3141
Author
O’Hara, James E.
Author
Cerretti, Pierfilippo
Author
Pape, Thomas
Author
Evenhuis, Neal L.
text
Zootaxa
2011
2011-12-23
3141
1
268
journal article
11755334
440
.
Phytophaga
Rondani
,
1840b
:
13
.
ORIGINALLY INCLUDED SPECIES:
Cecidomyia salicina
Bouché, 1834
(as “
Cec:
.
Salicina
”).
TYPE
SPECIES
:
Tipula pini
De Geer, 1776
, by subsequent designation (
Gagné, 2004: 100
). [Acceptance of this type-species designation requires formal application to the
ICZN
Commission to suppress all prior
type
species fixations, see further under REMARKS.]
CURRENT STATUS: Junior synonym of
Cecidomyia
Meigen, 1803
[
teste
Gagné (2004: 100)
].
FAMILY:
CECIDOMYIIDAE
.
REMARKS: There are two original spellings of this genus-group name in
Rondani (1840b)
:
Phytophaga
(page 13) and
Fitofaga
(page 14). By subsequent usage (ICZN
Code
Article 24.2.4),
Rondani (1861a: 289)
acted as First Reviser and selected
Phytophaga
as the correct original spelling.
Phytophaga
was originally proposed by
Rondani (1840b)
as a genus within the genus
Cecidomyia
Meigen, 1803
(as “
Cecidomia
”).
Gagné (2004: 100)
stated that
Phytophaga
was proposed without included species and designated
Tipula pini
De Geer, 1776
as the
type
species, but this is incorrect. Two species were originally included (
Rondani, 1840b: 14
): “
Cec: Salicina
” [=
Cecidomyia salicina
Bouché, 1834
] and “
Cerealis
Mihi” [=
Cecidomyia cerealis
Rondani, 1840
], of which the latter is unavailable (no description or definition of the taxon, ICZN
Code
Article 12.1). Thus,
Cecidomyia salicina
Bouché, 1834
is the
type
species of
Phytophaga
by monotypy. However, this species-group name is currently treated in the genus
Rabdophaga
Westwood, 1847
as a junior synonym of
Tipula salicis
Schrank, 1803
(
Gagné, 2004: 232
). Acceptance of this designation would cause nomenclatural instability within an agriculturally important family.
Gagné (2004: 100)
stated that
Kieffer (1913: 86)
designated
Cecidomyia salicina
as the
type
species but this is equivocal as
Kieffer (1913: 86)
actually gave two type-species designations for
Phytophaga
Rondani, 1840
without indicating which one he was following.
Gagné (2004: 100)
indicated that none of the previous species that were designated as
type
species fit the generic characters given in Rondani (1840) and designated
Tipula pini
De Geer, 1776
, which placed
Phytophaga
Rondani, 1840
as an objective junior synonym of
Cecidomyia
Meigen, 1803
. Acceptance of the designation of
C. salicina
as
type
species of
Phytophaga
Rondani, 1840
by monotypy would result in
Phytophaga
having priority over
Rabdophaga
and would cause instability of nomenclature and taxonomy. Application to the ICZN Commission is warranted to suppress the type-species designations prior to, and acceptance of that of,
Gagné (2004)
to preserve stability of the three genus-group names concerned.
EMENDATIONS:
Phytofaga
Rondani, 1843c: 155
(unjustified),
n
.
syn
.;
Phitophaga
Lioy, 1864a: 502
(unjustified),
n
.
syn
.