Loensia variegata (Latreille, 1799)

Lienhard, Charles & Mifsud, David, 2015, Psocids from Malta (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’), with new synonymy for Peripsocus stagnivagus based on the discovery of its first Palaearctic male, Zootaxa 3936 (2), pp. 251-260 : 259

Loensia variegata (Latreille, 1799)

Material examined. Malta, Verdala Palace, 12–24. vi.2014, 1 ♀, Malaise trap, DM; same data but 25.vi.–10. vii.2014, 1 ♂ and 2 ♀; and 11.vii.–1. viii.2014, 1 ♂ and 2 ♀.

Notes. A new record for the Maltese Islands. It is a West Palaearctic species associated with bark of various trees and shrubs and occasionally found in piles of stones. The intensity of forewing colouration of the Maltese specimens is somewhat variable, corresponding to the medium- or relatively weakly-coloured forms described by Lienhard (1998: fig. 137b, c). However, a certain number of small patches are always present all over the membrane, in addition to the basic wing pattern consisting of a few larger pigment patches. The pale form described by Lienhard (1998: fig. 137d) from Greece, almost completely lacking the small patches, was not observed in the Maltese material.