Neotype designations and nomenclatural actions for Apionidae described by Johann Ludwig Christian Carl Gravenhorst in 1807 (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea)
Author
Giusto, Carlo
text
Zootaxa
2015
3986
5
597
600
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3986.5.8
6b2c956e-451c-4221-9ac2-7c3ddae214d5
1175-5326
234215
0C5A593C-A726-438C-8604-D08425EE249D
Apion atratum
Gravenhorst, 1807
: 198
This species is compared by Gravenhorst with
Apion chalybaeum
, a name apparently not referable to any species then known.
The examination of the original copy of the author’s book, with his handwritten notes, allows for attribution of this name to
Curculio chalybeus
, [
Gmelin], 1790
, currently placed as a synonym of
Aulacobaris coerulescens
(Scopoli, 1763)
. However, the description of the prothorax of
Apion atratum
given by
Gravenhorst (1807: 198)
—“... ohne allen Glanz und durch grobe Punkte rauh ist
...
”—does not fit our present concept of the baridine weevil described by
Gmelin (1790
: 1759). Despite this and despite the black colour mentioned by Gravenhorst, surely due to grease present on the integument (as sometimes happens), the description of the prothoracic punctation suggests
A. atratum
to be conspecific with
Perapion hydrolapathi
(Marsham, 1802)
. Therefore, I have decided to designate a specimen of
P. hydrolapathi
as the
neotype
of
A. atratum
. It is a male (fig. 1) labelled: Neustrelitz Fasanerie,
24.7.75
, Stäckel /
NEOTYPE
Apion atratum
Gravenhorst, 1807
, C. Giusto des. 2015 /
Perapion hydrolapathi
(Marsham, 1802)
, det. C. Giusto, 2015. Measurements: body length:
2.80 mm
, Lr:
0.51 mm
, Wmsr:
0.21 mm
, Lp:
0.56 mm
, Wp:
0.59 mm
, Le:
1.99 mm
, We:
1.15 mm
.
The following new synonymy is proposed:
Perapion hydrolapathi
(Marsham, 1802)
=
Apion atratum
Gravenhorst, 1807
,
syn. n.
Since
Wagner (1908)
described another
Apion atratum
from
Tanzania
, currently placed in
Pseudopiezotrachelus
Wagner, 1907
, the new replacement name
Pseudopiezotrachelus gravenhorsti
nom. n.
, is here proposed for
Apion atratum
Wagner, 1908
(non
Gravenhorst, 1807
). The new name is dedicated to the
German
entomologist, herpetologist and zoologist Johann Ludwig Christian Carl Gravenhorst (Braunschweig,
November 14, 1777
– Breslau,
January 14, 1857
).