Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Subclass	Order	Suborder	Superfamily	Family	Subfamily	Genus	Species	Nomenclatural_Code
Animalia	Arthropoda	Insecta	Pterygota	Diptera	Brachycera	Asiloidea	Therevidae	Therevinae	Psilocephala	platycera	ICZN

Name Authority: original description

Remarks: Webb and Metz (2006) incorrectly treated Psilocephala laticornis Loew (1869) as a valid name, in combination with the genus Elcaribe Webb. Schiner (1860: 167) treated Thereva laticornis Loew (1856) as Psilocephala laticornis, so when Loew (1869) described Psilocephala laticornis Loew, the name was preoccupied in that combination. Realizing this, Loew (1872a) gave the replacement name Psilocephala platycera, which has been used by all authors referring to this taxon since that time. Kertész (1897: 614) and Zaitzev (1975: 540) also treated Thereva laticornis Loew (1856) as Psilocephala laticornis, while Kröber (1937) and Lyneborg (1984) treated Thereva laticornis Loew (1856), respectively, as Cliorismia laticornis and Ammothereva laticornis (which is the current combination). There was no usage of Psilocephala laticornis Loew (1869), in any combination, since Loew (1872a) renamed the species, and the Zoological Record listed this change of name (Rye 1874: 384), citing the name being preoccupied at the time. As such, when Webb and Metz (2006) listed Psilocephala platycera as an unjustified replacement name, stating "In 1869, Loew described Psilocephala laticornis, then in 1872a he renamed this species Psilocephala platycera but gave no justification for this new name. An examination of the literature determined that laticornis was not a primary homonym within Psilocephala, therefore, Psilocephala platycera is considered an unjustified new name for P. laticornis," they were in error. Given the history of the usage of names, and the unequivocal and long standing secondary homonymy, the new name Psilocephala platycera was justified and is permanent, following ICZN Article 59.3, including it's conditional clause stating that replacement names of junior homonyms made before 1961 are permanent UNLESS “the substitute name is not in use and the relevant taxa are no longer considered congeneric, in which case the junior homonym is not to be rejected on grounds of that replacement." In this case, the replacement name was in use since its designation, and the replaced name had not been in use during that entire time, so Psilocephala platycera was and is the permanent name for this taxon, and stability of nomenclature would be threatened by reasserting usage of Psilocephala laticornis Loew (1869) which had not been used since it was originally described. In addition, the species-group name platycera is a noun in apposition, and so its gender remains unchanged.

Common Name(s):

• No common names recorded.

Related Publications:

• No related publications recorded.

Cited MCZ Specimens:

• No cited MCZ specimens.

Synonymns and other Related Names:

• Psilocephala platycera Loew 1869 replacement name for Psilocephala laticornis Loew 1869 (According to: Webb et al, 2013)