Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) metallescens (Erichson)

Penati, Fabio, 2009, An updated catalogue of the Histeridae (Coleoptera) of Sardinia, with faunistic, zoogeographical, ecological and conservation remarks *, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 197-280 : 247

62. Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) metallescens (Erichson)

Saprinus metallescens Erichson 1834: 192

Saprinus metallescens Er. : Marseul 1855: 686; Gemminger & Harold 1868: 788; Bargagli 1871: 41; Bertolini 1872 –1878: 84, 1904: 48; Krausse 1913: 61

Saprinus (Hypocaccus) metallescens Erich. : Porta 1926: 378

Saprinus sardeus Dahlbom : Giachino 1982: 350

Literature data. “Sardinia” ( Erichson 1834; Marseul 1855; Bargagli 1871; Bertolini 1872 –1878, 1904; Porta 1926; Luigioni 1929; Porta 1934; Barajon 1966; Vienna 1980; Mazur 1984; Audisio et al. 1995; Mazur 1997; Yélamos & Lackner 2004); idem, sd, GD, “2 cotypi” ( Reichardt 1932); idem, sd, “gift or coll. Parreyss”, 1 ex (Giachino 1982). Cagliari prov.: Isola di San Pietro, Carloforte, 20.V.1901, AD, 2 ex (CGB). Monti dei Sette Fratelli, Monte Cresia, 700 m, 11.VIII.1988, on half-fresh cow dung, CM, 1 ex (CCMe). Nuoro prov.: Sorgono, dint. ( Krausse 1913). Oristano prov.: Oristano, sd, UL, 1 ex ( CAD). Sassari prov.: Badesi, foce del Coghinas, 30.VI.1995, RPa, 1 ex (CPV). Ozieri, sd, DA, 10 ex ( CAD).

Unpublished records. “Sardinia”, sd, 4 ex (CFB as Saprinus metallescens Er. ); idem, sd, UL, 1 ex ( CAD).

Chorotype. To be defined: the species is known from the W-Palearctic and Afrotropical regions ( Yélamos 2002; Penati & Vienna 2006b), different from what is stated by Mazur (2004).

Italian distribution. Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Campania, Apulia, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.

Ecology. Occurs on small animal carcasses and in excrements, sometimes also in other decomposing matter; according to Vienna (1980) [translated from the Italian original] “ it often frequents the sands of coastal dunes, where it can be found close to the roots of psammophilous Graminaceae ”.