Ascodipteron lophotes Monticelli, 1898

Hastriter, Michael W., 2007, A review of Ascodipterinae (Diptera: Streblidae) of the Oriental and Australasian regions with a description of three new species of Ascodipteron Adensamer and a key to the subfamily, Zootaxa 1636 (1), pp. 1-32 : 28

Ascodipteron lophotes Monticelli, 1898

Ascodipteron lophotes Monticelli, 1898: 201–230 ; Bezzi, 1916: 179; Stiles and Nolan, 1931: 659; Jobling, 1939: 163; Maa, 1965a: 321 (these specimens later referred to A. africanum rhinolophi by Theodor 1968: 362); Maa, 1965b: 384; and Hutson and Oldroyd, 1980: 774. Nomen dubium.

Remarks. Ascodipteron lophotes was described from eastern Madagascar from two dealate females taken from R. clivosu s. Monticelli (1896: 2) stated that he completely damaged one specimen and dissected the other for the description of the internal anatomy. Neither of the specimens could be located in the Museo Zoologico, Università degli Studi de Napoli Federico, Naples, Italy and possible associated bat specimens of R. clivosus were destroyed by bombings during World War II. Monticelli’s description was general and illustrations of internal anatomical structures and external characters were not diagnostic. Most of the references were literature citations only ( Bezzi 1916, Stiles & Nolan 1931; Jobling 1939; Maa 1965b; and Hutson & Oldroyd 1980), while only two references ( Maa 1965a and Theodor 1968) actually examined specimens. None of those examined were based on the type or topotypic material. The identity of A. lophotes is in my opinion a nomen dubium.