Tockus erythrorhynchus rufirostris ( Sundevall, 1850 ) ( Dickinson & Remsen 2013: 283 )

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 : 530

Buceros erythrorhynchus var. caffer ( B. rufirostris n. sp.) Sundevall, 1850: 108.

VERBATIM TYPE LOCALITY: “in montosis sylvaticis Caffrariae superioris inventus.”

CURRENT STATUS: Tockus erythrorhynchus rufirostris ( Sundevall, 1850) ( Dickinson & Remsen 2013: 283) .

TYPE MATERIAL: Sundevall in his original description referred to characters of both male and female, and according to his acquisition catalogue he had at least six specimens available at the time. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 84) referred to NRM 569872 [7258] as a “type”; we treat this as a lectotype designation of this adult male collected 15 February 1842 at Apies River. The five paralectotypes are: NRM 534283 [7260], a mounted female collected 30 March 1842 at Tswaing (Saltpannen); NRM 554747 [7259], a juvenile male collected 27 March 1844 near Saulspoort (Mohoapoani); NRM 569873 [7263], an adult female collected 27 March 1844 near Saulspoort ; RMNH. AVES.197484 [7261], a female collected 11 (February?) 1842 near Apies River , sent on exchange to Leiden in 1850; and a juvenile female [7262] collected 6 April 1842 at Tswaing , sent on exchange to Berlin in 1853 (but not found in the ZMB collection) .

VERIFIED TYPE LOCALITY: See comments. Apies River , at 25° 28’ South, 28° 15’ East, Gauteng .

COMMENTS: Gyldenstolpe (1926: 84, 115) explained why “ Buceros erythrorhynchus var. caffer ” Sundevall, 1850: 108 was not intended as a new name. Wahlberg collected at Hartebeespoort from 15 November 1841 to 5 January 1842, travelling on this day to Apies River, where he collected until 2 March. He broke camp on 2 March, and on 3 March was “….at the station on the lower Apies River. Walked to the confluence of the Soane and the Moritemi” suggesting that his camp on the Apies River was close to the confluence. The river names are confusing—according to Skead (1973), the “Soane” and the “Moritemi (= Moretele)” rivers are different names for the Apies River, but Rookmaaker (2007) identified the Moretele and the “Soane” rivers as distinct from the Apies River ( Appendix 1). Craig & Hummel (1994) noted, probably correctly, that this was the junction between the Moretele (= Apies River) and Tolwane rivers, but it is more likely that Wahlberg confused the river names, and that he was at the confluence between the Apies and Pienaar’s rivers on 3 March 1841 —the confluence between the Moretele and the Tolwane is too far to the west of where Wahlberg was camped. Wahlberg did not specify any localities along the Apies River, but Rookmaaker (2007) suggested he was at the Apies River at 25° 28’ South, 28° 15’ East on 13 February. This place can be accepted as the type locality for Buceros rufirostris Sundevall.