New synonym of Drosophila yakuba Burla, 1954 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) (original) (raw)

New biological and bibliographic information confirms that the widely accepted name Drosophila yakuba Burla, 1954 and the unused name Drosophila opisthomelaina are synonymous. The latter was coined by Nolte & Stoch in a 1950 work containing a disclaimer and is unavailable by strict application of Article 8b of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (3rd edn, 1985). In a previously overlooked publication, Nolte (1958) cites D.opisthomelaina as a senior synonym; the work also contains diagnostic information. Synonymy is not disputed but before 1958 the name was unavailable. Thus D. opisthomelaina Nolte, 1958 is treated as a junior rather than a senior synonym of D.yakuba. These nomenclatural corrections remove confusion concerning records of this species in southern Africa and will probably be met with general approval. The distribution in southern Africa and Madagascar of D.yakuba and closely related species: D.melanogaster Meigen, 1830, D.simulans Sturtevant, 1919 and D.teissieri Tsacas, 1971, are summarized.