As I have written already (also in this forum) I do not accept the synonymy Cribridorcadion = Pedestredorcadion. This is the text prepared for my book in preparation. "I do not share the systematics of Dorcadionini proposed by Danilevsky, Kasatkin & Rubenian (2005), and adopted by Danilevsky in the Catalogue of Löbl & Smetana (2010), since based on a single character (endophallus everted and inflated), not supported by any further morphological character and which, also based on its interspecific variability, must be regarded of specific value. Moreover, the mentioned study only covers a small part of taxa known to belong to the tribe: 127 species examined of about 440 which means less then 30% (less than 10% of 75 taxa from Iberian Peninsula were dissected); therefore, the mentioned study should be regarded as not exhaustive and the results not definitive. Cribridorcadion was described as a subgenus of Dorcadion based on a single distinctive species and it has always been regarded as a monospecific subgenus. Pedestredorcadion includes hundreds of quite heterogeneous taxa which should be reviewed on the basis of different morphological characters. Danilevsky & al. (2005) synonymized Pedestredorcadion with Cribridorcadion not taking into consideration any other character such as, for example, the shape of the endophallus sclerites (Figs. 233 – 238, 240) or the female genitalia (Figs. 240, 241) whose study could offer a rather different systematics. See, for example, D. cephalotes Jakovlev, 1889, which is regarded by Danilevsky & al. (2005) as Dorcadion s. str. but which, based on the shape of the endophallus sclerites (Fig. 235 G), cannot be distinguished from the species listed by the same authors under the subgenus Acutodorcadion Danilevsky, Kasatkin & Rubenian, 2005 (Figs. 236 A – E)." This opinion (my opinion) is shared by Pesarini who (in an article in print) accepts both Cribridorcadion and Pedestredorcadion as subgenera of Dorcadion. To be noted that Danilevsky herself, changed idea and, in the mentioned Catalogue, regarded Acutodorcadion, introduced in mentioned paper (Danilevsky & alii, 2005), as a synonym of Dorcadion s.str. I also cannot accept Iberodorcadion as a separate genus (and Baeticodorcadion and Hispanodorcadion as subgenera). Bye.
_________________ Gianfranco Sama
"Benedetto colui che ti aiuta a correggere i tuoi errori invece di scagliarteli contro" ___________________________________ Gershom Sholem
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