Systematics of moths in the genus Catocala (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) IV. Nomenclatorial stabilization of the Nearctic fauna, with a revised synonymic check list
Author
Gall, Lawrence
Yale University, New Haven ,,
Author
Hawks, David
University of California, Riverside ,, United States of America
text
ZooKeys
2010
2010-03-18
39
39
37
83
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.39.425
7faaa125-e85b-4e6a-839f-369f3baa5964
1313–2970
576632
Catocala irene
Behr
Fig. 21 (
neotype
)
Catocala irene
Behr, 1870: 24
Catocala irene
;
Barnes and McDunnough 1918: 22
Catocala irene
;
McDunnough 1938: 116
Catocala irene
;
Franclemont and Todd 1983: 128
Type
material.
Catocala irene
: the original description states “Ft. Tejon, one specimen.”
Smith (1893: 343)
indicated the
irene
type was in Henry Edwards’ collection, and Barnes and McDunnough stated (1918: 22): “According to Hy. Edwards, who had opportunities of examining the type specimen (since destroyed)…; a specimen of this form, marked ‘true to type’ exists in the Hy. Edwards’ Collection…”
Reiff (1920: 64)
added: “Without making any comments I may mention that I have from the old Worthington collection a specimen without locality label and marked ‘Irene type’ in apparently Strecker’s handwriting.” Henry Edwards’ specimen is at the
AMNH
, and Reiff’s specimen is at the
MCZ
. We have not been able to locate another specimen that is unquestionably the
C. irene
holotype
. Reiff’s
MCZ
specimen could be the
holotype
, since what we consider to be the
holotype
of
C. zoe
Behr, 1870
is in the Strecker collection at the
FMNH
, and it seems likely that Behr’s
Catocala
types resided at some juncture with Strecker (see
Gall and Hawks 1990
). However, since we cannot prove the
MCZ
specimen is the
holotype
, and the name refers to a member of the taxonomically diffi cult and variable western Nearctic species, we give precedence to the
AMNH
specimen compared to the type, and designate it as
neotype
to clarify application of the name
irene
. Th e
neotype
bears the labels “Mendocino /
California
.”, “3477”, “No. 11896 / Collection / Hy. Edwards.”, “True to type. / irene / Behr.” Type Locality: hereby amended to Mendocino,
California
, [
USA
] on the basis of the
neotype
locality label.