Lispe desjardinsii, Macquart, 1843

Pont, Adrian C., 2012, Muscoidea (Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae) described by P. J. M. Macquart (Insecta, Diptera), Zoosystema 34 (1), pp. 39-111 : 59

desjardinsii Macquart, 1843 , Pyrellia

Pyrellia desjardinsii Macquart, 1843: 149 ( 1844: 306) , pl. 20, figs 4, 4a. Syntypes ♂ and ♀, “de l’île de France. M. Desjardins. Muséum.” ( Mauritius), not in MNHN or MHNL, and presumed destroyed.

MATERIAL. — Described from both sexes from material in MNHN. Under no. 981 of the Macquart collection in MNHN there is a label for this species but no specimens or even pin-holes, and the syntypes are therefore presumed to have been destroyed. In box G.21 of the Macquart collection in MHNL, there is a label reading “ P. desjardinsii . Port Natal.” but no specimen. However, this specimen could not have been a syntype because of its South African origin.

CURRENT IDENTITY. — Pyrellia desjardinsii has been listed as an unrecognized species of Neomyia Walker, 1859 ( Pont 1980: 728, as Orthellia ). Only two species of Neomyia are known from Mauritius: N. viridifrons Macquart, 1843 ( boersiana Bigot, 1877 ) and N. albigena Stein, 1913 , both of which are widespread on mainland Africa and also on Madagascar. Macquart’s description is insufficiently detailed to be able to make a positive identification of his species, but to maintain nomenclatural stability, I propose to treat Pyrellia desjardinsii as a junior synonym of Neomyia viridifrons Macquart, 1843 (n. syn.). See also the discussion below under Lucilia viridifrons Macquart, 1843 .