Thorasena, Macquart

Hauser, Martin, Woodley, Norman E. & Fachin, Diego A., 2017, Taxonomic changes in African Stratiomyidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 4263 (1) : -

Genus THORASENA Macquart

Thorasena Macquart, 1838: 177 . Type species, Hermetia pectoralis Wiedemann, 1824 , by original designation. Stat. rev. Dolichodema Kertész, 1916: 147 . Type species, Dolichodema africana Kertész, 1916 , by original designation, Syn. nov.

Thorasena pectoralis (Wiedemann) . Comb. nov.

Hermetia pectoralis Wiedemann, 1824: 19 . ST 1 ♀ [ UZMC]: Guinea.

Dolichodema africana Kertész, 1916: 148 . HT ♀ [ HNHM, destroyed]: Equatorial Guinea: Bioko. Syn. nov.

Thorasena fenestrata (James) . Comb. nov.

Dolichodema fenestrata James, 1949: 5 . HT ♀ [AMNH]: Liberia: Robertsport, Bendu. Nemodema nudibasis Lindner, 1958: 122 . HT ♀ [NMP]: Zimbabwe: Trelawney.

When Wiedemann described Hermetia pectoralis he did not indicate the gender of the specimen and he only gave a brief description. Woodley (2001: 184) stated the gender as male, but it is a female. Later, Macquart (1838) erected the genus Thorasena with H. pectoralis as the type species. Macquart provided an illustration of the species, but it is very likely that he never saw the type specimen or any other specimen because of the several discrepancies between the drawing and the type specimen. In the drawing he depicted four M veins, instead of the three present in the type. Also, the illustration shows the pedicel being as long as broad, which is by far the most common condition in Stratiomyidae , while the type specimen has the pedicel elongated, as long as the scape. There are more differences in the wing venation, thorax coloration, leg coloration, overall proportions etc., although Macquart’s illustrations often show a high degree of abstraction. All the characters mentioned in Wiedemann’s descriptions are illustrated correctly, while Macquart just substituted unknown features with typical Hermetia -like ones. After studying photographs ( Fig. 13 ) of the type specimen of H. pectoralis (kindly supplied by T. Pape), it was clear that this species does not belong in the Hermetiinae , but is a Pachygastrinae . Although the type of Dolichodema africana is destroyed, it is clear from the description that D. africana and H. pectoralis are conspecific. Therefore the two species have to be synonymized and Dolichodema has to be placed as a synonym of Thorasena .

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Stratiomyidae habitus. 13. Hermetia pectoralis Wiedemann, female holotype. 14. Cormacantha grisea Séguy, female holotype. 15. Cyphomia pubiventris Rondani, female holotype (photos by A. Raspi & N. Maio). 16. Chrysochroma lapidis Lindner, male syntype [MNHN]. 17. Chrysochroma latum Lindner, female holotype [MNHN]. 18. Gongrosargus distinguendus Lindner, male syntype [MRAC].