Centris asuncionis Strand, 1910

Vivallo, Felipe, 2023, The primary types of some species of Centris bees described by European entomologists in the 18 and 20 centuries (Hymenoptera: Apidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 864, pp. 1-27 : 20-21

Centris asuncionis Strand, 1910 nom. rev.

Centrissponsa var. asuncionis Strand, 1910: 521–522 .

Type data

Strand proposed this variety based on several specimens of both sexes collected in the cities of Asunción and Sapucai, in SE Paraguay. Two males and one female of the type series were found at ZMB, the latter being designated lectotype. The female specimen bears the following data label: [black-rimmed white yellowish label] Asuncion, Paraguay J.D. Anisits [printed] Villa Morra 19.II.06 [handwritten]\ Centris sponsa var. asuncionis m. [handwritten] Strand det. [printed]\ [black-rimmed red label] Type [printed]\ [white label with lateral red margins] LECTOTYPE [printed] Centrissponsaasuncionis Strand, 1910 [handwritten] desig. Melo, 2016 [printed]\ http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u/58fa33 [QR code] ( ZMB).

Paralectotype male with the following data label: Asuncion, Paraguay J.D. Anisits [printed] 10.II.06 [handwritten]\ Centris sponsa v. asuncionis m. [handwritten] Strand det. [printed]\ [white label with lateral yellow margins] PARALECTOTYPE [printed] Centris sponsa asuncionis Strand, 1910 [handwritten] desig. Melo, 2016 [printed] ( ZMB).

Paralectotype male with the following data label: Asuncion, Paraguay J. D. Anisits [printed] Sapucay XII.04 [handwritten]\ [black-rimmed red label] Type [printed]\ Centris sponsa v. asuncionis m. [handwritten] Strand det. [printed] ( ZMB).

The lectotype and one paralectotype were previously labeled as such, but those designations remained unpublished. I agree with that interpretation and maintain both specimens as such.

Type locality

Paraguay: Distrito Capital, Asunción (Villa Mora).

Arthur Louis Marie Joseph Vachal

Best known as Joseph Vachal (1838–1911), he was a French notary, politician, entomologist, and the 5 th most prolific describer ever of new bee taxa ( Rasmussen 2012). Thanks to his contact with the French entomologist and carcinologist Eugène Louis Bouvier (1856‒1944), former chair of entomology at the MNHN, Vachal started working at the Museum, deciding that after his death, his entire entomological collection would be donated to that institution ( Rasmussen 2012). He passed away in Argentat, France, at the age of 72.

Vachal’s Centris bee

Vachal described Centrisautrani Vachal, 1904 based on specimens collected by the French naturalist Gustave-Adolphe Baer (1839‒1918) between 1902 and 1903 in northern Argentina. The name of this species was in homage of his friend and colleague the Austrian botanist Eugène John Benjamin Autran (1855‒1912), at that time, a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture of Argentina.