Forum Entomologi Italiani

Un altra Timarcha

_________________
Guido Sabatinelli
Museo di storia naturale, Ginevra, Svizzera
http://www.glaphyridae.com
http://www.scarabeidi.it

potrebbe essere Timarcha hispanica Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838 ?

_________________
ROBY

With great probability it is a male of Timarcha latipes, common in Tunisia.

Hi Lech,
Timarcha latipes Linnaeus, 1767 is listed in the Catalogue of Pal. Col., vol. 6, pg. 440 as synonym of Timarcha laevigata laevigata Linnaeus, 1767. So, what is the valid name?

_________________
Maurizio Bollino

Hi Maurizio,
According to my knowledge nobody formally synonymized both taxa and I treated them as independent like in Warchalowski's work. We have in collection a large series of specimens from this group and in my opinion they are conspecific but need formal revision with designation of neotypes. We selected in collection under name T. latipes specimens with more cordiform and more convex pronotum, and under name T. laevigata specimens with less cordiform pronotum and completely flat pronotal plate. Probably most of other taxa of both groups (latipes-laevigata) are only local forms of the one common and wide spread species. Timarcha is probably one of the most difficult objects in taxonomical practice due to inability to fly, chromosomal polymorphism and mostly closed genetic systems (similar to many Carabus species but more complicate genetically). Thus what is a species within Timarcha is a question without a good answer.

potete rinominare come Timarcha latipes?
grazie

_________________
Guido Sabatinelli
Museo di storia naturale, Ginevra, Svizzera
http://www.glaphyridae.com
http://www.scarabeidi.it

Aggiungo un'immagine di un esemplare preso a Matmata.

_________________
Guido Sabatinelli
Museo di storia naturale, Ginevra, Svizzera
http://www.glaphyridae.com
http://www.scarabeidi.it