Prionops retzii retzii Wahlberg, 1856

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 : 533

Prionops retzii Wahlberg, 1856: 174 .

VERBATIM TYPE LOCALITY: “ In arboribus altis in familias congregati (8–10) ad flumen Doughe. ”

CURRENT STATUS: Prionops retzii retzii Wahlberg, 1856 ; Vangidae ( Dickinson & Christidis 2014: 212) .

TYPE MATERIAL: The description was based on many specimens (cf. verbatim type locality above). According to Sundevall’s acquisition catalogue, four of these were sent to Sweden. If there were more specimens available to Wahlberg , we assume they are lost. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 39–40) referred to NRM 568742 [11734] as a “type”, treated here as a lectotype designation of this adult male collected 3 Aug 1855 near Okavango River . The three paralectotypes are: NRM 90171388 [11737], a young male collected 3 Aug 1855 near Okavango River ; NRM 554138 [11735], a young female collected 23 July 1855 near Okavango River ; and a young male [11736] also collected 23 July 1855 near Okavango River that was sent on exchange to Berlin in 1870 (but not found in the ZMB collection) .

VERIFIED TYPE LOCALITY: Okavango (Doughe) River between Lake Ngami, Botswana and a place called Libebe (= Andara, Caprivi Strip), Namibia .

COMMENTS: Localities where Wahlberg camped in Botswana are very difficult to identify. His travels and camp sites were summarised by Gyldenstolpe (1934) and Brinck (1955), but many of the sites lack names or any reference to named places. From July to October 1855, Wahlberg and his companions travelled north along the Thaoge River, and then the Okavango River after passing the confluence between the Thaoge and Jao rivers. On 25 July the group passed Mapororo Lagoon and camped at or near the confluence of the Thaoge and the Jao (Ng-Gokha) Rivers, at a place called “Embana” ( Craig & Hummel 1994: 169) (Embana River is a local name for the Thaoge near the Okavango /Jao junction; Wendy Borello, pers. comm.). The Thaoge River becomes the Okavango River at this point. The group continued north along the Okavango River, collecting a female Prionops retzii on 23 July, an African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus on 31 July [erroneously labelled with the locality Molopo River (= Mapororo River)], and two more specimens of Prionops retzii (one of them the lectotype) on 3 August along the way. According to Brinck (1955), the group eventually reached Libebe (= Andara, Namibia, 18° 40’ S, 21° 27’ E) on 14 August. The type locality for Prionops retzii is vague, but nevertheless the type locality suggested by Gyldenstolpe (1926: 40) is reasonable and should stand. The species was named after Professor Anders Adolf Retzius (1796–1860), who was married to Emilia Sofia Wahlberg, sister of J.A. Wahlberg and Peter F. Wahlberg, and one of the sponsors of Wahlberg’s expedition.