Attalus melitensis Peyron, 1877

Švihla, Vladimír & Mifsud, David, 2006, Annotated review of the Cantharidae and Malachiidae (Coleoptera) of the Maltese Islands, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 46, pp. 89-105 : 96-97

Attalus melitensis Peyron, 1877

Attalus melittensis Peyron, 1877: 159 , incorrect original spelling. Attalus melitensis: CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) : 397. Attalus melitensis : TONNA- BARTHET (1931): 7. Attalus melitensis melitensis: CILIA (1989) : 119.

Material examined. MALTA: 6 exs. ( BMNH): 7336 [= June 1902, Attalus melitensis, Jniena ] // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 ; 8 exs. ( BMNH): M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 ; 18 exs. ( BMNH): G.C. Champion Coll. B.M. 1927-409 ; 1 ex. ( BMNH): Attalus melitensis , det. A. Evers 1948, without futher data ; 4 exs. ( BMNH): missing data ; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Dingli Cliffs , 31.iii.2002, leg. Schuh & Lang ; 4 exs. ( DMZM): St. Thomas Bay, Tal-Munxar , 13.iv.2003, leg. D. Mifsud ; 2 exs. ( DMZM): Bahrija , 20.iv.2002, leg. D. Mifsud ; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Ghar Lapsi , 12.v.2002, leg. D. Mifsud // on flowers of Cynara cardunculus L .; 2 exs. ( HBBM): Mellieha Ridge , N of Manikata, 20.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 1 ex. ( HBBM): Mellieha Hill , 1.v.2003, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 2 exs. ( HBBM): Mellieha-Selmun, Mistra Valley , 7.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 2 exs. ( HBBM): Mellieha, Kortin , 19.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 2 exs. ( HBBM): Mellieha, Gnien Ingraw , 1.v.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 1 ex. ( HBBM): Mellieha, Selmun-Imgiebah Rd. , 27.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 1 ex. ( HBBM): Mellieha, Main street, 10.i.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 2 exs. ( HBBM): L-Andrijet, 9.v.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet ; 7 exs. ( NMPC): Marsascala, 21.iv.2003, leg. Z. Švec ; 1 ex. ( NMPC): Buskett, 22.iv.2003, leg. Z. Švec. GOZO: 1 ex. ( DMZM): Dwejra Bay , 30.iii.2002, leg. Schuh & Mifsud ; 3 exs. ( DMZM): same locality, 25.iv.2003, leg. D. Mifsud ; 16 exs. ( NMPC): same locality and date, leg. Z. Švec.

Distribution. Malta ( Fig. 5 ).

Comments. ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1891) recorded this species from Etruria (= Tuscany), AUDI- SIO et al. (1995) did not report its occurrence in northern Italy but mentioned only Sicily with a question mark. Thus, A. melitensis seems to be endemic to the Maltese Islands; its presence in northern Italy and Sicily needs to be verified. The abundance of this species in Malta was given as ‘general’ by CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907).

Figures

Fig. 5. Distribution of Attalus melitensis Peyron, 1877 in the Maltese Islands (Malta at bottom, Gozo at top and Comino in middle).