Mordella basalis Costa, 1854: 13–14

Selnekovič, Dávid & Improta, Roberta, 2020, The type material of Mordellidae described by Achille Costa (Coleoptera Tenebrionoidea), Zootaxa 4803 (1), pp. 42-50 : 45

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4803.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:752BC534-E4E1-4A74-8993-8B2A4A14035C
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0386878D-EB75-B506-FF11-FB6DAF3B99F9
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Mordella basalis Costa, 1854: 13–14
status

Treatment

( Figs 4 View FIGURES 1–13 , 14–15 View FIGURES 14–15 )

Type locality. “Regno di Napoli” [former Kingdom of Naples ] and “ Calabrie ”, Italy .

Material examined. Lectotype by present designation ( Figs 4 View FIGURES 1–13 , 14–15 View FIGURES 14–15 ), male, MZFN: new box, labelled: “42.4749 | Mordella basalis , n. Camaldoli [original Costa’s label] | LECTOTYPE Mordella basalis Costa, 1854 D. Selnekovič des. 2019 [red label] | Variimorda (s. str.) basalis Costa, 1854 D. Selnekovič det. 2019”; pinned, geni- talia and pygidium stored in microvial . Additional specimens in the series: 1 female, MZFN: new box, labelled: “ Calabria | Variimorda (s. str.) basalis Costa, 1854 D. Selnekovič det. 2019” .

Current status. Valid species; present combination: Variimorda (s. str.) basalis (Costa, 1854) .

Remarks. The lectotype corresponds to the current interpretation of the species, but it also agrees with the description of Variimorda briantea (Comolli, 1837) . Unfortunately, the collection of Antonio Villa containing a single type specimen of V. briantea have been destroyed ( Bosquet 2016; Fabrizio Rigato, MSNM, pers. comm.). Therefore, we cannot confirm the validity of the two species here. Genitalia of the V. basalis lectotype are illustrated here for the first time ( Figs 14–15 View FIGURES 14–15 ).