Malthinus latirufus ( Pic, 1901 )

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

Malthinus latirufus ( Pic, 1901)

Malthodes latirufus Pic, 1901: 17 .

Material examined. MALTA: 2 exs. ( BMNH): 7433 [= June 1902, Malthodes ? sp., ER, Ta’ Baldu] // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555 // Malthodes sp. female, désiré [Pic’s handwriting]; 3 exs. ( BMNH): M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555; 2 exs. ( DMZM): Bahrija, 20.iv.2002, leg. D. Mifsud.

Distribution. Tunisia ( WITTMER 1971) and Malta ( Fig. 4 ).

Comments. Malthinus latirufus represents a new record for Malta where it is locally rare and with a restricted distribution. It was recorded as Malthodes sp. by CAMERON & CARUANA GAT- TO (1907). The species was previously known only from Tunisia. The Maltese specimens differ from the Tunisian ones by a darker pronotum, which has only a narrow pale border on its anterior and posterior margin and sometimes also on posterior corners, whereas the Tunisian specimens posses either an entirely yellow pronotum or a central darker spot of variable size. WITTMER (1971) mentioned that coloration of this species is variable. We are thus of the opinion that the darker coloration of the pronotum falls within the variability of this species.

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).