Syzeton ouachitanus Gompel 2022, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Gompel, Nicolas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Aderidae
Syzeton
Syzeton ouachitanus

description: Syzeton ouachitanus (Werner, 1990), comb. nov.
(Figures 1b, d; 2a, m; 3a; 4h; 5a)
Zonantes ouachitanus Werner, 1990: 226;
Holotype: Oklahoma: Latimer Co. (USNM) (Werner, 1990)
Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990: 227; Holotype: Mississippi, Hancock Co., Logtown (USNM) (Werner, 1990), syn. nov.
Status of Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990. I examined one of the two two females from Mississippi, on which Werner based his original description. This single ♀ paratype (Collection E. G. Riley), which I re-prepared, is very similar in its external morphology (outside of dimorphic characters), to most Syzeton ouachitanus (Werner, 1990) specimens that I have observed. In most specimens, notably, the elytra are pale brown, with a hardly visible transversal darkening in their posterior half (Figure 1a, not mentioned in the key because too subtle). Only some specimens of S. ouachitanus (Werner, 1990) have a more pronounced transversal midband on the elytra (Figure 1m). In addition, in this single ♀ paratype of Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990, the apex of the last visible tergum corresponds precisely to the description given by Werner (1990) for the females of S. ouachitanus (Werner, 1990), with 5–6 teeth. It is surprising that Werner gave no details on the last visible tergum for the two females of Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990 that he used for his original description. I therefore propose the following synonymy: Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990 = Syzeton ouachitanus (Werner, 1990), syn. nov.
Because the two taxa were described in the same paper, the question of priority arises. Leaning on ICZN Art. 24.2 (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999), I decided to maintain Syzeton ouachitanus (Werner, 1990) as the senior name for two reasons. First, its description precedes that of Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990 in Werner’s paper. Second. in the interest of nomenclature stability, as Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990 is described from only 2 females and much less information is available for this taxon.
Material examined. United States. Florida: Liberty County, Torreya State Park, (40 m) [30°33’ N 84°56’ W], 6.V.2007, M. C. Thomas leg. (1 ♂, NGPC); Sarasota County, Myakka River State Park, FFA/N. Plot, (10 m) [27°12’ N 82°14’ W], 2.XI.2000, funnel trap / turpentine trap, J. L. Foltz leg. (1 ♀, FSCA); Suwannee County, F-49 [30°14’ N 82°59’ W], 2.IX.1976, at river, black light trap, J. R. Wiley leg. (2 ♀♀, FSCA). Georgia: Clarke County, Athens, Whitehall Forest, (210 m) [33°53’ N 83°21’ W], 13.IX.1978, black light trap, R. Turnbow leg. (1 ♂, FSCA). Mississippi: Hancock County, I-10 rest area and Welcome Center, (5 m) [30°18’47” N 89°35’59” W], 17.VI.1982, E. G. Riley leg. (1 ♀ paratype of Zonantes mississippiensis Werner, 1990, ERPC). Oklahoma: Latimer County [34°50’ N 95°18’ W], UV,. VIII.1998, K. Stephan leg. (1 sp., TAMU). Texas: Brazos County, 5 km SW Wellborn, (80 m) [30°30’ N 96°20’ W], at lights, 22.VIII.2016, V. Belov leg. (1 ♂, NGPC); at lights, 12.IX.2016, V. Belov leg. (1 sp., VBPC); at lights, 9.IV.2017, V. Belov leg. (1 sp., VBPC); at lights, 16.IV.2017, V. Belov leg. (1 ♂, NGPC); at lights, 13.V.2017, V. Belov leg. (2 sp., VBPC); at lights, 20.VI.2017, V. Belov leg. (2 sp., VBPC); at lights, 22.VI.2020, V. Belov leg. (1 ♂, VBPC); at lights, 12.VII.2020, V. Belov leg. (1 ♀, NGPC); at lights, 19.VII.2020, V. Belov leg. (1 ♂, VBPC); at lights, 24.VIII.2020, V. Belov leg. (1 ♂, VBPC); San Patricio County, Welder Wildlife Refuge [28°07’ N 97°19’ W], at light, 25.VI.1981, J. C. Schaffner leg. (1 ♂, TAMU).
Distribution. United States: Texas to Florida, North to Oklahoma (extended from Werner (1990)).
description: Published as part of Gompel, Nicolas, 2022, The genus Syzeton Blackburn, 1891 (Coleoptera, Aderidae) in the United States of America, pp. 243-267 in Zootaxa 5162 (3) on pages 246-248, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5162.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/6810142