Mayfly types and additional material (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) examined by F.-J. Pictet and A.-E. Pictet, housed in the Museums of Natural History of Geneva and Vienna

Michel Sartori,Ernst Bauernfeind

doi:10.35929/rsz.0022

Abstract

Here we revise the entire Ephemeroptera collection of F.-J. Pictet deposited in the Natural History Museum of Geneva (MHNG) and voucher specimens housed in the Natural History Museum of Vienna (NMW). Due to several unforeseen turns of events, the MHNG collection was already in bad condition at the end of the 19th century. However, the specimens sent by V. Kollar to F.-J. Pictet, and used by the latter for his monograph (1843-1845), have been well curated after their return to the NMW and allow an important nomenclatural change. The species Baetis forcipulaF.-J. Pictet, 1843 is now considered a junior subjective synonym of Ephemera venosaFabricius, 1775, currently Ecdyonurus (Ecdyonurus) venosus (Fabricius, 1775). The specimens described by Thomas in 1968b from southwestern France under the name Ecdyonurus forcipula (F.-J. Pictet, 1843) belong to a new species, Ecdyonurus alaini Bauernfeind sp. nov., which is described herein. Mayfly specimens described by F.-J. Pictet's son, A.-E. Pictet, are also reviewed. Furthermore, information is provided on some other valuable specimens housed in the MHNG and NMW, such as Ametropus fragilisAlbarda, 1878 which was already collected in Italy in the 19th century, or Rhithrogena cinctaNavás, 1921 from the Spanish Pyrenees, which is the second specimen currently known of this species.

Highlights

The book “Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des Insectes Névroptères
Pictet’s handwriting] / Rhithrogena semitincta (Pictet) deposited in the Natural History Museum of Geneva (MHNG) and voucher specimens housed in the Natural History Museum of Vienna (NMW)
Information is provided on some other valuable specimens housed in the MHNG and NMW, such as Ametropus fragilis Albarda, 1878 which was already collected in Italy in the 19th century, or Rhithrogena cincta Navás, 1921 from the Spanish Pyrenees, which is the second specimen currently known of this species

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The book “Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des Insectes Névroptères. Famille des Ephémérines” written by F.-J. Pictet (text volume published in 1843, plates volume in 1845) is considered the first modern synthesis of this insect order (Peters et al, 1980) It followed two other monographs published by the same author in 1834 on Trichoptera and in 1841-1842 on Plecoptera. Pictet gives an account of the morphology of these insects, the characters to be used for their identification and mentions all species known at that time. Pictet acknowledged Kollar’s contribution by giving these new species the names Kollar had proposed. These names are followed in the monograph by the letters “Kollar. He published a monograph (A.-E. Pictet, 1865) in which he described, among other neuropteroid insects, two species of Ephemeroptera

The Pictet Collection in the Natural History Museum of Geneva

OTHER MAYFLY TAXA DESCRIBED FROM SPECIMENS OF THE PICTET COLLECTION

Findings

OTHER VALUABLE MAYFLY SPECIMENS HOUSED IN NMW AND MHNG