TACHINIDAE OF ORIENTAL REGION 67 



on 6.ii.i93i and named by him as Voria edentata. This slide preparation enables 

 edentata to be reliably interpreted in the absence of the actual holotype, and confirms 

 that this name must be treated as a synonym of Voria ruralis (Fallen). 



Baranov considered that edentata was distinct from ruralis because of different 

 relative proportions of the second and third antennal segments, and because of 

 small differences in the male hypopygium (notably that the edentata surstylus 

 appeared broader and differently shaped at the tip than ruralis). A study of 

 Voria material in the BMNH collection from a wide range of localities in Europe, 

 Asia, Africa and Australia, based on an examination of the male genitalia as well 

 as external characters, shows that two species only (ruralis and capensis) can be 

 reliably differentiated in the Old World fauna (not three as d'Aguilar, 1957, recog- 

 nizes), at least so far as the tropical and subtropical areas are concerned, and indi- 

 cates clearly that edentata is not specifically distinct from ruralis. The two valid 

 species can be distinguished by the characters in the following key. 



o* genitalia with a long prong-like process projecting from the base of the inner edge of 

 the cercus. Abdominal T4 without median discal setae; T5 without median discal 

 setae in front of the main transverse row of very strong discals. Wing with Cu x 

 totally bare (two specimens seen with a single adventitious setula). [Falaearctic 

 Region (including Britain & Japan), Ethiopian Region, Oriental Region, New 

 Guinea & New Britain, Australia; New World] . . . . V. ruralis (Fallen) 



(J genitalia with simple cercus lacking any inner basal process. Abdominal T4 with a 

 pair or more of median discal setae, sometimes small ; T5 with a pair or more of small 

 erect median discal setae near the anterior margin in front of the main transverse 

 row of very strong discals (sometimes undifferentiated in $). Wing with Cu l setulose 

 near the base. [Ethiopian Region, including southern Arabia] V. capensis Villeneuve 



V. edentata, as clearly shown by Baranov's slide, possesses the long prong on the 

 cercus that is diagnostic of ruralis and this fact is considered to be conclusive evi- 

 dence for the synonymy of the former with the latter. The surstyli (Paraloben 

 of Baranov) are slightly broader and their pointed apices directed slightly more 

 forwards than usual, but examination of genitalia from males from widespread 

 localities shows that there is a tendency for the surstyli to be slightly wider in the 

 easterly part of the ruralis distribution range than elsewhere; some intraspecific 

 variability, slight in character, is to be expected over such a large specific range, 

 and may be clinal. In some Oriental specimens (such as 'edentata'' from Formosa 

 and certain specimens seen from India) the third antennal segment of the male is 

 fully twice as long as the slightly shorter than usual second segment, and the bend 

 of vein M is a little closer to the wing margin than in most specimens from other 

 areas, but (in view of the typical ruralis form of hypopygium) this is attributed to 

 intraspecific variability; it appears extremely improbable that two species are 

 involved. 



Two final points may be mentioned concerning V. ruralis. Firstly, that the 

 species can be confirmed as occurring in New Guinea (where it is common in the 

 highland grasslands) and in Australia: male genitalia of specimens from New South 

 Wales, examined for the present work, show conclusively that the Voria species 

 occurring there is ruralis (see Crosskey, 19736 : 128, where the need for confirmation 



