Laparocerus waterhousei ( Wollaston, 1854 )

Machado, Antonio, 2006, The type material of the species of Laparocerus Schönherr, 1834 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), Journal of Natural History 40 (35 - 37), pp. 2001-2055 : 2049

Laparocerus waterhousei ( Wollaston, 1854)

Omias Waterhousei Wollaston 1854, p 384 , Table 7, Figure 8 (habitus).

Type locality. Cruzinhas, Island of Madeira.

Lectotype: 1 ex [457]5 Madeira, Cruzinhas, leg. Wollaston. MNH, London ( Figure 3C ) . Paralectotypes: 4 exx [457] Cruzinhas; 3 exx [733] Curral das Freiras; 2 exx [486], 21 June 1850, Lombo das Vacas, leg. Wollaston. MNH, London. 4 exx [448]; 5 exx [583]; 4 exx [767], leg. Wollaston. UMO, Oxford. 1 ex [Dohrn] [Madeira.] [Typus] [Coll. Mannerh.] [ Omias / Waterhousei / Wollaston]. ZMUH (Coll. Lindberg), Helsinki. 3 exx, Curral das Freiras, leg. Wollaston. MNHN (Coll. Oberthür-Wollaston), Paris .

Remarks. Other localities of the type series mentioned by Wollaston (1854) are: Allegría– Sâo Roque, Fanal and Feijâa de Córte. However, the specimens from Dezerta Grande were separated as var. ss and are not syntypes (9 exx in MNH, London;3 exx in MNHN, Paris).

Laparocerus wollastoni Heer, 1857 **

Laparocerus Wollastoni Heer 1857, p 14 , Plate 2, Figure 3 (elytra).

Type locality. St Jorge (late Pliocene), Island of Madeira.

Holotype: 1 ex, only elytra (fossil), St Jorge, Madeira, leg. Ch. Lyell and G. Hartung (ex litt.), location unkown.

Remarks. This species was described as a fossil in the context of a study of fossil plants from Madeira. The plant fossil collection of Heer from Madeira is housed in the Geological Collection of the Eidgenösische Technische Hochschule in Zurich. The original fossil leaves depicted in the same plate where L. wollastoni is illustrated, were located by Dr Milena Pika-Biolzi in a drawer labelled ‘‘St. Jorge in Madeira’’. Nonetheless, she confirmed to me (personal communication) that the elytra are unfortunately not present in that drawer and cannot be found elsewhere in their collections. One has to assume that its whereabouts are presently unknown. With the figure and short description of the elytra provided by Heer, there is not much to conclude. The size, shape, and minor details provided (rugosity, etc.) point to a male L. morio or L. chaoensis . Heer (1857) explicitely wrote that L. wollastoni is close to L. morio , but should be separated from this species. However, we do not know to which extent Heer knew the other species of Madeiran Laparocerus . Only if the holotype appears or further fossil specimens from St Jorge become available, could one clarify the concept of L. wollastoni Heer. For the time being, it has to be considered a nomen dubium.

Figures

Figure 3. (A) Paralectotype of Laparocerus lanatus (Wollaston, 1864); (B) paralectotype of Laparocerus aenescens (Wollaston, 1854); (C) paralectotype of Laparocerus waterhousei (Wollaston, 1854).

Figure 8. (A) Holotype of Laparocerus morio Boheman, 1834; (B) lectotype of Laparocerus tetricus (Boheman, 1834).