The Century Old Taxonomic Confusion Surrounding Wiedemannia zetterstedti Fallén and Related Species Is Resolved (Diptera: Empididae): Revision of the W. zetterstedti Group

Abstract

The Wiedemannia zetterstedti species group is revised after examination of all available type specimens and includes one new species (W. ulrichi Ivković & Sinclair sp. nov.) and four redescribed species (W. czernyi (Bezzi), W. longipennis (Mik) stat. rev., W. rufipes (Oldenberg) stat. rev. and W. zetterstedti (Fallén)). The following new synonyms are proposed: W. (Roederella) ouedorum Vaillant, 1952 = W. czernyi (Bezzi, 1905); Paramesia riparia Robert, 1836 = W. zetterstedti (Fallén, 1826). Lectotypes are designated for the following species/subspecies: Atalanta hirtiloba Speiser, Brachystoma escheri Zetterstedt, Clinocera czernyi Bezzi, Clinocera longipennis Mik, Paramesia riparia Robert, and Roederia czernyi rufipes Oldenberg. In addition to morphological evidence, molecular species concepts were investigated using a molecular phylogenetic divergence-based species delimitation (bPTP) and results confirmed the morphological conclusions. A key to species is presented and geographic distributions are mapped.