Oplomus pulcher, (Oplomus)

Roell, Talita, Lemaître, Valérie A., Webb, Michael D. & Campos, Luiz A., 2023, An annotated and illustrated Type Catalogue of the predacious Shieldbugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae) in the Collection of the Natural History Museum, London, Zootaxa 5232 (1), pp. 1-105 : 74

pulcher (Oplomus) Dallas 1851: 84–85. [ Figs 164–165 ]

Original data: “ Long. lin. 6½–7½”; “ ♀ ”; “a. MeXico.” [syntypes (range of measurements)]

LECTOTYPE ♀ (designated by Thomas 1992: 62): purple-margined lectotype disc; red-margined type disc; “ Mexico / 48 11”; “3. OPLOMUS PULCHER ,”; “a”; “NHMUK 010592406”. Right posterior leg missing ( Fig. 164 ) . PARALECTOTYPE ♀: blue-margined paralectotype disc; “ MeXico / 48 11”; “ Oplomus pulcher Walker’s catal.”; “a”; “NHMUK 010747387”. Fourth and fifth right antennomeres missing ( Fig. 165 ) .

Current status: Oplomus pulcher Dallas, 1851 .

Note: From Walker (1867a: 120), we know that Dallas had, at least, two specimens from Mexico, from Mr Argent (this is corroborated by the fact that Dallas gave a range of measurements: “Long. lin. 6½–7½”). We have found them both. Thomas (1992: 62) explained: “The type of Oplomus pulcher is a female and was located in the British Museum (Natural History). It is labeled: (a) “Type,” (b) “a,” (c) “ Oplomus pulcher ” The specimen is metallic blue with humeral angles and tip of the scutellum red.” By giving its labels data, describing it and calling the specimen “the type”, Thomas has “unambiguously selected [this] particular syntype to act as the unique name-bearing type of the taxon” ( ICZN 1999, Art. 74.5).

Figures

FIGURES 161–168. Type specimens deposited in NHMUK. 161, Platynopus polygraphus; 162, Strachia praecipua; 163, Incitatus primus; 164–165, Oplomus pulcher; 166, Platynopus purpurascens; 167, Strachia pyrophila; 168, Strachia reciproca. Scale bars: 4 mm.