Parathalassius blasigii Mik

Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2017, Revision of the Nearctic Parathalassius Mik (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Parathalassiinae), with a review of the world fauna, Zootaxa 4314 (1), pp. 1-64 : 19

Parathalassius blasigii Mik

( Figs 5–6 )

Parathalassius blasigii Mik, 1891: 217 . Schistostoma alterum Becker, 1907: 119 .

Material examined. PORTUGAL: Minho, Braga, Esposende , Apúlia , Parque Natural do Litoral Norte , 41°28′24.0″N 08°46′26.6″W, 11.vii.2011, ex: sandy beach, Rui Andrade, CNC487196 (1♂, barcoded, CNC), CNC487197 (1♀, barcode-associated, CNC) . TUNISIA: La Marsa, 8.v.1913 (1♂, 1♀, USNM) .

Diagnosis. This medium sized Palaearctic species ( Figs 5–6 ) is characterized by a subtriangular antennal postpedicel, longer lower male ommatrichia, white setae on the lower part of the head, 2 notopleural bristles, pale legs, and entirely hyaline wing in both sexes.

Distribution. This western Palaearctic species is known from the Azores, the western Mediterranean region including Spain, the Italian mainland, Sicily and North Africa ( Tunisia) ( Chvála 1988, 1989, 2013), and is here newly recorded from the northwestern coast of Portugal.

Remarks. The shape and setation of the cerci examined in the male specimen of P. blasigii from Portugal, appears noticeably different from the illustration of the male cerci of this species (specimen from the type locality in Venice, Italy) depicted in Shamshev (1998). This may indicate the presence of at least one additional undescribed cryptic species within the current concept of P. blasigii .

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 10. Parathalassius habitus photographs. 5. Male of Parathalassius blasigii Mik resting on sand at Parque Natural do Litoral Norte, Portugal. 6. Female of Parathalassius blasigii Mik resting on sand at Parque Natural do Litoral Norte, Portugal. 7. Male of Parathalassius infuscatus sp. nov., resting on sand at Oso Flaco Dunes, California. 8 – 9. Male of Parathalassius uniformus sp. nov., resting on Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) Greene (beach bur) at Surf Beach, California. 10. Male and female mating pair of Parathalassius uniformus sp. nov., on sand at Surf Beach, California. Photographs by Rui Andrade (Figs 5 – 6), and Alice Abela (Figs 7 – 10).