Type Locality of Paragymnopleurus singularis (Waterhouse, 1875) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract

The type locality (Korea) of the dung beetle Paragymnopleurus singularis (Waterhouse, 1890) (Gymnopleurini, Scarabaeidae, Coleoptera) has been questioned. For example, Génier (2003) synonymized P. singularis with P. maurus (Sharp, 1875) and considered P. maurus to be endemic to Borneo. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of P. singularis in Korea and to infer its actual type locality by reviewing available literature. Several faunistic studies have documented P. singularis in Korea, albeit without specimen confirmation. However, the species has not been collected in Korea since its original description. The voyage log of E. Belcher, who captained the H.M.S. Samarang from 1843 to 1846, suggests that the P. singularis type specimens were collected from Sarawak, Borneo, and mislabeled as specimens from Korea. Therefore, the actual type locality of P. singularis is likely Sarawak in Borneo, and Gymnopleurus mopsus (Pallas, 1781) is the only member of the tribe Gymnopleurini that actually occurs in Korea.