1,721,046 research outputs found
The Kateretidae and Nitidulidae of the Maltese Archipelago (Coleoptera)
Full text linkIn the present work, a total of 3 Kateretidae and 26 Nitidulidae are recorded from the Maltese Islands. Of these, 14 Nitidulidae (Epuraea luteola, Epuraea ocularis, Carpophilus bifenestratus, Carpophilus marginellus, Carpophilus quadrisignatus, Carpophilus dimidiatus, Carpophilus nepos, Urophorus humeralis, Urophorus rubripennis, Nitidula carnaria, Omosita discoidea, Meligethes rotundicollis, Meligethes ruficornis, Cybocephalus rufifrons rufifrons) and 1 Kateretidae (Brachypterus curtulus) represents new records for the Maltese Islands. Of these both autochthonous and accidentally introduced but established species are present. The earlier citation of Cybocephalus politus may be due to a misidentification. Three further new records of Nitidulidae, Carpophilus opacus, Brachypeplus deyrollei and Brachypeplus rubidus were collected alive on logs originating from Tropical Africa and intended for the timber industry. So far, there were no local records of establishment of any of these three species. All species were assigned to four faunistic groups. These include introduced but non-established species, cosmopolitan species, species with confined distributions and species with small distribution ranges. The complete absence of other species whose host-plants are locally available and which have typical Mediterranean distribution was highlighted. From a zoogeographical perspective the species assemblages of Kateretidae and Nitidulidae of Malta show strong affinities with those present in Italy.peer-reviewe
The psyllid Macrohomotoma gladiata Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Homotomidae): a Ficus pest recently introduced in the EPPO region
No full textThe psyllid Macrohomotoma gladiata, is a new insect pest of Ficus originating from Asia which has recently been found in Spain (Alicante) on urban Ficus microcarpa trees. This species may be of phy- tosanitary concern because of its leaf wrapping habits, wax secretion and honeydew excretion that may lead to direct and secondary twig damage. Although more studies are needed on the biology of M. gladiata, it is suspected that it might behave in the Euro-Mediterranean as an invasive alien species. The predation by Anthocoris sp. (nemoralis?) needs to be investigated in order to assess its effective- ness as a natural biological control agent. This is the first report of M. gladiata from the EPPO region
On some arthropods associated with Ficus species (Moraceae) in the Maltese Islands
Full text linkAn account is given on the 39 arthropod species which were found on different Ficus trees in the Maltese Islands. Seventeen species represent new records for Malta including Anothopoda fici, Asetadiptacus emiliae, Astichus bachmaieri, Ecphylus caudatus, Empoasca alsiosa, Eupristina verticillata, Ficocyba ficaria, Gynaikothrips ficorum, Josephiella microcarpae, Philotrypesis caricae, Pleistodontes sp., Rhaphitelus maculats, Rhyncaphytoptus ficifoliae, Scobicia chevrieri, Silba adipata, Singhiella citrifolii and Zanchius breviceps. Anothopoda fici and Zanchius breviceps, also represent new records for the entire European territory. Of the 39 arthropods, 33 feed on Ficus trees, whereas the rest are either parasitoids or predators of some of these plant feeders. The 33 species which use Ficus as their host-plant spend most of their development on and utilise the aforementioned trees as their main source of food, at least during their larval development.peer-reviewe
Nala lividipes (Dufour, 1828), a new earwig for the Maltese Islands (Dermaptera: Labiduridae)
Full text linkNala lividipes is recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Distributional, ecological and taxonomic notes are included for this species. New distributional data is provided for other earwig species which were locally known from few or single records.peer-reviewe
Paurocephala minuta Crawford 1919
No full textPaurocephala minuta Crawford Paurocephala minuta Crawford, 1919: 150. Holotype, examined. Description. Species of the brevicephala type. Adult: described by Crawford, 1919. Fifth instar larva: unknown. Host plants. Unknown. Distribution. Philippines (Luzon). Material examined. Holotype, Philippines, Luzon, Los Baños (P. I. Baker) (USNM). Dry mounted. Comments. The female holotype is extensively damaged. Based on the presence of the ventrally serrated lateral valvulae it is a species of the brevicephala type.Published as part of Mifsud, D. & Burckhardt, D., 2002, Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Old World jumping plant-louse genus Paurocephala (Insecta, Hemiptera, Psylloidea), pp. 1887-1986 in Journal of Natural History 36 (16) on page 1965, DOI: 10.1080/00222930110048909, http://zenodo.org/record/529907
Eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean): new reports and a preliminary check-list
No full textIn the 20th Century, about 20 species of eriophyoids were listed for the Maltese Islands but these reports
were entirely based on plant gall surveys. In these last four years, plant collections were made in order to
investigate the species of eriophyoids present in Malta and Gozo. Most of the earlier reports have been
confirmed and eight species were found to be new for the Maltese islands: Aceria caulobia (Nalepa) gall-making
on Suaeda vera Gmelin; Aceria onychia (Nalepa) on Phlomis fruticosa L.; Aceria sheldoni (Ewing) on lemon; Aculus
tetanothrix (Nalepa) gall-making on Salix sp.; Cecidophyopsis hendersoni (Keifer) on yucca; and three species
associated with olive, Ditrymacus athiasella Keifer, Oxycenus maxwelli (Keifer) and Tegolophus hassani ( Keifer).
Additional remarks were included for Acalitus phloeocoptes (Nalepa), collected on cherry plum, whose earlier
Maltese record was doubtful. A complete morphometric description of Aceria carlinae (Nalepa) is here
provided
Neuroptera (Insecta) of Pantelleria, the Pelagic Islands and the Maltese archipelago: towards an annotated checklist with new records
No full textFirst report of the Pyriform scale from Malta (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Coccidae)
Full text linkReport of the Pyriform scale from Maltapeer-reviewe
Occurrence of Centrouropoda almerodai and Uroobovella marginata (Acari: Uropodina) phoretic on the Red Palm Weevil in Malta
No full textThe unwanted introduction of the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) coincides with the spread in Malta of two species of Uropodid mites associated with this weevil. Usually, adult RPW carry phoretic forms of C. almerodai which are attached to the underside of elytrae, and U. marginata that prefers exposed surfaces of sternum, pygidium, head and legs. These mites use adult RPW to abandon dead palms and to colonize newly infested host-plants. Their role as plant pests is however negligible. Even the plant pathogen conidia, Curvularia which are carried by the mites, seem unable to germinate in palms under laboratory conditions. Both Centrouropoda almerodai and Uroobovella marginata are established in the Maltese Islands
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