Cossypha signata Sundevall, 1850: 101

Dean, W. Richard J., Åhlander, Erik & Johansson, Ulf S., 2022, Avian type localities and the type specimens collected by Johan August Wahlberg in southern Africa, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 521-560 : 552

Cossypha signata Sundevall, 1850: 101 .

VERBATIM TYPE LOCALITY: “ Hab. in Caffraria inferiore.”

CURRENT STATUS: Cercotrichas signata signata ( Sundevall, 1850) ; Muscicapidae . Dickinson & Christidis (2014: 585) included tongensis (Roberts, 1931), but did not recognise oatleyi (Clancey, 1956) and reclusa ( Clancey, 1966).

TYPE MATERIAL: Sundevall (1850: 101) mentioned both male and female in his type description. Sundevall’s acquisition catalogue shows that two specimens were available at the time. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 55) referred to NRM 569715 [6606] as a “type”; we treat this as a lectotype designation of this adult male (but noted as “?” in Sundevall’s acquisition catalogue, collected 25 June 1841 (according to the acquisition catalogue, but erroneously given as 2 June 1841 according to Gyldenstolpe1926: 55) at Umhlanga. The single paralectotype, NRM 534155 [6607], is a mounted female collected 30 June 1841 at Mgeni (Umgeni) River, near Durban.

VERIFIED TYPE LOCALITY: Umhlanga , KwaZulu-Natal .

COMMENTS: On 20 May 1841 Wahlberg was at Congella, Durban. There are no entries in his diary from this date until 3 June, when he went to Zeekoe Vley (Seekoeivlei, now known as Sea Cow Lake, about 1 km due north of the Mgeni River and immediately west of Durban North suburb) near Durban. He collected at the Mgeni River until 23 June, when he departed for Umhlanga.