Dasytes Paykull

Liberti, Gianfranco, 2009, Improved Strategies for Branching on General Disjunctions, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 339-385 : 349

Key to species of genus Dasytes Paykull

Dasytes has been divided into five subgenera (see Liberti 2004a); in Sardinia it is represented by 8 species belonging to the following subgenera: Dasytes , Hypodasytes and Mesodasytes .

Dasytes flavescens and D. pauperculus have possibly been improperly placed in Dasytes (Dasytes) , as this subgenus has been provisionally used as a “container” for species of doubtful affiliation (see Liberti 2004a).

1. Body colour yellow to brown (sometimes bicoloured yellow and brown) but never black; dull, with no metallic reflexions; antennal segments short and compressed (character more evident in females); sexual dimorphism reduced; length about 3 mm ............................................................................................................... D. (D.) flavescens

- Body colour black (excluding legs and antenna which can be yellowish or reddish in part); rather bright and, sometimes, with metallic reflexions; antennal segments longer than wide or, mainly in female, more or less squareshaped; evident sexual dimorphism (male with longer and thinner antenna and parallel body shape) ........................ 2

2. All antennal segments with long setae (character most evident in male); male with 5 th antennal segment long, subtrapezoidal; female elytral pubescence simple, only consisting of thin, pale and rather erect setae (no black, stiff ones); length: 3.0– 3.5 mm .............................................................................................................. D. (D.) pauperculus

- Only first 5–6 antennal segments with long setae; 5 th antennal segment of male either short or sub-triangular; female elytral pubescence double, consisting of both recumbent pubescence and black setae................................................ 3

3. Pronotum flattened and very transverse, about twice as wide as long; completely black (legs included). Body larger, of wider shape: length 4.5–5 mm ................................................................................................... D. (H.) coerulescens

- Pronotum normally convex, 1.0–1.5 times as wide as long. Legs and antenna may be yellow to reddish in part. Body smaller, of narrower shape: length 3.5–4.5 mm ............................................................................................................ 4

4. Female head, eye included, narrower than anterior edge of pronotum; eye small. Length 4–4.5 mm [the male of this species is unknown]. .................................................................................................................. D. (subgen.?). doderoi

- Female head, eye included, approximately as wide as anterior edge of pronotum, eye normal .................................. 5

5. Legs entirely black; antenna black apart from 2 nd segment (sometimes reddish). Length 3.5–4.5 mm ......................... ........................................................................................................................................................ D. (M.) aeneiventris

- Legs, and often also antenna, pale in part (yellowish or reddish) ................................................................................ 6

6. Femora and antenna entirely black; tibiae reddish or yellowish, pronotum heavily punctured and rather dull on disc. Length 3.5–4 mm ............................................................................................................................D. (M.) nigroaeneus

- Basal half of femora yellow; first 3–4 antennal segments yellow; tibiae yellow, pronotum smooth and bright on disc. Length 3–4 mm. Although very similar, these two species clearly differ in the shape of the aedeagus ( Figs 12–13 ) ............................................................................................................................................................ D. (M.) croceipes ............................................................................................................................................................... D. (M.) iteratus

Figures

FIGURES 12–19. Median lobe in lateral view. 12–15. Dasytes spp., scale bar: 0.5 mm. 12. Dasytes (Mesodasytes) iteratus Peyerimhoff (Sardinia, Nebida). 13. Dasytes (M.) croceipes Kiesenwetter (Sardinia, Lido del Sole). 14. Dasytes (M.) nigroaeneus Küster (Italy, Campania, Napoli province, Campagnano d’Ischia). 15. Dasytes (M.) aeneiventris Küster (Sardinia, Fonni). 16–19. Aplocnemus spp. from Sardinia, scale bar: 0.5 mm. 16. Aplocnemus (Aplocnemus) cribricollis Mulsant & Rey (Burcei). 17. Aplocnemus (A.) pectinatus (Küster) (Stagno di Colostrai). 18. Aplocnemus (Diplambe) januaventi Liberti (Bruncu Spina). 19. Aplocnemus (D.) duplicatus Kiesenwetter (Seui).