Aprionus onychophorus Berest, 1991

Jaschhof, Mathias, 2016, Taxonomic revision of some Micromyinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) described by Zoya L. Berest, Zootaxa 4097 (2), pp. 255-262 : 257

Aprionus onychophorus Berest, 1991 —new junior synonym of Aprionus cardiophorus Mamaev, 1963

According to Berest (1991a), the male of A. onychophorus differs from that of A. cardiophorus in the antennal sensilla, which are branched rather than simple, and in the ninth tergite, which is trapezoid rather than heartshaped. Both these distinctions do not stand up to scrutiny. Antennal sensilla were shown to be branched also in A. cardiophorus ( Spungis & Jaschhof 2000, Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2009), and the ninth tergite of Aprionus (and other Micromyinae ) is a flexible rather than rigid sclerite, so readily alters in outline when displaced in microscope preparations ( Jaschhof 1998). In the holotype of A. cardiophorus , which I studied some time ago ( Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2009), pressure of the cover slip caused the ninth tergite to slip posteriorly and take on the “heart-shape” that Mamaev (1963) described and accentuated in the species’ name. Since nothing remains that would make A. onychophorus distinct from A. cardiophorus , the two species are regarded here as identical.