Battling the un-dead: the status of the Diptera genus-group names originally proposed in Johann Wilhelm Meigen’s 1800 pamphlet
Author
Evenhuis, Neal L.
Author
Pape, Thomas
text
Zootaxa
2017
4275
1
1
74
journal article
32874
10.11646/zootaxa.4275.1.1
02308cb2-2ac2-407f-aa58-b7f5b657fc44
1175-5326
804234
065D531F-1095-4364-906B-EC55CFF9BFD4
53.
Scopeuma
[
Scopeuma
]
Meigen, 1800: 36
.
CURRENT STATUS: Unavailable name; work suppressed for the purposes of zoological nomenclature by action of I.C.Z.N. (1963: 339 [Opinion 678]); treated under
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
[
teste
Sabrosky (1999: 278)
].
Scopeuma
Latreille
,
1802
:
461
.
ORIGINALLY INCLUDED SPECIES:
Musca scybalaria
Linnaeus, 1758
,
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
,
Musca stercoraria
Linnaeus, 1758
.
TYPE SPECIES:
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
[=
Musca stercoraria
Linnaeus, 1758
], by subsequent designation (
Coquillett 1910a: 604
).
CURRENT STATUS: Senior synonym of
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
.
New Synonymy
.
FAMILY:
SCATHOPHAGIDAE
.
REMARKS:
Scopeuma
was originally proposed by
Meigen (1800: 36)
without included species and later made unavailable by the suppression of the entire work for the purposes of zoological nomenclature by action of the I.C.Z.N. (1963: 339 [Opinion 678]).
Latreille (1802: 461)
was the first subsequent usage of
Scopeuma
after
Meigen (1800)
, and
Scopeuma
was here placed in synonymy with
Musca
Linnaeus, 1758
,
sensu lato
[“
tetanocerae
”] with three included species:
Musca scybalaria
Linnaeus, 1758
,
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
, and
Musca stercoraria
Linnaeus, 1758
. The name was made available by subsequent usage as valid in
Hendel (1908: 63)
.
Hendel (1908: 63)
listed a single species,
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
, but did not designate a type species.
Coquillett (1910a: 604)
selected
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
, which is the type species by subsequent designation.
Musca stercoraria
Linnaeus, 1758
is currently treated as a species of
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
[
teste
Sabrosky (1999: 278)
], which makes
Scopeuma
Latreille, 1802
a
senior synonym of
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
,
n. syn
.
Sabrosky (1999: 278)
was unaware that the first inclusion of species of
Scopeuma
was in
Latreille (1802)
and incorrectly thought
Hendel’s (1908: 63)
inclusion of
Musca merdaria
Fabricius, 1794
was the type species in that work by subsequent monotypy. Acceptance of
Scopeuma
Latreille, 1802
over the commonly used
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
would threaten the stability of nomenclature and taxonomy of the latter name. A case is being prepared to submit to the ICZN Commission to suppress
Scopeuma
Latreille,
1802
in favor of
Scathophaga
Meigen, 1803
.