Malthodes cameroni (Pic, 1903)

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 : 93-94

Malthodes cameroni (Pic, 1903)

Podistrina cameroni Pic, 1903a: 155 .

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

Malthodes ragusai: CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) : 397, misidentification.

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

Malthodes cameroni: CILIA (1989) : 118.

Material examined. MALTA: 3 exs. ( BMNH): 8051 [= May 1903, Malthodes Podistrina Cameroni (Pic) , MP, Gbir] // Podistrina Cameroni [Pic’s handwriting] // M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555; 1 ex. ( BMNH): iv.1904, M. Cameron Coll. B.M. 1936-555; 7 exs. ( BMNH): G.C. Champion Coll. B.M. 1927-409 // Ragusai Fiori , det. Ganglbauer; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Selmun, 30.iii.1996, leg. D. Mifsud // Malthodes laciniatus Kiesw., det. A. Kopetz 2000; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Wied Has-Sabtan, 4.iv.1996, leg. D. Mifsud // Malthodes laciniatus Kiesw., det. A. Kopetz 2000; 1 ex. ( DMZM): Mellieha, Kortin, near Imgiebah Valley, 8.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet; 1 ex. ( NMPC): Mellieha, Kortin, 19.iv.2004, leg. H. Borg Barthet. GOZO: 1 ex. ( DMZM): Dwejra, 25.iv.2003, leg. D. Mifsud.

Distribution. Malta ( Fig. 4 ).

Comments. FIORI (1906) mentioned the possibility that M. cameroni could be identical with M. bifurcatus . This hypothesis was adopted by JAKOBSON (1911) and subsequent authors but it was questioned by WITTMER (1970), who emphasized the necessity to examine the type mate- rial. In the present work, M. cameroni is recognised as a valid species, strongly differing from M. bifurcatus . Given the shape of the male last abdominal segments ( Figs. 1-3 ), M. cameroni is closely related to M. ruralis Kiesenwetter, 1871 , described from Sicily. Unfortunately, no material of M. ruralis is at our disposal and Kiesenwetter’s type material was destroyed. Material identified as M. ruralis in collections (NMPC, collection of W. Wittmer, Basel) does not agree in certain details with Kiesenwetter’s original description, and so the validity of M. cameroni must be for the present keep open. Based on specimens collected by Walker (Champion Coll.), CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) reported this taxon as Malthodes ragusai Fiori, 1905 , a species with narrower and laterally apically curved bifurcated branches of the last tergite and described from Sicily. However, all corresponding specimens that we could examine are in fact males of M. cameroni . CAMERON & CARUANA GATTO (1907) reported the abundance of M. cameroni species in Malta as rare.

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).

Figs. 1-3. Malthodes cameroni Pic, 1903. 1 – last abdominal segments, oblique lateral view; 2 – last tergite, ventrocaudal view; 3 – last sternite, caudal view.