Nomenclatural notes on some Palaearctic Gyrinidae (Coleoptera)

Abstract: Several names of Gyrinidae taxa have been found in the literature which are given with incorrect publishing dates. The correct data could be assigned to these taxa by specifying the true publishing dates mainly of five important works: Aubé’s ‘Species général’ is dated September 29, 1838, and the third part of his ‘Iconographie’ December 31, 1838; Hatch’s ‘Phylogeny of Gyrinidae’ is dated 1926 instead of 1925; Modeer’s work on Gyrinidae is dated 1780 instead of 1776; Ochs’ works on Dineutini are dated again 1926 instead of 1927. Incorrectly cited publishing data of a few further works are also rectified. Nomenclatural notes on several names in the family Gyrinidae are provided. These are on generic level Potamobius Stephens, 1829b, and Potamobius Hope, 1838, which are both junior subjective synonyms of Orectochilus Dejean, 1833 as well as junior primary homonyms of Potamobius Samouelle, 1819 (Decapoda), and thus they are permanently invalid. Five specific names were found to be junior primary homonyms. One of them, Gyrinus orientalis Régimbart, 1883 is replaced by Gyrinus mauricei nom. nov. Three names are not only junior homonyms, but also junior subjective synonyms, and thus no replacement name is currently needed: Gyrinus striatus Olivier, 1795, Gyrinus urinator Drapiez, 1819, and Gyrinus lineatus Lacordaire, 1835. Gyrinus oblongus Boisduval, 1835 is another junior primary homonym, but this name is conserved by application of Articles 23.9.1 and 23.9.2 of the ICZN (1999). The lectotype of Dytiscus natator Linnaeus, 1758 (currently in Gyrinus Geoffroy, 1762) is designated as the neotype of Gyrinus pygolampis Modeer, 1780 for stabilising the nomenclature; Gyrinus pygolampis thus becomes a junior objective synonym of G. natator. Miscellaneous notes are provided on Gyrinus brinki Ali & Jasim, 1989, G. curtus Régimbart, 1883, G. strigosus Ghiliani, 1887, G. thurtharus Ali & Jasim, 1989, G. violaaquatica Modeer, 1780, G. viridimaculatus Atkinson 1891, and Orectochilus villosus seidlitzi Jacobson, 1908. Additionally, some infrasubspecific names are shortly dealt with.

Key words: Coleoptera, Gyrinidae, nomenclature, homonymy, synonymy, doubt­ful name, new replacement name, neotype designation, first reviser action, date of publication