Pollenia ibalia Séguy, 1930

Rognes, Knut, 2010, Revision of the cluster flies of the Pollenia haeretica species-group (Diptera, Calliphoridae), Zootaxa 2499, pp. 39-56 : 48-52

2. Pollenia ibalia Séguy, 1930

Figs. 16–30 .

Holotype male, Morocco (Douar Ras el Ksar [“Ras el Ksar”] [33° 55' 42" N, 3° 50' 4" W] 900m, (MNHN), by original designation. For details, see Type material, below.

Pollenia ibalia Séguy, 1930: 146 , 148.

Note. Pollenia ibalia was given a place in a key (on p. 46) to Pollenia Robineau-Desvoidy in this paper, and some parts of the genitalia were described and figured (fig. 96 on p. 148) together with corresponding parts of P. haeretica (fig. 97). In text and figures Séguy compared his new ibalia with haeretica Séguy. Séguy illustrated the tip of a cercus (labelled “fe”, and termed “extrémité apicale d’une branche du forceps externe”) and the pregonite (labelled “g”, and termed “une gonapophyse antérieure”) ( Fig. 30 ). Details of the type material found in MNHN are given under Type material, below.

Pollenia funebris Villeneuve, 1933: 284 . Morocco (Marrakech). Permanently invalid name, primary homonym of Pollenia funebris Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863: 664 . Syn. nov.

Note. Tentative synonymy. The fate of the syntypes of this species is not known. They are not present in MNHN, or in CNC, IRSNB, MRAC, USNM or ZMUK, all housing Villeneuve types, and are possibly lost. The description and country of origin ( Morocco) make it likely that they belong to Pollenia ibalia Séguy. The name was based on five specimens from Marrakech captured by “le D r R. Meyer du 23 au 28 mars 1932 ”. Only males were described. Since the name is a primary homonym and thus permanently invalid, the true identity of the name is of academic interest only.

Pollenia ibalia: Séguy, 1934: 45 , 46, 47, 49.

Note. Pollenia ibalia was keyed (p. 46). The aedeagus was described briefly (p. 47) and figured in lateral view (fig. 15 on p. 49). The cerci (now termed “[f]orceps internes”) were described (p. 50) as “brusquement tronqués à l’apex avec quelques courtes soies serrées en pinceau apical” and roughly sketched (fig. 5 on p. 45). Localities were provided (p. 50). A printing error from Séguy (1930) about the altitude of the Ras el Ksar material is repeated.

Pollenia ibalia: Séguy, 1941a: 22 , 23, 26.

Note. Séguy again keyed (p. 22) P. ibalia and mainly repeated information from his 1934 paper. The figure of the aedeagus with details of the tip of the paraphallic process (fig. 20 on p. 23) was copied from his 1934 paper, together with details of the tip of a cercus (fig. 19 on p. 23) (now again termed “extrémité d’une branche du forceps interne”, although in his 1930 paper “forceps externe” was used).

Pollenia rungsi Séguy, 1953: 88 . Holotype male, Morocco (Rabat, bred from Laphygma exigua [= Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) , Lepidoptera , Noctuidae ]) (MNHN), by monotypy. Examined. Syn. nov.

Pollenia ibalia: Zumpt, 1956: 73 .

Note. Zumpt did not see any specimens of ibalia and also copied Séguy’s (1934, 1941a) figure of the aedeagus (Textfig. 31, left hand figure).

Pollenia funebris: Zumpt, 1956: 82 .

Sachtlebeniola (Séguyiomyia) ibala [error for ibalia ]: Lehrer, 1963: 293.

Note. Lehrer grouped ibalia with vagabunda (Meigen) , contempta Robineau-Desvoidy and haeretica Séguy.

Nitellia (Trichopollenia) ibala [error for ibalia ]: Lehrer, 1967: 258.

Note. Lehrer again grouped ibalia with vagabunda (Meigen) , contempta Robineau-Desvoidy and haeretica Séguy , although assigning them to other nominal genera and subgenera than in 1963.

Pollenia ibalia: Schumann, 1986: 46 . Catalogue entry.

Note. Schumann, by an error, only cited the type locality as “Moyen Atlas, Berkine”.

Pollenia rungsi: Schumann, 1986: 47 . Catalogue entry.

Pollenia ibalia: Rognes, 1992a: 97 .

Note. Rognes did not accept that ibalia (and haeretica Séguy ) belonged in the vagabunda species-group.

Pollenia ibalia: Rognes, 1992b: 235 .

Note. Rognes keyed (p. 235) and characterised (p. 248) a P. haeretica species-group (p. 245) for two species, P. haeretica and P. ibalia , and provided a preliminary cladistic analysis of its relationship with other Pollenia species.

Diagnosis. Male. Length: 6–9mm (mean 7.5mm, n=3). Head. Frons at narrowest / head width ratio: 0.100–0.108 (mean 0.105, n=5). Genitalia. Cerci narrow in dorsal view; apices long, pointed, not upturned distally in lateral view, tip covered with an inconspicuous, sparse brush of yellowish setulae. In lateral view the long erect setae present on the dorsal surface of the cerci are absent on the distal half. Surstylus with long thin setae on the outside in basal half, visible in dorsal view. No short spiny setae on external side. Pregonite narrow, distally with almost parallel edges.

Female. Length: 6–9mm (mean 7.5mm, n=2). Frons at vertex / head width ratio: 0.364–0.383 (mean 0.374, n=2). Ovipositor. Unknown. Internal genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. According to label data P. i b a l i a has been captured in April, June and August. One specimen (the holotype of P. rungsi ) is on record for having been bred from Laphygma exigua [= Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) , Lepidoptera , Noctuidae ]. No immatures are known.

Distribution. Morocco.

Material examined. Type material. Pollenia ibalia Séguy, 1930 . Séguy (1930: 148) described Pollenia ibalia on the basis of material cited as follows: “Moyen Atlas: Berkine, 1350-1400m., jardins dans le Tlet n’Rhohr, 10.VI.29; type: Ras el Ksar, 1900 m, 12-13.VI.29 (F. Le Cerf).”. The number of specimens or their sex was not stated. No material from Berkine has been traced in MNHN, but there are three specimens labelled “… Ras el Ksar 900m F. le Cerf …” and one of them carries Séguy labels indicating that this specimen was meant to be a name bearer. The cited “ type ” statement in conjunction with the red “ TYPE ” label and the word “ TYPE ” written on a second label (see below) fixes the status of this specimen as holotype by original designation. I have labelled it with a holotype label. Evidently Séguy’s 1900m is a printing error for the actual height of 900m. The other specimens have been labelled as paratypes. All specimens are conspecific, and I have labelled the paratypes with my determination label ( ibalia Séguy ). Holotype male, in MNHN, labelled ( Fig. 25 ) (1) “MUSÉUM PARIS // MAROC // MOYEN ATLAS // RAS EL KSAR 900 m // F LE CERF // 12/13 VI 1929” [printed on greyish blue label]; (2) “ TYPE ” [printed on red label]; (3) “ Pollenia / ibalia ɗ / TYPE. Séguy / E. SÉGUY det. 1929” [handwritten by Séguy except “E. SÉGUY det. 19” which is printed]; (4) my holotype label ( ibalia Séguy ). The specimen has been dissected by K.R.. The abdominal T1–5 are glued to a card on the pin above the labels, and the ST1–5 and genitalia are kept in glycerol in a glass microvial below label (3). Paratypes (2 males, both in MNHN): 1 male labelled (1) “MUSÉUM PARIS // MAROC // MOYEN ATLAS // RAS EL KSAR 900 m // F LE CERF // 12/13 VI 1929” [printed on greyish blue label]; (2) “ ibalia / E. Séguy det. 19” [handwritten by Séguy, except last line which is printed]; (3) “ag 292 / K. Rognes det.” [handwritten in pencil on white label, except last line which is printed; ag = appareil genital]; (4) “Genital slide / no. 292 / “ Pollenia ibalia n.sp. ”” [printed on red label; label prepared by K.R.]; (5) my paratype label ( ibalia Séguy ). Slide 292, also in MNHN, is a Canada balsam mount of the ST5 and the genitalia labelled “292” [left side of slide] and “ Pollenia / ibalia / n.sp.” [right side] [all text in pencil in Séguy’s handwriting]. 1 male labelled (1) “MUSÉUM PARIS // MAROC // MOYEN ATLAS // RAS EL KSAR 900 m // F LE CERF // 12/13 VI 1929” [printed on greyish blue label]; (2) my paratype label ( ibalia Séguy ). Not dissected, but cerci and surstyli clearly visible.

Pollenia rungsi Séguy, 1953 . This species was described from an unspecified number of males from Rabat ( Morocco), bred from Laphygma exigua [= Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) , Lepidoptera , Noctuidae ]) by “Ch. Rungs”, the data concerning the breeding being “..., élev. 1564, 19 -XI-1935”. A single specimen was found in MNHN under Pollenia rungsi , labelled ( Fig. 29 ) (1) “s [?] / Laphygma / exigua / El: 1564 / 19.xi.35 ” [handwritten]; (2) “ TYPE ” [printed on red label]; (3) “ Pollenia / Rungsi / TYPE Ség.” [handwritten by Séguy]. It is in good condition (but left wing is lost). I dissected it during a visit to MNHN in 1990 and added a label, (4) “ Pollenia ɗ / ibalia Ség. / K. Rognes det.” 90” [handwritten, except “K. Rognes det.” which is printed]. The abdominal T1–5 were glued to a card above label (1), and the ST1–5 and genitalia kept in glycerol in a glass microvial between labels (3) and (4). The specimen fits the description and other published data and is obviously a name-bearing type. Even though Séguy did not state in the original publication that only one specimen was before him when he described rungsi and neither used the expression “ holotype ”, “le type ”, “ type ”, or some equivalent expression in the published text, I interpret the single specimen in MNHN as a holotype fixed by monotypy, in conformity with my action in similar cases regarding other Séguy species ( Bengalia unicolor , Bengalia chromatella , Bengalia pallidicoxa ) ( Rognes 2009). I have labelled the specimen as such ( Fig. 29 ).

Pollenia funebris Villeneuve, 1933 . This species was described from five male specimens from Marrakech ( Morocco). No syntypes are present in CNC (e-mail from J. O’Hara 16 April 2007), IRSNB (letter from P. Grootaert 7 January 1987; list of IRSNB holdings of various Villeneuve types), MNHN (letter from L. Matile 19 May 1987; personal visits in 1987, 1990); MRAC (e-mail from E. De Coninck 28 April 2010); USNM (not in list of holding of Villeneuve types received in e-mail from N. E. Woodley 14 February 2008) or ZMUK (letter from F. Sick 24 March 1987), all housing other Villeneuve types. The type material is possibly lost.

Other material. All have been labelled with my determination label ( ibalia Séguy ). BMNH: 1 male, staged on small clear plastic sheet, labelled “ Morocco / Asni / viii.1930 / Prof.T.D.A.Cockerell.” [printed on yellowish label]; (2) “Pres. By / Imp. Inst. Ent. / B.M.1938-661.” [printed]; (3) “ Pollenia / ibalia Séguy ” [handwritten by?]. Dissected by K.R. 2 Oct 2009. The abdominal T1–5 are glued to the stage, and the ST1–5 and genitalia kept in glycerol in a glass microvial below the original labels. ZMUC: 1 female labelled (1) “ Morocco 1000 m / 15 km SW Tazenakht / 11.iv.1989 / Zool.Mus.Copenh.Exp.” [printed]; (2) “ haeretica / ibalia // Séguy // K. Rognes det.” [printed]. 1 female labelled (1) “ Morocco 0–20 m / 40 km S Larache / 23- 24.iv.1989 / (Zool.Mus.Copenh.Exp.”; (2) “ haeretica / ibalia // Séguy // K. Rognes det.” [printed]. Note. Since it is not known by what features the females of ibalia differ from those of haeretica , these ZMUC specimens have tentatively been assigned to ibalia , mainly because of the provenance.

Note. There is a record of “ Pollenia ibalia ” from Morocco in Séguy (1941b: 33), from “Djebel M’Goun, cañon Tessaout, 3.000-3.200 m., 1-15 septembre ”. I have traced the specimen in MNHN and it is a misidentified female of Pollenia leclercqiana (Lehrer) . I have labelled it as such.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 25. Pollenia ibalia Séguy, male (16 – 23, 25 from holotype in MNHN; 24 from specimen labelled “ Asni ... ” in BMNH). 16. Aedeagus, left lateral view. 17. Tip of paraphallic process (large magnification). 18. Pre- and postgonites. 19. Cerci and surstyli, posterior view. 20. Cerci, surstyli, epandrium and bacilliform sclerites, left lateral view. 21. Tip of cerci (large magnification). 22. Head, dorsal view. 23. Facial region, from in front. 24. Abdomen, oblique view. 25. Three original labels. Scale = 0.25 mm (Figure 16).

FIGURES 26 – 30. 26 – 29. Pollenia ibalia Séguy, male (from holotype of Pollenia rungsi Séguy in MNHN). 26. Aedeagus, left lateral view. 27. Aedeagus, dorsal (posterior) view. 28. Tip of cerci, slightly oblique view. 29. Three original labels, determination label and holotype label by K. R. 30. Right pregonite and tip of cercus of P. ibalia (left) and P. haeretica (right) [reproduced from Séguy 1930: 148, figs. 96 and 97, by permission].