Xanthostigma corsica (Hagen, 1867)

Aspoeck, Horst & Aspoeck, Ulrike, 2023, The snakeflies of the Mediterranean islands: review and biogeographical analysis (Neuropterida, Raphidioptera), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70 (1), pp. 175-218 : 175

Xanthostigma corsica (Hagen, 1867)

Raphidia corsica Hagen, 1867 (odescr): H. Aspöck et al. 1991 (mon).

Raphidia insularis Albarda, 1891 (odescr): H. Aspöck et al. 1991 (mon).

Puncha italica Navás, 1927b (odescr): H. Aspöck et al. 1991 (mon).

Xanthostigma corsica (Hagen, 1867): H. Aspöck et al. 1991 (mon); Pantaleoni 1990c (com, rec); H. Aspöck and Hölzel 1996 (distr); Letardi and Pantaleoni 1996 (rec); H. Aspöck et al. 2001 (anncat); Letardi and Maltzeff 2001 (rec); Nicoli Aldini and Baviera 2001 (rec); H. Aspöck and U. Aspöck 2007 (biogeogr, distr); Letardi et al. 2008 (list, rec); Badano and Letardi 2010 (rec); Haring et al. 2011 (phyl, phyltree); Nicoli Aldini et al. 2012 (rec, distr); H. Aspöck and U. Aspöck 2013 (cat, etymol; ill: imag, la), 2014 (cat).

Xanthostigma corsicum (Hagen): Monserrat and Papenberg 2015 (mon, rec, synlist); Tillier et al. 2022a (rec).

Taxonomy.

H. Aspöck et al. (1991), Monserrat and Papenberg (2015). X. corsica can always easily be identified by morphological characters (e.g. Subilla three cells between R and Rs in forewing) (Fig. 2d ).

Biology and ecology.

Larvae mainly terricolous, however, several records also under bark of Pinus and of Quercus . Many records of adults mainly on low vegetation and on bushes (particularly Genista ) in a great variety of different biotops: light oak and/or pine forests, various kinds of light mixed forests with a rich bush vegetation from sea level to 1500 m. Development usually two years. Last hibernation stage: full-grown larva. Adults: IV-VII.

Records on Mediterranean islands

(Fig. 8a ). X. corsica is a frequent snakefly in various biotopes in altitudes from 0 to 1500 m asl on Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Giglio and Elba. Probably it occurs also on several smaller Mediterranean islands west of the mainland of Italy. Syntopic Raphidioptera : Xanthostigma aloysiana (Sardinia), Subilla confinis (Sicily), Fibla maclachlani (Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica).

Continental distribution.

The species occurs on the Apennine Peninsula from the south of Calabria to Tuscany in the north; moreover it has been recorded in the south of France and the west of Spain. It is possible that the western populations are remnants of a very old invasion and might be differentiated phylogenomically from the Eastern populations. The populations on the Italian islands and on Corsica seem to be rather homogenous. One may assume that this rather frequent species is more or less regularly transferred by anthropogenic activities from the mainland or fromone island to another.

Biogeography.

Polycentric Tyrrhenic-Adriato-Atlantomediterranean faunal element.

Figures

Figure 2. a. Venustoraphidia nigricollis, ♂. Lower Austria, Eichkogel near Moedling. Foto: H. Bruckner; b. Venustoraphidia nigricollis, ♀. Austria, Vienna. Foto: H. Bruckner; c. Venustoraphidia nigricollis, larva. Austria, Vienna. Foto: H. Bruckner; d. Xanthostigma corsica, ♀. Italy, Calabria, Aspromonte, Montalto. Foto: P. Sehnal; e. Xanthostigma corsica, larva. Itlay, Calabria, Aspromonte, Montalto. Foto: F. Anderle, now Denner; f. Parvoraphidia microstigma, ♀. Greece, Phokis, Lidorikion mts. Foto: P. Sehnal; g. Ornatoraphidia flavilabris, ♀. Greece, Phokis, Lidorikion mts. Foto: P. Sehnal; h. Ornatoraphidia flavilabris, ♂. Greece, Viotia, Parnassos. Foto: P. Sehnal.

Figure 8. a. Records of species of the genus Xanthostigma, X. corsica and X. aloysiana, on Mediterranean islands; b. Records of Ornatoraphidia flavilabris, Phaeostigma (Magnoraphidia) wewalkai, and of Dichrostigma flavipes, on Mediterranean islands.