Australaphodius catulus ( BALTHASAR, 1946 )

DellacaSa, M. & DellacaSa, G., 2002, Systematic Redefinition Of Taxa Belonging To The Genera Ahermodontus Báguena, 1930 And Ammoecius Mulsant, 1842, With Description Of The New Genus Vladimirellus (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (4), pp. 269-316 : 272

Australaphodius catulus ( BALTHASAR, 1946) , stat. n. et comb. n.

Aphodius (Ammoecius) catulus BALTHASAR, 1946: 54 ; ENDRŐDI & RAKOVIČ 1981: 42 (as a doubtful synonym of A. brevitarsis PÉRINGUEY, 1901 ).

Type locality: “ Africa austr., Caffraria ”. [ South Africa.]

Type depository: National Museum, Prague. Type probably lost.

Remarks – The type specimen was not found in BALTHASAR’ s collection at the Prague Museum. In the key to Afrotropical Ammoecius PETROVITZ (1964: 189) placed this taxon among those with the clypeus rounded at sides of median sinuosity and with the epistoma finely punctured, neither rugose nor granulose in front of anterior carina. These are the same distinguishing characters used by BALTHASAR in the original diagnosis. ENDRŐDI (1978) did not deal with this taxon, while ENDRŐDI and RAKOVIČ (1981: 42) proposed a doubtful synonymy of A. catulus as A. brevitarsis PÉRINGUEY, 1901 (now a junior synonym of Australaphodius frenchi BLACKBURN, 1858 ). BORDAT (1990: 315) accepted this interpretation and, based on characters stressed by the original description, moved A. catulus from Ammoecius to Australaphodius . Without the examination of the type, it is not certain whether A. catulus is identical with A. frenchi or Australaphodius accola (KOL- BE, 1908). Thus it is considered, until proved otherwise, to be a valid species.