Antitrogus morbillosus ( Blackburn, 1898 ), 1978

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 : 456

Antitrogus morbillosus ( Blackburn, 1898)

Rhopaea morbillosa Blackburn, 1898: 64 .

Antitrogus morbillosus: Britton 1978: 19 .

Rhodaea morbillosa: Lea 1912 : xxxvi (in error).

Rhopaea incognita Blackburn, 1911: 195 ; Britton 1978: 19 (synonymy).

Rhodaea incognita: Lea 1912 : xxxvi (in error).

Lectotype of Rhopaea morbillosa (here designated) male: Type H.T. (circular red ringed, typeset) | 6337 F. Reefs [Forest Reefs, 33.48°S, 149.08°E | aedeagus dissected and mounted on card | Blackburn coll. 1910-236 (typeset) | Rhopaea morbillosa, Blackb. (handwritten) | my lectotype label; in NHML.

Paralectotypes. 1 male: 6337 F. Reefs (handwritten in red) | Rhopaea morbillosa Cotype (handwritten) | I.4527 Rhopaea morbillosa Bl. N.S.W. (handwritten) TYPE (handwritten in red, at right angle); my paralectotype label | metatarsus on card; 1 male: Forest Reefs (handwritten) Rhopaea morbillosa Blackb. (handwritten on reverse by Blackburn) | Co-type (typeset) | Rhopaea morbillosa Blkb Cabinet 12 dr. 6 col. 4 (handwritten in blue by Britton) | my paralectotype label; 1 male: Forest Reefs N.S.W. Lea (typeset) | Co-type (typeset) | 5537 Rhopaea morbillosa Blkb. N.S. Wales (handwritten) TYPE (handwritten in red, at right angle) | my paralectotype label; all in SAM.

Blackburn (1898) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of males (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1). Lea (1912) noted that the ‘type’ had been sent to NHML, and Britton (1978) referred to a “ holotype ” male from Forest Reefs in NHML. Houston & Weir (1992) listed a “ holotype (probable)” in NHML, but two of the specimens in SAM bear ‘TYPE’ labels. 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 male in NHML the lectotype; the three males in SAM are paralectotypes.

Lectotype of Rhopaea incognita (here designated) male: Type H.T. (circular red ringed, typeset) | 4565 Austr. [ Australia] (handwritten in red) T (handwritten) | Blackburn coll. 1910-236 (typeset) | RHOPAEA incognita, Blackb. (handwritten) | aedeagus dissected out and mounted on card | my lectotype label; in NHML.

Blackburn (1911) did not define the type series, seeing an unknown number of males (vide Articles 73.1.2, 72.1.1) from “locality uncertain but I believe I took it in the Victorian Alpine Region”. Lea (1912) noted that the ‘type’ had been sent to NHML, and Britton (1978) referred to a “ holotype ” male from Australia in NHML. Houston & Weir (1992) listed a “ holotype (probable)” from Alps, Victoria. 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 male in NHML the lectotype.