Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) metopina 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 : 40

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) metopina Villeneuve, 1908

Sarcophaga metopina Villeneuve, 1908: 124 .

Type material examined. Lectotype 3, herewith designated to fix unambiguously the identity of the nominal species and thus promote nomenclatural stability: La Palma / 47514. IV. // [on underside of white label] Sammlung / Dr. Th. Becker // Type // metopina / typ. n. sp. // Zool. Mus. / Berlin // [red label] LECTOTYPE 3 / Sarcophaga / metopina / Villeneuve, 1908 /des. D. Whitmore 2010 ( ZMHB) [lectotype in good condition, with terminalia partly pulled out of abdomen]. Paralectotypes: 1 3: La Palma [Canary Is.], 47514. IV. ( ZMHB); 1 3: La Palma, 47520. IV. ( ZMHB) [both paralectotypes carry the original Villeneuve label “ metopina typ. n. sp.” and are conspecific with lectotype; one with terminalia dissected and placed in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath the source specimen].

Remarks. Villeneuve (1908) described Sarcophaga metopina on an unspecified number of males and females from “La Palma” (Canary Is.), without designating a holotype. The three males found in T. Becker’s collection at ZMHB are considered as representing part of the type series. The lectotype was selected for its overall better condition.

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) metopina is a valid species, endemic of La Palma (Canary Is.) (cf. Báez & García 2004), and characterized by its small size (ca. 3.5–5.5mm) and the pattern of abdominal microtrichosity, reminiscent of that of the miltogrammine genus Metopia Meigen ( Diptera , Sarcophagidae ).