Conops brunnifrons Kröber, 1915

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2019, New conopid records from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Conopidae). Part 2: Conopinae excluding Physocephalini, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 49 (2), pp. 277-349 : 333

Conops brunnifrons Kröber, 1915

Conops brunnifrons Kröber, 1915 b: 40 .

C. brunnifrons was classified by Camras (2001) after examination of the type at MCSN as Conops s. str. This classification contradicts the original description in which Kröber (1915 b: 40) notes “Stirn und Scheitel dunkelbraun, stark gefurcht” (frons and vertex dark brown, with strong grooves). Conops s. str. should have a smooth frons with no grooves. Camras (2001: 207) states (under C. frontalis ) that C. brunnifrons has “not been correctly identified since originally described”. Camras (2001: 206) presents only a very short diagnosis for C. brunnifrons : “It is unique in having the mesonotum rufous below the transverse suture. The rufous area at the upper frons divided by a black midline, is also unusual”. These characters do not convince me that another species other than those included in Key 8 is involved. One specimen in the BMNH, which is a very bad condition, was identified by KrÖber as C. brunnifrons and belongs in fact to C. ferruginosus . Another female specimen in the BMNH identified as C. brunnifrons by Kröber belongs to Schedophysoconops longicornis . Until the holotype is re-examined Conops brunnifrons remains nomen dubium.