Melanostoma, Schiner

Thompson, Christian, 2008, A conspectus of New Zealand flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of a new genus and species, Zootaxa 1716, pp. 1-20 : 3-5

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.181009

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6227525

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6C2087E6-FF9C-FFE8-54DC-526A95ACFB8F

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Melanostoma
status

 

GENUS MELANOSTOMA Schiner View in CoL

Plesia Macquart 1850: 460 View in CoL . Type-species: Plesia fasciata Macquart, 1850 View in CoL , original designation [Preoccupied by Jurine, 1807]

MELANOSTOMA Schiner 1860: 213 View in CoL . Type-species: Musca mellina Linnaeus, 1758 , original designation.

Most authors (cf. Hull 1949a: 332) have overlooked Macquart's designation of fasciata View in CoL as the type of his genus, and have used the name Plesia View in CoL as if based on the other included species, anale Macquart. Plesia anale is related to Chrysogaster View in CoL (subfamily Eristalinae View in CoL , tribe Brachyopini View in CoL ) and will be designated the type of a new genus. Fortunately, the name Plesia View in CoL is preoccupied and, therefore, will not supplant the well-known name Melanostoma View in CoL .

fasciatum Macquart, 1850: 461 View in CoL ( Plesia fasciata View in CoL ). apertum Hutton, 1901: 42 View in CoL .

? scalare, Miller, 1950 View in CoL , not Fabricius, misidentitication.

Melanostoma apertum Hutton View in CoL was described from a unique female from Christchurch, which Hutton stated to have "unfortunately, lost the antennae." Miller (1921: 308) examined the holotype, noting that part of the antennae remained, and wrote "owing to the length of the existing 2nd joint [of the antenna], it is doubtful if this species belongs to Melanostoma View in CoL ." Of the second antennal segment, Miller wrote the "2nd joint elongate, reaching toward the facial prominence." The holotype is now without a head, so it is impossible to verify Miller's statements. However, the holotype otherwise is in fair condition and is a melanistic specimen of the common fasciatum View in CoL .

Miller (1950: 96, 144) listed a species, scalare , as separate from fasciatum and as introduced from Europe. I can not confirm this as I have seen no specimens of scalare and suspect Miller may have confused the female of fasciatum with scalare . True scalare from Europe is a much larger species, but the females of the two have almost identical color patterns.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Syrphidae

Loc

Melanostoma

Thompson, Christian 2008
2008
Loc

MELANOSTOMA

Schiner 1860: 213
1860
Loc

Plesia

Macquart 1850: 460
1850
Loc

fasciatum

Hutton 1901: 42
Macquart 1850: 461
1850
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