Paramyopa oestracea (Loew, 1863)

Material. LESOTHO: 3♂, 4.xi.1956, Berea district, Malubalube, Teyateyaneng, leg. C. Jacot-Guillarmod, coll. AMGS; SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀, 18.iv.1993, Cape Province, Csintsa West [33°S 27°E], leg. S. D. Lewis, coll. AMGS; 1♂, 8.xii.2012, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Royal Natal N. P., trail to The C, 1675 m [2841′04.3′′S 2856′14.7′′E], leg. G. Ståhls, coll. PASS; 1♂, 1.–3.iv.2001, Mpumalanga Province, Blyderevierspoort NP, Plateau [2439′S 3050′E], leg. F. Koch, coll. ZMHB; 1♀, 25.xi.2012, Western Cape Province, Kogelberg N. R, Cludebosch Cabins, 65 m [3419′38.4′′S 1857′46.2′′E], leg. A. Ssymank, coll. PASS.

The material presented here was compared with the holotype of Paramyopa oestracea that is deposited in the collection of the MLUH.

Discussion. Bezzi (1908) also described the species Paramyopa schultzei (Bezzi, 1908) and compared it with Paramyopa oestracea. Taking the variability of Paramyopa oestracea into account, however, the only character which distinguishes Paramyopa schultzei is a difference in wing venation, the species being described by Bezzi (1908) as follows: Ein wichtiges Merkmal ist die Verbrechung der 2. Flügellängsader r vor der Randader; bei keinem Schriftsteller ist von dieser Sache Erwähnung zu finden, und vielleicht haben wir es nur mit einer zufälligen Abnormität zu tun. Bei dem einzigen vorhandenen Exemplar ist jedoch die Verbrechung bei beiden Flügeln regelmäßig vorhanden. (An important character is a break in the second longitudinal vein r [probably r1] before the marginal vein [probably the subcosta]; this character is not mentioned by other authors and perhaps is only a random malformation. However, in the only available specimen this character is uniformly present in both wings.). Kröber (1939) concluded that in the event that the difference in wing venation was due to a structural or developmental aberration, Paramyopa schultzei would have to be treated as a junior synonym of Paramyopa oestracea. Errors in wing venation are not rare in the Conopidae and there are only a very few conopid species in which an obvious difference in venation is regarded as a reliable distinguishing character. The depository of the holotype of Paramyopa schultzei is unknown, however, and therefore it cannot be checked. The only other known specimen of Paramyopa schultzei, that was mentioned by Kröber (1939), is probably destroyed. Therefore following the argument of Kröber (1939), Paramyopa schultzei (Bezzi, 1908) is herewith treated as a junior synonym of Paramyopa oestracea (Loew, 1863) (syn. nov.).