Nomenclatural changes removing secondary homonymy in the genus Oxytelus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

Abstract: Some nomenclatural issues are resolved in the genus Oxytelus Gravenhorst, 1802, into which the genera Anisopsidius Gravenhorst, 1802, Anisopsis Gravenhorst, 1802, Hoplitodes Gravenhorst, 1802 and Paroxytelopsis Gravenhorst, 1802 were moved by Makranczy (2006). All affected taxa are listed, and the resulting taxonomic issues are discussed. New names are provided for three junior secondary homonyms: Oxytelus hermani nom. nov. for Anisopsis longicornis Cameron, 1928, O. machadoanus nom. nov. for Paranisopsis machadoi Fagel, 1960, and O. renominatus nom. nov. for Paranisopsis confusa Fagel, 1960. Paranisopsis congoensis Fagel, 1960 also became a junior secondary homonym by the above generic synonymy, but it is here tentatively placed in synonymy with Oxytelus guineensis (Bernhauer, 1932). A gender change of the genus name requires adjustment in the species name endings of 10 taxa, and the following new combinations are proposed: Oxytelus angolensis (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. cameroni (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. carinatus (Fauvel, 1904) comb. nov., O. dorylinus (Cameron, 1933) comb. nov., O. eichelbaumi (Bernhauer, 1927) comb. nov., O. flexuosus (Fauvel, 1904) comb. nov., O. guineensis (Bernhauer, 1932) comb. nov., O. incertus (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. leleupi (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. luteus (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. minimus (Bernhauer, 1927) comb. nov., O. motoensis (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. myrmecophilus (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. nigeriensis (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. ornatus (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. quadricollis (Bernhauer, 1932) comb. nov., O. rugulipennis (Bernhauer, 1934) comb. nov., O. sculptiventris (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. strictus (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. tottenhami (Fagel, 1960) comb. nov., O. tuberculatus (Cameron, 1938) comb. nov., and O. uelensis (Bernhauer, 1927) comb. nov. Two records published after Fagel’s (1960) revision were checked and found to be misidentifications. For all species the available illustrations of diagnostic characters are enumerated and their distributions are summarized. New records are provided for 13 species, originating from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Key words: Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae, homonymy, new names, Afrotropical Region