New species of Bombylioidea in Mario Bezzi’s Unpublished Hungarian Museum Manuscript
Author
Greathead, David J.
Author
Evenhuis, Neal L.
text
Zootaxa
2004
773
1
56
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.158466
d5d8bbf6-677e-4341-923a-60deb8e2fa0d
11755326
158466
8A91DA8A-7727-4304-B77B-2D138C189388
Crocidium immaculatum
Bezzi, 1922
29.
Crocidium immaculatum
1ɗ1Ψ
South Africa
(Eastern Cape): Willowmore,
10.xi.1906
(H. Brauns). MS page 27.
Bezzi
,
1922
: 77 – diagnosis; specimens in HNHM.
Hesse, 1938: 807 – description as
C. karooanum
Hesse, n. sp.
SYN. NOV.
Evenhuis & Greathead, 1999: 216 – listed (incorrectly) a
holotype
in HNHM (destroyed).
Types
: The two
syntypes
in HNHM were destroyed in 1956. No other
syntypes
have been found. It would be appropriate to designate one of the specimens in SAMC collected at Willowmore by Dr Brauns as
lectotype
when the SAMC collection is examined.
Remarks
:
Crocidium immaculatum
was not recognised by Hesse (1938, 1963) or Lamas
et al
. (2003) but was tentatively identified from
Namibia
by Greathead (2000). However, Hesse (1938) described a species,
C. karooanum
, from numerous specimens, including some collected by Dr Brauns at Willowmore, which he considered may prove to be the same as
C. immaculatum
. However, his description and keys specify the presence of two feint but distinct darker spotlike infuscations on the apical veins of the basal cells, which does not accord with Bezzi’s specific name ‘
immaculatum
’. However, Bezzi’s manuscript description is equally equivocal as he wrote that the wings are ‘prorsus immaculatae’ but goes on to specify ‘nervis transversis nubecula quadrum furca vix cinctis’. Thus, his specimens did have clouds on the wings. The key in Lamas
et al
. (2003) placed
C. karooanum
in the group with unspotted wings. However, the specimens seen by them have been reexamined and do have clouds on the wings but these were not considered to constitute spots (C.E. Lamas, pers. comm.). Therefore, as the descriptions of Hesse and Bezzi coincide, it is concluded that
C. karooanum
Hesse is a junior synonym of
C. immaculatum
Bezzi.
SYN. NOV
.
So defined,
C. immaculatum
is a widespread species of the Namakaroo biome of
South Africa
and
Namibia
, recognised by its small size (
3–6 mm
) pale whitish or yellowish vestiture and at most only feint clouds on the apical veins of the basal cells.