Ganelius madagascariensis

Ganelius madagascariensis (Laporte)

Eudora madagascariensis Laporte 1840: 175 (original combination).

Type material. Lectotype male of Eudora madagascariensis (Fig. 1), MNHN, here designated, labeled (Fig. 3): a) handwritten, “54–40 / Madagascar ”; b) on underside of blue circular label, “54 | 40”; c) handwritten, “ Nigidius / madagascariensis / Laporte”; d) “Museum Paris / Madagascar”; e) on red paper “TYPE SBL 14”; f) on red paper “ Eudora / madagascariensis ♂ / Laporte, 1840 / LECTOTYPE / des. M.J. Paulsen 2017”; g) “ Ganelius / madagascariensis / (Laporte, 1840) / det. M.J. Paulsen 2017”. Paralectotype female, MNHN, labeled: a) on underside of blue circular label, “54 | 40”; b) handwritten, “ Nigidius / madagascarien / -sis Laporte / Madagascar ”; c) on yellow paper “ Eudora / madagascariensis ♀ / Laporte, 1840 / PARALECTOTYPE / des. M.J. Paulsen 2017”; d) “ Ganelius / madagascariensis / (Laporte, 1840) / det. M.J. Paulsen 2017”.

Non-type material (Fig. 33). MADAGASCAR: ANTSIRANANA: Antisiranana [Diego Suarez] (11♂, 18♀; CASC, IRSNB, MNHN); Forêt d’Antsahabe (2♂, 1♀; CASC, MJPC). Mt. D’Ambre (8♂, 8♀; FMNH, LBC, MNHN, NHM, ZMHB); Reserve l’Ankarana (2 ♂, 1 ♀; CASC, MNHN). FIANARANTSOA: Ambositra (1♀, MNHN); Ivohibe (1♀, MNHN); Mananjary (1♂, 2♀, IRNSB, NHM); Midongy (1♂, MNHN). TOAMASINA: Alahakato Forest / Tamatave (1♂, 1♀; MNHN); Ambodisaina (1♂, MNHN); Fampanambo (1♂, 1♀; MNHN); Fenerive (2♀, MNHN); Rogez (1 ♂, MHNG); Antanambe /S. of Baie Antongil (6♂, 8♀; CASC, FMNH, LBC, MNHN, ZMHB); Lake Alaotra / Antsianaka (1♂, 1♀; MNHN); Maroantsetra / Ambodivoangy (1♂, 3♀; NHM, MNHN); Ste. Marie de Madagascar (1♀, MNHN). TOLIARA: Cape Andrahomana (1♂, MNHN); 20 km N of Fort Dauphin [Taolagnaro] (1♀, MNHN).

Diagnosis. The male mandibles have an acute basal tooth on the dorsal ramus that is near the median denticle (Fig. 1, 26), and this tooth remains subacute in smaller specimens. In males of G. oberndorferi, the homologous tooth is poorly developed and obtuse (Fig. 5, 27). Females (Fig. 2) are difficult to distinguish from those of G. oberndorferi, but the ocular canthus of female G. madagascariensis (Fig. 28) is straight to weakly concave, while that of G. oberndorferi is distinctly concave, and the suprantennal tubercle is less elevated in G. madagascariensis. The male genitalia possess a flagellum that is much longer than the insect itself (Fig. 4).

Remarks. Laporte (1840) described this species from an unknown number of specimens. Two specimens from MNHN, a male and female of nearly identical size, bear labels corresponding to the accession log entry for “Séries 1854-40”, which translates to 60 insect specimens from Madagascar bought from Mr. Deyrolle for 339 francs. The lectotype male chosen bears a type label added by S. Boucher (MNHN, pers. comm.) who selected it as certainly having been studied by Laporte while in the Deyrolle collection before accession. The other specimen is a female that bears similar labels and therefore must be treated as a paralectotype. The lectotype lacks specific locality data, however it is indistinguishable from males from the locality of Ambodivoangy and others around Antongil Bay. Although somewhat variable in mandibular form, additional specimens from farther south along the entire eastern side of the island cannot be separated from G. madagascariensis.

Two female specimens of G. madagascariensis are imaged and listed as ‘types’ on the website of IRSNB. I have examined the two specimens, which appear to be more recent Oberthür specimens and determined that they are not part of the type series. They are not labeled as types.