Antipaluria urichi ( Saussure, 1896 )

Hollier, John, 2013, The Embioptera (Insecta) described by Henri de Saussure, Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (2), pp. 221-227 : 225-226

urichi Saussure, 1896a: 293 [Embia].

Trinidad (leg. Urich). Unspecified number of ♂ and ♀.

A ♂ syntype in alcohol, the vial containing labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sss. ♂” [handwritten on green paper]; “transferé [sic] de l’essence de girofle en alcool 6.III.1985 B. Hauser ” [typewritten on white paper]. The first of these labels has holes indicating that it was originally placed on an insect pin. The jar containing the vial has the labels: “ Antipaluria uhrichi (Sauss.)” [typewritten on white card with a green printed margin]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. The specimen is in several pieces: the head and part of the thorax with both fore wings, both front legs and the left middle leg attached; part of the thorax and the abdomen with the right hind leg and right hind wing attached; and the left hind wing, right middle leg and left hind leg each detached. The dry specimens lack locality labels but the species name label in the insect box has the locality “Antilles” handwritten in the lower right corner. A ♂ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♂” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. Specimen set with wings spread. A ♂ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♂” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. Specimen set with wings spread; the right front leg is missing, the left front leg is detached but adheres to the underside of the thorax. A ♂ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♂” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. Specimen set with wings spread; the antennae and the left front leg are lost. The left forewing is detached and secured on a separate pin next to the specimen. A ♀ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♀” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. The specimen lacks the left middle leg; the left hind leg is detached and glued to a piece of card secured on the original pin. A ♀ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♀” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. The right front and left hind legs are lost. A ♀ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi Sauss. ♀” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. The specimen has suffered extensive insect feeding damage and only part of the thorax with the left middle leg and the tip of the abdomen remain. The left hind leg adheres to the left middle leg. A juvenile ♂ syntype pinned through the thorax with labels: “ Embia uhrichi, nymph ♂” [handwritten on green paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper]. The specimen has suffered insect feeding damage and lacks both middle and both hind legs. There is also a detached forewing glued to a clear mount with the labels: “E. uhrichi” [handwritten in pencil on white paper]; “Syntypus” [printed on red paper].

There are many more specimens in alcohol in a second jar and it is unclear whether they should be regarded as syntypes. Saussure (1896b) states that Urich sent him two series of specimens, and that from the second he was able to extract a number of adults in good enough condition to study. It seems reasonable to consider only the specimens which had been pinned and labelled to be syntypes (one of which has subsequently been returned to alcohol), but the specimens in the second jar may be of similar status because it has a label “E. uhrichi” while the raw samples sent by Urich contained a mixture of A. urichi and P. trinitatis .

This species, including the juvenile ♂, was illustrated by Saussure (1896b: figures 1-12 [figure 5 is labelled 15 on the plate]) after the publication of the original description. The species was named for F. W. Urich, who collected the specimens in Trinidad. For some reason Saussure spelled this “Uhrich” and thus the species became “uhrichi” both in Saussure 1896b and on the specimen labels. In a letter to Carl in 1938 Davis suggests that Urich, who was the editor of the journal in which Saussure 1896a appeared, corrected the spelling at the last minute, leading to the publication of both variants.

Clothodidae :

Antipaluria urichi ( Saussure, 1896) .