Reptalus artemisiae ( Becker, 1865 ) Emeljanov, 2020

Emeljanov, Alexandr F., 2020, Nomenclatorial changes in the family Cixiidae (Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoroidea), with fixation of type species of the genus Reptalus Emeljanov, 1971 and description of a new subgenus, Zootaxa 4780 (1), pp. 197-200 : 198

Reptalus artemisiae ( Becker, 1865) , comb. nov.

Flata artemisiae Becker, 1865: 489 .

= Oliarus quinquecostatus Fieber, 1872: 3 non Cixius quinquecostatus Dufour, 1833: 224 .

= Reptalus quinquecostatus Emeljanov, 1971: 621 .

Comments. According to Webb et al. (2013), Cixius quinquecostatus Dufour, 1833 , chosen by me as the type species of the genus Reptalus ( Emeljanov, 1971) , was misinterpreted at least since Fieber’s works ( Fieber 1872, 1875, 1876). Webb with coauthors ( Webb et al. 2013) showed that Oliarus melanochaetus Fieber, 1872 is junior synonym of C. quinquecostatus Dufour, 1833 . As a result of this established synonymy, the question arises of how to name Reptalus quinquecostatus sensu Fieber which was leaved opened by Webb et al. (2013). However from the same publication follows that F.X. Fieber had in his hands the specimens from A. Becker which were already shortly described and named by Becker as Flata artemisiae m.[ihi] ( Becker 1865) and Fieber treated this species as the member of the genus Oliarus Stål, 1862 and even made the drawings (aquarels) of male genitalia of the species published later by Webb et al. (2013, fig. 5a). Metcalf cited “ artemisiae Becker ” twice—as Flata artemisiae Becker sp. n. in his Catalogue of Flatidae ( Metcalf 1957) and as Oliarus artemisiae Becker nomen nudum with the references to Fieber’s papers ( Fieber 1872, 1876) in his Catalogue of Cixiidae ( Metcalf 1936) . Fieber (1872, 1876) mentioned this name as Oliarus artemisiae synonym of Olearus quinquecostatus but not as nomen nudum. In both cases they are certainly writing about the same Becker’s species which was placed in the genus Oliarus by Fieber according to that time. F. X. Fieber received the materials from Becker who lived in Sarepta (former Krasnoarmeysk in USSR, currently incorporated by Volgograd) and described new species after his materials ( Wiren 1901). Appar- ently Fieber did not right away conclude that Oliarus artemisiae and O. quinquecostatus are identical that is why first on the finished drawing he made the inscription “ artemisiae ” and then crossed it out. Since Becker (1865) gave some information on morphology and habitat (“… Flata Artemisiae m. an Artemisia fragrans und Art. nutans ; 4 Linien lang. Flügel und Flügeldecken hell und lang, Körper qraugelb…”) of Flata artemisiae it should be considered as valid name contrary to Metcalf opinion.