Pseudotanusia Vignon, 1923

Braun, Holger, 2024, Nomenclatural notes on a variety of Orthoptera, Zootaxa 5453 (1), pp. 121-126 : 123

Pseudotanusia Vignon, 1923 stat. rev.

Ommatoptera Pictet, 1888 syn. nov.

The katydid genus belonging to the Pterochrozinae comprises currently seven valid species of medium-sized leaf mimics from Brazil. It needs to be revised since there are most probably more than the six already known synonyms. Unfortunately, Ommatoptera Pictet is a junior homonym of Ommatoptera Herrich-Schäffer, 1855 , proposed for a species of moth. The latter is a synonym of another species described in the same year, making Ommatoptera Herrich-Schäffer a junior synonym of Darala Walker, 1855 , which in turn is a synonym of Anthela Walker, 1855 ( Fletcher & Nye 1982, Nielsen et al. 1996). It is not possible to declare Ommatoptera Pictet a nomen protectum, which would require 25 citations from the immediately preceding 50 years according to Article 23.9.1.1. of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (I found only eight from 1974 onward, published between 1979 and 2000). However, Pseudotanusia Vignon, 1923 , synonymized shortly after its description with Ommatoptera Pictet ( Vignon 1926), can be used as the valid name.

Included species: Pseudotanusia boraceana (Piza, 1979) comb. nov., P. elegans Vignon, 1923 , P. laurifolia (Pictet, 1888) comb. nov., P. mutila Vignon, 1923 , P. pictifolia (Walker, 1870) , P. picturata (Serville, 1838) and P. pusilla Vignon, 1923 .

Note: Pseudotanusia can be distinguished from the similar genus Tanusia Stål, 1874 by the narrower dorsal half of the tegmina, which in the latter is distally broadened and broader than the part below the radial vein.