Philander Tiedemann, 1808

Alfred L. Gardner, 1993, Order Didelphimorphia, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 15-23 : 22

Philander Tiedemann, 1808 . Allgemeine Zool., Mensch Säugthiere, Landshut, 1:426.

TYPE SPECIES: Philander virginianus Tiedemann, 1808 , by subsequent designation ( Hershkovitz, 1949a).

SYNONYMS: Hylothylax Cabrera, 1919 ; Metachirops Matschie, 1916 ; Philander Gray, 1843 (based on Philander Brisson, 1762 ); Sarigua Muirhead, 1919 (part).

COMMENTS: Pine (1973) used Metachirops for this genus, as did Hall (1981), Husson (1978), and Corbet and Hill (1980; but not 1991 when they used Philander ). Philander Tiedemann is used here as the correct generic name because, as Hershkovitz (1949«; 1981) pointed out, Philander virginianus Tiedemann was a replacement name for Didelphis opossum Linnaeus. Hershkovitz (1976) designated the female illustrated by Seba (1734) as lectotype of D. opossum and, thereby, also making Seba's specimen the lectotype of Philander virginianus. Therefore, Husson's (1978) attempt to synonymize Philander Tiedemann under Didelphis Linnaeus by synonymizing P. virginianus Tiedemann with Didelphis virginiana Kerr was too late and is invalid. If Husson's (1978) action had preceded Hershkovitz's (1976), Metachirops would be the correct name for this genus.