New Conopid records from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera). Part 1: Paramyopa Kröber, Pseudoconops Camras, Stylogaster Macquart, Thecophora Rondani, and Zodion Latreille
Author
Stuke, Jens-Hermann
text
Zootaxa
2015
3963
2
101
159
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3963.2.1
dedbd5f6-4d9e-4253-805d-a05d5c547bdf
1175-5326
237609
09EBB4DB-8A89-4E87-97E6-5372E8FD49B0
Stylogaster amplicercus
Stuke, 2012
Material.
MADAGASCAR
:
1♂
,
26.–31.iii.2002
, Fianarantsoa Province,
1.2 km
km s Ranomafana National Park entrance,
1095 m
[2115.99′S 4725.21′E], leg. R. Harin’Hala, M. E. Irwin, coll.
CAS
;
1♂
,
19.–26.ii.2002
, ditto;
1♂
,
29.vi.–6.vii.2003
, Fianarantsoa Province,
12 km
w Ranomafana National Park entrance,
1215 m
, montane tropical forest [2115.05′S 4724.43′E], leg. R. Harin’Hala, M. E. Irwin, coll.
CAS
.
Discussion.
Having now seen more specimens of
Stylogaster amplicercus
it seems apparent that the characteristic lateral lappets of the cercus referred to in the species description may in fact be unique to the
holotype
and possibly just an artefact of preservation.
As
a result it is probable that
Stylogaster amplicercus
is conspecific with the illustration of the male postabdomen of
Stylogaster nilssoni
Smith, 1984
. The situation is complicated, however, by the fact that
Smith (1984)
chose a female
holotype
and it is not absolutely certain that the male
paratype
is necessarily conspecific, although given that the male
paratype
of
Stylogaster nilssoni
was collected together with the female
holotype
, and was caught at the same flower species, it is quite probable that the two specimens are conspecific, and that
Stylogaster amplicercus
Stuke, 2012
is therefore a junior synonym of
Stylogaster nilssoni
Smith, 1984
. The description of
Stylogaster nilssoni
does not refer to certain important characters, however, and it is therefore necessary to inspect the
paratype
male before a formal synonymy can be established.