Eremomela usticollis Sundevall, 1850: 102

Dean, W. Richard J., Åhlander, Erik & Johansson, Ulf S., 2022, Avian type localities and the type specimens collected by Johan August Wahlberg in southern Africa, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 521-560 : 543

Eremomela usticollis Sundevall, 1850: 102 .

VERBATIM TYPE LOCALITY: “ Hab. in Caffraria superiori (25°). ”

CURRENT STATUS: Eremomela usticollis usticollis Sundevall, 1850 ; Cisticolidae ( Dickinson & Christidis 2014: 450) .

TYPE MATERIAL: In his description, Sundevall (1850: 102) gave no indication that he had more than a single specimen at hand. From his acquisition catalogue it appears that the type series actually consisted of six specimens. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 50) referred to NRM 569704 [6710] as a “type”, here treated as a lectotype designation. It is a male collected 22 June 1844 in Leroma (near Pilanesberg). The five paralectotypes are: NRM 90166578 [6706], a female (according to the label) collected 27 November 1841 in the Magaliesberg; NRM 90166579 [6707], a female collected 1 December 1841 in the Magaliesberg; NRM 90166580 [6709], a female collected 31 December 1841 near Limpopo River, but Crocodile River (Hartebeespoort) according to his journal and other specimens; a male [6705] collected 22 November 1841 in the Magaliesberg sent on exchange to Bremen in 1870; and a male [6708] collected 1 December 1841 in the Magaliesberg, exchanged to Berlin in 1853 (and still present in the ZMB collection).

VERIFIED TYPE LOCALITY: Leroma (near Pilanesberg), North West Province .

COMMENTS: Wahlberg’s journal has no entries for the period 20–23 June 1844, but he appears to have spent 19 June–9 July “near Pilanesberg (at Leroma?)”. According to his journal entries he camped in the Magaliesberg for most of November and all of December 1841.