Psilothrix aureola ( Kiesenwetter, 1859 )

Liberti, Gianfranco, 2009, Improved Strategies for Branching on General Disjunctions, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 339-385 : 366

Psilothrix aureola ( Kiesenwetter, 1859)

( Figs 22 , 27 )

Dolichosoma (Psilothrix) aureolum Kiesenwetter, 1859: 178 (Loc. typ. central Italy); Kiesenwetter 1863: 644 footnote; Kiesenwetter 1867b: 139 [syn. of Dasytes smaragdinum Lucas, 1847 ]; Schilsky 1894a: 230, 236 [good species]; Schilsky 1894b: nr. 50; Ragusa 1896: 76; Porta 1929: 123; Pic 1937: 108 [ Lasius ]; Tempère 1974: 226; Liberti 1995b: 501; Sparacio 1997: 106, fig. 37.

= Dolichosoma splendidum Schaufuss, 1867: 81 ( Schilsky 1894a: 236) .

Material examined. Sassari prov.: Codaruina, 1995 ( CAN); Isola Asinara, 1988 ( MCSNG); Isola Piana dell'Asinara, 1989 ( MCSNG); Porto Torres, 1974 ( CMO); Sassari, 1962 ( MCSNG, MSNUF); Stagno di Casaraccio, 1985 ( MSNUF); Stagno di Pilo, 1995 ( CAN, CLI, MCSNG); Stintino, 1974 ( CFR, MCSNG). Olbia-Tempio prov.: Santa Teresa di Gallura, 1975 ( MCSNG). Oristano prov.: Stagno di Cabras, 1974 ( MCSNG).

Chorotype. Mediterranean: mainly eastern, from the Balearic islands to the south of Greece (but probably reaching further east), Tunisia, Algeria (cf. Mayor 2007b). In Italy it is common or very common from Emilia to Sicily ( Liberti 2007c). Affinities: the genus Psilothrix has a wide distribution (cf. Mayor 2007b).

Notes. Species characterized by its bright green colour, rather small size and the shape of the male pygidium ( Fig. 22 ). The taxonomy of this species may be slightly modified in the future to take into account the existence of both winged and wingless forms. Recorded for Sardinia by Bertolini (1899 –1904, as P. melanostoma and P. smaragdinus ). Although often very common within its distribution area, it is not so in Sardinia where a wingless form has only been found in the north-west ( Fig. 27 ).

Figures

FIGURES 20–23. 20–21. Median lobes in lateral view, scale bar: 0.25 mm. 20. Dolichosoma simile (Brullé) (Italy, Tuscany, Grosseto province, Talamone). 21. Dolichosoma lineare (Rossi) (Sardinia, Padrogiano). 22–23. Pygidium, scale bar: 0.5 mm. 22. Psilothrix aureola (Kiesenwetter, 1859) (Malta, Gozo Island). 23. Psilothrix viridicoerulea (Italy, Liguria, La Spezia province, Montemarcello).

FIGURES 24–27. Distribution maps of species with a limited range in Sardinia. 24–26. Danacea (Allodanacea) spp. 27. Psilothrix spp.