Myopa fasciata, Meigen, 1804

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2016, Taxonomic notes on Western Palaearctic Conopidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 4178 (4), pp. 521-534 : 525

M. fasciata Meigen, 1804

Myopa fasciata Meigen, 1804: 286 ; type-locality: incomplete information concerning type locality [“Sie ist nicht selten” and “Eine Abänderung aus Frankreich ”]; syntypus ♂ and ♀ of unknown number [MNHN]

Diagnosis. see Chvála (1965).

= M. benkoi ( Szilady, 1925) syn. nov.

Sicus Benkői Szilády, 1925: 227 ; type-locality: “ Vöröstoronynál ” [ Romania]; Holotype ♀ [depository unknown]

This taxon was overlooked until Zimina (1975) mentioned it in her revision of Sicus , wherein she assumed it to be a synonym of Sicus abdominalis Kröber, 1915 . This assumed synonymy was afterwards listed in the catalogue of Zimina (1976). Zimina (1976) gives an incorrect citation for the species, however, and therefore it remained unclear where the species was originally described. As a consequence, Chvála & Smith (1988) listed Sicus benkoi Zimina, 1976 as a nomen nudum, and placed it as a synonym of S. abdominalis .

There are two works of Szilady which deal with Conopidae : Szilady (1925) and Szilady (1926). Szilady (1925) announced his intention to publish a paper concerning all Diptera (his complete thesis), stating: "The new species and varieties mentioned here are described in my dissertation: On some American and Old World flies. Biologica Hungarica Budapest. Mus. Hung. Vol. 1. 1925. fasc. 7.". This announcement lead Zimina (1976) to the wrong citation because in fact only Tabanidae were published in fasc. 7 of the Biologica Hungarica. Sicus benkoi was described in Szilady (1925) and therefore the name is valid. Szilady (1926) did not include the name S. benkoi , however, but instead refers to Sicus femoralis Rondani, 1865 , a species that was not mentioned in Szilady (1925). The cited specimen details of S. femoralis are identical to those of S. benkoi (location, collector) and therefore it is probable that Szilady himself came to the conclusion that his S. benkoi was a synonym of S. femoralis . The description of S. femoralis given in Szilady (1926) and of S. benkoi in Szilady (1925) exclude S. abdominalis but fit completely with Myopa fasciata Meigen, 1804 . Rivosecchi & Mei (1998) have previously stated that S. femoralis is a junior synonym of M. fasciata , and therefore S. benkoi Szilady, 1925 should also be treated as a valid species in synonymy with M. fasciata Meigen, 1804 . The depository of the holotype of S. benkoi is unknown, and it is probably destroyed.