History Museum, During an investigation of insect material col- Department of Entomology, London, UK lected by trunk-window traps in Finland in 1996, (BMNH) and Ohio State University, Department some highly interesting species of Tipuloidea of Entomology, Museum of Biological Diversity, were discovered (see section 4.2 and Appendix). Columbus, USA (OSU). The material included Limonia badia (Walker, The morphological terminology follows 1848), a species new to the Palaearctic fauna. McAlpine (1981), except for notation of the Here, we redescribe the species and illustrate its veins, which essentially is in accordance with diagnostic features. Hennig (1954). The outer radial field in the 42 Starý & Salmela • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 15 Fig. 1. Wing of Limonia badia (Walker) (Fin- land, Savon- ranta). Photo: T. Nieminen. Limoniinae is interpreted as proposed by Starý 14-segmented, moderate in length, not reaching (1992), and the veins and their parts participating to base of wing. Scape and pedicel slightly darker in the so-called reticulation pattern are named ac- than flagellomeres. Scape cylindrical, about 1.5 cordingly. length of pedicel, the latter short-oval to nearly spherical. Flagellomeres suboval to elongate, be- coming paler, narrower and longer towards apex 3. Limonia badia (Walker, 1848) of antenna. Terminal segment longest, slightly constricted at midlength, or beyond it, with little- Limnobia badia Walker, 1848: 46 (description). distinct transversal suture at that place, so that Limonia (Limonia) badia: Alexander 1943: feebly separated segment 15 often distinguish- 300 (diagnosis, note, key) (reprinted 1966); Al- able. Longest verticils somewhat more than twice exander 1965: 43 (Nearctic catalogue). length of respective segments. Whole surface of Limnobia indigenoides Alexander, 1920: 193 flagellum with dense, short, semierect pubes- (description). syn.nov. cence. Limonia (Limonia) indigenoides: Alexander, Thorax generally brown, somewhat shiny, 1962: 13 (faun. record); Alexander 1965: 43 partly greyish pruinose, and variously patterned (Nearctic catalogue, tentative synonymy with with paler or darker hues. Pronotum essentially badia). pale brown, with sparse setae in anterior half me- Note: Other records under badia probably re- dially, and with another group of setae at posterior fer to Dicranomyia (Dicranomyia) humidicola margin. Prescutum divided in colour into three ar- Osten Sacken, 1860. eas by two diffused, longitudinal, yellowish Diagnosis. General coloration brown, some- brown streaks, marked with rows of setae. Me- what shiny, greyish pruinose in parts, patterned dian area, representing broad median stripe, gen- with paler and darker hues. Antenna moderate in erally brown, darker anteriorly. Pale capillary line length, verticils on flagellomeres over twice the splitting median stripe sometimes apparent in length of respective segments. Wing with distinct specimens preserved in ethanol (not so in those stigma, and broad seams along most of the veins. dried from ethanol). Lateral areas (stripes) ap- Venation of general type as in other Limonia,Rs pearing a little paler, provided with fairly distinct angulated and spurred, discal cell widened dis- dark brown patch at lateral margin of prescutum, tally. Femora with narrow ring before tip. Tarsal just before wing base. Scutum distinctly darker claws slender, with only two teeth near base. on lobes than most of prescutum, dirty yellowish Gonocoxite of male terminalia with broad ven- brown in middle. Both scutellum and post- tromesal lobe. Gonostylus comparatively long. scutellum brown, darkest in middle. Pleuron pat- Paramere broad, darkly pigmented. Body length terned with various hues of brown, somewhat 8.5–14 mm, wing length 8–10 mm. shiny and more greyish pruinose than prescutum, Redescription (male). Head dark brown, with anepisternum, katepisternum and posterior mostly dull. Palpus and antenna brown, the latter part of so-called subspiracular sclerite (as termed ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 15 • Redescription and biology of L. badia 43 Fig. 2. Limonia badia Walker (Finland, Savonranta). – a. Dis- talpartofmalehind tarsus, lateral view. – b. Male terminalia, dor- sal view. c. – Aedeagal complex, dorsal view. so by Starý 1992) representing darkest areas. terior margins. Proximal sternites with yellow Group of setae on laterotergite dorsally. colour more extended. Wing (Fig. 1) tinged with yellowish, with dis- Legs rather long, generally yellow to yellow- tinct dark brown stigma and broad seams along ish brown. Coxae and trochanters pale yellow, most of veins, most pronounced so along Rs, Cu fore and mid coxae darkened at base. Femora yel- and on cross-veins. Insides of cells without any lowish, with narrow, not especially dark, ring just markings. End of Sc1 darkened. Seam along Rs before tip. Tibiae yellowish, narrowly tipped with markedly diffused into larger clouds on both darker. Tarsi dark except for base of basitarsus. ends; distal cloud fused with stigma. Venation of The latter long, about three times as long as general type as in other Limonia, yet differing in tarsomere 2, this about twice length the of tarso- many details from many other European species. mere 3. Both last tarsomeres subequal in length, Sc1 rather long, ending at about midlength of Rs. about half the length of tarsomere 3. Tarsal claws R2+3 (mostly termed cross-vein r or R2) slightly (Fig. 2a) rather long and very slender, slightly less so or about twice as long as R3 (distal section shorter than last tarsomere, mostly smooth, with beyond attachment of cross-vein r of what previ- only two slender teeth near base, a longer one, sit- ously was termed R1 through its entire course; or uated more distally and a little shorter than half R1+2, or distal section of Sc2 in various papers by length of claw beyond it, and a minute proximal Alexander). Rs angulated and distinctly spurred one. proximally. Discal cell essentially trapezoid or ir- Male terminalia (Fig. 2b–c): Tergite 9 gener- regularly pentagonal (in former case often with ally transversally elliptic, with shallow median another spur directed inside discal cell at deflec- emargination at posterior margin enclosed by tion of M3), widened distally, with basal section pale bar. Gonocoxite short and stout, with broad, of M3 (within discal cell) twice as long as m-m, or slightly darkened ventromesal lobe. Gonostylus more, and often arched, so that lower distal mar- comparatively long, swollen at base, then drawn gin of discal cell obliquely concave. Halter dirty out into long beak, the latter stout and almost yellowish, comparatively short, slightly dark- straight proximally, gradually narrowed into ened at midlength of stem. slender obtuse tip curved caudally. Gonostylus Abdomen brown, with tergites yellow at pos- mostly darkly pigmented, except at base and tip, 44 Starý & Salmela • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 15 and provided with very long setae in proximal from ethanol and mounted on points. half. Aedeagus rather broad. Paramere broad and Comparative material: Limonia indigena: comparatively short, somewhat sclerotized and USA, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland Co., 10 km conspicuously darkened distally, with subacute S Ligonier, Powdermill Nature Reserve (400 m), tip directed outwardly. Other details are evident 27.IX.1986, 1 m,1f (C.W. Young leg. et det.); in from Fig. 2b–c. coll. J. Starý, Olomouc.