Anoplognathus viridiaeneus ( Donovan, 1805 )

Seidel, Matthias & Reid, Chris A. M., 2021, Taxonomic changes resulting from a review of the types of Australian Anoplognathini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) housed in Swedish natural history collections, Zootaxa 4908 (2), pp. 225-238 : 231-232

Anoplognathus viridiaeneus ( Donovan, 1805)

Melolontha viridiaenea Donovan, 1805 : plate 1

Rutela caesarea Billberg, 1817 (in Schönherr 1817: 58); Burmeister 1844: 439 (synonymy)

Rutela latreillei Schönherr & Gyllenhal, 1817 (in Schönherr 1817: 59); Dejean 1833: 154 (synonymy)

Types. Rutela latreillei Schönherr & Gyllenhal, 1817 : lectotype (present designation): ♀: “a // Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Gyllenhals saml. TYP nr. / 1447” (UUZM); paralectotypes (2): ϐ: “ Nov : Holland / Swartz. // NHRS-JLKB / 000027468” ( NHRS) ; ϐ: “ Anoplognathus / Mc Leay / viridianeus / Donov / Rutela latreillii / S[?war]tz / (Nov. Hollandia) // ϐ / NHRS-JLKB / 000027469” ( NHRS) .

Remarks. Anoplognathus latreillei was described by Schönherr and Gyllenhal, not Gyllenhal alone ( Schönherr 1817: 60). Carne (1957) could not locate the type series of R. latreillei ( Fig. 4 A–G), which was deposited in the NHRS and UUZM. The two paralectotypes in Gyllenhal’s collection in the NHRS are pinned beneath a handwritten label saying “Caesarea. / Billb: […]”, which we do not consider to be syntypes of Billberg´s species. Billberg’s early collection was destroyed by fire in 1822 ( Horn & Kahle 1935), therefore it is almost certain that type material of Rutela caesarea no longer exists. Gyllenhal probably recognized that his species was a synonym and relabelled his specimens, so we consider these two specimens to be his type material. The UUZM lectotype was clearly labelled as Rutela latreillei and we designate this as lectotype to fix the identity of the species. The synonymy of A. latreillei with A. viridiaeneus was first proposed by Dejean (1833), but with precedence given to the younger name.

Anoplognathus viridiaeneus occurs from central New South Wales to central Queensland, mostly near the coast. It was formerly common in the Sydney area but is now a relatively scarce species there (AMS). It is distinguished by its large size, entirely green reflections, and shiny pygidium with apical setal tuft ( Reid & Smith 2016; Burleigh & Reid 2017).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Male paralectotypes (A–F), and female lectotype (G) of Rutela latreillei Schönherr & Gyllenhal, 1817. A, F–G, Dorsal habitus; B, ventral habitus; C, frontal view; D, aedeagus, frontal view; E, aedeagus, lateral view.