Baetis semitincta, Pictet, 1843

Sartori, Michel & Bauernfeind, Ernst, 2020, Mayfly types and additional material (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) examined by F. - J. Pictet and A. - E. Pictet, housed in the Museums of Natural History of Geneva and Vienna, Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (2), pp. 315-339 : 323

Baetis semitincta F.-J. Pictet, 1843

Baetis semitincta F.-J. Pictet, 1843 -1845: 180-181, pl. 22, figs 1-3.

Heptagenia semicolorata ( Curtis, 1834) . – Eaton, 1871: 136 (synonymization with doubt).

Rhithrogena semicolorata ( Curtis, 1834) . – Eaton, 1888: 256 (transfer).

Rhithrogena semitincta . – Kimmins, 1936: 279 (revalidation of species name).

Rhithrogena semicolorata ( Curtis, 1834) . – Sowa, 1971: 897 (synonymization).

Accepted name: Rhithrogena semicolorata ( Curtis, 1834) .

Locus typicus: “…sur les bords de la petite rivière qui se jette à Versoix dans le lac de Genève ”.

Type material: MHNG; 3 syntypes (♂ and ♀ imagines, ♂ subimago) .

Remarks: The two male specimens (considered by Sowa as part of the original type series) are pinned on the same needle, and the lower one has been designated as lectotype by Sowa (1971: 897). It bears the following labels: 620 Genthod 48 Genève coll. Pictet / Baetis semitincta [in Sowa’s opinion probably F.-J. Pictet’s handwriting] / Rhithrogena semitincta (Pictet) , lectotype [= semicolorata (Curtis) ] Det. R. Sowa.

This taxon has been controversial for a long time. Eaton (1888) mentioned several variants in the coloration of the wings, which he did not consider of taxonomic value. Kimmins (1936) proved that the concept of R. semicolorata sensu Eaton (1888) fits at least two species and he re-established R. semitincta as a valid name. Finally, Sowa (1971) studied the type series, proposed R. semitincta (F.-J. Pictet, 1843) as a junior subjective synonym of R. semicolorata ( Curtis, 1834) and described R. semitincta sensu Kimmins (1936) nec R. semitincta (F.-J. Pictet, 1843) as a new species, R. picteti Sowa, 1971 .