Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesenwetter, 1852

Švihla, Vladimír & Mifsud, David, 2006, Annotated review of the Cantharidae and Malachiidae (Coleoptera) of the Maltese Islands, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 46, pp. 89-105 : 93

Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesenwetter, 1852

Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesenwetter, 1852: 297 .

Malthodes malcolmi Pic, 1904: 49 ; synonymized by FIORI (1906): 2.

Malthodes malcolmi: CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) : 397.

Malthodes malcolmi : TONNA- BARTHET (1931): 7.

Malthodes malcolmi: CILIA (1989) : 118.

Material examined. MALTA: 1 ex. ( BMNH): cotype // Malthodes Malcolmi (Pic) // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936- 555 ; 1 ex. ( BMNH): Determined by Dr. Cameron // malcolmi // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 ; 3 exs. ( BMNH): 8680 [= April ’04, Malthodes malcomi (Pic), Bosketto] // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 ; 9 exs. ( BMNH): M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 ; 1 ex. ( NMPC): Zejtun, 1.v.2003, leg. D. Mifsud ; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Bahrija , 19.iii.1995, leg. D. Mifsud // Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesw. , det. A. Kopetz 2000 ; 4 exs. ( DMZM): Girgenti Valley , 17.iii.1990, leg. D. Mifsud // Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesw. , det. A. Kopetz 2000 ; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Mistra , 4.ii.1996, leg. D. Mifsud // Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesw. , det. A. Kopetz 2000 .

Distribution. Sicily and Malta ( FIORI 1906). For distribution in Malta see Fig. 4 .

Comments. FIORI (1906) had no material of this species from the Maltese Islands, but he correctly synonymized M. malcolmi with M. bifurcatus . We have examined Cameron’s original material upon which Pic based his description, and can confirm the synonymy.

Figures

Fig. 4. Distribution of Malthinus latirufus (Pic, 1901) (asterisc), Malthodes bifurcatus Kiesenwetter, 1852 (triangle) and Malthodes cameroni (Pic, 1903) (rhomb) in the Maltese Islands (Malta at bottom, Gozo at top and Comino in middle).