Forum Entomologi Italiani

15 mm

Genus Leucophyes. Impossible to identify it at species level. There are 4 names for this genus and for Spain. And at least four, but probably more, different species (I have checked and dissected many specimens). The available names are L. pedestris (Poda), L. occidentalis (Dieckmann), L. martorellii (Fairmaire) and L. quadratithorax (Desbrochers del Loges). But only with genitalia they can be differentiated (the penis is completely different among them), and for southern Spain it is not possible to correlate these names to the actual species, even though I never saw L. pedestris and L. occidentalis from southern Spain. Your specimen MIGHT be referable to L. quadratithorax, described from southern Spain, but I did not yet see the type. By the way, if this is a male, please post the photograph of the aedeagus, particularly its apex.
Massimo

yes it is male

Great. It is almost identical to the apex of a specimen from Sierra Nevada that is conserved at the Berlin Museum. Tonight I will check with my specimens at home.

So, I have checked.
This is not L. pedestris and not L. occidentalis, but this is not a surprise.
It is also not a species that I have from the surrounding of Teruel, that is very probably a new species.
I do not know the genitalia of L. martorellii, I have specimens from Valencia very similar to the type (from Carthagena) but not yet dissected. Anyway, they differ from your specimen.
I have no material of L. quadratithorax, but I will see the types soon in Paris. As I told you, this specimen is almost identical to a specimen that is conserved in Berlin Museum and is labeled Sierra Nevada, same aedeagus.
Whenever possible I will dissect the specimens from Valencia, but the forms from Sierra Nevada are probably belonging to a different species. Probably L. quadratithorax, or a new species.

Evidently the genus Leucophyes needs to be revised, particularly (but perhaps not only) for the Spanish fauna.

Thank you very much, Massimo.
So I will label it as L. ?quadratithorax in my box for now.

I think I have still one species of this genus, or related genus, from Tunisia SE (22 mm long !!!), I will place it here in some of my next requests, this week. I don't need to be everything determined, but I want you to see it.

Hello!
the species from Tunisia is very probably not Leucophyes, but Gonocleonus, but I am surely interested in seeing it.
I will take a notice about your specimen from Sierra Nevada, so in case that I need it I will ask you, or in any case I will have the correct information. Please, can you indicate the altitude? Pico de Veleta is very high...

Massimo