Opusc. zool. jliimin. 158(1997): 1-5 25 November 1997

FORGOTTEN NAMES IN THE NOMENCLATUREOF EUROPEAN CALOPTERYX SPECIES

(ODONATA: CALOPTERYGIDAE)

M. HAMALAINEN

Department of Applied Zoology, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki,Finland

e-mail: matti,hamalainen@helsinki.fi

The status of the names [in the original form], Calepleryx inornataSelys, 1840, Calopleryx virgo var. occitanica Walker, 1853 andCaloptetyx splendens var. ancilla vat.fortuita Walker, 1853 is discus-sed. Inornata is ranked as a junior synonym of v. virgo (Linnaeus,1758). Occitanica Walker, 1853 as a senior synonym has priority overmeiidionalis Selys, 1873. Fonuita is ranked as an infrasubspecificname.

INTRODUCTION

In his contribution to the "Calopteryx versus Agrion" dilemmaSCHMIDT (1948) wrote "we should not seek to revive completelyforgotten things on the result of curious bibliographic researches intopapers often not to be found, and in consequence not be checked". Healso expressed the hope that no "kirbyus redivivus" might ever riseagain!

In spite of the above, I happened to come across two completelyforgotten taxonomical names related to Calopteryx virgo (Linnaeus,1758) and one associated with C. splendens ancilla Hagen in Selys,

Opusc. zool. Jliimin. 158(1997): 1-5

1853. One of these creates further confusion in the still continuingtaxonornic and nomenclatural instability of European Calopteryxdamselflies.

CALOPTERYX INORNATA SELYS, 1840

Around 1840, both T. de Charpentier and E. de Selys Longchampsconsidered the teneral brownish winged and mature bluish wingedCalopteryx virgo to represent two distinct species. CHARPENTIER(1840) described the former as a new species, Agrion vesta, andprovided colour illustrations of both sexes of vesta and virgo. AlsoSELYS LONGCHAMPS (1840a, p. 130; 1840b, p. 38-39) gave aspecific name, Calepteryx inornata, for the teneral specimens. After deSelys Longchamps had learned on de Charpentier's name, he wrote(SELYS LONGCHAMPS, 1843, p. 158) in the chapter on Calopteryxvesta as follows: "Mai. Ainsi que je le soupcpnnais en 1839, ceCalopteryx est distinct du C. virgo, cependant comme M. Toussaint deCharpentier a figure1 et decrit cette espece peu de temps apres, jerenonce volontiersau nom de C. inornata quej'avais propose1 eventuel-lement a cette epoque. II est moins re'pandu en Belgique que le C.virgo."

SELYS LONGCHAMPS (1846) put vesta in synonymy with virgo,but did not mention the name inornata in this connection. Neither wasit mentioned in his later publications. Hence, as far as I know, thename inornata fell into oblivion, and has not been mentioned in theliterature ever since 1843.

The available name inomata Selys, 1840 is a junior synonym of Calopteiyx v, virgo(Linnaeus, 1758).

NEW NAMES INTRODUCED BY WALKER (1853)

WALKER'S (1853) Catalogue appears to be rather seldom quotedin odonatological literature. Although the title of this part was"Odonata", it covers only the "Agrionidae", i.e. the calopterygoidfamilies. Much of its contents is a direct translation of the Selysian"Synopsis des calopterygines" (1853). In the beginning of his textWALKER (1853, p. 587) acknowledges Baron de Selys Longchamps

M. Hamalainen, European Caloptetyx nomenclature

"for nearly all the following descriptions, which are translated from theMSS. which he gave me". Walker's references to older publicationsare more complete than those presented in the Synopsis. Furthermore,in cases when specimens were available in the BM collections, theirprovenance is presented under each species.

Although the Selysian Synopsis and Walker's Catalogue were bothdated 1853, the former has date priority. Separate issues of "Synopsisdes calopterygines" are dated "29 juillet 1853" on the cover. As statedby COWLEY (1937) the separates, which were on sale to the public,qualify as a publication, although the actual journal issue "Annexe auxBulletins" was printed later, likely in 1854. Walker's Catalogue wasapparently printed in November or December 1853, since theintroduction by (J.E. Gray) was dated "November 15th, 1853".

Walker listed the name of the correct author for each genus,subgenus and species, but in the names of "varieties" of Calopteryxsplendens and C. virgo the author's name was lacking. In thesespecies, in cases where no name had been given by de Selys Long-champs or Hagen, Walker introduced two new "variety" names of hisown. These seem to have remained unnoticed by the later authors, andthey are lacking in all odonate world catalogues.

OCCITANICA WALKER, 1853

Like SELYS LONGCHAMPS (1853, p. 14), WALKER (1853, p.597) recognized three geographical races in Calopterex virgo, althoughthey were called "varieties". The nominotypical race was called var.typica, the Mediterranean race var. occitanica and the race fromGreece var. festiva [Brulle, 1832]. "Typica" in this connection shouldnot be considered as an available scientific name, but occitanica mustbe considered as the oldest available name for the taxon traditionallycalled meridionalis Selys, 1873.

As presented by MAIBACH (1987), meridionalis was used as anavailable name for the first time by SELYS LONGCHAMPS (1873,p. 509). In "Revue des odonates ou libellules d'Europe" (SELYSLONGCHAMPS & HAGEN, 1850, p. 138), in "Synopsis descalopterygines" (SELYS LONGCHAMPS, 1853, p. 14) and in"Monographic des calopterygines" (SELYS LONGCHAMPS &

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HAGEN, 1854, p. 44) this taxon was described under the heading"Race meiidionale", indicating its geographic range rather than ataxonomic name of the "race".

As confusing as it may be, occitanica Walker, 1853, as the olderavailable name, has priority over meridionalis Selys, 1873, whichtaxon is usually considered as a subspecies of C. virgo, but also as adistinct species by some authors. However, I am personally notrequesting to take the name occitanica into use. As a completelyunused senior synonym, its suppression could be proposed to theCommission (see Code 79), unless the forthcoming edition of theInternational Code of Zoological Nomenclature does not allow a lesscomplicated procedure.

FORTU1TA WALKER, 1853

Under "Race prussienne (C. ancilla, Hagen)" of Calopteryxsplendens, SELYS LONGCHAMPS (1853, p. 13) mentioned a femaleform as "Varie'te accidentelle a ailes opaques depuis le quadrilatere".WALKER (1853, p. 595) provided a name for this form, var.fortuita.Later this homeochrome female form has proven to be common incertain parts of the range of the widespread taxon C. splendens ancillaHagen in Selys, 1853. Fortuita Walker, 1853 is ranked as an infrasub-specific name without a status under the Code.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to BASTIAAN KIAUTA for help with some references and toSTEPHEN J. BROOKS for information on the printing dates.

REFERENCES

COWLEY, J., 1937. The pagination of the reprints of the Selysian monographs andsynopses of Odonata.,7. Soc. Biblphy not. Hist. 1(3): 73-81.

DE CHARPENTIER, T., 1840. Libellulinae europaeae descriptae ac depiclae. LeopoldVoss, Lipsiae.

MAIBACH, A., 1987. Revision syste'matique du genre Calopteryx Leach pour I'Europeoccidentale (Zygoptera: Calopterygidae). 3. Revision systematique, etudebibliographique, designation des types et cle" de determination. Odonalologica16(2): 145-174.

M. Hamalainen, European Calopteryx nomenclature

SCHMIDT, E., 1948. Calopteryx versus Agrion; again ? (Odonata). Ent. News 59:197-201.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, \840a.MonographiedesIibellutidees d'Europe. Roret,Paris.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, 1840b. Enumeration des libellulide'es de la Belgique.Bull. Acad. r. Belg, (I) 7(1): 31-42.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, 1843. Nouvelles additions aux libellulidees de laBelgique de 1840 a 1843. Bull. Acad. r. Belg. (I) 10(8): 149-162, 1 pi. excl.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, 1846. Revision of the British Libellulidae. Ann. Mag.not. Hist. 18: 217-227.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, 1853. Synopsis des calopteVygines. Bull. Acad. r.Belg. (I) 20 (Annexe): 1-73 [Reprint edition].

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de, 1873. Troisiemes additions au synopsis descalopte'rygines. Bull. Acad. r. Belg. (II) 35: 469-519.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de & H.A. HAGEN, 1850. Revue des odonates oulibellules d'Europe. Mem. Soc. r. Sci. Liege 4: 1-408, pis 1-11.

SELYS LONGCHAMPS, E. de & H.A. HAGEN, 1854. Monographic des caloplerygi-nes. Mem Soc. r. Sci. Liege 9: 1-191, pis 1-14.

WALKER, F., 1853. List of the specimens of neuropteroits insects in the collection ofthe British Museum. 4. Odonata. British Museum, London.

Received and accepted 11 November 1997