Phyllophaga sociata ( Horn, 1878 )

Schnepp, Kyle E., 2019, Three new synonymies in Phyllophaga Harris, 1827 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), with lectotype and neotype designations, Insecta Mundi 742 (742), pp. 1-6 : 2

Phyllophaga sociata ( Horn, 1878)

Figures 1–2 , 7–8

Listrochelus sociatus Horn 1878: 146 . Lectotype: MCZ, here designated, male.

Phyllophaga sociatus (Horn) : Saylor 1938: 131.

Listrochelus knausii Schaeffer 1907: 67 . New synonymy. Lectotype: USNM, here designated, male. Phyllophaga knausi (Schaeffer) : Blackwelder and Arnett 1974: 58.

Horn (1878) described Listrochelus sociatus from “ Nevada, Idaho and Oregon ” without specific local- ity or type designation. In 1938, Saylor moved L. sociatus from Listrochelus to Phyllophaga without explanation. In 1907, Schaeffer described Listrochelus knausii , apparently without seeing the types of L. sociatus , stating “By description knausii is very close to sociatus , near which it has to be placed, but the latter species is said to have the posterior tibiae stout, resembling those of Ligyrus .” Schaeffer’s types of L. knausii , a male and female, have been dissected, possibly by Schaeffer or Milton Sanderson. Both of Schaeffer’s types of L. knausii are from Stockton, Utah and no holotype has been designated. To fix the name to a single specimen I am designating the male ( Fig. 2 ) with the following data ( Fig. 8 ) as the lectotype: “[handwritten label] Stockton/ V.14. Utah // [handwritten label] Warren/ Knaus // [handwritten label] Listrochelus / knausii/ type ♂ Schaef // [in red] Type [handwritten] ♂ // [handwrit- ten label with two red border lines] Listrochelus / knausii/ Schaef. // [on red] Cotype/ No [handwritten] 42585/ U.S. N.M. // BROOKLYN/ MUSEUM/ COLL. 1929 // [on red] LECTOTYPE / Listrochelus knausii / Schaeffer, 1907 / Det: K. E. Schnepp 2018”.

Similarly, no type has been designated for Listrochelus sociatus Horn. After examining the type series, a male lectotype ( Fig. 1 ) is here designated to fix the name to a single specimen to allow comparison to other types. Label data ( Fig. 7 ) are as follows: “Nev. // [on blue] PARA-TYPE/ [handwritten] 3635.2 // MCZ-ENT/ 00522248 // [on red] LECTOTYPE / Listrochelus sociatus / Horn, 1878 / Det: K. E. Schnepp 2018”.

Sanderson’s Phyllophaga notes are available for study at the FSCA. In them, he clearly recognized P. knausii as being synonymous with P. sociata , but no formal synonymy has been made. After studying the types, I concur with Sanderson and here formally synonymize P. knausii with P. sociata .

Figures

Figures 1–6. Male genitalia of Phyllophaga type specimens. 1) Phyllophaga sociata, lectotype. 2) Phyllophaga knausii, lectotype. 3) Phyllophaga rugosa, neotype. 4) Phyllophaga chippewa, holotype. 5) Phyllophaga bipartita, lectotype. 6) Phyllophaga falta, holotype.

Figures 7–12. Specimen labels of Phyllophaga type specimens. 7) Phyllophaga sociata, lectotype. 8) Phyllophaga knausii, lectotype. 9) Phyllophaga rugosa, neotype. 10) Phyllophaga chippewa, holotype. 11) Phyllophaga bipartita, lectotype. 12) Phyllophaga falta, holotype.