The type series of Megaselia mediterranea Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) comprises two species

Authors

  • Henry Disney Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K.

Keywords:

Biodiversity, taxonomy, junior synonym, phorids, scuttle flies, Middle East

Abstract

Megaselia mediterranea Schmitz (1935) was described from two males from Palestine, but was subsequently synonymized with M. palaestinensis (Enderlein, 1933) by Schmitz (1941). Megaselia palaestinensis was recently synonymized with M. curtineura (Brues, 1909; Disney, 2010). It is now confirmed that the holotype of M. mediterranea is indeed M. curtineura, but the paratype is its sibling species, M. microcurtineura Disney (1991). This paratype is the first record of the species for Israel. Following is a clarification of the taxonomic status of the two valid species.

To cite: Disney, R.H.L. 2010. The type series of Megaselia mediterranea Schmitz (Diptera: Phoridae) comprises two species. Israel Journal of Entomology 40: 113–115.

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Published

2011-09-01

Issue

Vol. 40 (2010)

Section

Short communications

License

Copyright (c) 2011 Henry Disney

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