Myzomorphus quadripunctatus ( Gray, 1831 )

Spooner, Amoret & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2016, Notes on some species of Myzomorphus Sallé, 1850 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae, Anacolini), Insecta Mundi 2016 (471), pp. 1-9 : 2

Myzomorphus quadripunctatus ( Gray, 1831)

( Fig. 1–4 )

Anacolus quadripunctatus Gray, 1831 : pl. 70, fig. 1.

Myzomorphus quadripunctatus ; Monné 2015: 85 (cat.).

Gray (1831) figured and named Anacolus quadripunctatus without a description or other information. In 1832, Gray then provided a very short description of the species: “We also insert figures of Anacolus lugubris (see p. 99) [sic, page 100], which is black and punctate; the elytra do not cover the abdomen, and A. quadripunctatus , which is fulvous, with the antennae, tibiae, and elytral spots, black. Both are from Brazil.”

According to Galileo (1987) (translated): “ Gray (1831) established the species based on a single female from Brazil, deposited at BMNH” with Monné (2015) and Tavakilian (2015) also indicating the holotype was deposited at BMNH. However, according to M. V. L. Barclay (personal communication) there is no specimen deposited at BMNH identified as “type” of M. quadripunctatus . Meanwhile, a specimen deposited at OUMNH agrees perfectly with Gray’s drawing, notably in the size and position of elytral black maculae which brings us to conclude the probable holotype is deposited there. It is also not possible to be sure about the number of specimens at Gray’s disposal when he figured and described the species. According to Recommendation 73F ( ICZN 1999): “Where no holotype or syntype was fixed for a nominal species-group taxon established before 2000, and when it is possible that the nominal species-group taxon was based on more than one specimen, an author should proceed as though syntypes may exist and, where appropriate, should designate a lectotype rather than assume a holotype.”

Griffith and Pidgeon (1832: 780) noted that the Oxford collections were used by Gray to describe new species in the “Animal Kingdom”: “It is no less a point of duty than of inclination in the Editors, on closing the present portion of their work, to acknowledge their obligations to John George Children, Esq., and to the Rev. Frederick William Hope, for the very kind and liberal manner in which those gentlemen have allowed so many of the new genera and species in their entomological cabinets to be figured and described in this work […] Mr. G. R. Gray has selected from the above mentioned collections, and has named and described the several species figured.” Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the specimen was available to Gray.

We here designate as lectotype the female specimen ( Fig. 1–3 ) deposited at OUMNH that was likely the specimen figured in Gray (1831). The specimen has the following labels ( Fig. 4 ):

(1) White: with one pair of claws glued;

(2) White (handwriting): Rio;

(3) White (handwriting): 4 punctata Gray;

(4) Red (handwriting): Anacolus 4-punctatus / G. R. Gray An Kg. / p2. 70.;

(5) White, bordered with red (printed/handwriting): TYPE / Gray / Gray and Griff / Anim. King / 2. P. 116. T. 70 / [illegible – probably means Fig.] 1 / Coll. Hope Oxon.;

(6) White, bordered with black (printed/handwriting): TYPE COL: 1730 / Anacolus / quadripunctatus / Gray / HOPE DEPT. OXFORD;

(7) Red (added by us): LECTOTYPE [not present in figure 4].

As seen above, the type locality in the original description is Brazil. However, based on a label of the lectotype, the type locality becomes Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil).

Figures

Figures 1–7. Anacolini spp. 1–4) Anacolus quadripunctatus, Lectotype female: 1) Dorsal habitus. 2) Lateral habitus. 3) Ventral habitus. 4) Labels. 5–7) Myzomorphus gounellei, male, specimen from MNRJ: 5) Dorsal habitus. 6) Ventral habitus. 7) Metatibia, lateral view. Photographs 5–7 by Juan Pablo Botero.