Muscina prolapsa subsp. fuscisquama Michelsen & Pont 2024, ssp. nov.
Creators: name: Michelsen, Verner
name: Pont, Adrian C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Muscidae
Muscina
Muscina prolapsa
Muscina prolapsa fuscisquama

description: 3. Muscina prolapsa fuscisquama ssp. nov.
(Figs 5C, D)
“ Muscina pascuourum (Meigen) ”; Becker 1908a: 112 (Gran Canaria, Tenerife); Santos Abréu 1976: 133 ff. (Canary Is.). Misidentifications.
Muscina pabulorum (Fallén); Frey 1936: 136 (Tenerife); Hennig 1962: 762 ff. (Gran Canaria, Tenerife); Kirchberg 1967: 334 (La Gomera, Hierro); Báez 1983: 179 ff., pl. 3 figs 1, 2 (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Hierro).
Muscina prolapsa (Harris); Pont 1986: 60 ff. (p.p., Canary Is.); Vikhrev & Esin 2023: 38 (Tenerife).
Taxonomic note. The western Canary Islands are populated by a distinctive bluish black colour form of Muscina prolapsa that has earlier been taken for the widespread Holarctic and northern Oriental Muscina pascuorum (Meigen), but that species differs by the expanded lower calypteres, presence of setulae on anterior half of notopleuron and stronger forward curvature of vein M1+2. Hennig (1962) pointed out that the Canarian “ Muscina pascuorum ” belongs to Muscina prolapsa [as M. pabulorum]. He also noted that the Canarian population deviates substantially from continental specimens in respect to colour and stated that it might deserve status as a separate subspecies. We agree and here recognize the Canarian population as a subspecies of Muscina prolapsa.
Material examined. CANARY ISLANDS: Type material [NHMD] (holotype ♂, paratypes 4♂, 4♀): LA PALMA: Tigalate, 28°32’N 17°48’W, 680m, holotype ♂ 10‒21.i.2013 (V. Michelsen); GRAN CANARIA: El Valle, 27°54’N 15°32’W, 730‒935m, 1♂ 19‒24.i.2017 (V. Michelsen); San Isidro, 28°01’N 15°33’W, 910‒975m, 1♀ 13‒18.i.2014 (V. Michelsen); TENERIFE: Los Carrizales, 28°19’N 16°51’W, 350‒700m, 1♂, 1♀ 10‒16.i.2012 (V. Michelsen); LA GOMERA: La Laja, 28°06´N 17°11´W, 480‒600m, 1♂ 22‒29.i.2016 (V. Michelsen); Roque Blanco, 28°10´N 17°14´W, 700–900m, 1♂, 2♀ 30.1‒ 5.ii.2020 (V. Michelsen). Other material [NHMD, MZH]. TENERIFE: Tacoronte, 1♂ 1931 (R. Frey); La Zarza, 1♂ 20.i.2006 (V. Michelsen); Guayonge, 28°29´N 16°24´W, c. 420m, 3♂ 16.ii.2008 (V. Michelsen); Cueva del Viento, 28°20´N 16°43´W, c. 800m, 1♀ 14.ii.2008 (V. Michelsen); Las Portelas, 28°19’N 16°50’W, 830‒860m, 1♂ 16.i.2012 (V. Michelsen); Carrizal Alto, 28°19’N 16°51’W, 640‒ 730m, 1♂, 1♀ 30.i‒3.ii.2016 (V. Michelsen). LA GOMERA: Las Carretas, 1♂ 1.xii.2006; La Palmita, 1♂ 3.ii.2008 (V. Michelsen). LA PALMA: Las Tricias, 28°47´N 17°58´W, 660m, 1♂ 11‒16.i.2013 (V. Michelsen).
Description. Closely agreeing with the nominal subspecies of Muscina prolapsa in all respects other than colour (cp. Figs 5A, B and 5C, D): Calypteres grey with blackish margins and dark fringes (vs. calypteres white with white fringes except for a tuft of dark hairs at lateral base of upper calypter); dorsum of thorax and abdomen covered in thin bluish white pruinosity (vs. dorsum of thorax and abdomen covered in dense white pruinosity); shifting dark reflections on abdomen obsolete (vs. shifting dark reflections on abdomen prominent).
Distribution. Endemic to the western Canary Islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, Hierro and La Palma.
description: Published as part of Michelsen, Verner & Pont, Adrian C., 2024, Macaronesian Muscidae (Diptera). V. The genera Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy and Muscina Robineau-Desvoidy, pp. 581-596 in Zootaxa 5458 (4) on pages 593-594, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5458.4.6, http://zenodo.org/record/11548064