Philornis blanchardi Garcia 1952

Philornis blanchardi Garcia, 1952

Philornis blanchardi Garcia, 1952: 289. Holotype female, lost (formerly in MSPBA?). Type-locality: Argentina, Corrientes.

This species is known only from the original description and has never again been identified in material from Argentina. The description was based on one female (referred to as male by mistake in Carvalho et al. 2005) from Corrientes province (locality not specified). According to the description, this is the only Argentine Philornis species with black-haired cheeks and dark brown postpedicel and so could be a recognisable species. As with all Garcia’s material, the type is considered lost.

The following diagnosis (from Garcia 1952) could help further identification (length of adult not mentioned): fronto-orbital plate and gena with golden pollinosity; antenna with scape and pedicel dark yellow; postpedicel dark brown; palpus light brown; cheek black haired; scutum brown with grayish pollinosity and with four brown vittae; legs with femora yellowish and tibiae brownish; wings hyaline with no dark marks; abdomen shiny brown; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae on middle third, anteroventral surface with 2 fine setae. Larval habits and host association unknown.

Since the type is considered lost, a neotype should be designated if this species is recognised in new material. We do not discount the possibility that this nominal species is the same as a known species, as Garcia (1952) himself mentioned.