The Genus Saprositellus Balthasar, with Descriptions of Three New Neotropical Species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Odontolochini)
Author
Stebnicka, Zdzisława Teresa
text
The Coleopterists Bulletin
2003
2003-12-31
57
4
451
457
http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/582
journal article
10.1649/582
1938-4394
10103782
Chaudoir (
Coleoptera
: Carabidae: Platynini)
Motschulsky (1865) described the genus
Dolichodes
, diagnosing it from other genera of platynine Carabidae in his key by the more or less depressed body form, rounded pronotal hind angles, and dorsal body surface with opaque, granulate microsculpture. He designated
D. geniculatus
as the
type
species, which he described as new in the same work, recording its provenance as
Brazil
.
Dolichodes
was listed as a junior synonym of
Agonum
Bonelli,
1810 in
Gemminger and Harold (1868), and has remained a junior generic synonym to the present.
Recent taxonomic studies on
Agonum
showed that many South American species formerly attributed this genus are, in fact, better classified in an endemic South American genus,
Incagonum
(Liebherr 1994)
. Removal of species to
Incagonum
from
Agonum
leaves five names of South American taxa still combined with
Agonum
,
A. geniculatum
(Motschulsky) being one.
Comparison
of the single known female
syntype
of
Dolichodes
geniculatus
(Keleinikova 1976) with specimens of
Euleptus
ooderus
Chaudoir
, 1850 (
J
. Schmidt Collection), establishes
D. geniculatus
as a junior subjective synonym of
E
. ooderus
, thereby making
Dolichodes
Motschulsky
, 1865, a junior generic synonym of
Euleptus
Klug
, 1833.
Euleptus
ooderus
is known from the
Himalaya
, and the other described species of the genus reside in
Africa
and Madagascar. Therefore Motschulsky’s type locality of
Brazil
for
D. geniculatus
is certainly in error.
The
type locality is hereby corrected to
NEPAL
:
Karnali Province
,
Gothichaur Valley
,
2,800 m
elev., 29812.19
N 82818.59
E
, to reflect the locality of compared specimens in the Schmidt collection
.
Besides the microsculptural and habitus characters alluded to by Motschulsky in his diagnostic generic key,
E. ooderus
is characterized by the absence of a median mentum tooth (a character shared by all
Euleptus
spp.), and basally rufotestaceous femora distinctly contrasted with the infuscated femoral apex and tibiae.
Taxonomic changes brought about by these findings are summarized as:
Euleptus
Klug, 1833, Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu
Berlin
, p. 131.
Dolichodes
Motschulsky, 1865(‘‘1864’’), Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de
Moscou
37(4): 371 (NEW SYNONYMY).
Euleptus ooderus
Chaudoir, 1850, Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de
Moscou
23(2): 365.
Dolichodes geniculatus
Motschulsky, 1865(‘‘1864’’): 321 (
NEW
SYNONYMY
).
Corrected
type
locality:
Nepal
,
Karnali Province
,
Gothichaur Valley
,
2,800 m
elev
.
Dolichodes geuiculatus Motschulsky, 1865(‘‘1864’’): 317 (unavailable incorrect original spelling).
For
D. geniculatus
,
lectotype
hereby designated (in order to fix the identity of this species should additional specimens reflecting a mixed type series be discovered):
Female
specimen glued on white card, specimen extensively covered with fungal growth, labeled: [green paper isosceles triangle with indecipherable legend]//[green label]
Dolichodes
geniculatus
Brazil
Motsch.//[square red label]//[red label]
Lectotype
Dolichodes geniculatus
Motschulsky
, det.
J
.
K
. Liebherr 2003.