Scopaeus decipiens Kraatz, 1859

Scopaeus decipiens Kraatz View in CoL

( Figs 9 View FIGURES 6–9 –11, 27–29, 58)

Scopaeus decipiens Kraatz, 1859: 131 View in CoL ; synonymized with S. velutinus Motschulsky, 1858 View in CoL by Fauvel (1904: 53); here revalidated.

Type specimens: Lectotype ♂, Sri Lanka ( SDEI); labelled “Ceylon” (printed), “decipiens Krtz. ” (handwritten), “ Syntypus ” (printed, red label), “Coll. Kraatz” (printed), “coll. DEI / Eberswalde”, “velutinus Mot. / ( = decipiens Kr. )” (handwritten), “ Lectotype / Scopaeus decipiens / Kraatz, 1859 / des. J. Frisch, 2025”; here designated. Paralectotypes ( 3 ♂, 3 ♀), same labels as lectotype (except for handwritten identification labels), and “ Paralectotype / Scopaeus decipiens / Kraatz, 1859 / des. J. Frisch, 2025”. Two female paralectotypes do not represent S. decipiens but an unidentified species of the S. limbatus species group and are labeled accordingly.

In the original description of Scopaeus decipiens, Kraatz (1859: 131) neither stated the number of underlying specimens nor did he designate a holotype by original designation ( ICZN 1999: Article 73.1.1.). In the Kraatz collection at SDEI (see Horn et al. 1990: 213) there is a series of seven specimens from Sri Lanka, which are labeled as syntypes of S. decipiens . This series is, however, not conspecific. Four males and one female agree with the characters of S. decipiens as described by Kraatz (1859: 131), but two females represent an unidentified species of the S. limbatus species group (see Frisch 2005). In order to stabilize the name S. decipiens Kraatz, 1859 according to ICZN 1999, Article 74.1, I herewith designate as the lectotype a male specimen that matches the original description as regards the characteristic shape of abdominal sternite VII of S. decipiens , and because it is the only one of the syntype series that bears a historical, handwritten identification label “decipiens Krtz. ”. This label does not perfectly match the examples of Kraatz′ handwritten labels in Horn et al. (1990: 482), but the characteristic abbreviation “Krtz” indicates that it is authentic.

New records: Sri Lanka: Galle: Kanneliya Forest , 13.–16.VIII.1972, 16.I.1975, leg. Krombein & Karunaratne ( FMNH, MFNB) ; Kanneliya Forest 11 mls E Udugama, 12.X.1973, leg. Krombein, Karunaratne, Fernando & Ferdinando ( FMNH) . North-Central: Polonnaruwa [Polonnaruioa], Lake Parakrama Samudraya ( 7°55′N, 81°00′E), 13.I.1983, leg. Dagby ( NHML) GoogleMaps . Sabaragamuwa: 21 mls N Ratnapura: Kitulgala , 17.III.1962, leg. Brinck, Andersson, Cederholm ( MZLU) .

Redescription: Male: Abdominal sternite VII (Fig. 10) with black, lateral combs of posterior emargination occupying about 0.4 of maximum sternite length, slighly, convexly curved laterad at outermost, distal end; corona of black setae surrounding posterior emargination well developed.

Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 11) with medially divided field of black macrosetae short, occupying only median third of sternite length.

Aedeagus with apical lobes each extended into ventrolaterad pointing tooth ( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 27–32 ); subapical teeth truncate and somewhat bent laterad ( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 27–32 ), in dorsal view not projecting from apical lobes laterally ( Figs 28, 29 View FIGURES 27–32 ); membranous lobes somewhat projecting; ventroproximal ends of apical lobes convexly emarginate ( Fig. 27 View FIGURES 27–32 ). Ventral lobe of aedeagus barely protruding ventrally, in lateral view without pointed apical end ( Fig. 27 View FIGURES 27–32 ), in ventral view with median emargination of distal margin relatively wide with obtuse end ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 27–32 ). Length of aedeagus: 0.53–0.56 mm.

Female: Bursa in lateral view with dorsally widened, round proximal end, in ventral view narrow and parallel ( Fig. 58 View FIGURES 54–61 ).

Distribution: Scopaeus decipiens is known from Sri Lanka only (Fig. 62).

Remarks: Scopaeus decipiens had erroneously been synonymized with S. velutinus Motschulsky, 1858 by Fauvel (1904: 53). Subsequent use of the name S. decipiens as a valid species is found in a species list in Blackwelder (1939: 105) and in Bernhauer (1922b: 149), who erroneously recorded the species from Cambodia, where S. decipiens is replaced by the closely related S. kritschi spec. nov, which is described below.

FIGURES 10–26. Male abdominal sternite VII (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) and male abdominal sternite VIII (11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26) of Scopaeus decipiens , lectotype, Sri Lanka (10, 11); S. complex , lectotype, Japan (12, 13); S. complex , China, Zhejiang, Siming Mts (14, 15); S. complex , Taiwan, Kaohsiung (16, 17); S. complex , Vietnam, Cuc Phuong, Ninh Binh (18, 19); S. saaberae , paratype, Indonesia, Borneo, Pagate (20, 21); S. kritschi , holotype, Cambodia, Angkor (22, 23); S. kritschi , paratype, Laos, Khammouane, Nakai (24, 25); S. velutinus , lectotype, „ India Orientales“ (26).