Replacement name for a homonym in Hypoaspis Canestrini (Acari: Laelapidae)

Abstract

Hypoaspis oryctes nom. nov. Hypoaspis elegans Joharchi, Ostovan & Babaeian, 2014: 570.Hypoaspis sp. — Damghani, 2001: 59.Hypoaspis elegans — Nemati et al., 2018: 143; Joharchi & Halliday, 2020: 27.not Hypoaspis (Leptolaelaps) elegans Berlese, 1918: 123.not Hypoaspis (Haemolaelaps) elegans — Lombardini, 1936: 42.not Leptolaelaps elegans — Evans, 1957: 46.not Leptolaelaps elegans — Ryke, 1963: 8.not Hypoaspis (Stratiolaelaps) elegans — Bernhard, 1971: 4.  Joharchi et al. (2014) described a new species of laelapid mite of the genus Hypoaspis (Hypoaspis) (= Hypoaspis sensu stricto), named Hypoaspis elegans Joharchi, Ostovan & Babaeian. A different species of genus Hypoaspis sensu lato had already been named Hypoaspis (Leptolaelaps) elegans Berlese, 1918. Hypoaspis elegans Joharchi, Ostovan & Babaeian is a junior homonym of Hypoaspis (Leptolaelaps) elegans Berlese, and is an invalid name according to Article 57 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999). For this reason, I propose Hypoaspis oryctes nom. nov. as a replacement name for Hypoaspis elegans Joharchi, Ostovan & Babaeian, 2014. The new specific name, H. oryctes, is taken from its host beetle, Oryctes elegans Prell. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). I am grateful to Dr. Bruce Halliday (CSIRO, Canberra, Australia) who brought this homonym to my attention.