Onthophagus elegans Klug, 1832 : 163

Rossini, M. & Vaz-De-Mello, F. Z., 2016, On the identity of Onthophagus columbianus Boucomont, 1932 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 4061 (3), pp. 296-300 : 297

Onthophagus elegans Klug, 1832: 163 ( Fig. 1 )

Onthophagus columbianus ; Boucomont, 1932: 322–323 syn. nov. ( Fig. 2 ) Distribution ( Paulian, 1960; Wirta et al., 2008): endemic to Madagascar. Type locality: (of O. elegans ): Madagascar; (of. O. columbianus ): Pasto.

As both authors did not fix any primary type for these species names, in order to preserve the stability of the zoological nomenclature of O. elegans Klug, 1832 (ZMHB) and O. columbianus Boucomont, 1932 (MNHN) syn. nov., we designate lectotypes by fixing this status on two well-preserved males belonging to the respective syntypic series ( ICZN, 1999: recommendation 73F, Art. 74). Name-bearing types will provide objective continuity in the application of these species names.

Material examined. O. elegans : LECTOTYPE (♂ ZMHB): 1. 27123 (cream label); 2. elegans, Kl., Madagas. Goud. (handwritten in black italic, on light green-blue label with black border, old bottom label); 3. Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 27123, Onthophagus elegans Klug, Madagasc. Goud., Zool. Mus. Berlin (light-blue label with black border); 4: LECTOTYPE, Onthophagus elegans Klug , des. M. Rossini & F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (red label with black border). PARALECTOTYPES (1 ♂, 2 ♀ ZMHB): first three labels as in the lectotype; Last label. PARALECTOTYPE, Onthophagus elegans Klug , des. M. Rossini & F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello, 2015 (yellow label with black border).

Remarks. It is typical for type specimens in the ZMHB collection to be identified by an asterisk adjacent to the species name on a specimen label. However, this is missing in the original bottom-label pinned with the lectotype of O. elegans (here designated) ( Fig. 1C ). Nevertheless, the first specimen label of this lectotype “27123” indicates a catalogue entry for the Museum ‘accessions register’, where the four specimens are denoted with the asterisk, thus “ O. elegans Klug *”. Therefore, we surmise that the specimens here examined (lectoytpe and three paralectotypes) formed part (if not all) of the original syntypic series of O. elegans Klug.

O. columbianus : LECTOTYPE (♂ IRSN): 1. Ex-Typis (printed in red, white label with black border); 2. 32 (brown label); 3. Pasto (handwritten in italic black, brown label); 4. Boucomont det. 1929, Onthophagus columbianus n.sp. (species name handwritten in italic black, cream label); 5. J.J. Gillet., vend.: Onthophagus columbianus Bouc., R.M.H.N. Belg. 10.640 (species name handwritten in italic black, white label); 6. cf. Ann. Soc. ent., Fr. 101 (1932) p. 322 (handwritten in italic black, white label); 8. LECTOTYPE, Onthophagus columbianus Boucomont , des. F.Z. Vaz-de- Mello, 2014 (species name handwritten in italic black, red label with black border).

PARALECTOTYPE: (♀ IRSN): 1. Pasto (handwritten in italic black, brown label); 2. Boucomont det. 1929, Onthophagus columbianus n.sp. (species name handwritten in italic black, white label); 3. Ex-Typis (printed in red, white label with black border); 4. cf. Ann. Soc. ent., Fr. 101 (1932) p. 322 (handwritten in italic black, white label); 5. J.J. Gillet, vend.: Onthophagus columbianus Bouc., R.M.H.N. Belg. 10.640 (species name handwritten in italic black, white label); 6. PARALECTOTYPE, Onthophagus columbianus Bouc. , des. F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello, 2014 (species name handwritten in italic black, yellow label with black border).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A – C. O. elegans: dorsal habitus of the lectotype (A) and one paralectotype (B). Lectotype labels (C).

FIGURE 2. A – D. O. columbianus: dorsal habitus of the lectotype (A) and paralectotype (B). Lectotype and paralectotype labels (C,