sexdentata vs variegata

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sexdentata vs variegata

Postby Euchroeus » 28 Nov 2012 18:49

Kimsey & Bohart (1991: 475) placed C. sexdentata Christ, 1791 in synonym of C. variegata Olivier, 1790. In the last years some authors (e.g. Mingo, 1994; Tarbinsky, 2002; Vinokurov, 2010, etc.) followed the American authors and used the name variegata instead of sexdentata.

As already pointed out by Linsenmaier (1997: 286) and Rosa (2005: 90), the name variegata was always considered synonym of Euchroeus purpuratus (Fabricius). Olivier's description of the colour is clear and referrable only to E. purpuratus :

Chrysis cuprea, capitis vertice, thoracis dorso, abdominisque maculis cyaneis, ano sexdentato.

Il est de la grandeur du Chrysis lucidule, le corps est d’un rouge cuivreux, pointillé, plus brillant sur l’abdomen. Les antennes sont noires, le derrière de la tête est s’un bleu foncé. Le milieu du corcelet est marqué de treis lignes bleues, courtes. Les ailes sont obscures, avec un point bleu à leur origine. L’abdomen est bleu à sa bâse; il a une tache bleue sur le bord du premier anneau, & deux taches réunies sur le second, placées sur une ligne longitudinale: les derniers anneaux sint bleus; l’anus a sid dentelurs. Les pattes sont fauves, avec les cuifies bleues. Il se trouve dans les provinces méridionales de la France
”.

The description of the anal margin with six teeth confused the American authors. Usually Euchroeus have numerous irregular teeth, but sometimes some teeth may appear longer. Olivier probably examined a specimens with a reduced number of irregular teeth or counted them without microscope examination.

Moreover, the latin name itself "variegata" [= variegated, motley] cannot be used to describe the colour of any individual of C. sexdentata.

Therefore I suggest to use sexdentata Christ as valid species name and no more variegata Olivier.

Paolo
Paolo Rosa - www.chrysis.net
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