Physoconops (Pachyconops) pallifrons (Coquillett)

Stuke, Jens-Hermann & Skevington, Jeffrey H., 2007, The Conopidae of Costa Rica (Diptera) (Part 1: Conopinae – Conopini & Tropidomyiini), Zootaxa 1528, pp. 1-40 : 35

Physoconops (Pachyconops) pallifrons (Coquillett) (figures 89–92).

Conops pallifrons Coquillett 1904: 92 .

= Physoconops (Pachyconops) gracilianus Camras syn. nov. Physoconops gracilianus Camras 1955: 165 .

Specimens examined: Costa Rica: 1920, leg. Paul Serre (MNHN); Prov. Guanacaste: Santa Cruz Camino a la Esperanza, 420m, 15. vi.1999, 1 ɗ, Y. Cardenas, Manual (red. libre), L_N_238450_363050, #56088, INB0003075071 (INBC); Liberia, P.N. Santa Rosa, Send. Los Patos, 300m, 30. vi.2000, 1 ɗ, 2Ψ, D. Briceño, Manual, L_N_313000_359800, #58899, INB0003306800, INB0003306806, INB0003306810 (CNC, ZMHB); Est. Murciélago, 8km S. O. de Cuajiniquil, 80–100m, 4–22. viii.1994, 3 ɗ, 1Ψ, 11–29. viii.1993, 1 Ψ, 4–18. ix.1994, 1 ɗ, 1Ψ, 10–28. x.1993, 7 ɗ, 7Ψ, 31.x–18. xi.1994, 1 Ψ, 5–18. xi.1994, 1 ɗ, 1Ψ, L_N_320300_347200, INBIO CRI001022541, INBIO CRI002015855, INBIO CRI002015845, INBIO CRI001992984, INBIO CRI002015856, INBIO CRI002127804, INBIO CRI002022540, INBIO CRI001672646–7, INBIO CRI001672653, INBIO CRI001672655, INBIO CRI001672641–2, INBIO CRI001672657, INBIO CRI001672648–49, INBIO CRI001672654, INBIO CRI001672643, INBIO CRI001672644, INBIO CRI001672651, INBIO CRI001672656, INBIO CRI002127122, INBIO CRI001139802, INBIO CRI002127803 (CNC, INBC, ZMHB); Fca. Jenny, 31 km N Liberia, 300m, 5– 20. ix.1993, 1 ɗ, ix.1988, 1 ɗ, x.1988, 2 ɗ, L_N_316200, 364400, (UTM 316200, 364400, 10 °51'55" N, 85°34'27" W), INBIO CRI001946649, INBIO CRI001048679, INBIO CRI000007179, INBIO CRI001048684 (INBC); P.N. Santa Rosa, Send. Los Patos, 300m, 30. vi.2000, 1 Ψ, D. Briceño, Manual, L_N_313000_359800, #58899, INB0003306807 (INBC); P. N. Santa Rosa, Send. Quebrada, San Emilio, 300m, 09.–12. xi.2002, 3 ɗ, 2Ψ, D. Briceño, Libre, L_N_313000_359800, #72000, INBIO 003550639–42, INBIO 0 0 3550644 (INBC); Prov. Heredia: Est. Magsasay, P.N. Braulio Carrillo, 200m, vii.1991, 1 Ψ, A. Fernández, L_N_264600_531000, INBIO CRI001378194 (INBC). Holtype ɗ Physoconops gracilianus Camras : Mexico: Cuernavaca, Mor., 23.ix., E.G. Smyth, Chittenden No. 12838, (USNM).

Camras (1955) separates Physoconops gracilianus from Physoconops pallifrons only by the colouration of the cheek ( Coquillett, 1904). The material from Costa Rica shows that this character is variable and not suitable to distinguish the two species. Therefore we propose that Physoconops (Pachyconops) gracilianus Camras, 1955 is a junior synonym of Physoconops pallifrons ( Coquillett, 1904) [syn. nov.].