Othius brevipennis (KRAATZ 1857)

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1287

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5430627
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/623787DD-367D-180C-FF71-FC64FCE9E646
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Othius brevipennis (KRAATZ 1857)
status

Treatment

Othius brevipennis (KRAATZ 1857) View in CoL , nomen protectum

Xantholinus rufus GRIMMER 1841: 33 View in CoL ; nov.syn., nomen oblitum

Xantholinus occultans GISTEL 1857: 25 View in CoL ; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Neotype, present designation: " Styria boreal., Umgeb. Turnau, VII. 31, Ing. Prock / Othius brevipennis View in CoL / Othius brevipennis Kraatz View in CoL det. V. Assing 1998 / Neotypus Xantholinus rufus Grimmer View in CoL desig. V. Assing 2008 / Neotypus Xantholinus occultans Gistel View in CoL desig. V. Assing 2008" ( NHMW).

C o m m e n t: The extremely short and vague original descriptions of the nomina dubia Xantholinus rufus and X. occultans , both of them based on an unspecified number or syntypes from Steiermark and Styria, respectively, evidently refer to the same species. The former is characterised by "2 Linien Länge, schmale Breite; Farbe braunroth und punctirt" ( GRIMMER 1841), the latter as "totus rufus" and "2 lin." long ( GISTEL 1857). The few descriptive details available, the ecological information ("im Gebirge unter Steinen und altem Holz" and "sub plantis lapidibusque", respectively), as well as the distribution best fit Othius brevipennis KRAATZ 1857 , with which both X. rufus and X. occultans are synonymised. Since the type material of both nomina dubia can be regarded as lost (see introduction), a male of O. brevipennis from Steiermark is designated as the neotype of both X. rufus and X. occultans and deposited in the collections of the NHMW.

Although O. brevipennis View in CoL is the junior name in relation to X. rufus View in CoL , it is given precedence according to Article 23.9 of the current International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN 1999). Both conditions for the application of Article 23.9 are met. The name Xantholinus rufus View in CoL has not been used as a valid name after 1899 ( HERMAN 2001), whereas Othius brevipennis View in CoL has been used as the valid name of a species that is rather common in the eastern Alps and adjacent regions in more than 25 works by more than 10 authors in the past 50 years. In addition to the 15 references - by 13 authors - provided by HERMAN (2001), O. brevipennis View in CoL has been cited as the valid name by ASSING (2003a, 2003b, 2005a, 2008b), ASSING & SCHÜLKE (2001, 2007), HERMAN (2001), HOLZER (1998), SCHATZ (1989), SMETANA (1960, 1961, 2004), and ŠUSTEK (1995). Additional references may be provided without difficulty. In conclusion, based on Article 23.9 of the Code, the following synonymy is established: Othius brevipennis KRAATZ 1857 View in CoL (nomen protectum) = Xantholinus rufus GRIMMER 1841 View in CoL (nomen oblitum), nov.syn.