Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1855) in Italy: a recent introduction or a natural westward spread? (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Belostomatidae).

The paper provides new records and a critical review of the previous citations of Lethocerus patruelis (Stål, 1855) from Italy. The status of the species in Italy, and whether its presence can be related to a recent introduction or to a natural westward spread, is discussed, but further observations are needed to assess its effective status in the country. The dates of description for this species and of L. niloticus (Stål, 1855) are corrected, since they have up to the present time been incorrectly stated as 1854.

Ptilodactyla exotica Chapin, 1927 in Italy (Coleoptera: Ptilodactylidae).

Ptilodactyla exotica Chapin, 1927 is a subcosmopolitan synanthropic species introduced to Europe with tropical ornamental plants. It is here firstly recorded from central Italy (Tuscany region), and its Italian chronogeonemy (1940-2016) is summarized. Most records come from the Genoa province (Northern Italy, Liguria region), where this species was repeatedly collected in the period 1940-1999.

Synonymic notes on European Lymexylidae (Coleoptera).

Lymexylidae Fleming, 1821 are a small, extremely isolated saproxylic family (Lawrence 2010) comprising only four species in Europe (Cuccodoro 2007). Some tropical species have been occasionally intercepted at various ports, but they have never become established (cf. Nardi 2004).

The Cleridae, Anthribidae and Curculionidae (Coleoptera) described by Ponza.

An annotated list of the single species of Cleridae and Anthribidae, and two of Curculionidae described by Ponza from the environs of Saluzzo in northwestern Italy, partly overlooked by subsequent authors, is provided. The following new synonymy in Curculionidae is established: Hylobius (Callirus) transversovittatus (Goeze, 1777) [= Curculio brunonianus Ponza, 1805 syn. n.]. The following synonymies are confirmed: Clerus mutillarius mutillarius Fabricius, 1775 [= Attelabus funereus Ponza, 1805] in Cleridae, Dissoleucas niveirostris (Fabricius, 1798) [= Curculio dubius Ponza, 1805] in Anthribidae, and Coniocleonus (Plagiographus) cicatricosus (Hoppe, 1795) [= Curculio spinosus Ponza, 1805] in Curculionidae. Neotypes are not designated, since no long-established name is threatened.

On the type species of Geophilus Gistel, 1834 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae).

Geophilus Gistel, 1834 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) is invalid being a junior homonym of Geophilus Leach, 1814 (Myriapoda: Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Geophilidae) and of Geophilus Schönherr, 1823 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae).        Scarabaeus asper Fabricius, 1775 was recently designated as type species of Geophilus Gistel, 1834, making Geophilus a junior synonym of Psammodius Fallén, 1807 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Psammodiini: Psammodiina). However, there is clear evidence that Scarabaeus asper Fabricius, 1775 sensu Gistel, 1834 is Ptinus germanus Linnaeus, 1767, currently Rhyssemus germanus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Psammodiini: Rhyssemina). To resolve this issue, the type species of Geophilus Gistel, 1834 is here fixed (under Article 70.3.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) as Ptinus germanus Linnaeus, 1767, misidentified as Scarabaeus asper Fabricius, 1775 in the original paper.        Scarabaeus asper Fabricius, 1775 sensu Mulsant, 1842 (= Ptinus germanus Linnaeus, 1767) is the type species of Rhyssemus Mulsant, 1842, therefore Rhyssemus Mulsant, 1842 is a junior synonym of Geophilus Gistel, 1834 (new synonymy). Although it has priority, Geophilus Gistel, 1834 is a junior homonym and therefore invalid, so Rhyssemus Mulsant, 1842 remains the valid name of this taxon.

First Maltese record of Stephanopachys quadricollis (Marseul, 1879) (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae).

Three specimens of Stephanopachys quadricollis (Marseul, 1878) were recently found in Malta in UV light traps and represent the first record of this species for this country. Although Stephanopachys quadricollis is native to the Mediterranean basin, it is not yet clear if these Maltese records are due to a natural population or to an interception. Distributional, nomenclatural and biological data on this species are summarized, and a new synonymy is established: Stephanopachys quadricollis (Marseul, 1879) = Stephanopachys quadraticollis Kocher, 1956, syn. n.

The bostrichidae of the maltese islands (coleoptera).

The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Ten species are recorded with certainty from this Archipelago, of which 6 namely, Trogoxylonimpressum (Comolli, 1837), Amphicerusbimaculatus (A.G. Olivier, 1790), Heterobostrychusaequalis (Waterhouse, 1884), Sinoxylonunidentatum (Fabricius, 1801), Xyloperthellapicea (A.G. Olivier, 1790) and Apatemonachus Fabricius, 1775 are recorded for the first time. Two of the mentioned species (Heterobostrychusaequalis and Sinoxylonunidentatum) are alien and recorded only on the basis of single captures and the possible establishment of these species is discussed. Earlier records of Scobiciapustulata (Fabricius, 1801) from Malta are incorrect and should be attributed to Scobiciachevrieri (A. Villa & J.B. Villa, 1835). A zoogeographical analysis and an updated checklist of the 12 species of Bostrichidae recorded from the Maltese Islands and neigbouring Sicilian islands (Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa) are also provided. Rhizoperthadominica(Fabricius, 1792)formgranulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 from Uttarakhand (northern India) was overlooked by almost all subsequent authors. Its history is summarized and the following new synonymy is established: Rhizoperthadominica(Fabricius, 1792)formgranulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 = Rhyzoperthadominica (Fabricius, 1792), syn. n. Finally, records of Amphicerusbimaculatus from Azerbaijan, of Bostrichuscapucinus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan and Syria, of Scobiciachevrieri from Jordan and Italy, of Xyloperthellapicea from Italy, and of Apatemonachus from Corsica (France) and Italy, are also provided.

Fauna Europaea: Coleoptera 2 (excl. series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and superfamily Curculionoidea).

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. Coleoptera represent a huge assemblage of holometabolous insects, including as a whole more than 200 recognized families and some 400,000 described species worldwide. Basic information is summarized on their biology, ecology, economic relevance, and estimated number of undescribed species worldwide. Little less than 30,000 species are listed from Europe. The Coleoptera 2 section of the Fauna Europaea database (Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga and Polyphaga excl. the series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and the superfamily Curculionoidea) encompasses 80 families (according to the previously accepted family-level systematic framework) and approximately 13,000 species. Tabulations included a complete list of the families dealt with, the number of species in each, the names of all involved specialists, and, when possible, an estimate of the gaps in terms of total number of species at an European level. A list of some recent useful references is appended. Most families included in the Coleoptera 2 Section have been updated in the most recent release of the Fauna Europaea index, or are ready to be updated as soon as the FaEu data management environment completes its migration from Zoological Museum Amsterdam to Berlin Museum für Naturkunde.

Italian Dermestidae: notes on some species and an updated checklist (Coleoptera).

An up-to-date checklist of the Italian Dermestidae is provided. The presence of 95 species in Italy is confirmed, while further 5 species (Dermestes (Dermestes) vorax Motschulsky, 1860, Thorictuspilosus Peyron, 1857, T. wasmanni Reitter, 1895, Attagenus (Attagenus) simonis Reitter, 1881 and Globicornis (G.) breviclavis (Reitter, 1878)) and 1 subspecies (A. (A.) tigrinus pulcher Faldermann, 1835) are excluded from the Italian fauna. Attagenus (Attagenus) calabricus Reitter, 1881 and A. (A.) lobatus Rosenhauer, 1856 are for the first time recorded from Abruzzi and Tuscany respectively; A. (A.) silvaticus Zhantiev, 1976 is recorded for the first time from mainland Italy (Apulia); Anthrenus (Anthrenus) angustefasciatus Ganglbauer, 1904 is new to northern Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), central Italy (Tuscany), Apulia and Basilicata; A. (A.) munroi Hinton, 1943 is new to central Italy (Elba Island); A. (A.) delicatus Kiesenwetter, 1851 is for the first time recorded from Apulia; Globicornis (Globicornis) fasciata (Fairmaire & Brisout de Barneville, 1859) is new to southern Italy (Basilicata); G. (Hadrotoma) sulcata (C.N.F. Brisout de Barneville, 1866) is for the first time recorded from central Italy (Abruzzi), Campania and Sicily, whileTrogoderma inclusum LeConte, 1854 is new to Apulia. Seven species (Dermestes (Dermestes) peruvianus Laporte de Castelnau, 1840, D. (Dermestinus) carnivorus Fabricius, 1775, D. (Dermestinus) hankae Háva, 1999, D. (Dermestinus) intermedius intermedius Kalík, 1951, D. (Dermestinus) szekessyi Kalík, 1950, Anthrenus (Anthrenops) coloratus Reitter, 1881 and Trogodermaangustum (Solier, 1849)) recently recorded from Italy (without further details) are discussed. The lectotype and a paralectotype are designated forAttagenus (A.) calabricus Reitter, 1881 from Calabria. Attagenus pellio (Linnaeus, 1758) var. pilosissimus Roubal, 1932 is removed from synonymy with A. (A.) pellio and recognized as a valid species (stat. prom.); it is known from Lombardy, Apulia and Calabria.