Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) boettcheri Villeneuve, 1912

Whitmore, Daniel, 2011, New taxonomic and nomenclatural data on Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with description of six new species, Zootaxa 2778, pp. 1-57 : 21-23

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) boettcheri Villeneuve, 1912

Sarcophaga boettcheri Villeneuve, 1912b: 610 (as Böttcheri). Pierretia (Pandelleola) taurica Rohdendorf, 1937: 333 , syn. nov. Heteronychia (Pandelleola) gaspari Lehrer, 1977a: 226 , syn. nov. Heteronychia bodediana Lehrer, 1998a: 6 , syn. nov.

Ashlaiana shakrana Lehrer, 1998a: 6 , syn. nov.

Pandelleola caraormana Lehrer, 2008a: 5 , syn. nov.

Type material examined. Sarcophaga boettcheri : Lectotype 3, herewith designated to fix unambiguously the identity of the nominal species and thus promote nomenclatural stability: BUDA [ Hungary] / 15.V. [/] [illegible word] // pumila / Meig. [handwritten] / det. Hough // Böttcheri Vill. [handwritten] // Coll. J. Villeneuve / SAR- COPHAGA / Böttcheri Vill. [handwritten] / R.M.H.N Belg. 15.392 // LECTOTYPE / Sarcophaga / boettcheri Vill. 3 / des. D. Whitmore 2007 ( IRSNB) [the lectotype lacks its left middle leg, but is otherwise in good condition with the terminalia extended and still in place]. Paralectotypes: 2 3: Cyprus, Larnaka, Glaszner leg. ( IRSNB); 1 3, 1 Ƥ: Greece, Poros, Krüper leg. ( IRSNB); 1 3: Hungary, Buda, 2.VI. ( IRSNB); 1 Ƥ: Buda, 18.V. ( IRSNB) [all paralectotypes are conspecific with the lectotype].

Remarks. Villeneuve (1912b: 610–611) based his description of Sarcophaga boettcheri upon an unspecified number of males (presumably quite a large series) and two females from “ Ile Poros [ Greece]; Chypre (collection du Muséum de Budapest); Hongrie (collection de M. Becker et la mienne). Vole en avril-mai”. In Villeneuve’s collection ( IRSNB), several specimens were found under the heading label “ Sarcophaga Böttcheri Villen. ”, but only those listed above can be considered as syntypes based on the original information published by Villeneuve. Among these, the lectotype was chosen for its overall good condition, the visibility of the terminalia, and the presence of a handwritten identification label by Villeneuve.

Pierretia (Pandelleola) taurica : Holotype 3: [slide without a number] P. taurica / Typus // Pierretia / ( Pandelleola ) / taurica / Typus 1936 / Rohdendorf // HOLOTYPE 3/ Pierretia / ( Pandelleola ) / taurica / Rohdendorf, 1937 / det. D. Whitmore 2007 // Sarcophaga / boettcheri / Villeneuve, 1912 / det. D. Whitmore 2007 (ZIN) [rest of specimen not found in ZIN]. Paratype 3: Tauria [Crimea], Hersones, 26.VIII.1912, Pliginski leg. (ZIN) [terminalia in corresponding slide: 18 / 15 (ZIN); the paratype was labelled as “ Holotype ” by Yu.G. Verves in the 1970s (Yu.G. Verves, pers. comm. 2007), but this labelling must be considered erroneous; paratype not in very good condition, with both middle legs and left hind tarsus missing].

Additional material examined. Austria: Lunz am See, 3.VII.1991, D. Povolný leg., 1 3 ( MMBC); same data, 5.VII.1991, 1 3 ( MMBC). Croatia: Pag, VIII.1934, N. Baranov leg., 3 3 ( USNM); Stinica, 5.VIII.1931, N. Baranov leg., 1 3 ( USNM). Greece: Platamon, 6.VI.1992, D. Povolný leg. ( MMBC); Skotina, 27.V.92, D. Povolný leg., 1 3 ( MMBC); Sterea Ellada, Fthiotida prov., Thermopyles, 70m, 27.IV.2003, hand net, P. Cerretti, L. Facchinelli, M. Tisato, L. Valerio & S. Vanin leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR). Hungary: Buda [Budapest]: 2.VI., 1 Ƥ ( IRSNB); Pécel [Pest prov.], 3 3, 5 ƤƤ ( IRSNB); Pécel, 18.IV. [18]94, 1 Ƥ ( IRSNB). Israel: Antipatris, 8.VI.1996, B. Merz & A. Freidberg leg., 1 3 ( ZMUC); Besor Nature Reserve, 11.V.2005, A. Freidberg leg., 2 3 ( TAU); ‘En Zetim, 28.V.2003, L. Friedman leg., 1 3 ( TAU); Golan Heights, Park HaYarden, 14.VI.1996, B. Merz & A. Freidberg leg., 1 3 ( ZMUC); Gziot, 8.VII.1985, I. Nussbaum leg., 1 3 ( TAU); Hanita, 27.III.1976, D. Gerling leg., 1 3 ( TAU); Jerusalem, 6.XII.1939, 3 3 ( USNM); Kalia, 8.III.1976, M. Kaplan leg., 1 3 ( TAU); Mt. Hermon, 2000m, 1.VII.1986, A. Freidberg leg., 1 3 ( TAU); Palmahim, 17.I.1975, S. Moran leg., 1 3 ( TAU, “ex Theba pisana ”). Romania: Retyezát [= Retezat], 6.IX. [18] 94, 1 3 ( IRSNB). Serbia (new country record): Deliblat [= Deliblato, Vojvodina prov.]: 7.VII. [18]94, 1 Ƥ ( IRSNB); 17.VI. [18] 97, 1 3 ( IRSNB); 22.VI. [18] 97, 1 3 1 Ƥ ( IRSNB); 25.VI. [18] 97, 1 3 ( IRSNB); Golubac, E. IV.1935, N. Baranov leg., 1 3 ( USNM). Turkey: Aei Göln, 10.VII.1974, R.M. Kristensen leg., 1 3 ( ZMUC); Amasya, [illegible], 10.VII.1997, K. Kara leg., 1 3 ( NHRS); Amasya, Merzifron, 31.VIII.1998, K. Kara leg., 1 3 ( NHRS); Mersin, Taşucu, 25.VII.1999, K. Kara leg., 2 3, 5 ƤƤ ( NHRS); Samsun, Havza, 14.VII.1999, K. Kara leg., 1 3, 1 Ƥ ( NHRS); Tokat, [illegible], 25.V.1994, K. Kara leg. ( NHRS); Tokat, Taşliçiflik, 15.VII.1998, K. Kara leg., 1 3 ( NHRS). Ukraine: Crimea, Bakhchysaray, Beregove, 5– 8.VIII.2004, Yu.G. Verves leg., 2 3 ( YVC).

Remarks. The very simple line drawing of the terminalia of Sarcophaga boettcheri originally provided by Villeneuve (1912a: 619, fig. 1) contained insufficient detail to allow subsequent authors to associate Sarcophaga boettcheri with actual specimens. Böttcher (1913a: 129), who presumably examined specimens, produced a more detailed drawing, although with a still unclear and slightly confusing structure of the distiphallus. This caused Rohdendorf (1937) to place the species in subgenus Boettcherella Enderlein, 1928 together with Sarcophaga setinervis Rondani, 1860 and S. mutila Villeneuve, 1912 , and describe the new species Pierretia (Pandelleola) taurica . Subsequently, S. boettcheri was always treated as a valid species (often together with S. taurica ), but in most cases its identity was not clearly known ( Séguy 1941; Collart 1955; Mihályi 1979b; Verves 1986, 1993; Pape 1996; Papp 2001; Pape 2004a). After examining the type series I am able to clarify the identity of Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) boettcheri as a species of the filia -group (= Pandelleola sensu Rohdendorf 1937 ) and a senior synonym of S. (H.) taurica .

Lehrer (1977a: 228) based his description of Heteronychia (Pandelleola) gaspari upon the holotype ɗ and 2 male paratypes from Turkey. I was not able to examine the holotype (deposited at FSAG), but the original illustrations ( Lehrer 1977a: 227, figs 5–8) clearly point to a synonymy of this species with S. (H.) boettcheri .

Lehrer (1998a) compared Villeneuve’s (1912b) and Böttcher’s (1913a) illustrations of Sarcophaga boettcheri to Verves’ (1993) representation of that species. He commented on what he considered “différences fondamentales” between the three drawings, which constituted his only basis for describing the new genus Ashlaiana and two new species, Heteronychia bodediana and Ashlaiana shakrana , for which he deposited no type material. I consider Lehrer’s arguments as unconvincing, particularly due to the very scarce amount of morphological detail that can be found in these drawings, and propose both Ashlaiana shakrana and Heteronychia bodediana as junior synonyms of Sarcophaga (H.) boettcheri . As a consequence, Ashlaiana becomes a junior synonym of Heteronychia , syn. nov.

Lehrer (2008a: 5) described Pandelleola caraormana on a single male from Romania (deposited at MGAB), and compared it to “ Pandellola taurica ”. Despite not having examined the holotype, I see no morphological differences in the original illustration ( Lehrer 2008a: 6, fig. 5) that could justify the proposal of a new species, hence its proposal as a junior synonym of S. (H.) boettcheri .

Distribution. Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine ( Pape 1996, 2004a).