Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877

Génier, François & Josso, Jean-François, 2016, Notes on Afrotropical Catharsius species described by Edgar von Harold (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 4072 (3), pp. 333-342 : 334-335

Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877

( Figs. 1–7 )

Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877: 97

Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960: 56 new synonymy Type locality. Natal ( South Africa)

Seven syntypes (4♂♂, 3♀♀) are present in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt- Universität. Catharsius pandion belongs to a complex of closely related species and in order to provide a primary type with the most diagnostic characters a large male is selected from the syntypic series as lectotype (present designation). This species bears the following labels ( Fig. 5 ): [ Natal] blue card; [Type] red card; [Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera )/Nr. 9358/ Catharsius / Pandion Harold / Pr. Natal Pöppig/ Zool. Mus. Berlin] blue card; [SYNTYPUS / Catharsius / pandion Harold, 1877 / labelled by MNHUB 2014] red card; [LECTOTYPE ♂/ Catharsius / pandion / Harold, 1877 / dés. F. Génier, 2014] red card.

The remaining 3♂♂, 3♀♀ have the same data and are designated as paralectotypes.

Remark. The male lectotype has been dissected and the aedeagus extracted ( Figs. 6–7 ). Following the examination of Harold’s type specimens, we suspected that the species Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960 would be a junior subjective synonym of C. pandion . We tried to locate the holotype of C. mossambicanus for comparison but it was not in the Museu de História Natural (formerly Museu Dr. Alvaro de Castro) in Maputo ( Mozambique) where the original description states it was deposited. Ferreira’s description is based on two male specimens. It was possible to locate a paratype, which was deposited in the National Museum in Bloemfontein. Subsequently, in material sent from the Ditsong Museum, another specimen also labeled as a paratype was found. This second specimen is a well-developed male whose label data match that of the holotype as stated in the original description. Evidence now suggests that the second specimen labelled as a paratype and deposited in the Ditsong Museum is actually the holotype. This second specimen, was dissected and matches perfectly the lectotype of Catharsius pandion . The other specimen, the actual paratype, is small and very teneral. The male holotype illustration provided by Ferreira also matches well developed males of C. pandion . We therefore establish the following synonymy: Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877 = Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960 , new synonymy.

Interestingly, this synonymy is leaving undescribed the species C. pandion sensu Ferreira (nec Harold). This taxon will be described along with a second species of the pandion complex in a forthcoming publication.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Catharsius pandion Harold (Figs. 1 – 3, 5 – 7. lectotype ♂, Fig. 4. paralectotype ♀). 1. habitus, dorsal view; 2. head, dorsal view; 3. head and pronotum, frontal view; 4. head and pronotum, dorsal view; 5. labels; 6. parameres, dorsal view; 7. aedeagus, lateral view.