Forum Entomologi Italiani

After 48 years of collecting Coleoptera in Greece, this species was found only at the last 6 years. But it seems to be widespread, though rare, in a big part of Greece (3 specimens from 3 different localities).
The "insect of March", because the peak for this species, as also for 2 more species of the same genus (from S. Korea and W. USA), is the month of March.

Xerasia punica Goodrich & Springer, 1988
Known from Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.
New species for Europe, new genus and species for Greece.
Length 4.5-4.8 mm.
As host-plant refers the Asphodelus sp.

- 25 March 2014, Arta region (NW Greece, alt. 250 m., near were few Asphodelus plants, 1 alive specimen - photo)
- 10 March 2019, Akarnania region (W. Greece, alt 80 m., near were a lot of Asphodelus plants, 1 alive specimen)
- 23 May 2020, Xanthi region (NE Greece, alt 600 m., in leaf-litter of deciduous Quercus, locality without Asphodelus, 1 dead specimen - photo).


George

George, if the male protibiae are not modified, this is could be Xerasia meschniggi (Reitter, 1905), an European species, described from South Hungary.

Both the complete specimens are female. Thus, we cannot rely on the protuberances of the anterior tibia.
Also, there aren't here (at least clearly), the oval fuscus spots, on each side of the pronotal disk.

The main problem is that in greek specimens, the protarsal claws have small appendages. While in the original description of Xerasia punica, they are described as simple.
Also the size of the Greek specimens is somewhat larger. Xerasia punica is described as slightly smaller.
On the other hand, it seems very strange that one species has such an discontinuous distribution (Hungary-Slovakia and Greece / X. meschniggi). More logical is a continuous geographical distribution (Israel - Lebanon - Syria - Turkey and Greece / X. punica).
Of course, remains a small probability for Xerasia sp. new.

The original description of Xerasia punica is here:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4008467?re ... b_contents

Thanks to the stimuli and help offered by our friend Alexey Kovalev, I return to the subject.
Most likely, the Greek specimens actually belong to the already known European species Xerasia meschniggi, which was described from southern Hungary (very close to the borders with Croatia and Serbia).
The original description of this species (as Satorystia meschniggi), seems to fits better than that of Xerasia punica.
I quote the description here (in German):

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ite ... 1/mode/1up

The geographical distribution, probably, is not discontinuous. Between Greece and southern Hungary, are inserted only the countries of the former Yugoslavia. But since this is a really rare species, it may have just escaped of the attention throughout this region. Just like it had never been observed before, in Greece.

The host-plant of this species, may be the Quercus sp.
There were such trees, in all the 3 localities where the specimens were collected. While the Asphodelus (flowering) existed only in the 2 places and may have been occasionally used as food of the adults (pollen grains).

So, the title should probably change to:
Xerasia meschniggi (Reitter, 1905) - (cf.)

A big thank you, to the friend Alexey Kovalev !!!
G.