Lampyridae: History of the type species of the genus Luciola, updated checklist of North African fireflies, and other taxonomic and faunistic notes
Author
Fanti, Fabrizio
text
Baltic Journal of Coleopterology
2024
24
1
43
64
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23259671241285860
journal article
10.59893/bjc.24(1).005
1407-8619
14657496
P. mauritanica
(
Linnaeus, 1758
)
Cantharis mauritanica
Linnaeus, 1758: 401
. Loc. typ. “Algiria”.
=
Pelania maritanica
J. E.
Olivier, 1907a: 68
(Table alphabétique des genres et des espèces)
incorrect subsequent spelling
=
Pelania mauretanica
Guzmán Álvarez & De Cock, 2010: 199
, poster
incorrect subsequent spelling
;
De Cock & Guzmán Álvarez, 2014
: poster;
Guzmán Álvarez & De Cock, 2017
: poster
incorrect subsequent spellings -
name not available by the Code because proposed in two poster
=
Lampronetes mauritanica
(F.)
Motschulsky, 1853: 46
nomen nudum
, 1854c: 16
=
Lampyris obtusa
Fairmaire, 1866: 44
. Loc. typ. “
Tanger
” [synonymized by
Olivier 1884: 6
]
=
Pelania angustipennis
J. E.
Olivier, 1883
: lxix. Loc. typ. “entre Bone et Hippone (
Algeria
)”
=
Lampyris
(
Pelania
)
scutellata
Fairmaire, 1884
: xxxv. Loc. typ. “
Sousse
(
Tunisie
)” [synonymized by
Olivier 1884: 6
]
=
Pelania imperfecta
J. E.
Olivier, 1899: 92- 93
. Loc. typ. “
Laghouat
(
Algérie
)”
Distribution.
Tunisia
,
Algeria
,
Morocco
(Bourgeois 1882-1894;
Olivier 1895
).
The distribution limits in western and eastern North Africa are unclear (
Türkay 1974
). Mentioned for
Egypt
(
Cros 1924
), this seems like a dubious citation.
Spain
:
Melilla
(
Pardo Alcaide 1950
). It is not clear whether it was found in the Spanish territories (North Africa) or around
Melilla
in Moroccan territories (see also:
Fanti 2022
), even if the title of the work mentions
Morocco
. However, the presence in
Melilla
(
Spain
) appears very probable.
The numerous old citations from
Spain
,
Portugal
, and
France
are obvious errors of determination.
“Tout le
Maroc
, sauf au Sud de l’Atlas, pouvant atteindre en montagne près de 2 000 m (Timelilt)” (
Kocher 1956
). “Dans l’Est et dans l’Ouest du Nord de l’Afrique” (
Lucas 1846
). “Dans tout le Nord de l'Afrique, de la
Tunisie
, au
Maroc
, on la trouve communément dans tout le Tell et les Hauts plateaux, mais elle devient bien plus rare en approchant de la région Saharienne où elle ne pénètre pas” (
Olivier 1895
).
Note.
As demonstrated by
Fanti (2022)
, the species was described in 1758 and not in 1767, as confirmed, only later, by
Keller (2022)
. Photographs of the male’s
habitus
is present in
Martin et al. (2019a)
,
Berger et al. (2021)
,
Fanti (2022)
, and
Guzmán Álvarez & De Cock (2023)
. The
type
of
obtusa
was not found in the Fairmaire collection (
Kocher 1956
: note
(2))
. The
type
of
angustipennis
seen by
Türkay (1974)
in the Olivier collection. The lucibufagins were studied by
Berger et al. (2021)
. Females and larvae are well-known, as well as some brachelytrous males (
Cros 1924
;
Bugnion 1933
,
1934
). The aedeagus is illustrated in
Türkay (1974)
. It is a non-obligate myrmecophilous species (
De Cock 2009
).
McDermott (1964: 7
, 8, 17, 1966: 8) believes that
Lampronetes
Motschulsky
takes precedence over
Pelania
Mulsant
, but
Türkay (1974)
said this is not possible, even if it is an objective synonym, because it was essentially prohibited by the Code, which preserves the stability of a name.
Pelania imperfecta
was described as a species (
Olivier 1899
) and then considered as a variety (
Olivier 1907a
,
1910
;
McDermott 1966
), but was considered a subspecies by
Keller & Martin (2024)
because of a misinterpretation of the Code (
ICZN 1999
: Art. 45.6.). This act by
Keller & Martin (2024)
is a misinterpretation of the Code because the Code provides the cases in which a name may be available (subspecific) or not available (infrasubspecific), but does not automatically establish the status.
Pelania angustipennis
var.
imperfecta
J. E.
Olivier, 1899
stat. rest.
Checklist of the species to be excluded from Africa: