2025-10-31
Jefferson DUARTE-DE-MÉLO, Caroline CHABOO, Suianne CAJÉ, Ayane SUÊNIA-BASTOS, Iracilda Maria DE MOURA LIMA
The Fulcidacini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae) is a group of beetles in which the females build a shelter of feces around their eggs and the hatched larvae maintain and expand this shelter with their own feces. Chlamisus Rafinesque, 1815 is the largest genus in the Fulcidacini, but immatures of only 25 of the ~400 recognized species have been reported. This paper presents, for the first time, the complete and detailed life cycle of a Chlamisus species. Adults were found feeding on Malvaceae (Hermannieae) in the semi-arid region of Brazil; some were collected for laboratory rearing and observation. Captive adults oviposited in individual containers. These eggs were kept in individual containers and after hatching, the larvae were fed and monitored daily until the adults emerged. The pre-imaginal period lasted 87.0 days, with four larval instars, each building on the fecal case from the previous instar. The period from egg fecal capsule to larval emergence was 14.75 days. The larval period lasted approximately 46.54 days. The period in the pupa fecal chamber lasted for 28.5 days. The active period of the immature represented about 45% of its total development time. This Chlamisus sp. appears to be monophagous in a broader sense, completing its development on related species and genera of Malvaceae (Hermannieae) and probably having more than one generation per year. The larvae exhibit a novel behavior in their case-construction, cutting off and discarding part of the case before pupation. The pupal chamber appears to be a novelty, mimicking the dried inflorescence of its Malvaceae host plants (in the genera Waltheria Linnaeus and Melochia Linnaeus).
2025-10-31
Emmanuel VEGA, Gonzalo COLLADO, Jaime PIZARRO
Body size is a key morphological trait that reflects both the evolutionary history and ecological processes of species and is commonly used in assessing biogeographic patterns. Foster’s rule predicts changes in body size associated with insularity, often manifested as dwarfism or gigantism. In this study, we tested this rule in Akymnopellis chilensis (Gervais, 1847) (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha), using specimens from the Humboldt Archipelago (Chile) and the mainland. Robust statistical analyses and generalized linear models reveal that insular individuals exhibit significantly reduced body sizes relative to mainland populations. Furthermore, mean annual temperature emerged as a key predictor of body size variation. This study provides the first documented evidence of insular dwarfism in myriapods, extending the applicability of Foster’s rule to a previously underrepresented group of terrestrial arthropods. Our findings underscore the importance of insularity and climate change as selective pressures influencing the morphological evolution of invertebrates, with implications for the conservation of endemic taxa in fragile island ecosystems.
2025-10-31
Muhammed MOHAMMED, Albena LAPEVA-GJONOVA
This study reports the wood wasp Urocerus augur (Klug, 1803) for the first time in Bulgaria and provides new records of U. gigas (Linnaeus, 1758), based on both collection material and citizen science observations. While U. gigas is more widespread, U. augur appears to be very rare in the country. All available occurrence data are compiled to present an updated overview of their distribution in Bulgaria. The species' geographic ranges, elevational distribution, and seasonal activity are discussed. Photographs of U. augur and distribution maps for both species are included.
2025-10-31
Matteo ANNESSI, Francesco FORTE, Andrea DI GIULIO
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L., 1753), the only species of Myrtaceae native to Europe, is a key Mediterranean scrub species valued for its aromatic and medicinal properties. During field research on the Culuccia Peninsula (NE Sardinia) in 2024, a series of observations and data were collected on insects visiting flowering plants. Since very little is known about the pollinators and visitors of flowers of Myrtus communis, we here provide a fist account of the insect recorded during the research. A total of 117 visitor insects were collected, mainly Coleoptera (84%), followed by Diptera (7%), Hymenoptera (7%), Hemiptera (1%) and Thysanoptera (1%). The most common families are Oedemeridae (29%), Cerambycidae (14%) and Scraptiidae (13%). Oedemera flavipes (Fabricius, 1792) is the most frequent species observed visiting myrtle flowers (19%). Our results show a diverse insect community dominated by Coleoptera, unlike previous studies reporting only Hymenoptera and Diptera, highlighting the need for further research across regions to understand the insect assemblages associated with this plant species.
2025-10-31
Marco Alberto BOLOGNA, Andrés RAMÍREZ-CUADROS, Mauricio CID-ARCOS
A new species of Pseudomeloe Fairmaire & Germain, 1863 (Coleoptera: Meloidae), P. maculivertex n. sp., is described from the Andean valleys of the Antofagasta Region, northern Chile. It is compared with a similar Chilean species; photographs of adults, male genitalia and habitat of the new species are provided, and a map of its known geographic distribution is presented.
2025-10-31
Umberto MARITANO
The big‑headed lagoon fly, Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794), is a Mediterranean hoverfly historically restricted in Italy to a handful of coastal regions. Recently, numerous observations uploaded to the iNaturalist citizen‑science platform show a rapid northward and inland expansion, with new regional records from Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Umbria, Puglia and Calabria. Here we compile Italian literature records and recent citizen‑science observations and map the current occurrence of the species in the country. The density of recent records in the Po Valley and in other inland areas suggests that E. megacephalus is no longer limited to coastal Mediterranean climates. We discuss the value of citizen‑science data for fast‑moving biogeographic updates. Targeted surveys are now needed to test whether newly observed clusters represent transient dispersers or established populations.
2025-10-31
Pietro LO CASCIO, Adriana SANTANELLO
Tropinota squallida ssp. pilosa (Brullé, 1832), widely distributed in North Africa, Near East and south-eastern Europe, is recorded for the first time from Italy after its finding on Linosa Island (Pelagie Archipelago, Channel of Sicily). For the same island was previously reported the nominal subspecies, whose occurrence however has not been confirmed by recent entomological surveys.
2025-10-31
Vítězslav KREJSA
Based on available data on the occurrence of Carausius morosus (Sinéty, 1901) and its subsequent graphical processing into map outputs, it was possible to identify basic ecological requirements responsible for its spread beyond its original Indian range. Despite considerable adaptability, certain factors significantly limit the spread of the stick insect in several regions and currently represent insurmountable barriers to its further advance. The species shows a clear link to warm, humid areas with subtropical and tropical climates, providing a framework for understanding its possible future dispersal.
2025-10-31
Marco ISAIA, Marco TOLVE, Paolo PANTINI
We present Araneae.it 2.0, the updated and expanded digital platform for documenting the Italian spider fauna. The catalog currently includes 1,735 species, with taxonomic data aligned with the World Spider Catalog (Version 26). Distribution maps are now available at regional and provincial levels for all species, and at point-based resolution for endemics, aliens and other relevant species with an indication of the coordinate precision. Although georeferencing is still in progress, at the time of publication, major improvements in spatial resolution are given for 219 species—comprising 154 endemics/sub-endemics, 22 alien, and 43 species of conservation concern, of medical interest or of limited occurrence. This online resource provides a solid foundation for future assessments of extinction risk, as well as for evaluating biodiversity and knowledge levels of spiders—and to a lesser extent, other arachnids—in Italy, with particular emphasis on Italian endemic spider species. Moreover, it supports the ongoing development of a comprehensive trait database, which will enable ecological and conservation-focused studies on Italian arachnids. These efforts will enhance our capacity to assess species vulnerability, analyze functional diversity, and guide evidence-based conservation strategies for the Italian arachnid fauna.