Table Of ContentBulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006 17
Case 3331
Cambalida coriacea Simon, 1909 (Arachnida, Araneae): proposed
conservation of the specific name by the suppression of Castianeira
fulvipes Simon, 1896
Charles R. Haddad
Department ofZoology & Entomology, University ofthe Free State,
P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
(e-mail: [email protected])
Abstract. The purpose of the application, under Article 23.9.3 of the Code, is to
conserve the specific name of Cambalida coriacea Simon, 1909 for a species ofspider
from Africa. The name is threatened by the discovery that the type specimen of
Cambalida coriacea is the same species as that of Castianeirafulvipes Simon, 1896.
The senior synonym has not been used for the taxon since it was estabhshed and its
proposed suppression would maintain nomenclatural stability.
Keywords. Nomenclature; taxonomy; clubionidae; micariinae; corinnidae;
Cambalida; Cambalida coriacea; Afrotropical Region; spiders.
1. Simon (1909, p. 369) established the nominal genus Cambalida with the type
species Cambalida insulana Simon, 1909 (p. 369) (clubionidae. micariinaE) from
Annobon Island, west ofGabon. Two additional species were described in the genus
Cambalida in the same paper, C fulvipes (p. 369) from Bolama, Portuguese Guinea
(Guinee Bissau) and C. coriacea (p. 370) from Freetown, Sierra Leone. One species
in particular, C coriacea, is widespread throughout the Afrotropical Region and is
associated with a wide diversity of habitats including forests, woodlands, savanna,
grassland and fynbos, as well as agroecosystems.
2. Thecorinnidae remains oneofthemostpoorly-studied families ofspiders in the
Afrotropical Region (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Jocque, 1997; Haddad, 2004) and
many species have been referred to only in their original descriptions (see Platnick,
2004). Cambalidaisnoexceptionto thispaucity oftaxonomicresearch, with only one
reference to C. coriacea having been published since the original description
(Bosselaers & Jocque, 2000). The nominal genus Cambalida was included in the
family liocranidae following Lehtinen's (1967, pp. 290-292) revision ofthe status of
the clubionid subfamily liocraninae to family rank. Brignoli (1983) then transferred
Cambalida from the clubionidae (p. 547) to the gnaphosidae (micariinae incertae
sedis), but underthis family-group placement (p. 582) he added a note on Cambalida:
'uncertain position according to Reiskind, 1969: 196'. Platnick (1989, p. 433; 1993,
p. 600; 1997, p. 695) followed Lehtinen's placement and listed Cambalida under the
family liocranidae. Recendy, Dippenaar-Schoeman & Jocque (1997, p. 128) listed
Cambalida under the corinnidae (CASTianeirinae) without formally transferring the
genus from the liocranidae, an action which was undertaken soon afterwards by
&
Bosselaers Jocque (2000, p. 315). This was supported by a cladistic analysis
18 Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006
undertaken by Bosselaers & Jocque (2002, p. 264), who found Cambalida to be one
of the most closely related genera to the castianeirine type genus Castianeira
Keyserling, 1879.
3. During a revision of the genus in southern and central Africa it has been
discovered that the holotype of Castianeirafulvipes Simon, 1896 (p. 406), described
C
from Pretoria, South Africa, agrees with that of Cambalida coriacea, rendering
fulvipes a senior synonym. However, this species should in fact be placed in
Cambalidaandnot Castianeira. Allspeciesinthegenus Cambalidahaveexceptionally
large eyes forcastianeirines and allmales appearto have diagnostic setae at the distal
end ofthe cymbium, which are arranged in two or three columns ofthree setae each.
Castianeira depygata Strand, 1916 (p. 91) and Castianeira mestrali Lessert, 1921
(p. 424) are alsojunior synonyms ofthis species. Synonymy ofthese nominal species
would give the name Cambalida fulvipes (Simon, 1896) priority over Cambalida
fulvipes Simon, 1909, which is in current use as the valid name for another taxon.
Confusion would result from the use of C. fulvipes (Simon, 1896) for the taxon
currently known as C coriacea. The name C. fulvipes Simon, 1909 would therefore
be invalid as ajunior secondary homonym.
4. The conditions of Article 23.9.1.1 have been met in this case (that the senior
synonym has not been used as a valid name since 1899). However, the conditions of
Article 23.9.1.2 (that thejunior synonym orhomonymhas been used foraparticular
taxon, as its presumed valid name, in at least 25 works, published by at least 10
authors in the immediately preceding 50 years) have not been met. The latter is a
consequence of the limited study of this family in the Afrotropical Region. It is
proposed that the name Castianeirafulvipes Simon, 1896 be suppressed to prevent
confusion. The name C coriacea would thereby be conserved.
5. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is accordingly
asked:
(1) to use its plenary power to suppress the name fulvipes Simon, 1896, as
published in the binomen Castianeirafidvipes, forthe purposes ofthe Principle
of Priority but not for those ofthe Principle of Homonymy;
(2) to place on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology the name coriacea
Simon, 1909, as published in the binomen Cambalida coriacea;
(3) to place on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Specific Names in
Zoology the name fulvipes Simon, 1896, as published in the binomen Cas-
tianeirafulvipes and as suppressed in (1) above.
References
Bosselaers,J.&Jocque,R.2000. StudiesinCorinnidae: transferoffourgeneraanddescription
ofthe female ofLessertina mutica Lawrence 1942. Tropical Zoology, 13: 305-325.
Bosselaers, J. & Jocque, R. 2002. Studies in Corinnidae: cladistic analysis of38 corinnid and
liocranid genera, and transfer ofPhrurolithinae. Zoologica Scripta, 31: 241-270.
Brignoli, P.M. 1983. A catalogue ofthe Araneae described between 1940 and 1981. 755 pp.
Manchester University Press, Manchester.
Dippenaar-Schoeman,A.S.&Jocque,R. 1997. Africanspiders:anidentificationmanual. 392pp.
Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 9, Agricultural Research Council,
Pretoria.
Haddad, C.R. 2004. A revision ofthe African spider genus Graptartia Simon, 1896 (Araneae:
Corinnidae). African Entomology, 12: 71-81.
Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 63(1) March 2006 19
Lehtinen, P.T. 1967. Classification ofthecribellatespidersandsomeallied families, with notes
on the evolution ofthe suborder Araneomorpha. Annates ZoologiciFennici, 4: 199^68.
Lessert, R. de. 1921. Araignees du Kilimandjaro et du Merou (suite). 4. Clubionidae. Revue
Suisse de'Zoologie, 28: 381^42.
Platnick, N.I. 1989. Advances in Spider Taxonomy 1981-1987: A Supplement to Brignoli's 'A
Catalogue of the Araneae described between 1940 and 1981'. 673 pp. Manchester
University Press, Manchester.
Platnick, N.I. 1993. Advances in spider taxonomy 1988-1991, with synonymies and transfers
1940-1980. 846 pp. New York Entomological Society, New York.
Platnick,N.I. 1997. Advancesinspidertaxonomy 1992-1995withredescriptions 1940-1980. 976
pp. New York Entomological Society, New York.
Platnick, N.I. 2004. The World Spider Catalog, version 5.0. American Museum of Natural
History, online at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/index.html
Simon, E. 1896. Descriptions d"arachnidesnouveauxdelafamilledes Clubionidae. Annatesde
la Societe entomologique de Betgique, 40: 400^22.
Simon,E. 1909. ArachnidesrecueillisparL. Feasurlacoteoccidentald'Afrique. 2emepartie.
Annati del Museo Civico di Storiu Naturale Genova, 44: 335^49.
Strand, E. 1916. Zentralafrikanische Clubioniden. In Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der
Deutschen Zentral Afrika Expedition 1907-1908, unter Fiihrung Adolf Friedrichs,
Herzogs zu Mecklenberg. Archivfiir Naturgeschichte, 81(A11): 79-98.
Acknowledgement ofreceipt ofthis application was published in BZN 61: 210.
Comments on this case are invited for publication (subject to editing) in the Buttetin; they
should be sent to the Executive Secretary, I.C.Z.N., Natural History Museum, Cromwell
Road, London SW7 5BD, U.K. (e-mail: [email protected]).
