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Description. External characters and pregenital abdomen (diagnostic characters underlined) (Figures 2, 7):
Wingspan male 31 mm (n=4), female 37–41 mm (n=4). Wings light green, medial lines white. Medial line curved
before costa, basal part moves away from costa (not parallel with costa). Postmedial line rather straight, only
weakly curved, barely angled before it reaches costa near apex and evenly curved outwards on inner margin.
Medial area concolorous with rest of wing. Terminal line and fringes concolorous with wings, forewing apex dark
red. Hindwing postmedial line distinct, curved. Discal spots absent. Wings below as above, but paler. Frons red-
brown, thorax and abdomen concolorous with wings. Area between antennae (vertex) white. Antennae white
dorsally, male antennae bipectinate, female antennae fasciculate. Hindleg tibia of both sexes with 2+2 spurs.
Tympanal organs medium-sized. Sternites and tergites 3–8 of both sexes undifferentiated.

Male genitalia (Figure 11): Generally as in H. fasciaria (Linnaeus) and H. pinicolaria (Bellier). Aedeagus with
additional arm, apex not expanded in H. mediterranea (apex expanded in H. compararia). Base of vesica with
straight row of microcornuti in H. mediterranea (vesica with angled row of microcornuti, reaching aedeagus apex
in H. compararia). Uncus relatively narrower before wide apex in H. mediterranea (uncus relatively wider before
wide apex in H. fasciaria and H. pinicolaria, but the differences are not clear-cut).

Female genitalia (Figure 15): Generally as in H. fasciaria and H. pinicolaria (Bellier), but with following
quantitative difference: signum large in H. mediterranea (signum absent or minute in H. fasciaria, H. pinicolaria
and in H. compararia). Genitalia are large in H. mediterranea (genitalia considerably smaller in H. compararia).
Shape and size of the lamella antevaginalis, and width and length of the posterior part of the corpus bursae are
variable and should be treated with caution.

Distribution (Figure 20). Type specimens originate from Sicily (Italy, DNA barcoded), one specimen from
Calabria (Italy, taken out of a longer series and DNA barcoded) and three specimens from Molise (Italy, DNA
barcoded). One further specimen has been reported from the island of Marettimo, West of Sicily (L. Dapporto,
pers. comm., not DNA barcoded). Outside this the distribution area needs verification. Some specimens from
Greece, for instance from Mount Parnassos, Karpenision and Lesvos, are externally similar, but the female signum
is small, thus not agreeing with the Italian material. DNA barcodes are not available, so far, for Greek populations.

Phenology. Bivoltine: In Sicily it flies from late May (rarely early May) to early July and from late August to
late October (Flamigni et al. in press).

Biology. The species has been reared (G. Fiumi and D. Righini) from the Etna Mountain, Sicily. Female laid
eggs on May 1st (Figure 22), the caterpillars fed on the needles of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies (Figure 23), the
first pupa was observed on June 26th (Figure 24) and the first adult (Figure 25) emerged on 11 July. Pinus sylvestris
and Picea abies are not present in Sicily; in the collecting localities Pinus laricio and P. halepensis are common.

Habitat (Figure 21). In pine forests and places with more scattered pine trees. Altitude range from sea level to
1780 m (Flamigni et al. in press).

Similar species. All four species in the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group are similar. The diagnostic,
external characters shown in the Figures 6–9 are somewhat tentative and should not be used in isolation, but should
be combined with other information including biology, collecting locality, male and female genitalia and DNA
barcodes. An overview of diagnostic morphological features is given in Table 1. The taxon squalidaria (as judged
from the original figure) differs in the straight forewing medial line, not curved at costa; forewing medial and
postmedial lines at large distance, thus the medial area very broad; hindwing postmedial line strongly curved,
parallel to termen.

Genetic data. Genetically homogeneous in Calabria, Molise and Sicily (n=8), mean intraspecific variation
0.19%, maximum variation 0.46%. Nearest species: Hylaea fasciaria (minimum pairwise distance 3.3%). See
Figure 26.

Variation. Little variation in habitus observed, so far. Forewing postmedial line is straight or weakly curved
outwards on inner margin. The specimens from Calabria (Italy) often have the forewing postmedial line clearly
angled before it reaches costa. Only light green specimens are known.

Etymology. The species name mediterranea refers to the Mediterranean area, where the species occurs.

REVISION OF THE HYLAEA FASCIARIA SPECIES GROUP Zootaxa 3768 (4) © 2014 Magnolia Press · 479