Silpha capicola Péringuey, 1888

Silpha capicola Péringuey, 1888 View in CoL

( Figs. 2A–F View FIGURE 2 , 3A–F View FIGURE 3 , 9E View FIGURE 9 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 13A View FIGURE 13 , 15A View FIGURE 15 , 17E View FIGURE 17 , 18A View FIGURE 18 , 20E View FIGURE 20 , 21E View FIGURE 21 , 22–23)

Silpha capicola Péringuey, 1888: 86 View in CoL ( type locality: Cape Colony, Seymour [ca. 32°33’12”S 26°46’42”E, 800 m a.s.l.]; as synonym of S. punctulata Olivier, 1790 View in CoL by Schawaller 1987: 281).

Silpha punctulata Olivier, 1790 View in CoL (No. 11): 13 ( type locality “Cap de Bonne-Espérance” [ Cape of Good Hope, ca. 34°21’03”S 18°29’04”S, 130 m a.s.l., or Cape Province]; preoccupied, junior primary homonym of Silpha punctulata Gmelin View in CoL [in Linnaeus], 1790: 1617; used as valid by Schawaller 1987: 281).

Silpha Peringueyi Portevin, 1922: 506 View in CoL ( type locality: “Cafrerie” [= Kaffraria, now Eastern Cape Province, South Africa] and “Le Cap” [= Cape Town, ca. 33°57’00”S 18°31’00”E, 10 m a.s.l.]). (as synonym of S. pustulata Olivier, 1790 by Schawaller 1987: 281).

Silpha capricola [sic] Péring.: Hatch 1928: 104 (partim; lapsus calami).

Published records (shown in the maps in Figs. 22–23).

Schawaller (1987): “ South Africa: Eastern Cape Province: Port Elizabeth; Willowmore. Western Cape Province: 6 km S– Botriver; Caledon area ; 63 km N of Cape Town; 12 km E of Pearly Beach; 5 km S of Stanford; Tygerberg hills near Cape Town; Van Schoor’s drift near Philadelphia; Verlorevlei Farm” .

Type locality. South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Cape Colony, Seymour [ca. 32°33’12”S 26°46’42”E, 800 m a.s.l.] GoogleMaps .

Type material ( 3 specimens). South Africa, Western Cape Province: Syntypes, 1 ♂ ( MNHN) ( Figs. 3A–B View FIGURE 3 ), “Cafrerie | (Coll. Chevrolat) [hw, modern label added by curator] || TYPE [p, red label] || Muséum Paris [p] | Portevin [hw] | Coll. M. Pic [p, modern label added by curator] || Silpha | Peringueyi | m. [hw, Portevin’s manuscript] || SYNTYPE No. 1 | Silpha Peringueyi | Portevin, 1922 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička des. 2023 [p, red label] || Silpha capicola | Péringuey, 1888 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička det. 2023 [p]”; 1 ♂ ( MNHN), “MUSEUM PARIS | LE CAP | REYNAUD 1829 [p, light green label with thin black frame] || TYPE [p, red characters] || Silpha | punctulata | OLIVIER 1790 [hw] | det. Schawaller [p] || SYNTYPE No. 2 | Silpha Peringueyi | Portevin, 1922 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička des. 2023 [p, red label] || Silpha capicola | Péringuey, 1888 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička det. 2023”; 1 ♂ ( MNHN), “MUSEUM PARIS | LE CAP | REYNAUD 1829 [p, light green label with thin black frame] || Reynaud | 1829 | Cap [hw, round label] || TYPE [p, red characters] || SYNTYPE No. 3 | Silpha Peringueyi | Portevin, 1922 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička des. 2023 [p, red label] || Silpha capicola | Péringuey, 1888 | D. Sommer & | J. Růžička det. 2023”.

Additional material ( 175 specimens). South Africa, Eastern Cape Province , 2 spec. ( TMSA), Willowmore , viii.1927, Dr. Brauns lgt .; 2 ♀♀ ( SANC) ( Figs. 3D–F View FIGURE 3 ), Katberg , 24.i.1928, J. Hewitt [lgt.], ex coll. AMGS, No. 5577 ; 1 spec. ( SANC), Knysna Dist [rict]., Grootrivier , i.1955, Martin lgt . Western Cape Province, 1 spec. ( TMSA); Cape, [without date and collector’s name] ; 4 spec. ( BMNH), same locality, [without date and collector’s name], ex coll. G. Lewis 1915–38 .; 1 spec. ( JSCC), same locality, 1952, [without collector’s name] ; 2 spec. ( ISAM), Cape C., Rondebosch, [without date and collector’s name], SAM-COL-A021996 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Cape, Cape Town, Rondebosch , ix.1882, J. Desozir lgt., SAM-COL-A021997 ; 1 spec. ( SANC) , 1 spec. ( TMSA), Cape Town, [without date and collector’s name] ; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, [without date], Purcell lgt .; 2 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, vi.1882, Pres. L. Péringuey lgt., in cop.[ula], SAM-COL-A021995 ; 1 spec. ( SMNS) , 1 ♀ ( TMSA) ( Figs. 2D–F View FIGURE 2 ), same locality, 63 km N, 33.24S 18.16E, 30.viii.1983, Endrödy & Penrith lgt., E–Y: 2001, groundtraps, 63 days, groundtrap with faeces bait GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( BMNH), Hoets Bay , [without date and collector’s name], 90-49 .; 1 spec. ( SANC), Stellenbosch , [unreadable date], W.J. Carsrans lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 1888, L. P. [= Louis Péringuey lgt.] ; 3 spec. ( TMSA), same locality, 1.x.1927, Dr. Brauns lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 8.x.1935 [or 1985, unreadable], Ac. US .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 11.ix.1941, Ac. US .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 15.iii.1946, W.I. Carsrans lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 4.x.[19]46, W.S. Smik lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 17.iv.1947, E.C. Anderssen lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 25.vii.1947, [unreadable collector’s name] ; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 2.ix.1947, Allderman lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC); same locality, 3.ix.1947, B. Tard lgt. [? unreadable] ; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 3.ix.1947, C. Armstrong lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, x.1960, Entomologist Ac. Ca., P.C. Smith lgt .; 1 spec. ( MNHN), De Tafle Berg, v.1821, Mus. Paris, ex Chevrolat, Coll. E. Fleautiaux, C. B. Esp. ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Knysna , 1896, Purcell lgt., SAM-COL-A21999 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, 1912, L. P. [= Louis Péringuey] lgt., SAM-COL-A022004 ; 1 spec. ( BMNH), George , 27.vi.–1.vii.1920, R.E. Turner lgt., 1920—318 .; 6 spec. ( ISAM), C.P. [= Cape Province], Somerset West, Nov. – Feb.1927 [= xi.1926 – ii.1927], A.J. Hasse lgt., SAM-COL-A021993 ; 1 spec. (larvae) ( SANC), same locality, Lourens River , 34°05’S 18°51’E, 100m a.s.l., 14.x.2007, coll. P.E. Reavell, alluvial flood plain old river bed winter pools GoogleMaps ; 6 spec. ( 1 spec. larvae) ( SANC), same locality, Vegelogen Est. , 34°05’S 18°56’E, vi.–vii.2008, M.J.T. Weaver, this specimen ex. undergraduate student collection, treat label data with caution GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( TMSA), V. Rynsdorp, vii.1927, Dr. Brauns [lgt.] ; 1 spec. ( TMSA); same data, viii.1927 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Oudebosch, R. Zonder End Mts. [= Riviersonderend Mountain], 1500 ft. [ca. 457 m], xi.–xii.1928, K.H. Barnard lgt., SAM-COL-A022003 ; 2 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, i.1933, H.G. Wood lgt., SAM-COL-A022000, ..02 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), C.P. [= Cape Province], Keurbooms River Knyasna, i.1931, K.H. Barnard lgt., SAM-COL-A022005 ; 1 spec. ( SANC), C.P. [= Cape Province], Faure , 28.ix.1947, [without collector’s name] ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, 21.x.1956, A.J. Hasse lgt., SAM-COL- A021994 ; 1 spec. ( SANC), same locality, 34°05’S 18°51’E, 100m, 6.xii.[20]04, [without collector’s name] GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( SANC), Kaapse, Vlakie [?], xii.1947, J.G. Theron lgt .; 1 spec. ( TMSA), C.T. [= Cape Town], Cape Flats , 30.x.1949, Andrae & Koch lgt .; 1 spec. ( SANC), Kaapstad, 1960, deKlerk lgt .; 1 spec. ( TMSA), Strand , viii.[19]65, Dickson lgt .; 1 spec. ( CMNC), Cape Prov., Van Schoer’s drift nr. Philadelphia , 17.viii.1969, [without collector’s name] ; 2 spec. ( SANC), KP. [= Cape Province], Agulhas, 16.i.[19]71, M.W. Strydom lgt .; 1 spec. ( TMSA), Caledon area , 20.x.[19]71, Bornemissza & Kirk lgt .; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Kleinmond , x.1981, A.J. Prins lgt., SAM COL-62, SAM-COL-A022007 ; 1 spec. ( SANC), Swellendam , 2.ii.1978, J.H. Coetzee lgt .; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Piquetberg , 31.x.[19]81, T.D. Butler lgt., SAM-COL-A021998 ; 1 ♂ ( CMNC), Knysna, Buffelsnek , 33.9124214S, 23.1570450E, 800 m, 16.–19.xii.1981, S. & J. Peck lgt., carrion trap, fynbos GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( SANC), Malmesbury , viii.1983, W. Schreuder lgt .; 1 spec. ( TMSA), Botriver , 6 km S, 34.15S 19.13E, 27.viii.1983, [S.] Endrödy & Penrith lgt., E–Y: 1980, groundtraps, 66 days, groundtrap with banana bait GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( TMSA), Pearly Beach , 12 km E, 34.36S 19.36E, 27.viii.1983, [S.] Endrödy & Penrith lgt., E–Y: 1985, groundtraps, 63 days, groundtrap with banana bait GoogleMaps ; 2 spec. ( TMSA), Stanford , 5 km S, 34.29S 19.26E, 27.viii.1983, [S.] Endrödy & Penrith lgt., E–Y: 1981, groundtraps, 66 days, groundtrap with banana bait GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( JRUC), same locality, 8 km NEE (stream), 34°25.0’S 19°32.38’E, 35 m, 4.–5.xii.2015, [ Emmanuel Varela] Arriaga, [ Martin] Fikáček, [ Matthias] Seidel & [ Dominik] Vondráček lgt., RSA49, UV light collecting at the sandy stream with sparse Phragmites patches GoogleMaps ; 5 spec. ( TMSA) ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 ), Verlorevlei farm, 34.19S 18.22E, 28.viii.1983, [S.] Endrödy & Penrith lgt., E–Y: 1990, groundtraps, 60 days, groundtrap with banana bait GoogleMaps ; 4 spec. ( TMSA), same data, groundtrap with meat bait GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( SMNS), same data, groundtrap with banana bait GoogleMaps ; 2 spec. ( SMNS), same data, groundtrap with meat bait GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Cynbos site, Suc. Cio. , 19.iii.[19]84, A.V. Milewski lgt., SAM-COL-A062671 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), C.P. [= Cape Province], Springfield, Bredasdorp , 10.x.1984, A.V. Milewski lgt., C10, caught [in] rodent box trap, SAM-COL-A062670 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, 18.x.1984, A.V. Milewski lgt., C10, caught [in] rodent box trap, Protea compacta scrub, SAM-COL-A062673 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, 21.x.1984, A.V. Milewski lgt., C10, eating bait in rodent trap, Protea compacta site, SAM-COL-A062674 ; 2 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, 5.xi.1984, A.V. Milewski lgt., C10, caught [in] rodent box trap.], Protea compacta scrub, SAM-COL-A062672, ..75 ; 1 spec. ( ISAM), Springfield , xi.[19]84, C10, (caught [in] rodent box trap.), A.V. Milewski lgt., SAM-COL. A062669 ; 1 spec. ( SANC), Kuilsrivier , 25.vi.1986, J. Liebenberg lgt .; 1 spec. ( MRAC), Muizenberg , v.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 2 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, vi.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 6 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 2.vi.–16.vi.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 1 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 14.vi.–28.vii.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 4 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 16.vi.–30.vi.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 15 spec. ( MRAC, JRUC), same locality, 30.vi.–14.vii.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 31 spec. ( BMNH, MRAC, JRUC) ( Figs. 9E View FIGURE 9 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 13A View FIGURE 13 , 15A View FIGURE 15 , 17E View FIGURE 17 , 18A View FIGURE 18 , 20E View FIGURE 20 , 21E View FIGURE 21 ), same locality, 28.vii.–11.viii.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 3 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 29.ix.–13.x.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 5 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 10.x.–25.x.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 2 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, 15.xi.–1.xii.1989, R. Legg lgt .; 2 spec. ( MRAC), same locality, xii.1989, R. Legg lgt., 15. miss .; 1 spec. ( ZMHB), Cape of Good Hope Nat. Res. [= National Reserve], 6.–7.i.1993, F. Koch lgt .; 3 spec. ( ISAM), same locality, Olifantsbos, nr. Skaife Centre , ca. 34°16’S 18°23’E, 18.–19.ix.1993, S. van Noort lgt., strandveld on coast at sea level, pifall trap, SAM-COL-A022006 GoogleMaps ; 1 spec. ( JRUC), Table Mts. NP, Olifantsbos , river banks, ca. 34°15.3’S 18°23.0’E, 5.xi.2019, P. Bulirsch lgt GoogleMaps .

Ambiguous or poorly georeferrenced material ( 17 specimens). South Africa, 1 spec. ( ZMUC), Africa autral., [without date], Mus. Drens.; 1 spec. ( MHNG), Cap B E [Cap de Bonne-Espérance or Cape of Good Hope = West Cape Province] [without date and collector’s name]; 2 spec. ( ZFMK), Cap. b. Sp. [Cap Bonae Spei or Cape of Good Hope = West Cape Province], [without date and collector’s name], ex coll. R. Oberthür; 2 spec. ( ZMUC), Cap. bon. sp., [without date and collector’s name], ex coll. Westermann; 1 spec. ( ZMUC), Cap. bon. sp., [without date and collector’s name], Mus. Drens.; 2 spec. ( ZMUC), Cape Good Hope [= West Cape Province], vi.1817, [without collector’s name], Mus. Westerm.; 1 spec. ( OUMNH), Captn. Boys, [without date and collector’s name]; 1 spec. ( BMNH), Cape, [without date and collector’s name], determined from description G. J. A[rrow]., Silpha punctulata Oliv., Ent. Club. 44-12., Silpha capensis Dej ; 1 spec. ( SMNS), Indes Int., Cap. Boys, [without date and collector’s name], schlanke Form wie Typus von peringueyi Port. [slender form as the type of p.], det. Schawaller; 1 spec. ( OUMNH), [without locality, date and collector’s name], punctulata, Mus. Norvic [?, illegible], Kirby; 1 spec. ( OUMNH), [without locality, date and collector’s name], punctulata, Oliv. PBS ; 1 spec. ( BMNH), S. Afr. [= South Africa], vi.[19]44, Dr. Smith lgt.; 1 spec. ( TMSA), [without locality, date and collector’s name], ex coll. Pretoria University ( UPSA 2002); 1 spec. ( ISAM), “South Africa” [without date and collector’s name], SAM-COL- A022001.

Redescription. Male ( ♂) [based on specimen from Verlorevlei farm, Western Cape Province (coll. TMSA)]. Body ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 ) oval, dorso-ventrally flattened. Elytra arched. Whole body surface and appendages black, or rarely dark brown (probably in subteneral specimens).

Head ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 ). Black, lustrous, surface with dense, small, distinct, regular punctation. Covered with short, recumbent orange setation. Lateral area posterior to clypeal suture with long, erect orange setation. Clypeus anteriorly widely notched. Anterior margin of clypeus with slightly irregular row of dense, long, orange setation. Eye kidney-shaped in lateral view. Frons with marked dorsal tentorial pits and a transverse, elevated crest posteriorly.

Antennae ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 , 20E View FIGURE 20 ). Medium-sized, with last four antennomeres forming a distinct club.

Pronotum ( Figs. 2A, C View FIGURE 2 ) moderately transverse, widest posteriorly. Margins rimmed anteriorly and laterally; anterior margin slightly sinuous, with wide, shallow medial emargination; anterior angles weakly elevated. Posterior margin weakly sinuous laterally. Surface dull, with dense punctation, punctures small, clearly separated, from disc to margin larger and more deeply impressed. Punctures bearing extremely short, orange setae.

Scutellum ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Irregularly triangular, widely vaulted medially. Surface with coarse, distinct, dense, homogenous punctation, from disc to margin smaller and slightly impressed; covered with short, recumbent, black setation. Posterior margin rounded.

Elytra ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 , 9E View FIGURE 9 ) subparallel, at the widest point (along 2/3 of its length) wider than pronotum.Elytron with three distinctly elevated, rounded ridges; ridges nearly reaching apex of elytron; second ridge shortened anteriorly; external ridge shortened posteriorly. Elytral epipleura strongly elevated dorsally along almost the entire length, flattened at elytral apex. Apex of elytron imperceptible elongate. Surface dull, without setation, with isodiametric microsculpture; covered with dense, distinct, regular punctation; punctures clearly separated by 1.0–1.5 of their diameter. Punctures posteriorly with small tubercle. Each tubercle bearing a small, short, black seta. Elytra with coarse, subrectangular punctures covering most of the surface in dorsal view. Elytral epipleura irregularly, coarsely punctated in ventral view.

Metathoracic wings. Brachypterous.

Ventrum ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Thorax finely to roughly punctate, covered mostly with short to medium-sized, recumbent, orange to black setae. Proventrite with dense punctation laterally; metaventrite densely, roughly punctate, with dense, medium-sized setation. Mesocoxae closely separated.Abdominal ventrites with distinct impressions laterally in ventral view. Abdominal ventrites punctate, covered with short, orange to black setation, with expanded brick-wall pattern on intersegmental membranes.

Legs ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 , 21E View FIGURE 21 ). Protarsus slightly expanded. Pro-, meso- and metatibia each with two apical spurs of different length. Metatibia almost straight, only very slightly curved in ventral view. Trochanters with bunch of medium-sized, orange setae.

Abdominal segments ( Figs. 2B View FIGURE 2 , 13A View FIGURE 13 , 15A View FIGURE 15 ). Tergite VIII subquadrate, apically almost straight, rounded posteriorly. Ventrite VIII widely rounded posteriorly. Ventrite IX oval, elongate and deeply medially desclerotized in ventral view. Spiculum gastrale robust, elongate in ventral view; continuously narrowing towards the apex.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ). Median lobe stout, robust, gradually tapered to widely rounded, triangular apex. Internal sac sclerotized. Parameres robust, slightly curved downwards, as long as median lobe, apex widely rounded. Basal portion oval, robust, not exceeding the width of median lobe.

Sexual dimorphism. Female ( ♀) ( Figs. 2D–F View FIGURE 2 , 3D–F View FIGURE 3 , 17E View FIGURE 17 , 18A View FIGURE 18 ). Similar to male, except for the following structures. Tergite VIII subquadrate, apically almost straight, rounded posteriorly. Ventrite VIII widely rounded. Tergite IX elongate, rounded; tergite X widely rounded, almost pentagonal, apex with dense setation. Coxite robust, subquadrate, apex only slightly indicated, rounded; stylus extremely short, subquadrate, inserted lateroapically, shorter than apex of coxite.

Variability. Individuals vary in size and shape (see next paragraph). Elytra dark brown (probably in subteneral or historical specimens) to black. Pronotal punctures with short setation; setae are reduced to absent in some specimens, especially on disc.

Two female specimens ( Figs. 3D–F View FIGURE 3 ) from Katberg, Eastern Cape Province (coll. SANC) are distinctly larger and wider, their elytral epipleura are distinctly flattened, costae are only weakly raised and elytra are broadly oval (TBL 18.3 mm, MBW 12.9 mm, RLWP 0.57 and RLWE 0.96; these measurements were not included in summary in the next paragraph). Elytra are with much finer and denser punctation ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). A similar looking specimen from Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province (coll. SANC) was already mentioned and documented by Schawaller (1987: 282–283, fig. 5), who considered it conspecific with S. punctulata (= S. capicola ). Unfortunately, this specimen was not available to re-examine. More material (incl. male specimens) is highly desirable to understand the variation of S. capicola . Similar variability is known in S. carinata , where lowland populations (sometimes treated as a separate subspecies, S. carinata italica Küster, 1851 ) from temperate regions are also larger and more broadly oval, which is linked with the intraspecific variation and the ecological plasticity of this species ( Šustek 1983).

Measurements. TBL 16.5–17.5 mm in ♂ ( syntypes No. 1 to No. 3 of S. peringueyi : 17.0, 16.2 and 16.2 mm) and 14.5–18.5 mm in ♀; MBW 10.0–11.0 mm in ♂ ( syntypes No. 1 to No. 3: 10.4, 10.0 and 10.1 mm) and 10.0–12.0 mm in ♀; RLWP 0.58 to 0.61 in ♂ ( syntypes No. 1 to No. 3: 0.59, 0.60 and 0.63), 0.52 to 0.56 in ♀; RLWE 1.05 to 1.2 in ♂ ( syntypes No. 1 to No. 3: 1.11, 1.09 and 1.06), 1.00 to 1.14 in ♀.

Differential diagnosis. Refer to species key and Table 3 below.

Distribution. Endemic species of South Africa, widespread in southern part of West Cape Province, and also known from three locations in East Cape Province (see map, Figs. 22–23 and Table 2).

Note. Nothing is known about the life history of this species. Larvae were observed wandering on ground covered with fynbos ( Prins 1984).

Taxonomical remarks. Historically, there are three names available for this species.

(1) Silpha punctulata Olivier, 1790 , described from “Cap de Bonne-Espérance [= West Cape Province around Cape of Good Hope, Republic of South Africa]” ( Olivier 1790). This name is a subjective homonym of Silpha punctulata Gmelin, 1790 , described from “Hallae Saxonum [= Halle, Germany]”. The second volume of Olivier (1790) has the year of publication “1790” on its title page, livraison 4 ( Dermestes to Anthobium , also containing Silpha ) was published in December 1790 ( Bousquet 2016: 394). Gmelin (1790) is considered to have been published before 21 May 1790 ( Bousquet 2016). Consequently, S. punctulata Olivier is considered preoccupied and needs to be treated as a junior primary homonym of S. punctulata Gmelin.

The current identity of S. punctulata Gmelin is not completely clear: in the original description, Gmelin (1790) refer to Fabricius (1787, page 46, species No. 9), which is Ips atomaria —now Mycetophagus atomarius ( Fabricius, 1787) ( Coleoptera : Mycetophagidae ). However, this synonymy is not listed in Nikitsky (2008), and AnimalBase Project Group (2021) under speciestaxon?id=34654 only provides “current allocation not known”. A.F. Newton (e-mail of 21 March 2017) noted “Gmelinʼs name seems to have been forgotten; technically it is a synonym of atomarius, but is not in the Pal. Cat.”. A solution to this issue is not provided here.

Silpha punctulata Olivier View in CoL was treated as valid until fairly recently, the fact that it is preoccupied and needs to be replaced by another available name (see below) was only discovered by Thayer & Newton (2005). Many type specimens of beetles described by G.A. Olivier are deposited in MNHN ( Bousquet 2016), but no type (s) of S. punctulata View in CoL were located during repeated visits in 2002–2008 (J. Růžička, pers. comm.).

Portevin (1926) reported this species also from “Afrique orientale, de l’Abyssinie au Cap” [= Eastern Africa, Abyssinia and Cape]. It is clear that he did not pay much attention to the precise distribution of the species. We have not seen any material of Silpha View in CoL from Abyssinia (nowadays the territory of Ethiopia and Eritrea).

(2) Silpha capicola Péringuey, 1888 was described from “ Cape Colony, Seymour” ( Péringuey 1888). It was treated as junior synonym of S. punctulata Olivier, 1790 by Schawaller (1987), who also briefly discussed and documented its morphological variability. Thayer & Newton (2005) listed S. capicola as the valid name of the South African Silpha , as S. punctulata Olivier is preoccupied (see above). We were not able to locate the type (s)—they were not located in ISAM ( Robertson 2008) nor in SANC (Elizabeth Grobbelaar, e-mail of 20 April 2017; Riaan Stals, e-mail of 14 December 2017).

This species was misinterpreted by Portevin (1926), his description fits the material from Tanzania, but distribution is provided as from both “Cap de Bonne Espérance [= Cape of Good Hope]” and “Lac Nyassa [= Lake Nyassa, now Lake Malawi]”. For correct interpretation of the latter, see below.

(3) Silpha peringueyi Portevin, 1922 was described, based on a series of specimens from “Cafrerie” and “Le Cap” ( Portevin 1922). It was treated as junior synonym of S. punctulata Olivier, 1790 by Schawaller (1987), who consider it only as a slenderer form of S. punctulata . We have located three syntypes in MHNH.