Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877

(Figs. 1–7)

Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877: 97

Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960: 56 new synonymy Type locality. Natal (South Africa)

Seven syntypes (4♂♂, 3♀♀) are present in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt- Universität. Catharsius pandion belongs to a complex of closely related species and in order to provide a primary type with the most diagnostic characters a large male is selected from the syntypic series as lectotype (present designation). This species bears the following labels (Fig. 5): [Natal] blue card; [Type] red card; [Hist.-Coll. (Coleoptera)/Nr. 9358/ Catharsius / Pandion Harold / Pr. Natal Pöppig/ Zool. Mus. Berlin] blue card; [SYNTYPUS / Catharsius / pandion Harold, 1877 / labelled by MNHUB 2014] red card; [LECTOTYPE ♂/ Catharsius / pandion / Harold, 1877 / dés. F. Génier, 2014] red card.

The remaining 3♂♂, 3♀♀ have the same data and are designated as paralectotypes.

Remark. The male lectotype has been dissected and the aedeagus extracted (Figs. 6–7). Following the examination of Harold’s type specimens, we suspected that the species Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960 would be a junior subjective synonym of C. pandion. We tried to locate the holotype of C. mossambicanus for comparison but it was not in the Museu de História Natural (formerly Museu Dr. Alvaro de Castro) in Maputo (Mozambique) where the original description states it was deposited. Ferreira’s description is based on two male specimens. It was possible to locate a paratype, which was deposited in the National Museum in Bloemfontein. Subsequently, in material sent from the Ditsong Museum, another specimen also labeled as a paratype was found. This second specimen is a well-developed male whose label data match that of the holotype as stated in the original description. Evidence now suggests that the second specimen labelled as a paratype and deposited in the Ditsong Museum is actually the holotype. This second specimen, was dissected and matches perfectly the lectotype of Catharsius pandion. The other specimen, the actual paratype, is small and very teneral. The male holotype illustration provided by Ferreira also matches well developed males of C. pandion. We therefore establish the following synonymy: Catharsius pandion Harold, 1877 = Catharsius mossambicanus Ferreira, 1960, new synonymy.

Interestingly, this synonymy is leaving undescribed the species C. pandion sensu Ferreira (nec Harold). This taxon will be described along with a second species of the pandion complex in a forthcoming publication.