Photinus davisae Keller, new replacement name for Photinus semiluteus Pic, 1940 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Abstract

While working on a bibliography of fireflies, I came across the species Photinus semiluteus Pic, 1939 in McDermott’s (1966) catalog of the family Lampyridae. Under this species is a second citation to a new species description of the same name (Pic 1940). After comparing both descriptions, it seems clear that Pic observed two different specimens and species with different characters but assigned both the name P. semiluteus. The 1939 description states the thorax has a black midline and two red spots, while the 1940 description says the thorax is yellow with a red center and three black dots. Pic (1939) also states the size as 9 mm, while it is only 8 mm in the second description (Pic 1940). After comparison of the descriptions, I conclude Pic described two different species. Thus, P. semiluteus Pic, 1940 is a primary homonym requiring a new name (ICZN 1999, Articles 23.3.5 and 60.3). Here, I propose Photinus davisae Keller, nomen novum, to replace P. semiluteus Pic, 1940. Etymology. The species is named for Melanie Davis, the Interlibrary Loan coordinator at the University of Florida. Ms. Davis was instrumental in my attempts to gather a comprehensive bibliography of the family Lampyridae and processed many obscure literature requests over the past seven years. Ms. Davis is retiring at the end of August 2021, and this is my way to say thank you. Distribution. Pic (1940) states the type location as “B.-Ayres”, Argentina. Ideally, the holotypes for each species would have been observed, but due to COVID-19 and the recently established policy by the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris not to loan primary types anymore this was not feasible at this time. Pic’s type specimens are also difficult to locate due to the lack of type labels for many species he described.