Pararhopaea callabonnensis ( Blackburn, 1894 )

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 : 474

Pararhopaea callabonnensis ( Blackburn, 1894)

Rhopaea callabonnensis Blackburn, 1894: 205 .

Pararhopaea callabonnensis: Blackburn 1911: 186 .

Lectotype (here designated) male ( Figs. 54–56 ): RHOPAEA mulliganensis, Blackb. (handwritten) | L. Mulligan [Lake Mulligan, now Lake Callabonna 29.72°S, 140.10°E] Sept-Dec. 93 A. Zietz (handwritten) | mulliganensis evidently name given in M.S. but altd to callabonnensis for pub. This is the Ty. (handwritten) | I.520 Pararhopaea callabonnensis Blackb L. [Lake] Callabonna (handwritten) TYPE (handwritten in red, at right angle) | SAMA Database No. 25-034454 (typeset) | my lectotype label; in SAM.

Paralectotype. 1 male: 5233 L. Mulligan (handwritten in red) | Rhopaea callabonensis cotype (handwritten) | my paralectotype label; in SAM .

Blackburn (1894) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of males (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1). Lea (1912) catalogued the ‘type’ as in SAM, and Britton (1978) referred to a “ holotype ” male and a “ paratype ” male in SAM from Lake Callabonna. Houston & Weir (1992) considered Britton’s (1978) incorrect reference to a holotype as being a lectotype designation.As Britton (1978) and Houston & Weir (1992) provided no discussion and did not label any specimen in SAM, neither mention of a holotype constitutes a valid lectotype designation (vide Article 74.5). To stabilise nomenclature, I designate the specimen in SAM with the ‘TYPE’ label the lectotype. The other specimen in SAM is a paralectotype.

SAM also has a male labelled as ‘cotype’ and from Lake Arcoona collected by A. Loodbys in 1901. This cannot be a syntype as it was collected five years after the species was described .

Figures

FIGURES 51–62. 51–53, Lectotype male of Microrhopaea flavipennis Lea, 1920. 51, dorsal; 52, lateral; 53, labels. 54–56, Lectotype male of Rhopaea callabonnensis Blackburn, 1894 (now Pararhopaea callabonnensis). 54, dorsal; 55, lateral; 56, labels. 57–59, Holotype male of Pararhopaea rhipidocera Lea, 1916. 57, dorsal; 58, lateral; 59, labels. 60–62, Holotype male of Paralepidiota cavifrons Lea, 1919 (now Pseudholophylla cavifrons). 60, dorsal; 61, lateral; 62, labels. Photographs courtesy of the South Australian Museum Board.