Case 3585 Atomosia Macquart, 1838 (Insecta, Diptera, ASILIDAE): proposed conservation of usage

The purpose of this application, under article 70.2 of the Code, is to conserve the current usage of the generic name Atomosia Macquart, 1838 for a well-established genus of robber flies. The type species of Atomosia has long been assumed to be Atomosia incisuralis Macquart, 1838. However, the correct type species is Atomosia annulipes Macquart, 1838, which is currently recognized as a valid
species of Aphestia Schiner, 1866. Acceptance of Atomosia annulipes as the type species of Atomosia would change the current concept of that genus to that of Aphestia, and the remaining species currently included in Atomosia would require a new genus-group name as there are no junior synonyms from which to choose the next available name. To avoid the nomenclatural instability that would result from following the Principle of Priority, it is proposed that all type fixations for Atomosia Macquart, 1838 prior to that of Atomosia incisuralis</I> Macquart, 1838 by Coquillett
(1910) be set aside.