Lepidiota squamulata Waterhouse, 1875

Allsopp, Peter G., 2020, Clarification of the status of the types of Australian Melolonthini (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) described before 1950, Zootaxa 4885 (4), pp. 451-486 : 472

Lepidiota squamulata Waterhouse, 1875

Lepidiota squamulata Waterhouse, 1875: 201 .

Lepidiota darwini Blackburn, 1888b: 850 ; Britton 1978: 79 (synonymy).

Lepidiota leai Blackburn, 1912: 57 ; Britton 1978: 79 (synonymy).

Lepidiota rugosipennis Lea, 1924: 310 ; Britton 1978: 79 (synonymy).

Lectotype of Lepidiota squamulata (designated by Britton 1978: 80) male: Type (circular red ringed, typeset) | Swan River (circular, handwritten) | Lepidiota squamulata (Type) Waterh. (handwritten) | Lepidiota (typewritten) | my lectotype label; in NHML.

Paralectotype. Type (circular red ringed, typeset) W. Australia (light blue label, handwritten) | Lepidiota squamulata, Waterh. (type) (handwritten) | my paralectotype label; in NHML .

Waterhouse (1875) saw two specimens, one from “Swan River” and the second from an unstated locality; both were in NHML. Lea (1916) referred to a “type” in NHML. Britton (1978) referred to a holotype male from “Swan River” in NHML but made no mention of Waterhouse’s second specimen, and Houston & Weir (1992) and Miller & Allsopp (2000) followed Britton’s reference to a holotype. Given that Britton (1978) clearly nominated the specimen from Swan River in NHML as the holotype, I accept this as a lectotype designation by Britton (1978) (Article 74.5). The second specimen in NHML labelled “ Western Australia ” becomes a paralectotype.

Lectotype of Lepidiota darwini (here designated) male: on card on which mounted with tarsi, all handwritten: 2790 T N.T. [Northern Territory] (handwritten in red), red and black lines | Type H.T. (circular red ringed, typeset) | Blackburn coll. 1910-236 (typeset) | Lepidiota Darwini, Blackb. (handwritten) | my lectotype label; in NHML.

Paralectotype. LEPIDIOTA Darwini Blackb. (handwritten) | I.507 Lepidiota darwini Blkb. N. Territory (handwritten) Cotype (handwritten in red, at right angle) | my paralectotype label; in SAM.

Blackburn (1888b) saw one female and one male but based most of his description on the female. Lea (1912) noted that the ‘type’ had been sent to NHML, and later ( Lea 1916) examined the female labelled as a ‘co-type’. Britton (1978) referred to a “ holotype ” male from Northern Territory in NHML. Houston & Weir (1992) interpreted Britton’s (1978) incorrect reference to a holotype as a lectotype designation; this was followed by Miller & Allsopp (2000). As Britton (1978) and Houston & Weir (1992) provided no discussion and did not label any specimen in NHML, neither mention of a holotype constitutes a valid lectotype designation (vide Article 74.5). To stabilise nomenclature, I designate the male in NHML the lectotype. The specimen in SAM becomes a paralectotype.

Lectotype of Lepidiota leai (here designated) male: Type H.T. (circular red ringed, typeset) | 7902 W.A.? [Western Australia] (handwritten in red) T. ♂ (handwritten) | Blackburn coll. 1910-236 (typeset) | Lepidiota leai Blackb. (handwritten) | aedeagus dissected out and mounted on card | my lectotype label; in NHML.

Blackburn (1912) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of males (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1). Lea (1912) noted that the ‘type’ had been sent to NHML, and Britton (1978) referred to a “ holotype ” male from Western Australia in NHML. Houston & Weir (1992) listed a “ holotype (probable)” and Miller & Allsopp (2000) followed this interpretation. As Britton (1978) and Houston & Weir (1992) provided no discussion and did not label any specimen in NHML, neither mention of a holotype constitutes a valid lectotype designation (vide Article 74.5). To stabilise nomenclature, I designate the male in NHML the lectotype.

Lectotype of Lepidiota rugosipennis (here designated) male ( Figs. 44–47 ): rugosipennis (handwritten) Lea, TYPE (typeset) Cairns [16.93°S, 145.25°E] (handwritten) | 5533 Lepidiota rugosipennis Lea Queensland (handwritten) TYPE (handwritten in red, at right angle) | SAMA Database No. 25-034900 (typeset) | my lectotype label; in SAM.

Lea (1924) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of specimens (at least one male given the description of the antennal club) (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1) from Cairns collected by E. Allen and did not cite a register number for the type. Britton (1978) referred to a possible male “ holotype ” from Cairns in SAM and this was followed by Miller & Allsopp (2000). Houston & Weir (1992) listed it as a “ holotype ”. As Britton (1978), Houston & Weir (1992), and Miller & Allsopp (2000) provided no discussion and did not label any specimen in SAM, none of these mentions of a holotype constitutes a valid lectotype designation (vide Article 74.5). To stabilise nomenclature, I designate the specimen in SAM the lectotype; this has the stained ventral setae mentioned in the original description.

Figures

FIGURES 38–50. 38–40, Lectotype male of Lepidiota platyura Lea, 1924 (junior synonym of Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913). 38, dorsal; 39, lateral; 40, labels. 41–43, Lectotype male of Lepidiota rufa Blackburn, 1888. 41, dorsal; 42, lateral; 43, labels. 44–47, Holotype male of Lepidiota rugosipennis Lea, 1924 (junior synonym of Lepidiota squamulata Waterhouse, 1875. 44, dorsal; 45, lateral; 46, aedeagus; 47, labels. 48–50, Holotype male of Pararhopaea gigas Lea, 1916 (now Megarhopaea gigas). 48, dorsal; 49, lateral; 50, labels. Photographs courtesy of the South Australian Museum Board.