Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 50(1) March 1993 31 Case 2837/2 Melanophila Eschscholtz, 1829 and Phaenops Dejean, 1833 (Insecta, Coleoptera): proposed conservation of usage by the designation of Buprestis acuminata De Geer, 1774 as the type species of Melanophila Hans Muhle Pfarrstrasse 10. D-8063 Pfaff'enhofenlGlonn. Germany Abstract. The purpose of this application is to conserve the current understanding and usage of the names Melanophila Eschscholtz, 1829 and Phaenops Dejean, 1833 (family buprestidae Leach, 1815, jewel beetles) by designating Buprestis acuminata De Geer, 1774 as the type species of Melanophila. At present Melanophila and Phaenops are both typified by B. cyanea Fabricius, 1774. Both genera have a worldwide distribution. Most species of Melanophila are Nearctic and Neotropical and most of Phaenops are Palaearctic. M. acuminata, the larvae of which feed on conifers and broadleaved trees, has the widest distribution of buprestid species. 1. Eschscholtz (1829, p. 9) briefly described and named the genus Melanophila. He included two nominal species, Buprestis tarda and B. appeniliculata, both of Fabricius (1792, pp. 209 and 210 respectively). Westwood ([1838], p. 24) gave B. tarda as 'the typical species' of Melanophila. The type species designations in Westwood's Synopsis of the genera of British itisects were accepted as valid in Opinion 71 (January 1922) although Melanophila has never been used in the sense of tarda as the type species (see paras. 5 and 7 below). The dates of publication of Westwood's work were set out in Direction 63 (June 1957). 2. Dejean (1833, p. 79) estabhshed the name Phaenops and included seven species, among them Buprestis tarda (with B. cyanea Fabricius, 1775, p. 223 as a synonym), B. appendiculata and B. decostigma Fabricius, 1787 (p. 180; misspelt as 'decastigma'' by many subsequent authors). The name Phaenops was not accompanied by a diagnosis, description or illustration but since included nominal species can be identified by citations of their authors it meets the requirements of availability under Article 12b(5) of the Code. 3. Kirby (1837, p. 160) established Oxypteris as a subgenus of Buprestis; he designated B. appendiculata Fabricius, 1 792 as the type species. Kirby synonymised appendiculata with Buprestis acumitiata De Geer, 1774 (p. 133) and this has been accepted by all later authors. Kirby (p. 158) also established Trachypteris as a further subgenus of Buprestis: B. decostigma Fabricius. 1787 was designated as the type species. 4. Laporte & Gory ([1838], p. 4) established the genus Apatura to include 15 species, among them tarda (= cyanea), appendiculata (-acuminata) and decostigma. Gory & Laporte ([1840], p. 2) realised that Melanophila was the prior name for the taxon and Gory ([1840], p. 73) adopted this name. Duponchel & Chevrolat ([1841], p. 641) designated appendiculata as the type species of Apatura and noted that it was a junior homonym of Apatura Fabricius. 1807 in Lepidoptera.
Case 2837. Melanophila Eschscholtz, 1829 and Phaenops Dejean, 1833 (Insecta, Coleoptera): proposed conservation of usage by the designation of Buprestis acuminata De Geer, 1774 as the type species of Melanophila
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