Forum Entomologi Italiani

Buongiorno!

This Cryptocephalus is from may from Cefalù (Sicilia).
My guess would be Cryptocephalus hirticollis / tristigma
(what is the correct name in the moment?).

But: There are no black spots.
It is only 5,5 mm.
The pronotum and the underside have an obvious metallic shine.

Nevertheless hirticollis?

Grazie
Michael

If length is only 5.5 mm then unspotted form of Cr. ilicis is also possible. Your specimen appears to be a female, in C. tristigma/hirticollis females are usually distinctly larger than 5.5 mm. It has also broad explanate margin of pronotum close to posterior corners and this character rather also points to C. ilicis.

Status of Cr. hirticollis is under discussion, it was treated as subspecies of C. tristigma in Warchalowski's monograph but recently is often considered as separate species.

Thank you for the correction.

I also checked C. ilicis, but on all photos on the internet the elytral punctuation seemed much stronger and deeper than in my specimen, so I discarded it, not knowing about the variability of the species.

Michael

I agree with Lech: C. ilicis, in my opinion (even though C. hirticollis was recorded from Cefalù!). The pronotal shape points to the former one. Moreover, C. hirticollis never shows metallic shine, and punctuation if less impressed on pronotal disc.

see also viewtopic.php?f=11&t=100856

_________________
"Non credo in Adamo ed Eva, credo nelle scimmie" (Ilaria, 8 anni)

Thank you for the confirmation. Indeed I listened to Lech and labeled the specimen C. ilicis.

Michael