Forum Entomologi Italiani

I don't know Meliboeoides amethystinus, it is not present in Romania. Just M. parvulus (=violaceus). Is this M. amethystinus? I have several specimens, between 4 and 6 mm, collected on Echinops spinosissimus and Carduus.

Excuse the bad quality of the pictures. Thank you!

Edit. It appears to be 2 species here.

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Ciao
Adrian

I think it is M. violaceus Kiesenwetter, 1857

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Quando ho scritto violaceus, intendevo ovviamente l'attuale Meliboeus (Meliboeoides) parvulus (Kuster, 1852)! L'abitudine è dura a morire!

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Hello together,

it also could be Meliboeus (Meliboeoides) makrisi Mühle & Brandl, 2009 which is presented in cyprus, too.

nice greetings

Tomasius

Thank you so much

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Ciao
Adrian

By Hans MÜHLE und Peter BRANDL, 2009:

"Lateral keel of the pronotum bent downwards. The pronotum’s basal corners nearly always with a
green-golden shine. Antennomeres with short, distinct hairs. Penis distinctly enlarged to apex
(Abb. 4). Ponto-Mediterranean species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . violaceus (KIESENWETTER) (Abb. 2)
— Lateral keel of the pronotum straight. The pronotum’s basal corners never with a green-golden
shine. Antennomeres scarcely covered with short hairs. Penis nearly parallel from basis to apex
(Abb. 3). Cyprian species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . makrisi sp. n. (Abb. 1)"

The first specimen is surely M. parvulus, while it's not possible to say anything more about the second specimen. Maybe it is M. makrisi, but maybe it is another parvulus.

Unluckily, lateral keel in the second specimen is not well visible, the green golden shine is not well developed, hair on antennomera are not visible in this photo, and we don't have a photo of the genitalia.
So I will say: the first one surely M. parvulus; the second one parvulus or makrisi (it looks more similar to makrisi, but I think it's not possible to identify it using this photo)

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

I will try to make other photos of the second specimen. I have M. parvulus parvulus and M. parvulus ponticus, from Romania, but they are looking more like the second picture here. I will post some pictures too. Unfortunately, I have not a setup, just a camera, so I need to get some lights.

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Ciao
Adrian