Methone rana, Saussure, 1888 a: 156

Hollier, John, 2012, An annotated list of the Orthoptera (Insecta) species described by Henri de Saussure, with an account of the primary type material housed in the Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève, Part 3: The Acridoidea excluding the Acrididae: Oedipodinae, Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (3), pp. 303-339 : 328-329

rana Saussure, 1888a: 156 [ Methone ].

Africa meridionalis, Terrae Namaquensis (leg. Peringuey). More than one Ƌ.

There are no specimens in the MHNG collection under this name, which was used in Saussure’s key to species, nor as M. fallax which is the name given in the description. However, there are four Ƌ specimens with the appropriate data and measurements in the collection as “ Methone dubius Saussure ” (an unavailable collection name) which could be syntypes. A Ƌ with labels: “Namaquais, Peringuey” [handwritten on red paper]; “ Methone dubius Sauss. ” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Syntype of M. rana Sauss. ? Hollier, 2010” [handwritten on red paper]. Specimen lacks both antennae, the left front leg, two tarsal segments of the right front leg, the left middle leg, the tarsi of the right middle leg, the last tarsal segment of the left hind leg and the claw of the right hind leg. The head is detached and secured on a separate pin, the underside of the thorax and most of the abdomen has been destroyed by insect feeding. A Ƌ with labels: “Damara Land” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Methone dubius Sauss. ” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Syntype of M. rana Sauss. ? Hollier, 2010” [handwritten on red paper]. Specimen lacks the last tarsal segment of the left front leg, the last tarsal segment of the right front leg, two tarsal segments of the left middle leg and the tarsi of the right middle leg. A Ƌ with labels: “Damara Land” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Methone dubius Sauss. ” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Syntype of M. rana Sauss. ? Hollier, 2010” [handwritten on red paper]. Specimen lacks two tarsal segments of the left front leg and the last tarsal segment of the right middle leg. A Ƌ with labels: “Damara Land” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Methone dubius Sauss. ” [handwritten on pink paper]; “ Syntype of M. rana Sauss. ? Hollier, 2010” [handwritten on red paper]. Specimen lacks both antennae, the left front leg, the last tarsal segment of the right front leg and the left middle leg. Saussure (1888a: 158) noted that he had difficulty in defining this species and so the collection name of “ dubius ” is understandable .

A junior synonym of Trachypetrella anderssonii (Stål, 1875) .