Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) pseudobenaci Baranov 1942
Creators: name: Whitmore, Daniel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Sarcophagidae
Sarcophaga
Sarcophaga pseudobenaci

description: Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) pseudobenaci (Baranov, 1942)
(Figs 66–68)
Mehria pseudobenaci Baranov, 1942: 618.
Heteronychia (Heteronychia) drenskiana Lehrer, 1977b: 34, syn. nov.
Type material examined. Mehria pseudobenaci: Lectotype 3, herewith designated to fix unambiguously the identity of the nominal species and thus promote nomenclatural stability: Serbia / Golubaz [= Golubac] / 27.V.1929 // N. Baranov / Coll. 1960 // [blue label] SYNTYPE 3 / Mehria / pseudobenaci / Baranov, 1942: 618 / det. Woodley 2006 // [red label] LECTOTYPE 3 / Mehria / pseudobenaci / Baranov, 1942 / det. D. Whitmore 2008 (USNM) [lectotype in perfect condition with terminalia extended]. Paralectotypes (all from the same locality as lectotype and conspecific): 1 3: e. VI.1924 [sic!]; 1 3: 27.V.1925; 1 3, 1Ƥ: 26.IV.1926; 1 3: 18.IV.1927; 1 3: 7.V.1927; 1 3, 1 Ψ: 18.V.1928; 3 3: 20.V.1928; 1 3: 21.V.1928; 1 3: 26.V.1928; 5 3: 27.V.1929; 1 3: 11.VI.1933; 1 3, 1 Ƥ: a. V.1934 [sic!]; 2 3: 28.IV.1936 (all USNM).
Remarks. Baranov (1942: 618) described Mehria pseudobenaci on an unspecified number of specimens from Golubac (Serbia), collected in May-June. I consider the above-listed type specimens (from the Baranov collection at USNM) to constitute all or part of the type series of M. pseudobenaci. The lectotype was selected for its overall better condition, as several of the other specimens are severely covered in mould.
Heteronychia (Heteronychia) drenskiana: Holotype 3 [three slides with just the terminalia; rest of holotype not found in SOFM (A. Popov, pers. comm. 2007)]: [first slide] Heteronychia / (Heteronychia) / drenskiana n. sp. / LEHRER // Holotypus / sternite V / [Bulgaria] Vitoša Pl.- VIII.1935; [second slide] Heteronychia / (Heteronychia) / drenskiana n. sp. / LEHRER // Holotypus / Cerci / Vitoša Pl.- VIII.1935; [third slide] Heteronychia / (Heteronychia) / drenskiana n. sp. / LEHRER // Holotypus / Phallosoma / Vitoša Pl.- VIII.1935 (SOFM).
Additional material examined. Greece: Makhedonia, Thessaloniki, Hortiatis, 30.V.2002, P. Cerretti et al. leg., 2 3 (CNBFVR); nr. Stávros, VI.1997, Farkač leg., 9 3 (ZMUC).
Diagnosis (3). Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) pseudobenaci is a medium-small species (ca. 4.5– 7mm) with a narrow frons (ca. 0.35–0.40 times eye width at narrowest point) and narrow parafacial (0.15–0.20 times eye width); lower facial margin not visible in lateral view; postgenal setulae entirely white; occipital setulae white behind first two rows; scutellum with a pair of apical setae; wing vein R1 bare on dorsal surface; abdomen with dense grey microtrichosity, lateral black markings somewhat interrupted medially in posterior view; abdominal tergite 3 with a pair of strong median marginal setae; epandrium dark brown/black; cercus (Fig. 66) with a rounded subapical hump and a slightly downcurved, pointed tip; cercus uniformly covered with sparse setae; distiphallus (Fig. 67): proximal part of harpes rounded in lateral view; apical processes flat, tapering and directed ventrally; juxta short, with blunt, receding lateral processes; tip of juxta (Fig. 68) narrow, with short, blunt lateral processes; lateral styli slender, at most slightly protruding beyond juxta; vesica well visible in lateral view, with large rounded corners and a bulging central part.
Differential diagnosis. Species similar and possibly closely related to Sarcophaga (H.) benaci (Figs 69–71), from which it can be distinguished by the presence of median marginal setae on tergite 3 and by the shape of the cercus and distiphallus; in particular, the tip of juxta is much wider in S. (H.) benaci (Fig. 71). Sarcophaga (H.) pseudobenaci could also be confused with S. (H.) infantilis, especially due to similarities in the shape of the cercus (compare Figs 66 and 72), but it can be distinguished from the latter by the bare dorsal surface of wing vein R1 and the distinctly concave dorsal surface of juxta in lateral view (compare Figs 67 and 73).
Remarks. Sabrosky and Crosskey (1970: 430) did not locate syntypes of Mehria pseudobenaci in USNM. As a consequence, Verves (1986) and Pape (1996) listed pseudobenaci as a doubtful and unidentified species of Heteronychia, respectively. Verves (1986) synonymized Heteronychia drenskiana with H. ostensackeni (= S. (H.) infantilis); direct comparison of type specimens showed that H. drenskiana is a junior synonym of Sarcophaga (H.) pseudobenaci. The species is known, so far, from Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.
description: Published as part of Whitmore, Daniel, 2011, New taxonomic and nomenclatural data on Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with description of six new species, pp. 1-57 in Zootaxa 2778 on pages 46-48, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.201885