Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tricolor Villeneuve, 1908

Whitmore, Daniel, 2011, New taxonomic and nomenclatural data on Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with description of six new species, Zootaxa 2778, pp. 1-57 : 49-50

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tricolor Villeneuve, 1908

Sarcophaga tricolor Villeneuve, 1908: 125 .

Leclercqiomyia gomezbustilloi Lehrer & Báez, 1986: 236 .

Type material examined. Sarcophaga tricolor : Lectotype 3, herewith designated to fix unambiguously the identity of the nominal species and thus promote nomenclatural stability: Laguna / 47651. IV. // [on underside of white label] Sammlung / Dr. Th. Becker // Type // tricolor / typ. n. sp. // Zool. Mus. / Berlin // [red label] LECTOTYPE 3 / Sarcophaga / tricolor / Villeneuve, 1908 /des. D. Whitmore 2010 ( ZMHB) [lectotype in good condition with terminalia extended]. Paralectotypes: 1 3: Laguna, 47651. IV. ( ZMHB); 1 Ƥ: Guimar, 47235 III ( ZMHB) [both in good condition and both conspecific with lectotype].

Remarks. Villeneuve (1908) described Sarcophaga tricolor on an unspecified number of males and females from Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Canary Is.), without designating a holotype. I consider the three specimens listed above, found in T. Becker’s collection at ZMHB, as constituting part of the type series. The lectotype was selected due to its overall better state of conservation compared to the other male specimen.

Additonal material examined. Spain: Canary Is.: Fuerteventura, 13–23.III.1926, S. Hering leg., 1 3 1 Ƥ ( ZMHB); La Gomera, Agulo/La Palmita, 300–600m, 29.IX.1998, B. Merz leg., 1 3 ( NHRS); La Palma, “47516”, IV, 1 3 ( ZMHB); Tenerife: Anaga, Baja Mar, 200m, 16.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 6 3 (CNBFVR); Anaga, Benijo, 17.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 1 3, 1 Ƥ (CNBFVR); Anaga, San Andres, Barranco de las Huertas, 17.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR); Anaga, Taganana, 17.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR); Tenerife Sur, Palm Mar, 14.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 6 3, 3 ƤƤ (CNBFVR); Teno, Buenavista del Norte, Casablanca, 13.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 3 3 (CNBFVR); Teno, El Palmar, 500m, 13.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR); Teno, Barranco de Santiago del Teide, 800m, 13.IV.1991, C. Lange & J. Ziegler leg., 1 3 ( NHRS); Teno, Santiago del Teide, 900m, 18.III.2007, D. Whitmore et al. leg., 2 3, 5 ƤƤ (CNBFVR).

Remarks. Lehrer and Báez (1986: 238) based their description of Leclercqiomyia gomezbustilloi upon the holotype 3 and 24 male paratypes, all deposited at ULCI. The first to propose L. gomezbustilloi as a synonym of S. (H.) tricolor were Peris et al. (1996b); I fully agree with this synonymy, based on the original illustrations of L. gomezbustilloi by Lehrer and Báez (1986: 237, fig. 2).

Sarcophaga (H.) tricolor is a valid species, endemic of the Canary Islands where it occurs on Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma and Tenerife (cf. Báez & García 2004); it is immediately recognizable by the dense, bluish/waxy microtrichosity on abdominal tergites 3–4.