Phrenapates erratus Rincon, Lumen & Kamiński, 2025

Phrenapates erratus Rincon, Lumen & Kamiński nom. nov.

Figs 2D View Fig , 3C View Fig , 6 View Fig , 10C View Fig , 14 View Fig

Phrenapates latreillei Gebien, 1910: 504 [junior primary homonym of Phrenapates latreillei Lacordaire, 1859: 315 ].

Diagnosis

For separation of Phrenapates erratus Rincon, Lumen & Kamiński nom. nov. from larger species and from P. latreillei see the diagnoses for P. latreillei and P. educator , respectively. Morphologically, P. erratus can be difficult to differentiate from P. educator . Phrenapates erratus is best separated from P. educator in the weak carinate bump near the attachment point of mandible, P. educator has a distinct carina in the proximal end. The dorsal depression on mandible is rugose and has setae in P. erratus while in P. educator the dorsal depression is deeply punctate and does not have setae. The mentum, though variable, tends to be arcuate in P. erratus while it is sinuate in P. educator .

Etymology

Named in reference to remedying or editing previously authored taxon names.

Type material

Lectotype (designated here)

UNKNOWN LOCATION • ♂; (green label) “ Nov. Granada // Phrenapates / Latreillei / Geb // (red label) Type / No. 166 // Sammlung / H Gebien // (blue label) Tenebrionid Base / Aaron D. Smith / Catalog # 23168”; Teneb_base 23168; NHMB.

Redescription

MEASUREMENTS. Length 23 mm, width 8 mm (n = 1).

HEAD. Medial edge of mandibles without tooth, inner margin without crenulation. Galea with cluster of bristles situated toward apex. Mentum strongly sculptured, apex with medial notch; lateral apices produced. Clypeal apex dilated. Supraorbital tubercles absent. Clypeal horn bent weakly downward (in lateral view); ending bluntly at tip.

Status

Gebien’s first treatment (1910) of Phrenapates presents P. latreillei as a new species in preparation for a subsequent treatment. In 1911, Gebien attempted to stabilize the nomenclature by officially introducing the name Phrenapates latreillei for specimens available to him that were, in his opinion, fitting the species concept. Gebien’s (1910, 1911) treatments appear to be based on the presumption that “in litt.” attributions to Dejean (i.e. Gebien 1911, Gemminger and Harold 1870) and Lacordaire’s (1859) species description were invalid. His initial description was based on more than a single specimen (inferred from size range provided) from New Granada ( Gebien 1910); however, in 1911 when providing a more detailed redescription of this species, he stated that only a single specimen was available to him, which is here designated as the lectotype to stabilize the concept of the species (see label data above). Furthermore, in the same paper, Gebien (1911) also attributed this species to Dejean (“in litt.”), introducing organizational chaos in the nomenclature. Reevaluation of the literature has revealed that Lacordaire’s (1859) description of Phrenapates latreillei does, in fact, meet the requirements of the ICZN (1999) and should be treated as valid. As such, Gebien’s Phrenapates latreillei should be treated as a junior primary homonym of Lacordaire’s (1859) name. A replacement name, Phrenapates erratus Rincon, Lumen & Kamiński nom. nov., is hereby introduced for Phrenapates latreillei Gebien, 1910 .

Finally, verification of historical type material shows that Gebien’s (1910) concept of P. latreillei does not match the concept presented by Lacordaire (1859). As such, P. erratus Rincon, Lumen & Kamiński nom. nov. is hereby treated as a separate species. The investigation conducted here supports a close relation between this species and Phrenapates educator ; however, P. erratus remains diagnosable via the weak carina near the proximal end of the mandible and the rugosity of the mandible and the presence of setae. More material is needed to fully test the status of Phrenapates erratus . Finally, we designate a specimen identified as P. latreillei by Gebien in NHMB as the lectotype for Phrenapates erratus (see Type Material of P. erratus above).

Distribution

South America: the label information cannot be georeferenced as it refers to a large geographic region ( New Granada), which includes areas of Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.