Psococerastis gibbosa ( Sulzer, 1776 )

Grosso-Silva, José Manuel & Baz, Arturo, 2025, First Portuguese record and new Spanish provinces for Psococerastis gibbosa (Sulzer, 1776) (Psocoptera: Psocidae), Arquivos Entomolóxicos 32, pp. 55-58 : 55-56

The barkfly Psococerastis gibbosa ( Sulzer, 1776) (Psocoptera: Psocidae ),

described from Germany as Phryganea gibbosa by SULZER (1776) (= Hemerobius longicornis Fabricius, 1777 ; = Psocus lineatus Latreille, 1799 ), has a known distribution range that includes most of Europe ( Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, plus the former territories of the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, and the European part of the Soviet Union) ( LIENHARD, 1998).

The Iberian distribution ( Map 1 ) includes the Spanish provinces of (ordered chronologically by the first record for each): Lleida ( NAVÁS, 1910) , La Rioja ( NAVÁS, 1914), Barcelona ( NAVÁS, 1915), Huesca (NAVÁS, 1917A, AS “ Psocus longicornis L.”), A CoruÑA ( NAVÁS, 1917b, AS “ Psocus longicornis L.”), and Lugo ( BAZ, 1988).

In this note, we present the first Portuguese record of P. gibbosa based on a specimen deposited in the collection of MHNC-UP (Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Portugal) and new records from five Spanish provinces, three of which are new for the species ( Asturias, Cantabria, and Navarre), thus improving the overall knowledge on its Iberian distribution range. All the Spanish specimens recorded are deposited in the Arturo Baz collection (Universidad de Alcalá, Spain).

Material examined

PORTUGAL:

Viana do Castelo district:

x Paredes de Coura municipality: Near East from Túmio ( 41.887694 -8.502760; MGRS: 29TNG4137; 625 m a.s.l.) ( Corno de Bico Protected Landscape ), 17/07/2024 ( 1 specimen, Grosso-Silva leg., MHNC-UP col.: MHNCUP-ART-42326 ). Two live pictures of the specimen were uploaded to the online platform iNaturalist (see here). An additional picture is presented in Fig. 1 , showing the specimen on the dead twig from where it was collected.

New species for Portugal.

SPAIN:

Asturias province:

x Covadonga ( MGRS: 30TUN39 ; 700 m a.s.l.), 01/08/1989 ( 1 ♂, on Corylus avellana, A. Baz leg.).

x Lago Enol ( MGRS: 30TUN39 ; 1100 m a.s.l.), 01/08/1989 ( 1 ♀, on Fagus sylvatica, A. Baz leg.). New species for the province.

Cantabria province:

x Cosgaya ( MGRS: 30TUN57 ; 720 m a.s.l.), 02/07/1989 ( 1 ♀, on Corylus avellana, A. Baz leg.).

x Los Llanos ( MGRS: 30TUN67 ; 650 m a.s.l.), 02/07/1989 ( 2 ♀♀, on Fraxinus excelsior, A. Baz leg.).

x Santoña ( MGRS: 30TVP61 ; 20 m a.s.l.) 27/08/1988 ( 1 ♂, on Quercus robur, F. Marin leg.).

New species for the province.

Huesca province:

x Valle de Hecho , Selva de Oza ( MGRS: 30TXN84 ; 1200 m a.s.l.), 03/08/1989 ( 5 ♂♂, on Abies alba, A. Baz leg.; 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, on Fagus sylvatica, A. Baz leg.).

x Zuriza ( MGRS: 30TXN74 ), 02/08/2001 ( 1 ♂, A. Baz leg.).

Lleida province:

x Bosost ( MGRS: 31TCH13 ; 1150 m a.s.l.), 29/08/1991 ( 1 ♀, on Corylus avellana, F. Marin leg.).

x Puerto del Portillo ( MGRS: 31TCH03 ; 1320 m a.s.l.), 29/08/1991 ( 1 ♀, on Abies alba, F. Marin leg.).

Navarre province:

x Eugui (MGRS: 30TXN25; 800 m a.s.l.), 03/08/1989 ( 1 ♀, on Fagus sylvatica, A. Baz leg.). New species for the province.

Figures

Map 1.- Iberian distribution of Psococerastis gibbosa (Sulzer, 1776) [grey: previously known Spanish provinces; green: new Portuguese districts and Spanish provinces; orange: new MGRS 100 km2 squares in the new districts and provinces; blue: new MGRS 100 km2 squares in previously known provinces].

Fig. 1.- A view of the specimen of Psococerastis gibbosa (Sulzer, 1776) collected in Paredes de Coura (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) on 17/07/2024. Photo: J.M. Grosso-Silva.