A conspectus of New Zealand flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of a new genus and species
Author
Thompson, Christian
text
Zootaxa
2008
1716
1
20
journal article
49929
10.5281/zenodo.181009
c70896b6-ffba-4d44-95b9-62d9a262c2ab
1175-5326
181009
GENUS
MELANGYNA
Verrall
MELANGYNA
Verrall 1901
: 313
. Type-species:
Melanostoma quadrimaculatum
Verrall, 1901
, monotypic.
SUBGENUS
AUSTROSYRPHUS
Vockeroth
|
Melangyna
,
subgenus
AUSTROSYRPHUS
Vockeroth
|
1969: |
85. |
Type-species: |
Syrphus
|
novaezelandiae
|
| Macquart |
, 1855, original designation.
novaezelandiae
Macquart, 1855
: 115
(
Syrphus
)
.
novaezealandiae
,
Hutton 1881
: 44, 1901: 40;
Miller 1921
: 302, 1950: 97;
Thompson & Vockeroth 1989
: 444 (subsequent misspelling).
novaeselaniae,
Kertész 1910
: 123 (subsequent misspelling).
ortas
Walker, 1849
: 585 (
Syrphus
).
rectus
Nowicki, 1875
: 24
(
Syrphus
)
.
The
types
of
novaezelandiae
Macquart
and
ortas
Walker were examined and found to represent the same species. The description of
rectus
Nowicki
also clearly applies to this species. Under the principle of priority, the name for this species should be
ortas
Walker. However, as
novaezelandiae
has far more widespread use, being the only name of the three that has been used as valid (with the exception of catalogs and checklists) in the last 80 or more years (exactly since
Miller 1921
), the name is eligible to be preserved under the plenary powers of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (Art. 81; ICZN (1999)). Normally, I am against preserving junior synonyms, but as the name
novaezelandiae
is most appropriate for this species, the second most common
New Zealand
flower fly, and has become the basis of the common name, the
New Zealand
flower fly, I feel that an exception for its preservation should be made.
The original spelling of the epithet was "
novae zelandiae"
based on material collected from "Nouvelle- Zelande." Subsequent authors have misspelt the epithet, but there is no basis for an emendation or is there sufficient usage to adopt the spelling
novaezealandiae
.