Anaplectes rubriceps rubriceps ( Sundevall, 1850 )

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 : 534-535

Ploceus (Hyphanthornis sic) rubriceps Sundevall, 1850: 97 .

VERBATIM TYPE LOCALITY: “ Hab. in Caffraria superiore, prope tropicum. ”

CURRENT STATUS: Anaplectes rubriceps rubriceps ( Sundevall, 1850) ; Ploceidae ( Dickinson & Christidis 2014: 290) .

TYPE MATERIAL: Sundevall’s description (1850: 97) is explicitly based on a male, a female, and a juvenile male. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 12) referred to two types, a male and a female, which thus cannot be regarded as lectotypes. According to Sundevall’s acquisition catalogue, 12 specimens were received from Wahlberg, and all are to be treated as syntypes (for some of which the exact origin is unknown). There is presently no need for a lectotype designation. The 12 syntypes are: NRM 568683 [6044], an adult male collected 8 November 1843 in Saulspoort (Mohoapoani); NRM 568685 [6047], an adult female collected 4 November 1843 in Saulspoort (these two considered as “types” in Gyldenstolpe, 1926: 12); NRM 568684 [6046], a male collected 5 November 1843 in Saulspoort; NRM 535129 [6045], a mounted male collected 25 October 1843 in Saulspoort; NRM 535135 [6048], a juvenile male (not sexed in Sundevall’s acquisition catalogue) collected 25 October 1843 at Saulspoort; a male, ZMB 7281 [6202] collected before 1845 in “Cafferl.”, sent on exchange to Berlin in 1853; and a female [6208] with the same data also sent to Berlin in 1853 (both specimens still present in the collection as ZMB 7281 and ZMB 7282, but with no data other than collector J.A. Wahlberg); two males [6206, 6207], collected in October 1843 in Saulspoort, sent to the University of Lund; a male [6204], undated, but collected before 1845 in “Cafferl.”, sent to R.B. Sharpe in London in 1871, and now in the NHMUK collection at Tring, with details NHMUK 1877.7.11.558, labelled “ Limpopo River” (which may be questioned) and not listed as a syntype by Warren & Harrison (1971); a male [6203] collected before 1845 in “Cafferl.”, sent on exchange to Bremen in 1870; and a male [6205] collected before 1845 in “Cafferl.”, sent to Professor Peter Wahlberg, brother of J.A. Wahlberg, in 1858.

VERIFIED TYPE LOCALITY: “Caffraria”, North West Province .

COMMENTS: The genus Hyphantornis was described by Gray (1844 –1849) in volume 2 of his Genera of birds on page 350, according to the “Contents of the second volume” but it is actually not paginated. Sundevall corrected the spelling to Hyphanthornis. Gyldenstolpe (1926: 12) used Hyphanthornis, but Gray’s (linguistically erroneous) spelling is valid following the Code.