Correct application of the nominal genus Brachista Walker (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

2 Pages·1993·0.83 MB·

by  J D Pinto

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
95(2), 1993, pp. 298-299
Note
Correct application ofthe nominal genus Brachista Walker
(Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
Studies in progress on the North Amer- wandte Entomologie 23: 114-148) recog-
ican Trichogrammatidae require clarifica- nizedthat^^z<3£'AshmeadSMdpungensMayr
tion ofthe definition ofthe genus Brachista were not congeneric. Unfortunately he re-
Walker. This nominal genus has had a tor- tained Mayr'sconcept ofBrachistaas based
tuous history since its debut in 1851. Pre- onpungens, andtransferredAshmead'sspe-
sumablyintendedforoneormoreEuropean cies to a new genus, Giraultiola. Modem
forms,nomenclaturalconventionmandates workers have followed Nowicki by recog-
that its application be restncted to a New nizing Giraultiola as a valid North Ameri-
World species currently placed in Giraul- can genus, and restrictingBrachista topun-
tiola Nowicki. gens and other related Old World species
Brachista was described for one or more (e.g., Doutt and Viggiani 1968. Proceedings
unnamed species ofTrichogrammatidae by ofthe California Academy ofSciences, 4th
Walker(1851. TheAnnalsand Magazine of series35: 477-586;YousufandShafee 1986.
NaturalHistory7: 210-216). Foerster(1856. Indian Journal of Systematic Entomology
Hymenopterologische Studien II: 88), er- 3: 29-82).
roneously considering the name a junior Article 67 of The International Code of
homonymofBrachistesWesmael,proposed Zoological Nomenclature (1985) states that
Brachystichaasareplacement name. Foers- anominalspeciescannotbefixedasthetype
ter also failed to tie the new name to nom- of a nominal genus if it was not included
inal species. The first such association was when the nominal genus was established or
by Ashmead (1894. Journal ofthe Cincin- when nominal species were first subse-
nati Society of Natural History 17: 170- quently assigned to the nominal genus. Ar-
172) in describingthe North American spe- ticle 69 allows only nominal species that
cies, Brachystichafidiae. The first associa- were first subsequently and expressly in-
tion of a European species with the genus cluded in the nominal genus to be consid-
(misspelled as Brachystira) occurred a de- ered as type species. This precludes assign-
cade later upon Mayr's (1904. Verhandlun- ingpungens or any other European species
gen der k. k. zoologisch-botanischen Ge- as the type ofBrachista because, (1) Walk-
sellschaft in Wien 54: 559-598) description er's description of the genus omitted any
of5. pungens. Mayr's concept ofthe genus reference to species, and (2) the first sub-
was maintained by Kryger (1918. Ento- sequent reference of a nominal species to
moligiske Meddelelser 12: 257-354), who Brachista (as Brachysticha) was Ashmead's
also corrected Foerster's unjustified emen- description of the North American fidiae.
dation and resurrected the name Brachista. Thus, Brachysticha fidiae Ashmead is the
Although BrachystichafidiaeAshmead had type species ofBrachista Walker by subse-
been acknowledged as the correct type spe- quent monotypy, and Giraultiola Nowicki
cies ofBrachista (Gahan and Fagan 1923. is an objectivejunior synonym.
UnitedStatesNaturalMuseumBulletin 124: This raises the question ofthe correct ge-
23), its relationship to European represen- nus name for the European species erro-
tatives was not addressed until 1936 by neously assigned to Brachista. The next
Nowicki. available name would appear to be Chae-
Nowicki (1936. Zeitschrift fiir ange- tostrichella Girault (1914. Mitteilungen aus
VOLUME 95, NUMBER 2 299
demZoologischenMuseum inBerlin 7: 147- Chaetostrichella Girault, Renewed Status
149). Chaetostrichella has been treated as a Brachystira: Mayr 1904: 590 (subsequent
junior synonym of Brachista {sensu No-
C misspelling ofBrachysticha Foerster).
wicki) and its type species, platoni Gi- Chaetostrichella GirauU 1914: 147 (Type
rault, is ajunior synonym oipungens Mayr species, Chaetostrichella platoni Girault
(Nowicki 1936, Doutt and Viggiani 1968). by monotypy).
Synonymiesreflectingthisnomenclatural Brachista: Nowicki 1936: 136. Doutt and
correction are as follows: Viggiani 1968: 497.
Brachista Walker Included species: Chaetostrichella pun-
C C
Brachista Walker 1851: 211. gens (Mayr) [(= platoni Girault, nigra
Brachysticha Foerster 1856: 88 (unjustified (Kryger)],NCE.WruCfiOnaMB(NIoNwiAcTkiI)O,NCS..simiIis
emendation, objectivejuniorsynonym of (KrAycgkenr)o.wledgments.— thank John La-
Brachista). Ashmead, 1894: 171 (estab- I
lishment o{Brachysticha fidiae Ashmead Salle (International Institute of Entomolo-
astype species bysubsequent monotypy). gy) and Gennaro Viggiani (Universita degli
Studi di Napoli) fortheirinput. Publication
Girauhiola Nowicki 1936: 136 {Brachysti-
ofthis note was supported by National Sci-
cha fidiae, type species by monotypy).
Doutt and Viggiani 1968: 552. NEW ence FoundatioAn&GMrant L200008 (J. B.
SYNONYMY. Woolley, Texas University, Principal
Investigator).
Giraultia: Steffan 1954: 669 (subsequent
misspelling of Girauhiola). John D. Pinto, Department ofEntomol-
Included species: Brachista fidiae (Ash- ogy, UniversityofCalifornia, Riverside, Cal-
mead) (= Lathromeris cicadae Howard), ifornia 92521.
NEW COMBINATION; two undescribed
species (Pinto, in prep.).