Phytophaga Rondani, 1840b: 13

O’Hara, James E., Cerretti, Pierfilippo, Pape, Thomas & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2011, 3141, Zootaxa 3141, pp. 1-268 : 145-146

440. Phytophaga Rondani, 1840b: 13 .

ORIGINALLY INCLUDED SPECIES: Cecidomyia salicina Bouché, 1834 (as “ Cec:. Salicina ”).

TYPE SPECIES: Tipula pini De Geer, 1776 , by subsequent designation ( Gagné, 2004: 100). [Acceptance of this type-species designation requires formal application to the ICZN Commission to suppress all prior type species fixations, see further under REMARKS.]

CURRENT STATUS: Junior synonym of Cecidomyia Meigen, 1803 [ teste Gagné (2004: 100) ].

FAMILY: CECIDOMYIIDAE .

REMARKS: There are two original spellings of this genus-group name in Rondani (1840b): Phytophaga (page 13) and Fitofaga (page 14). By subsequent usage (ICZN Code Article 24.2.4), Rondani (1861a: 289) acted as First Reviser and selected Phytophaga as the correct original spelling. Phytophaga was originally proposed by Rondani (1840b) as a genus within the genus Cecidomyia Meigen, 1803 (as “ Cecidomia ”). Gagné (2004: 100) stated that Phytophaga was proposed without included species and designated Tipula pini De Geer, 1776 as the type species, but this is incorrect. Two species were originally included ( Rondani, 1840b: 14): “ Cec: Salicina ” [= Cecidomyia salicina Bouché, 1834 ] and “ Cerealis Mihi” [= Cecidomyia cerealis Rondani, 1840 ], of which the latter is unavailable (no description or definition of the taxon, ICZN Code Article 12.1). Thus, Cecidomyia salicina Bouché, 1834 is the type species of Phytophaga by monotypy. However, this species-group name is currently treated in the genus Rabdophaga Westwood, 1847 as a junior synonym of Tipula salicis Schrank, 1803 ( Gagné, 2004: 232) . Acceptance of this designation would cause nomenclatural instability within an agriculturally important family. Gagné (2004: 100) stated that Kieffer (1913: 86) designated Cecidomyia salicina as the type species but this is equivocal as Kieffer (1913: 86) actually gave two type-species designations for Phytophaga Rondani, 1840 without indicating which one he was following. Gagné (2004: 100) indicated that none of the previous species that were designated as type species fit the generic characters given in Rondani (1840) and designated Tipula pini De Geer, 1776 , which placed Phytophaga Rondani, 1840 as an objective junior synonym of Cecidomyia Meigen, 1803 . Acceptance of the designation of C. salicina as type species of Phytophaga Rondani, 1840 by monotypy would result in Phytophaga having priority over Rabdophaga and would cause instability of nomenclature and taxonomy. Application to the ICZN Commission is warranted to suppress the type-species designations prior to, and acceptance of that of, Gagné (2004) to preserve stability of the three genus-group names concerned.

EMENDATIONS: Phytofaga Rondani, 1843c: 155 (unjustified), n. syn.; Phitophaga Lioy, 1864a: 502 (unjustified), n. syn.