Page 1 - Sparacio_2014

Biodiversity Journal, 2014, 5 (2): 359-366

Taxonomic notes on the genus Pseudoapterogyna Escalera,

1914 (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Melolonthidae) in Sicily

Ignazio Sparacio

Via E. Notarbartolo 54 int. 13, 90145 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: isparacio@inwind.it

ABSTRACT Ali Sicilian records ofthe genus Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea
Melolonthidae) are revised. As a result four species are reported to occur in Sicily: P euphytus
lamantiai n. ssp. (for the populations ofPantelieria Island, previously attributed toP euphytus
s.I.), P vorax (Marseul, 1878) from Lampedusa Island, P pellegrinensis (Brenske in Ragusa,

1893) from Western Sicily (to which ali P euphytus records from Sicily need to be attributed),
and P michaelis n. sp. from Western Sicily.

KEYWORDS Melolonthidae; Pseudoapterogyna; Sicily; taxonomy.

Received 18.05.2014; accepted 22.06.2014; printed 30.06.2014

INTRODUCTION 1892) and P. michaelis n. sp., both endemics of
North-Western Sicily.
The Sicilian Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 I consider Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 as

(Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Melolonthidae) have a separate genus ( according with Baraud, 1985;
been attributed thus far to P. euphytus (Buquet, 1992), and not as a synonym of Geotrogus Guérin-

1840), a species deemed to occur through Algeria, Méneville, 1842, as recently proposed by Coca-
Tunisia and Sicily (Rottenberg, 1871; Ragusa, Abia (2003, see also Smetana & Knil, 2006).

1873; 1874; 1893; Be1iolini, 1899; Heyden et al., ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS. V.
1883; Luigioni, 1929; Porta, 1932; Baraud, 1977; Aliquò collection, Palermo, Italy (CVA); M.

1985; 1992; Arnone et al., 1995; Carpaneto & Arnone collection, Palermo, Italy (CMA); M.
Piattella, 1995; Sparacio, 1995; Smetana & Knil, Bellavista collection (CMB); Armando Monastra
2006; Arnone, 20 l O; Ballerio et al., 20 l 0). collection, Palermo, Italy (CAM); M. Romano col-

Examination of type materia! of P. euphytus plus lection, Capaci, Palermo, Italy (CMR); I. Sparacio

a large quantity of specimens from Sicily and North- collection, Palermo, Italy (CIS); A. Tetamo collec-
ern Africa allowed me to re-evaluate the taxonomic tion, Palermo, Italy (CAT); Collection of Diparti-
status of the Sicilian populations of Pseudoapterog- mento di Biologia Animale University of Catania,

yna. As a result P. euphytus euphytus proved not Italy (CMC); Collection of Museo Civico di
to occur in Sicily, being restricted to Algeria and Storia Naturale "Giaco1no Doria", Genova, Italy

Tunisia, while the Sicilian populations of Pseu- (MCSNG); Collection of Museum National d'His-
doapterogyna proved to represent three distinct toire Naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN); m = male/s;

taxa: P. euphytus lamantiai n. ssp. from Pantelleria f = female/s. Unless otherwise stated, the collector of
Island (Sicily Channel), P. pellegrinensis (Ragusa, the beetles in the fie l d is the owner of the collection.