A conspectus of New Zealand flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of a new genus and species
Author
Thompson, Christian
text
Zootaxa
2008
1716
1
20
journal article
49929
10.5281/zenodo.181009
c70896b6-ffba-4d44-95b9-62d9a262c2ab
1175-5326
181009
GENUS
MELANOSTOMA
Schiner
Plesia
Macquart 1850
: 460
. Type-species:
Plesia fasciata
Macquart, 1850
, original designation [Preoccupied by
Jurine, 1807
]
FIGURES 1–9.
Habitus, dorsal view. 1.
Melangyna
(
Austrosyrphus
)
novaezelandiae
(Macquart)
; 2.
Helophilus seelandicus
(Gmelin)
; 3.
Orthoprosopa
(
Paratropidia
)
bilineata
(Walker)
; 4.
Allograpta dorsalis
(Miller)
; 5.
Platycheirus
sp. NZ-3; 6.
Helophilus hochstetteri
Nowicki
; 7.
Melanostoma fasciatum
(Macquart)
; 8.
Platycheirus ronanus
(Miller)
; 9.
MELANOSTOMA
Schiner 1860
: 213
. Type-species:
Musca mellina
Linnaeus, 1758
, original designation.
Most authors (cf.
Hull 1949a
: 332) have overlooked Macquart's designation of
fasciata
as the
type
of his genus, and have used the name
Plesia
as if based on the other included species,
anale
Macquart.
Plesia anale
is related to
Chrysogaster
(subfamily
Eristalinae
, tribe
Brachyopini
) and will be designated the
type
of a new genus. Fortunately, the name
Plesia
is preoccupied and, therefore, will not supplant the well-known name
Melanostoma
.
fasciatum
Macquart, 1850
: 461
(
Plesia fasciata
).
apertum
Hutton, 1901
: 42
.
?
scalare
,
Miller, 1950
, not Fabricius, misidentitication.
Melanostoma apertum
Hutton
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
." 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
.
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.