Corresponding author: Miguel A. Alonso-Zarazaga (
Academic editor: Christopher Majka
The type specimens of species of
Carl Peter Thunberg (*1743, †1828) was a Swedish botanist and entomologist and disciple of Carolus Linnaeus. He stayed in South Africa from 16 April 1772 to 2 March 1775, when he sailed to Batavia. During his stay in the Cape Colony of the Dutch East India Company (now South Africa) he undertook several short excursions and three long trips beyond the hinterland to collect animals and plants. He visited the colony again during his return journey to Europe, from 27 April to 15 May 1778 (
As a result of his trips,
Genera and number of species treated in
|
|
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---|---|---|
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2 | 0 |
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4 | 0 |
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12 | 0 |
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2 | 2 |
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32 | 10 |
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32 | 0 |
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1 | 0 |
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4 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
The descriptions of these species are insufficient to allow their proper placement to genus. Those described under
Genera and number of species treated in
|
|
|
---|---|---|
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12 | 3 |
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12 | 1 |
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13 | 2 |
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116 | 8 |
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12 | 3 |
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12 | 3 |
|
4 | 0 |
|
99 | 4 |
|
2 | 0 |
|
14 | 0 |
|
5 | 0 |
|
8 | 3 |
|
2 | 1 |
|
2 | 0 |
|
29 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
|
3 | 1 |
|
12 | 0 |
|
2 | 0 |
Type specimens of Thunberg’s collection were received from the Zoological Museum of Uppsala University (Sweden). The specimens were studied under a binocular Leica Wild MZ8 microscope and photographed with an Olympus C7070WZ camera mounted on the same microscope or on a photographic frame Kaiser RA1. Microscope slides were studied and photographed with the same camera mounted on a Leitz Diaplan microscope, and some details were drawn by using a drawing tube. Extended focus images were generated using the software CombineZP. The programs Adobe Illustrator CS5.0 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.0 were used for image postproduction and mounting.
Dissection methods and nomenclature of genitalia follow
Labels are described as they were copied by the curators, since they were retained in the drawers. These labels are red and read “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. # /
I have received four specimens from the collection Thunberg: 539, Mus.Thunb. Pierced midway with a long thin pin without head, abdomen glued to a white card below.
1188, Cap. Pierced low with a short thick pin with head.
1189, Sv. Pierced midway with a long thin pin with head. The abbreviation “Sv.” stands for “Svecia” [= Sweden].
15075, no data. Pierced midway with a long thin pin with head.
The specimen with the number 1188 has a further label reading “Cap” and is here designated as lectotype and labelled accordingly. Although the specimens with the numbers 539, 1189 and 15075 are pinned in a similar manner, they cannot be considered as syntypes as their label data do not conform with the original locality, Cape Province, as it can be inferred from the title of the article. However, all four specimens belong to the same species, the European
One male specimen, glued to a pin 20.4 mm long and 0.59 mm in diameter with the following data: 1293, Cap. The original Thunberg labels, which I have not seen, read: “
Type specimens in Thunberg’s collection
This species is represented by a single pinned specimen belonging, as usually accepted, to the genus
I have received three specimens, as follows: one divided into three parts and glued onto a square white card, this on a short thin pin with head, with data: 543a, Mus. Thunb.; one headless, worn, pinned high on a long thin pin with head, with data: 543b, Mus. Thunb.; and a third glued to a rectangular label, this on a short thick pin with head, with data: 1191, Smol. The first specimen is a female of
I have received three specimens with red type labels as above, carrying the numbers 1206, 1289 and 1290. Only specimen nr. 1289 has an additional label reading “Vestrog.”. This specimen, pinned high on a long pin with head, is a female
With the characters of tribe
This description is based only on the male sex, the female is presently unknown.
The lectotype male of
This genus is named after Carl Peter Thunberg, the illustrious Swedish naturalist and almost certainly the collector of the type species, during his travels in present-day South Africa.
The new genus
Peculiar characters of this genus are the squamose vestiture, condensed on the sutural and marginal interstriae and on the meso- and metapleurites, the long, almost straight rostrum, the fusiform antennal clubs and the two strongly dentate median pieces of the internal sac.
This genus seems to include also at least two other undescribed species from the same area (Marek Wanat, pers. comm.) and may constitute and endemic element.
Using the key to the genera of the Palaearctic region (
From
Because of its elongate rostrum,
The species of
In South Africa, three genera of the tribe
1 | Claws toothed. Elytra strongly convex behind middle, anteriorly concave in side view. Host: |
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– | Claws simple or slightly incrassate at base. Elytra uniformly and weakly convex in side view | 2 |
2 | Antennal clubs oboval. Metasternal apophysis shortly triangular. Antennal scapes at most as long as mesorostral width. Vestiture piliform. Host: |
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– | Antennal clubs fusiform. Metasternal apophysis narrow and elongate, tuberculiform. Antennal scapes 1.33 × as long as mesorostral width. Vestiture squamose. Host unknown |
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I thank Drs. Lars Wallin and Hans Mejlon for the extended loan of Thunberg’s type material and for the information on the original labels retained in the drawers. Dr. Rolf Oberprieler (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra) provided useful bibliography and revised the language, and Dr. Marek Wanat (Museum of Natural History, University of Wrocław) commented on several aspects of the new genus. Both are warmly thanked for their assistance. I also thank Mr. Manuel Sánchez-Ruiz for his excellent photographs.