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Taxonomic notes on the genus Pseudoapterogyna Esca/era, 1914 (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Melolonthidae) in Sicily 365
They can be easily identified using the fol-
lowing key:
l. Tarsal claws with a short basai tooth
only .................................................. P. michaelis
- Tarsal claws with a distinct sharp tooth just
above basai tooth .............................................. 2
Medi terranean Sea 2. Sides of pronotum without sinuation just before
~l basai angle, which is obtuse and rounded. Prono-
. icily tum without distinctly crenulate latera! margins .
• • ... l Aedeagus with parameres not narrowed distally
Algeria and apex very short (latera! view) ............ P. vorax
- Sides of pronotum with a sinuation just before
basai angle, which is acute or at a right angle.
Pronotum with distinctly crenulate latera! mar-
gins. Aedaegus with parameres distally narrowed
Figure 10. Distribution ofthe Sicilian members ofthe genus (latera! view) ...................................................... 3
Pseudoapterogyna and of P. euphytus euphytus in North
Africa (rhombus). P. euphytus lamantiai: triangle; P. pelle- 3. Dorsal surface shiny. Posteri or tibia e with upper
grinensis: circles; P. michaelis: star; P. vorax (also in Ma- face longitudinally carinate. Pygidium coarsely
rocco): squares.
wrinkled, micro-reticulated and with punctures
small and very dense; apical margin slightly
ETIMOLOGY. Latin noun in the genitive case. emarginate ................................... P. pellegrinensis
This new species is dedicated to my friend Michele - Dorsal surface sub-opaque. Posterior tibiae
Bellavista (Palermo, Italy). without carina on upper face, or with a slight
carina limited to the proximal part. Pygidium
BIOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION. Ali specimens col-
with different surface sculpturing ..................... .4
lected were found stili ali ve in potholes with water,
during an Autumn sunny day without wind. P. 4. Pigidial punctation made of mixed dense small
michaelis n. sp. seems to be anAutumn species and punctures and sparser larger ones on a micro-retic-
is known only from the type locality in North-West- ulate background. Parruneres with very long and
em Sicily, where i t occurs in sintopy with P. pelle- sharp apex (latera! view) ...... P. euphytus euphytus
grinensis, the latter being however a Spring species.
- Pigidial punctation made of small deep punc-
The collecting locality is characterized by a stony tures on a coarsely wrinlded background. Aedea-
landscape, with sparse small trees in a disturbed gus with parameres with apex short (latera!
Mediterranean 1naquis. view) ................................. P. euphytus lamantiai
COMPARATIVE NOTES. P. michaelis n. sp. differs
fro1n N orth African Pseudoapterogyna for the fol-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lowing characters (see also Baraud, 1985, pp. 413-
415, in particular points 9 and 16): antenna! club
I am grateful to R. Poggi (Museo Civico di Storia
slightly shorter than funicle, shape and setation of
Naturale, Genoa, Italy), O. Montreuil and A. Man-
pronotum (long fine setae along basai and fore mar-
tilleri (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris,
gins ), thin basai bead of pronotum finely an d
France), G. Sabella (Dipartimento di Biologia Ani-
sparsely punctate, obtuse posteri or angles of prono-
male University of Catania, Italy), E. Piattella (Uni-
tum without sinuation, posterior tibiae without
versity "Sapienza" ofRome, Italy), A. Rey (Genoa,
carina on dorsal side, shape ofparameres.
Italy), V. Aliquò (Palermo, Italy), Antonella Monas-
REMARKS. Distribution of the Sicilian Pseu- tra (Palermo, Italy). I am also grateful to M.S.
doapterogyna is showed in figure 10. Colomba (University of Urbino, Italy), F. Liberto
