Platynopus optabilis, (Platynopus), 1867

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 : 62-65

optabilis (Platynopus) Walker 1867a: 126. [ Fig. 132 ]

Original data: “ a. West Africa. From M. du Chaillu’s collection.” [holotype]

HOLOTYPE ♀: red-margined holotype disc; green-margined type disc; “64 75”; “W.Africa.”; “13. PLATYNOPUS OPTABILIS ”; “NHMUK 010592452”. Fourth and fifth right antennomeres missing ( Fig. 132 ).

Current status: Platynopiellus septendecimmaculatus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1811) ( Platynopus optabilis was synonymised to Platynopus rostratus ( Drury, 1782) by Distant 1900a: 56, as a variety; see Schouteden 1905: 160; Schouteden 1907: 48; Due to homonymy (see “ Notes ” below), the name of the species became that of the next available junior synonym: Pentatoma 17-maculata Palisot de Beauvois, 1811 (see Kirkaldy 1909: 12, as Platynopus 17-maculatus); Thomas (1994: 195) placed it in his new genus, Platynopiellus .).

Notes: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature states: “A junior homonym [Art. 53] must be rejected and replaced either by an available and potentially valid synonym [Art. 23.3.5] or, for lack of such a name, by a new substitute name [Art. 60.3].” ( ICZN 1999, Art. 60.1.) and later: “Junior homonyms with synonyms. If the rejected junior homonym has one or more available and potentially valid synonyms, the oldest of these becomes the valid name of the taxon [Art. 23.3.5] with its own authorship and date.” ( ICZN 1999, Art. 60.2.). Distant (1900a: 56) had synonymised Platynopus optabilis Walker, 1867 to P. rostratus ( Drury, 1782) .

The latter, however, was a junior primary homonym to Cimex rostratus DeGeer, 1773 (Pentatomidae) as well as a primary homonym to C. rostratus Goeze, 1778 (Coreidae) and C. rostratus Fabricius, 1781 (Pentatomidae) ( Dolling et al. 1999: 77). The name rostratus Drury, 1782 needed thus to be rejected and replaced. The species Cimex rostratus Drury, 1782 had many synonyms. The oldest of these was Cimex calens Fabricius, 1803 . This, however, was a primary homonym to Cimex calens Linnaeus, 1767 (Miridae) ( Dolling et al. 1999: 18). The next synonym of Cimex rostratus was Pentatoma 17-maculata Palisot de Beauvois, 1811 and this was retained as the valid name of the species.

The specific epithet, originally spelled 17-maculata, has been transliterated in two different ways: septendecimaculata /- us ( Thomas 1994: 194–195; Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004) and septemdecimmaculatus ( Dolling et al. 1999: 18, 77; Rider 2015); we have adopted the spelling septendecimmaculata /- us as we have chosen to follow Welter-Schultes (2012: 76); the set of rules provided there is convenient and useful to achieve consistency in transliterating older names or naming new species.We note, however, that the use of “septemdecim” is not erroneous ( Gaffiot 1934: 1426), only less correct ( Lewis & Short 1891: 1675). Furthermore, bearing in mind the explanations by Lewis & Short (1891:1091), we also understand the choice not to duplicate the “m” as logical.

Figures

FIGURES 129–136. Type and non-type specimens deposited in NHMUK. 129, Mormidea nigro-binotata; 130, Arma obscura; 131, Picromerus obtusus; 132, Platynopus optabilis; 133–136, Jalloides opulentus. Scale bars: 4 mm.