Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) lederbergi (Lehrer, 1995)

Whitmore, Daniel, 2011, New taxonomic and nomenclatural data on Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with description of six new species, Zootaxa 2778, pp. 1-57 : 39-40

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) lederbergi (Lehrer, 1995)

Pierretia rohdendorfi Povolný & Slamečková, 1959: 427 . [Junior secondary homonym of Sarcophaga rohdendorfi Salem, 1936 , Parasarcophaga rohdendorfi Baranov, 1938 , and Sarcophaga rohdendorfi Baranov, 1941 .] Spatulapica lederbergi Lehrer, 1995a: 90 (see Pape 2004a).

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) borodorf Pape, 1996: 324 . Unnecessary new replacement name for Pierretia rohdendorfi Povolný & Slamečková, 1959 (see Pape 2004a).

Type material examined. Pierretia rohdendorfi : Holotype 3: Vel’. Inovec / Slov. [= Slovakia] 20.6.1957 / Čepelák leg. // Pierretia / sp. nova / B. Rohdendorf / det. 1958.I [with additional notes handwritten in Russian on side of label] // 3 // Heteronychia / rohdendorfi / Pov. & Slam ( MMBC) [terminalia missing, not found in MMBC (I. Malenovský, pers. comm. 2007)].

Additional material examined. No locality: 1 3 ( MMBC, as “ Heteronychia rohdendorfi Pov. & Slam ”) [lacking half of abdomen and terminalia]. Austria: Reutte, Heiterwang, 9–16.VII.1986, S. Andersen leg., 1 3 ( ZMUC). Czech Republic: Podyjí, Braitava letohr., 530m, 2.VII–3.VIII.2004, Barták & Kubik leg., 1 3 ( ZMUC). France: Vaucluse, Bédoin, VII.1991, R. Richet leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR). Greece: Makhedonia/Thessalia, Olympos, 700– 2100m, 21–26.VI.1990, 3 3 ( ZMUC); same locality, 26.VIII.1993, D. Povolný leg., 6 3 ( MMBC, as “ Heteronychia ancilla det. Povolný”) (see Povolný 1996: fig. 19a). Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Udine prov., Tarvisio, 820m, 13–27.VII.2004, G. Malizia & M. Romanin leg., 1 3 (CNBFVR); Piedmont, Turin, M. Bezzi leg., 1 3 ( USNM). Slovakia: Čachtice, 26.V.1961, Čepelák leg., 1 3 ( MMBC). Ukraine: Kiev, Fomin botany garden, 23.V.2002, Yu.G. Verves leg., 1 3 ( YVC); same locality, 7.VII.2002, Yu.G. Verves leg., 1 3 ( YVC).

Remarks. Povolný and Slamečková (1967) compared the holotype of Pierretia rohdendorfi with three other male specimens from Slovakia (Čachtice) and Czech Republic (Moravia, Pavlovské vrchy), and highlighted morphological variability in the cercus and distiphallus (e.g., length and width of lateral styli). Lehrer (1995a) based his description of Spatulapica lederbergi on Povolný and Slamečková’s (1967: 315, fig. 3) drawing of the specimen from Pavlovské vrchy; this specimen, which would represent the holotype of S. lederbergi , could not be identified with certainty as no specimens from this Czech locality were found in MMBC. Pape (1996) proposed Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) borodorf as a replacement name for the junior secondary homonym Sarcophaga rohdendorfi ( Povolný & Slamečková, 1959) ; however, he later ( Pape 2004a) considered this replacement name as unnecessary on the grounds that S. lederbergi is a junior synonym of P. rohdendorfi , and therefore qualifies as the valid name.

After examining the above material (unfortunately not the terminalia of the holotype of P. ro h d e n d o r f i, which appear to be lost), I can confirm the wide variability – particularly in the shape of the cercus – displayed by this species, which may even represent a species-complex; however, given the low number of specimens examined, I prefer to consider all these specimens as conspecific. I also prefer to follow Povolný and Slamečková’s (1967) original suggestion of intraspecific variability and, like Pape (2004a), I consider Spatulapica lederbergi as the first junior synonym of Pierretia rohdendorfi , and Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) lederbergi (Lehrer, 1995) as the valid name for this species.