Notes on Afrotropical Catharsius species described by Edgar von Harold (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae)
Author
Génier, François
Author
Josso, Jean-François
text
Zootaxa
2016
4072
3
333
342
journal article
46857
10.11646/zootaxa.4072.3.3
7d92035f-e4aa-40c7-a424-5e8047d30799
1175-5326
261812
C42DAE9A-4E94-4CA6-B9C8-A5FE15A47CD8
Catharsius dux
Harold, 1878
(
Figs. 18–26
)
Catharsius dux
Harold, 1878
: 101
Type
locality.
Regn. Lunda (
Angola
)
In the very brief description given by Harold there is a length range which indicates that more than one specimen was studied. The range is “38–40 mill.” and most likely fits the size of the two female
syntypes
. Furthermore, Harold states that the sex described is female. Both specimens are labelled as “Lunda, Pogge”. The largest female specimen is selected as
lectotype
(
present designation
) and bear the following labels (
Fig. 20
): [Pogge!] handwriting on green card; [
dux
/ Harold/ Regn. Lunda] handwriting on green card; [60062] white card; [
Type
] red card; [1285] green card; [
SYNTYPUS
/
Catharsius
/
dux
Harold, 1878
/ labelled by
MNHUB
2014] red card; [
LECTOTYPE
♀/
Catharsius
/
dux
/
Harold, 1878
/ dés. F. Génier, 2014] red card.
Remark.
The
type
locality was previously cited in error as “
Guiné
” by
Ferreira, (1960)
. This
type
locality most likely came from a misinterpretation of “im inneren
Guinea
” as cited in Harold’s original description. At the end of the 19th century “
Guinea
” was a very vague term for the “Gulf of
Guinea
”. Harold’s (1879) gave a detailed account of A.V. Homeyer and P. Pogge’s journey into “
Angola
und im Luanda-Reiche” or former pre-colonial confederation of the Lunda Kingdom (
Moretto, 2014
). The original
syntype
labels state “Regn. Lunda” as the locality where Pogge collected the specimens. Harold gives the collecting sites for Pogge on a line approximately along the 10th parallel from 17 to 22° of longitude. Most of this itinerary is located within
Angola
and for a short distance in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. Therefore, the exact
type
locality lies somewhere in the Malanje, North or South Lunda provinces of
Angola
.
The current cited distribution range of this species is from
Guinea
in West Africa to
Mozambique
and
Namibia
in Southern Africa. Such wide distribution is rare among Afrotropical dung beetle species. For now, we can confirm the presence of this species from
Cameroon
(Northwest Region),
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo
,
Angola
and
Zambia
(examined specimens and pers. comm. P. Moretto). We consider records outside this range dubious and probably based on mislabeled or misidentified specimens. All other countries cited by Ferreira are most likely misidentifications of
Catharsius gorilla
Thomson.
Quedenfeldt (1884)
described the male of
C. dux
from a series of specimens collected in Malange (=Malanje),
Angola
. In order to remain as conservative as possible and conform to the current accepted species concept we retain this interpretation which does not challenge the valid status of
C. duciformis
. Although not regulated by ICZN, we “link” a male specimen with specific diagnostic characters to the female
lectotype
of this species (see
Dechambre, 2002
). This is especially important for nomenclatural stability as the female specimens of this species are undistinguishable from females of
Catharsius duciformis
Ferreira, 1959
. To our knowledge,
C. dux
and
C. duciformis
have never been collected from the same locality. Furthermore, the parapatric distribution pattern of
C. dux
and
C. duciformis
is also problematic for species recognition. This alloreferent, a well-developed male specimen (fig. 22–26), is from northwest
Zambia
and bears the following label data (
Fig. 24
): [
ZAMBIE
NW Prov./ 10Km N Mwinilunga/
06-XII-2012
/
S11°34’
E24°24’
/ leg. Josso Juhel Minetti]; [ALLOREFERENT ♂/
Catharsius
/
dux
/
Harold, 1878
/ dés.: F. Génier & J.-F. Josso, 2015]. The alloreferent male is deposited together with the
lectotype
female (ZMHB).