Faucheria Viré, 1903

Boyko, Christopher B., 2024, Taxonomic notes and nomenclatural corrections in Crustacea: Isopoda (exclusive of Oniscidea), Zootaxa 5497 (3), pp. 409-425 : 418

Faucheria Viré, 1903 and Vireia Viré, 1903 [ Cirolanidae ]

Remarks: Viré (1903) introduced the genus names Faucheria and Vireia , albeit in a confusing manner and with the unfortunate result in naming a genus after himself. Although that it is clear than these genus names were intended to be introduced as new in Dollfus & Viré (1905), Viré’s (1903) use of both names in combination with available species names satisfies ICZN Article 12.2.5 and both genera are available from Viré (1903).

Viré (1903) cited only one species in Faucheria : “ Faucheria ( Coecosphaeroma [sic]) Faucheri Dollfus ”, although C. faucheri was described by Dollfus and Viré (1900), not by Dollfus alone. Although it appears at first glance that Viré (1903) was treating Caecosphaeroma as a subgenus of Faucheria , his citation of C. virei (see below) indicates that he was placing the former generic assignment of each species within parentheses and not using the parenthetical taxa to represent subgenera. Caecosphaeroma faucheri Dollfus and Viré (1900) is therefore the type of Faucheria by monotypy.

Viré (1903) cited an additional three species that were described in Caecosphaeroma : “ Caecosphaeroma Virei Dollfus ; Vireia ( Coecosphaeroma [sic]) burgunda, Dollfus ; Vireia ( Coecosphaeroma [sic]) berica Fabiani et Dollfus. ” Although it again appears at first glance that Viré (1903) was treating Caecosphaeroma Dollfus, 1896 as a subgenus of Vireia , his citation of C. virei shows that he was placing the former generic assignment of each species within the parentheses. Note that C. bericum was described by Fabiani (1901) not Fabiani and Dollfus.

There is a question as to the identity of the type species of Vireia as both Viré (1903) and Dollfus & Viré (1905) included two species in the genus: Vireia burgunda and V. berica and no subsequent author has apparently selected either of these as the type species. Given that Caecosphaeroma bericum is now accepted as Monolistra (Typhlosphaeroma) bericum ( Fabiani, 1901) and Caecosphaeroma burgundum is now accepted as Caecosphaeroma (Vireia) burgundum Dollfus, 1898 and is the sole species in Caecosphaeroma (Vireia) , Caecosphaeroma burgundum Dollfus, 1898 is herein selected as the type species of Vireia (a pre–1931 genus name, ICZN Article 69.1) in order to maintain prevailing usage.