Graptodytes kuchtae ( BREIT , 1908)

Fery, Hans & Bouzid, Slimane, 2016, Notes on Graptodytes SEIDLITZ, 1887, re-instatement of G. laeticulus (SHARP, 1882) as valid species and description of Tassilodytes nov. gen. from Algeria (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae, Siettitiina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1), pp. 451-481 : 462-463

Graptodytes kuchtae ( BREIT, 1908)

Hydroporus (Graptodytes) kuchtae BREIT, 1908: 59 .

Hydroporus kuchtae BREIT ; BREIT 1909: 76; TENENBAUM 1915: 35; FUENTE 1921: 74.

Graptodytes kuchtae (BREIT) ; ZIMMERMANN 1919: 182 (n. comb.), 1920: 113; GUIGNOT 1933: 901; FOSTER 1994: [2]; RIBERA & FAILLE 2010: 4, 11, 12 (phylogeny); NILSSON 2016: 158; NILSSON & HÁJEK 2016: 36.

Graptodytes ignotus ab. kuchtae (BREIT) ; ZIMMERMANN 1932: 83.

Graptodytes ignotus form. kuchtai (BREIT); BURMEISTER, 1939: 229 (incorrect subsequent spelling).

Graptodytes ignotus kuchtai GUIGNOT 1959: 401 (objective junior synonym of kuchtae BREIT ).

Graptodytes kuchtai (BREIT); NILSSON & FERY 2006: 58; FERY & FRESNEDA 2007: 132.

Graptodytes fractus ( SHARP, 1882) ; RICO et al. 1990: 88; NILSSON 2001: 151, 2003: 59.

T y p e l o c a l i t y: Spain,BalearicIslands,Mallorca,Pollenza(MajorcaPollença).

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Lectotype (present designation): 3, "Pollenza, Mallorka, Breit" [printed], "Kuchtae, Breit " [hw Breit], "[two or three illegible letters] var. v. [= "var. von " = "var. of"] ignotus!" [hw Zimmermann], "Type" [round light blue label, hw Zimmermann], "Samml. A. Zimmermann" [printed], "Typus" [red label, printed; unauthorised curatorial designation], " Lectotype, Hydroporus kuchtae Breit, 1908 , Fery & Bouzid des. 2016" [red, printed] (ZSM); scans of the labels are given in Fig. 26. N o t e s : The lectotype was originally glued onto a point (small triangular card); we have glued it onto a new bigger rectangular card. BREIT (1908: 60) reported several specimens, but we have not been able to find other syntypes.

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s t u d i e d:13, 1♀, " Balearen, Mallorka" [hw Zimmermann], " Samml. A. Zimmermann " [printed] ; each specimen also originally glued onto a point ( ZSM; see Fig. 27 for scans of labels). 1 ex., "Mallorca 7.5.[19]78, Puig Major 700 m, leg. Malicki (Mal. 3.)", " Graptodytes fractus kuchtae Breit , det. G. Wewalka [19]85" ( CHF). 9 exs, "2/ 4.1.1990 E [= Spain], Mallorca nr. Lluc , on C710, pools with Schoenoplectus, G. Foster leg.", " Graptodytes fractus kuchtae Breit, Fery det." ( CHF) .

BREIT (1908) compared his new species with G. fractus (in the genus Hydroporus , subgenus Graptodytes ) and pointed especially to the darker colouration and the flatter and more parallel body shape. We can confirm his description and want to add that the dark areas of the elytra are dark brownish and not black ( Fig. 25 ). While in G. fractus the yellowish parts are only very diffusely delimited, the border between the dark brownish and the yellowish parts are rather well marked in G. kuchtae . The lengths of the specimens which have been studied are more or less equal to that of the lectotype. The median lobe and the parameres are similar to those of G. varius ; in particular, the species bears also the saw-like row of small teeth on the ventral surface of the parameres (as do also G. fractus and G. ignotus ).

Additionally we want to point to the trees in RIBERA & FAILLE (2010, figs 12 and 13) which show that G. varius , G. laeticulus , G. kuchtae , G. ignotus and G. fractus are five closely related species which are in strong need of further investigations. As a first step, we decided to designate the lectotype of Hydroporus kuchtae BREIT, 1908 . The habitus of this lectotype and scans of the respective labels are given in Figs 25-26 . It has a total length of 2.1 mm and a maximum width of 1.0 mm. The specimen is slightly damaged in the sub-apical region of the right elytron, it lacks all legs except the right fore- and the left hind-leg.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The species is only known from the Balearic Islands.

N o m e n c l a t u r a l n o t e s: BREIT (1908: 60) dedicated the new species to his friend Gustav Kuchta together with whom he collected several specimens in Majorca. Since Kuchta was a man, it might have been the reason for some entomologists to use the spelling " kuchtai " instead of " kuchtae " (originally " Kuchtae "). BURMEISTER (1939: 229) was the first who used the spelling " kuchtai " instead of " kuchtae ", but gave neither a justification nor an explanation for this nomenclatural act. Thus, his " kuchtai " might be inferred as subsequent incorrect spelling (see article 33.3 of the ICZN, 1999) and not as an (unjustified) emendation. On the other hand, BURMEISTER called the taxon "eine sehr flache Form" (= a very flat form) of G. ignotus . Since in his work he differentiated well between "subspecies" (under the term "Rasse" = race), aberrations and forms, his treatment must not be accepted as giving the name subspecific rank, but only as giving it infrasubspecific rank (see second part of article 45.6.4 of the ICZN, 1999). Anyway, BURMEISTER' s name is an unavailable name (article 19.1 of the ICZN, 1999). GUIGNOT (1959: 401; footnote) used also the spelling " kuchtai " and added "n. emend." (thus, this was no lapsus!). Although without giving any justification, the name " kuchtai " must be accepted as an emendation. However, since this emendation is unjustified, it cannot be accepted as a valid name. Nevertheless, according to article 33.2.3 of the ICZN (1999) the name is an available name with the author GUIGNOT and the date 1959, and it is a junior objective synonym of kuchtae BREIT, 1908 . Because in that footnote GUIGNOT treated G. kuchtai as a variation ("var.") of Graptodytes ignotus , the name kuchtai has subspecific rank according to article 45.6.4 of the ICZN (1999). Additionally, in the same footnote the author gave Graptodytes ignotus var. fallaciosus GUIGNOT, 1932 as a junior synonym of kuchtai. This variation was described by GUIGNOT (1932: 402) from south-western France as a more brownish variation of G. ignotus with a flatter and more parallel habitus resembling that of G. fractus . As the distribution area for both taxa, GUIGNOT gave the Balearic Islands and southern France. It is likely that GUIGNOT did never study the real G. kuchtae , which occurs only on the Balearics.

Figures

Figs 25-27: Graptodytes kuchtae (BREIT, 1908) (25) lectotype, habitus (scale bar 2.0 mm); (26) lectotype labels; (27) labels of one of other two specimen in ZSM.