Dasytes (Mesodasytes) croceipes Kiesenwetter, 1865

Liberti, Gianfranco, 2009, Improved Strategies for Branching on General Disjunctions, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 339-385 : 360

Dasytes (Mesodasytes) croceipes Kiesenwetter, 1865

( Fig. 13 )

Dasytes croceipes Kiesenwetter, 1865: 366 (Loc. typ. Spain); Kiesenwetter 1867a: 116; Baudi di Selve 1873a: 308, 309; Schilsky 1894a: 227, 228, 232, 233; Schilsky 1894b: nr. 41; Schilsky 1897b: nr. 34T; Sainte-Claire Deville 1908: 216; Porta 1929: 121; Pic 1937: 68; Fagniez 1946: 27; Kocher 1956: 65; * Liberti 2004a: 316.

= Dasytes cruralis Mulsant & Rey, 1868: 132 ( Schilsky 1894a: 228) .

= Dasytes croceipes var. corsicus Schilsky, 1894b: 228 ( Liberti 2004a: 317) .

Material examined. Olbia-Tempio prov.: Lido del Sole, 2005 ( CLI). Nuoro prov.: *Oliena, 1995 ( CAN); *Ponte Marreri, 1983 ( MCSNG); *Posada, 1983 ( MCSNG). Ogliastra prov.: Monte Tonneri, 2008 ( CNBFVR). Medio Campidano prov.: Giara di Gesturi, 2001 ( CPN); Monte Anzeddu, 2006 ( CNBFVR); Villacidro, 2006 ( CNBFVR). Carbonia-Iglesias prov.: Monti Marganai, 2006 ( CNBFVR); Nebida, 2001 ( CLI); sa Duchessa, 2006 ( CNBFVR). Cagliari prov.: *Cantoniera Campu Omu, 1998 ( CME); *Monte dei Sette Fratelli, 1995 ( CAN); Solanas, 2004 ( CCR); *Villasimius, 1995 ( CAN).

Chorotype. West-Mediterranean: North Africa, Spain, southern France and marginally mainland Italy (western Liguria). Affinities: Mediterranean, close to D. (M.) iteratus , which probably has the same distribution area, and D. (M.) nigroaeneus , which is Mediterranean.

Notes. Reported for Sardinia by Kiesenwetter (1871: 84, as D. cruralis ), Bertolini (1899 –1904) and Sainte-Claire Deville (1908), it is easily recognized by the colour of femora: all black with a large yellow base, although this same character is shared by the similar D. (M.) iteratus Peyerimhoff (see below). Although D. iteratus has a later appearance, they can often be found together and their indentification usually requires the dissection of male genitalia. As a matter of fact, Sardinian populations of both species look very alike, whereas in other regions (e.g. in southern France) they appear more differentiated, D. croceipes often having smaller eyes, shorter antennae, more rounded sides of pronotum and a slightly smaller size (all characters which can be better detected in males). It appears in early spring and can be found on blossoming bushes of, for instance, Crataegus , Prunus , and Erica .

Figures

FIGURES 12–19. Median lobe in lateral view. 12–15. Dasytes spp., scale bar: 0.5 mm. 12. Dasytes (Mesodasytes) iteratus Peyerimhoff (Sardinia, Nebida). 13. Dasytes (M.) croceipes Kiesenwetter (Sardinia, Lido del Sole). 14. Dasytes (M.) nigroaeneus Küster (Italy, Campania, Napoli province, Campagnano d’Ischia). 15. Dasytes (M.) aeneiventris Küster (Sardinia, Fonni). 16–19. Aplocnemus spp. from Sardinia, scale bar: 0.5 mm. 16. Aplocnemus (Aplocnemus) cribricollis Mulsant & Rey (Burcei). 17. Aplocnemus (A.) pectinatus (Küster) (Stagno di Colostrai). 18. Aplocnemus (Diplambe) januaventi Liberti (Bruncu Spina). 19. Aplocnemus (D.) duplicatus Kiesenwetter (Seui).