Physocephala chrysorrhoea, Meigen, 1824

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2016, Taxonomic notes on Western Palaearctic Conopidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 4178 (4), pp. 521-534 : 527-528

P. chrysorrhoea ( Meigen, 1824)

Conops chrysorrhoea Meigen, 1824: 128 ; type-locality: “ Oesterreich ”; holotypus ♀ [MNHN]

Diagnosis. Physocephala chrysorrhoea belongs to a difficult group of species with a broad dusted band reaching from the mid coxa to the notopleuron and not becoming narrower dorsally. The key characters that identify this species are the cell dm which is completely covered with microtrichia, the more or less hyaline cell sc that is obviously paler than radial cell r2+3, and the yellow subcostal vein Sc that is distinctly paler than radial vein R2+3. In typical specimens, cell r2+3 is completely brown to black, but specimens with the tip of this cell hyaline also occur and intermediates are not uncommon. When typical P. chrysorrhoea is compared with typical Physocephala pusilla it seems unbelievable that there should be any problem distinguishing the two species but small, atypical P. chrysorrhoea with unusually dark wings can be very confusing. The distinction of typical P. chrysorrhoae and Physocephala antiqua is usually easy, but P. antiqua specimens with dark coloured wings (colour morph syriaca) can have a completely brownish radial cell r2+3 and cell dm only partially lacking microtrichia, making them also confusingly similar. If the pleural dusting is not clear, e.g. in old specimens, the distinction from the colour morph truncata with dusted pleura can become difficult as well. The densely dusted hind coxa and the bi-segmented arista will distinguish P. chrosorrhoea from Physocephala vittata , however.

= P. aureotomentosa Kröber, 1915 syn. nov.

Physocephala aureotomentosa Kröber, 1915b: 74 ; type-locality: “ Amasia ” [ Turkey]; holotypus ♀ [ NMW]

The female holotype was examined and has the following labels: (1) “Mann / 1860 / Amasia ”; (2) “ Type ” [red label]; (3) “ Physocephala ♀ / aureotomentosa Krb. / O. Kröber det. 1914” [first two lines handwritten]. The specimen is complete and in perfect condition. Kröber (1915b) separated Physocephala aureotomentosa from Physocephala chrysorrhoea by means of the wing colouration: the dark colouration in cell r2+3 does not reach to the tip of the cell in P. aureotomentosa . This character turns out to be very variable in P. chrysorrhoea and therefore P. aureotomentosa falls within the variation of P. chrysorrhoea and is accordingly placed as a junior synonym.

= P. emiliae Zimina, 1974 syn. nov.

Physocephala emiliae Zimina 1974: 132 ; type-locality: “Pamir, Lyangar on Pyandzhe, 2800m ” [translated by Clements & Vincent 2001]; holotypus ♀ [ZMUM].

I was able to examine paratypes of Physocephala emiliae and these specimens accord with European specimens of Physocephala chrysorrhoea . The characters set out in the original description fit with the concept of P. chrysorrhoea as described above, and therefore P. emiliae is herewith placed as a junior synonym of P. chrysorrhoea . Zimina (1974) used only characters of colouration and size to distinguish P. emiliae from P. chrysorrhoea , and these characters fall within the range of variation of the latter species.

= P. zaitzevi Zimina, 1979 syn. nov.

Physocephala zaitzevi Zimina 1979: 196 –197; type-locality: “Ipaj-Kala, 30km to the S.W. of Bakharden, 100m, Turkmeniya”, translated by Clements & Vincent 2001; holotypus ♀ [ZMUM]

I was able to examine the holotype of Physocephala zaitzevi . After seeing more material of Physocephala chrysorrhoea and realising that several previously undetermined Palaearctic Physocephala in fact belong to that species, I have come to the conclusion that P. chrysorhoea is an extremely variable species and that P. zaitzevi falls within its variation range. The characters set out in the original description also fit completely to this concept. Contrary to the description of Zimina (1979) I cannot find any differences in the shape or the size of the female theca between P. zaitzevi and P. chrysorrhoea , either. Therefore, I herewith propose Physocephala zaitzevi as a junior synonym of Physocephala chrysorrhoea .