diff --git a/src/_pytest/main.py b/src/_pytest/main.py
index 2e67066cd..5a0de75c7 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/main.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import sys
 from typing import Dict
 from typing import FrozenSet
 from typing import List
+from typing import Tuple
 
 import attr
 import py
@@ -486,13 +487,13 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
         self.trace("perform_collect", self, args)
         self.trace.root.indent += 1
         self._notfound = []
-        initialpaths = []
-        self._initialparts = []
+        initialpaths = []  # type: List[py.path.local]
+        self._initial_parts = []  # type: List[Tuple[py.path.local, List[str]]]
         self.items = items = []
         for arg in args:
-            parts = self._parsearg(arg)
-            self._initialparts.append(parts)
-            initialpaths.append(parts[0])
+            fspath, parts = self._parsearg(arg)
+            self._initial_parts.append((fspath, parts))
+            initialpaths.append(fspath)
         self._initialpaths = frozenset(initialpaths)
         rep = collect_one_node(self)
         self.ihook.pytest_collectreport(report=rep)
@@ -512,13 +513,13 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
             return items
 
     def collect(self):
-        for initialpart in self._initialparts:
-            self.trace("processing argument", initialpart)
+        for fspath, parts in self._initial_parts:
+            self.trace("processing argument", (fspath, parts))
             self.trace.root.indent += 1
             try:
-                yield from self._collect(initialpart)
+                yield from self._collect(fspath, parts)
             except NoMatch:
-                report_arg = "::".join(map(str, initialpart))
+                report_arg = "::".join((str(fspath), *parts))
                 # we are inside a make_report hook so
                 # we cannot directly pass through the exception
                 self._notfound.append((report_arg, sys.exc_info()[1]))
@@ -527,12 +528,9 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
         self._collection_node_cache.clear()
         self._collection_pkg_roots.clear()
 
-    def _collect(self, arg):
+    def _collect(self, argpath, names):
         from _pytest.python import Package
 
-        names = arg[:]
-        argpath = names.pop(0)
-
         # Start with a Session root, and delve to argpath item (dir or file)
         # and stack all Packages found on the way.
         # No point in finding packages when collecting doctests
@@ -556,7 +554,7 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
         # If it's a directory argument, recurse and look for any Subpackages.
         # Let the Package collector deal with subnodes, don't collect here.
         if argpath.check(dir=1):
-            assert not names, "invalid arg {!r}".format(arg)
+            assert not names, "invalid arg {!r}".format((argpath, names))
 
             seen_dirs = set()
             for path in argpath.visit(
@@ -666,19 +664,19 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
 
     def _parsearg(self, arg):
         """ return (fspath, names) tuple after checking the file exists. """
-        parts = str(arg).split("::")
+        strpath, *parts = str(arg).split("::")
         if self.config.option.pyargs:
-            parts[0] = self._tryconvertpyarg(parts[0])
-        relpath = parts[0].replace("/", os.sep)
-        path = self.config.invocation_dir.join(relpath, abs=True)
-        if not path.check():
+            strpath = self._tryconvertpyarg(strpath)
+        relpath = strpath.replace("/", os.sep)
+        fspath = self.config.invocation_dir.join(relpath, abs=True)
+        if not fspath.check():
             if self.config.option.pyargs:
                 raise UsageError(
                     "file or package not found: " + arg + " (missing __init__.py?)"
                 )
             raise UsageError("file not found: " + arg)
-        parts[0] = path.realpath()
-        return parts
+        fspath = fspath.realpath()
+        return (fspath, parts)
 
     def matchnodes(self, matching, names):
         self.trace("matchnodes", matching, names)
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 885b05ccd..760cb2b7f 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ class TestCustomConftests:
 
 
 class TestSession:
-    def test_parsearg(self, testdir):
+    def test_parsearg(self, testdir) -> None:
         p = testdir.makepyfile("def test_func(): pass")
         subdir = testdir.mkdir("sub")
         subdir.ensure("__init__.py")
@@ -448,14 +448,14 @@ class TestSession:
         config = testdir.parseconfig(p.basename)
         rcol = Session.from_config(config)
         assert rcol.fspath == subdir
-        parts = rcol._parsearg(p.basename)
+        fspath, parts = rcol._parsearg(p.basename)
 
-        assert parts[0] == target
+        assert fspath == target
+        assert len(parts) == 0
+        fspath, parts = rcol._parsearg(p.basename + "::test_func")
+        assert fspath == target
+        assert parts[0] == "test_func"
         assert len(parts) == 1
-        parts = rcol._parsearg(p.basename + "::test_func")
-        assert parts[0] == target
-        assert parts[1] == "test_func"
-        assert len(parts) == 2
 
     def test_collect_topdir(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("def test_func(): pass")