Metaplatybunus georgicus Mkheidze 1952

Modebadze, Naia, Martens, Jochen, Snegovaya, Nataly & Barjadze, Shalva, 2023, An annotated list of the Georgian harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones), Caucasiana 2, pp. 211-230 : 211

47. Metaplatybunus georgicus Mkheidze 1952

Metaplatybunus georgicus Mkheidze 1952b: 614-615 (fig. 2, original description)

Metaplatybunus georgicus - Mkheidze, 1959: 114 (mention)

Metaplatybunus georgicus - Mkheidze, 1964: 122 (mention)

Metaplatybunus hypanicus , Šilhavý, 1966: 478-481 (fig. 1, original description, type locality Russia, Kuban) syn. nov.

Type locality.

Georgia, Guria, Chokhatauri Municipality, Bakhmaro.

Occurrence data in Georgia.

Guria • Bakhmaro, Chokhatauri Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 11 August 1938 ( Mkheidze 1952b). Imereti • Sairme, Baghdati Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 6 August 1946 ( Mkheidze 1952b). Samtskhe-Javakheti • Akhaltsikhe; leg. T. Mkheidze, 18 July 1939 ( Mkheidze 1952b). • Abastumani, Adigeni Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 23 July 1939 ( Mkheidze 1952b). • Tsaghveri, Borjomi Municipality; leg. T. Mkheidze, 12 August 1946 ( Mkheidze 1952b). Mtskheta-Mtianeti • Kazbegi (=Stepanstsminda); leg. T. Mkheidze, 20 July 1939 ( Mkheidze 1952b).

Global distribution.

Endemic to the Caucasian ecoregion: Georgia, Turkey, Russian Caucasus ( Snegovaya 2013).

Remarks.

While working with the collection of Opiliones in the National Museum of Georgia (Tbilisi), N. Snegovaya found M. georgicus and M. hypanicus to be identical. Following the rules of the nomenclatural code, priority is given to the species described earlier, i.e. M. georgicus . Accordingly, M. hypanicus becomes a junior synonym of M. georgicus .