Galesus sexpunctatus Ashmead, 1893: 408

Galesus sexpunctatus Ashmead, 1893: 408 , 463, pl. 17, fig. 6.

Valid name

Coptera sexpunctata ( Ashmead, 1893) comb. nov.

Summary of types

Lectotype ♀, BMNH number 9.1003, here designated . Paralectotype ♂.

Primary type data

St. Vincent / W.I./ H.H. Smith; Galesus / bipunctatus / ♀ Ashm.; W.Indies/ 99-331.

Type locality

West Indies, St Vincent.

Remarks

This species is named at the end of the generic description of Galesus Haliday in Curtis 1829 with a reference to the figure of the female and male; the figure serves as an indication to make this species name available (Article 12.2.7). Although Ashmead ( 1893) says this species was from St. Vincent, in his study of St. Vincent diapriids the following year, the only species of Galesus mentioned is G. bipunctatus Ashmead in Riley, Ashmead & Howard, 1894 . It is reasonable to assume that this is one and the same species redescribed under another name because: a) both species were described from St. Vincent from type series including both sexes; b) both species are referred to as having six punctures; G. sexpunctatus in the specific epithet and G. bipunctatus in its original description which includes the phrase “vertex with six small punctures”; c) an examination of Ashmead’s labels shows how the change of names could have happened as 6- punctatus and bipunctatus look quite similar in Ashmead’s handwriting. Minor differences between the figures of G. sexpunctatus in Ashmead (1893) and the description of G. bipunctatus Ashmead in Riley, Ashmead & Howard (1894) may be discounted because the figures in Ashmead ( 1893) are often inaccurate in details. It is reasonable therefore to regard the syntype series of G. sexpunctatus as the same as that of G. bipunctatus . The original description of G. bipunctatus was based on two females and two males, of which a pair was found in the BMNH. The same specimen is designated lectotype for both G. sexpunctatus Ashmead, 1893 and G. bipunctatus Ashmead in Riley, Ashmead & Howard, 1894 q.v. to ensure objective synonymy. The lectotype is glued to a micropin and is entire. G. sexpunctatus belongs in the genus Coptera . Coptera sexpunctata Montilla & García, 2008 is now a secondary junior homonym and the new replacement name Coptera pijiguaorum Notton, Montilla & García nom. nov. is proposed. Pijiguaorum is the genitive plural of a Latinized form of the name of the Pijiguaos people of Venezuala.