Morellia maculipennis, Macquart, 1846

Pont, Adrian C., 2012, Muscoidea (Fanniidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae) described by P. J. M. Macquart (Insecta, Diptera), Zoosystema 34 (1), pp. 39-111 : 72

maculipennis Macquart, 1846 , Pyrellia

Pyrellia maculipennis Macquart, 1846a: 327 ( 1846b: 199) , pl. 17, figs 6, 6a. Lectotype ♀, “du Brésil, collection de M. Bigot” ( Brazil), by present designation, in BMNH.

MATERIAL. — Described “de la Colombie, collection de M. Fairmaire, et du Brésil, collection de M. Bigot”. The only syntype located is in that part of the Bigot collection now in the BMNH. It is labelled by Macquart “ Pyrellia / maculipennis / ♀. Macq. n. sp.”, and stands over a Bigot drawer label “ P. maculipennis . ♀. / Am. Merid. Macq.”. It is in poor condition: it is mouldy, and lacks left mid leg and left hind leg. I have labelled it and designate it herewith as lectotype.

In MNHN, under no. 1858 of the Macquart collection, there are 2 ♂♂ under this name but they are not syntypes. One has the accession no. 16.47, which refers to a collection made by Castelnau in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil, and it is labelled by Macquart “ Pyrellia / maculipennis / ♂. Macq: 1. e Supp.”. The other has the accession no. 9.43, which refers to a collection made by Claussen in the same state of Brazil.

CURRENT IDENTITY. — Morellia maculipennis is the valid name for the species of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 , previously known as M. violacea (Fabricius, 1805) , as the Fabricius name is a junior primary homonym (see Pont 1972: 9; Pamplona 1986: 650; Carvalho et al. 1993: 18; 2005: 28). Of the 2 ♂♂ in MNHN, the Castelnau ♂ is correctly identified as Morellia maculipennis , and the Claussen ♂ is probably too although in atrocious condition and lacking both wings.