Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913

Allsopp, Peter G., 2020, Clarification of the status of the types of Australian Melolonthini (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) described before 1950, Zootaxa 4885 (4), pp. 451-486 : 468

Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913

Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913: 47 .

Lepidiota platyura Lea, 1924: 310 ; Britton 1978: 68 (synonym).

Lectotype of Lepidiota podicalis (designated by Britton 1978: 69) male ( Fig. 32 ): N. Queensland Donckier (handwritten) | Lepidiota podicalis Type Mos (handwritten) | LECTO-TYPE (circular dark-blue ringed, typeset) | LECTOTYPE Lepidiota podicalis Moser selected by E.B. Britton det. 1964 (handwritten and typeset) | my lectotype label; in ZMB.

Moser (1913) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of males and females (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1). Britton (1978) designated a male lectotype in ZMB citing data of “North Queensland, Coll. Donckier” and labelled it accordingly. He also designated two paralectotypes in the same collection that have the same collection data and have the appropriate labels (Bernd Jäger, personal communication).

Lectotype of Lepidiota platyura (here designated) male ( Figs. 38–40 ): platytura (handwritten) Lea, TYPE (typeset) Cape York (handwritten) | I.513 Lepidiota platyura Lea Queensland (handwritten) TYPE (handwritten in red, at right angle) | SAMA Database No. 25-034601 (typeset) | my lectotype label; in SAM.

Lea (1924) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of specimens (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1) from Cape York [10.69°S, 142.53°E] collected by C. French. He refers to “the type” but did not cite a register number for it; his description of the antennal club suggests a male. Britton (1978) and Houston & Weir (1992) listed a “ holotype ” male from Cape York in SAM, but neither provided any discussion as to why they considered Lea might have had only one specimen. As Britton (1978) and Houston & Weir (1992) provided no discussion and did not label any specimen in NHML, neither mention of a holotype constitutes a valid lectotype designation (vide Article 74.5). To stabilise nomenclature, I designate the specimen in SAM the lectotype; this has the matted ventral setae noted in the original description.

Figures

FIGURES 29–37. 29–30. Lepidiota minuta Moser, 1913, labels on types. 29, lectotype male; 30, paralectotype female. 31, Lepidiota oblonga Brenske, 1900, labels on lectotype; 32, Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913, labels on lectotype. 33, Lepidiota sororia Moser, 1913, labels on lectotype; 34, Lepidiota parva Moser, 1913 (junior synonym of Lepidiota rothei Blackburn, 1888), labels on lectotype. 35–36. Lepidiota rugicollis Moser, 1913 (junior synonym of Lepidiota rubrior Blackburn, 1890), labels on specimens. 35, lectotype male; 36, non-type specimen in ZMB. 37. Holophylla furfuracea Burmeister, 1855 (now Pseudholophylla furfuracea), label on lectotype. Figs. 29–36 courtesy of Museum für Naturkunde. Fig. 37 courtesy of Karla Schneider.

FIGURES 38–50. 38–40, Lectotype male of Lepidiota platyura Lea, 1924 (junior synonym of Lepidiota podicalis Moser, 1913). 38, dorsal; 39, lateral; 40, labels. 41–43, Lectotype male of Lepidiota rufa Blackburn, 1888. 41, dorsal; 42, lateral; 43, labels. 44–47, Holotype male of Lepidiota rugosipennis Lea, 1924 (junior synonym of Lepidiota squamulata Waterhouse, 1875. 44, dorsal; 45, lateral; 46, aedeagus; 47, labels. 48–50, Holotype male of Pararhopaea gigas Lea, 1916 (now Megarhopaea gigas). 48, dorsal; 49, lateral; 50, labels. Photographs courtesy of the South Australian Museum Board.