Hydrophoria liturata, Macquart, 1835

Pont, Adrian C., 2012, Muscoidea (Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae) described by P. J. M. Macquart (Insecta, Diptera), Zoosystema 34 (1), pp. 39-111 : 70-71

liturata Macquart, 1835 , Limnophora

Limnophora liturata Macquart, 1835: 312 (junior secondary homonym in Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 of Mydaea liturata Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 ). Lectotype ♀, “du nord de la France ” ( France, Lille area), by present designation, in MNHN.

MATERIAL. — Macquart (1850c: 534) recorded this species as present in the MHNL collection. 1♀ syntype has been found in MNHN, which agrees with Macquart’s description of “d’un noir cendré, un peu métallique”. It is labelled by Macquart “N°. 83. / Limnophora / liturata.”. It lacks the left mid leg and left hind leg, but it is otherwise in good condition. I have labelled it and designate it herewith as lectotype.

In box F of the Macquart collection in MHNL, there is a ♀ over the label “L. / liturata / Meig. [sic] Lille.”. Despite certain discrepancies with the original description, I think that this too must have been a syntype and I have accordingly labelled it as paralectotype. It is not in good condition ; head, left foreleg and several tarsomeres missing, and right wing broken.

A further ♀ syntype is in OUMNH, labelled by Macquart “ Limnophora / liturata. / Macq.”. I have labelled it as paralectotype. It is in poor condition, being mouldy and with all four mid and hind legs missing.

CURRENT IDENTITY. — Bezzi & Stein (1907: 672) and Hennig (1960a: 399) listed L. liturata as an unrecognized species of Limnophora Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 . However, the lectotype belongs to the genus Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 , and appears to be identical with Phaonia aeneiventris (Zetterstedt, 1845) , as established by Pont (1986b: 116). It is, however, a junior secondary homonym and cannot therefore be used as the valid name for this species. It has three postsutural dorsocentral setae, prealar subequal to second notopleural, halteres yellow, foretibia with a submedian posterior seta, hind tibia with a supplementary posterodorsal seta near base, costal spine strong, and arista very short-haired. This species is mainly Fenno-Scandian in distribution, but it has been recorded by Hennig (1963a: 797) and Gregor et al. (2002: 113) from France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, and the area of Lille in northern France is therefore reasonable.

The MHNL paralectotype appears virtually identical with the lectotype in structural characters and also has yellow halteres ; but the thorax and abdomen are subshining black, nowhere “cendré”, and the specimen looks superficially more like Phaonia nymphaearum (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) . I have been unable to make a positive identification of this specimen.

The OUMNH paralectotype is Phaonia serva (Meigen, 1826) : arista plumose, facial edge in lateral view slightly projecting beyond profrons, three postsutural dorsocentrals, prealar long and strong, notopleuron with setulae, katepimeron with some short setulae, foretibia with a posterior seta, wing veins bare, haltere yellow.