152 
Psyche 
[Vol. 89 
Herman (1964) has shown that the correct spelling of the genus of 
the sexton or burying beetles is Nicrophorus Fabricius, 1775, and 
not Necrophorus Thunberg, 1789 (see Madge, 1980). 
Type Specimens of Nominal Species 
Necrophorus lunatus LeConte 1853: 277. lectotype (here desig- 
nated), a male with a yellow disc and a red square label with white 
dorsal margin “Type 3144” and white label “N. sayi Lap/ lunatus 
Lee.,” and our designation label, in MCZ. The yellow circle in 
LeConte’s code is supposed to mean “Central Valley or Western 
States (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Western Tennessee, 
Kentucky, Iowa, and southern Great Lakes)”. However, the spe- 
cies localities were published by LeConte as New York and Geor- 
gia. The name is a junior synonym of Nicrophorus sayi Laporte, 
1840; and a junior homonym of Nicrophorus lunatus Fischer, 
1842, of Eurasia. Harold ( 1868) supplied Necrophorus luniger as a 
replacement name for Necrophorus lunatus LeConte. 
Necrophorus confossor LeConte 1854: 20. Described from a 
single specimen, the holotype: a male with a dark blue disc (indi- 
cating Oregon and Washington), and a red square label with 
white dorsal margin “Type 3146” and white label “N. confossor/ 
Cooper Lee.”, and white label “maratimus 4”, in MCZ. The pub- 
lished type locality is Prairie Paso, which is in Washington. The 
species is a synonym of Nicrophorus investigator Zetterstedt, 
1824. 
Necrophorus pollinctor LeConte 1854: 19. lectotype (here desig- 
nated) a male with dark blue disc (meaning Oregon and Washing- 
ton), red label with white dorsal margin “Type 3145”, white label 
“N. pollinctor/Cooper Lee.”, white label “vespilloides 9”, and our 
designation label, in MCZ. Accompanied by male paralectotype 
with blue disc, red label with white dorsal margin “Type/2/ 3145” 
and white label “vespilloides 10” and male paralectotype with blue 
disc and red label with white dorsal margin “Type/2/3145” and 
white label “vespilloides 1 1”, both in MCZ. The published distri- 
bution is from Fort Vancouver to the Yokolt Plain. The species is 
a synonym of Nicrophorus clefodiens Mannerheim, 1846, and a 
junior homonym of Necrophorus pollinctor Mannerheim, 1853 
(which is a synonym of Necrophorus investigator Zetterstedt, 
1824). 
