Aricia latipennis, Macquart, 1843

Pont, Adrian C., 2012, Muscoidea (Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae) described by P. J. M. Macquart (Insecta, Diptera), Zoosystema 34 (1), pp. 39-111 : 69

latipennis Macquart, 1843 , Aricia

Aricia latipennis Macquart, 1843: 162 ( 1844: 319) , pl. 22, figs 2, 2a. Syntype (s) ♀ (♀), “du Cap. M. Guérin.” ( South Africa, Cape Province), not in MNHN, MHNL or OUMNH, and presumed destroyed.

MATERIAL. — Described from material collected at the Cape by Guérin-Méneville. In the Macquart collection in MNHN, under no. 986, there is a label for this species but no specimens, and the syntypes are presumed destroyed.

CURRENT IDENTITY. — The species has not been recognized since it was described. Bezzi (1908: 92) placed it in Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (as Aricia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 ), whilst Stein transferred it first to Spilogaster Macquart, 1835 ( Stein 1908: 173) and then to Mydaea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 ( Stein 1919: 120) ; I retained it provisionally in Phaonia ( Pont 1980: 737) . It is difficult to match Macquart’s description with any of the described South African Phaoniinae or Mydaeinae , and Macquart’s choice of the name “ latipennis ” is not particularly specific. The described characters do actually fall within the many colour forms of the widespread Dimorphia tristis (Wiedemann, 1819) , and the name Aricia latipennis Macquart, 1843 , is herewith synonymized with Dimorphia tristis (Wiedemann, 1819) (n. syn.).