Curculionidae

McElrath, Thomas C. & Yoshida, Takahiro, 2021, Proposed Nomenclatural Changes for Some Genera of Laemophloeidae and Monotomidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (3), pp. 702-706 : 702-703

Curculionidae

Homalorhinus Schoenherr, 1832

Homalorhinus Schoenherr in Ménétriés 1832: 215.

Homalirhinus Agassiz 1846: 184 (right column) (unjustified emendation of Homalorhinus Schoenherr, 1832 ; junior homonym of Homalirhinus Chevrolat, 1833 ).

In 1832, Schoenherr proposed Homalorhinus for what is now a genus within the Curculionidae . In 1833, Chevrolat proposed Homalirhinus for a genus that would eventually be placed within the Laemophloeidae , although this genus was also originally described within “Curculionites”. Agassiz (1846) then incorrectly emended Homalorhinus Schoenherr to Homalirhinus , and in the same list, incorrectly emended Homalirhinus Chevrolat to Homalorhinus , creating, respectively, two unjustified emendations and two junior homonyms. Similar problems with incorrect emendations in Agassiz (1846) have been noted previously (Cupello and Génier 2017).

Lacordaire (1863: 338), in a footnote on Homalorhinus Schoenherr , noted the two names were too similar, and indicated that a new name should be proposed for Homalirhinus Chevrolat.

Gemminger (1870: 124) and Gemminger in Gemminger and Harold (1870: 2062), citing Lacordaire (1863), followed through on Lacordaire’s suggestion and proposed the replacement name Rhinomalus for Homalirhinus Chevrolat. Separately, LeConte and Horn (1883) described a new genus, Xenorhinus , based on a single species, Xenorhinus truquii LeConte and Horn, 1883 .

Sharp (1899), coming across nearly all these names, synonymized Xenorhinus under Rhinomalus , but did not use Homalirhinus Chevrolat , believing it to be a homonym of Homalorhinus Schoenherr. This usage was followed in subsequent years ( Blackwelder 1945; Hetschko 1930; Thomas 1984, 2013; Thomas and Chaboo 2015). However, despite the name Rhinomalus being used more in recent years than Homalirhinus , it does not have enough citations to merit consideration for priority over Homalirhinus ( ICZN 1999, Article 23.9). Thus, the name Homalirhinus Chevrolat is available, valid, and the senior synonym over both Rhinomalus and Xenorhinus . We hereby restore the genus Homalirhinus Chevrolat.