Metopograpsus intermedius H. Milne Edwards, 1853

Ng, Ngan Kee, Rodríguez Moreno, Paula A., Naruse, Tohru, Guinot, Danièle & Mollaret, Noémy, 2019, Annotated type-catalogue of Brachyura (Crustacea, Decapoda) of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. Part II. Gecarcinidae and Grapsidae (Thoracotremata, Grapsoidea), with an Appendix of pre- 1900 collectors, Zoosystema 41 (7), pp. 91-130 : 115

Metopograpsus intermedius H. Milne Edwards, 1853

( Fig. 7B )

Metopograpsus intermedius H. Milne Edwards, 1853: 131 [165].

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Junior subjective synonym of Metopograpsus thukuhar (Owen, 1839) ( Tweedie 1954: 128; Banerjee 1960: 186; Davie 2002: 217).

LECTOTYPE (designated by Tweedie 1954: 128). — MNHN-IU-2014-11210 (= MNHN-B12888 ), ♂ 18.0 × 23.2 mm, Type, patria ignota. “ Metopograpsus thukuhar (Owen) after M. Tweedie 1948 who has examined the pleopods drawn by Miss I. Gordon ” [“ Metopograpsus thukuhar (Owen, 1839) selon M. Tweedie 1948 qui a examiné les pléopodes dessinés par Miss I. Gordon ”]. — Original label: “ Metopograpsus intermedius Edw. (type)”.

PRESERVATION. — Alcohol. Six pereopods detached from the body.

REMARKS

De Man (1888: 359) then Tweedie (1949: 470) suspected a problem with the identity of Metopograpsus intermediu s. Upon Tweedie’s request, Isabella Gordon examined the type material at the MNHN. According to Tweedie (1949: 470), Gordon found two specimens in the MNHN labelled as “cotypes”, patria ignota, but her sketches of the G1 of each of these two “cotypes” revealed that they belonged to two different species. Tweedie (1954: 127, 128, under M. gracilipes ) stated the name M. intermedius could not be used because it was ‘composite’, and his first opinion was that the bigger specimen MNHN-IU-2014-11880 (= MNHN-B12856) could be selected as the lectotype of M. intermedius , a species that he recognised to be a senior synonym of M. gracilipes De Man, 1891 . Nevertheless, in order to preserve stability of nomenclature Tweedie (1954: 127) has accepted the recommendation of I. Gordon and L. B. Holthuis in writing: “The two authorities whom I consulted [Gordon and Holthuis] have suggested that gracilipes would be established as a valid name if the smaller of Milne Edwards’ cotypes were designated as lectotype of his species M. intermedius ”. Tweedie (1954) finally selected the smaller specimen MNHN-IU-2014-11210 (= MNHN-B12888) as lectotype of M. intermedius , on which M. thukuhar (Owen, 1839) has priority (see Banerjee 1960: 186; Ng et al. 2008: 217). The bigger specimen MNHN-IU-2014-11880 (= MNHN-B12856) belonging to the syntype material of Metopograpsus intermedius (see Code, Art. 72.4.4) is M. gracilipes De Man, 1891 , presently a synonym of M. frontalis Miers, 1880 ( Banerjee 1960: 182; Davie 2002: 216; Ng et al. 2008: 217). It is a male, 22.1 × 30.2 mm, in alcohol, with ten detached pereopods, pleon absent. — Original label: “ Metopograpsus intermedius Edw. (Type) ”. Additional labels: “ Metopograpsus gracilipes de Man emend. according to M. Tweedie 1948 who has examined the pleopods drawn by Miss I. Gordon [ Metopograpsus gracilipes de Man emend., d’après M.Tweedie 1948 qui a examiné les pléopodes dessinés par Mlle I. Gordon]”.

Figures

FIG. 7. – A, Metopograpsus gracilis Saussure,1858,MNHN-IU-2000-10991 (= MNHN-B10991),paralectotype,♀; B, Metopograpsus intermedius H. Milne Edwards, 1853, MNHN-IU-2014-11210 (= MNHN-B12888), lectotype, ♂; C, Metopograpsus maculatus H. Milne Edwards, 1853, MNHN-IU-2000-3554 (= MNHN-B3554), lectotype,♂; D, Metopograpsus miniatus Saussure,1858,MNHN-IU-2000-10994 (= MNHN-B10994),paralectotype,♂; E, Metopograpsus pictus A. Milne-Edwards, 1867, MNHN-IU-2000-3573 (= MNHN-B3573), paralectotype, ♂; F, Pachygrapsus minutus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873, MNHN-IU-2000-3582 (= MNHN-B3582), lectotype, ♂, & MNHN-IU-2000-1107 (= MNHN- B3582), paralectotypes, 4♂; G, Pachygrapsus striatus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873, MNHN-IU-2000-3586 (= MNHN- B3586), lectotype,♂; H, Grapsus varius Latreille,1803,MNHN-IU-2000-3526 (= MNHN-B3526),neotype,♂. Scale bars:A,5 mm;B, D, F, G, 10 mm; C,E, H, 2 cm.