Description of new species of Spilophorus (Prospilophorus) Holm & Perissinotto, 2010 with revision of the subgenus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Cremastocheilini)

Despite two revisions of the genus Spilophorus Westwood, 1848 having been published fairly recently, new findings and closer analyses have revealed the existence of more species than previously reported. A new species of the endemic African subgenus Prosphilophorus Holm & Perissinotto, 2010 has been discovered in Cameroon and is hereby described as S. (P.) superbus sp. nov. A series of new specimens of S. (P.) grandis Schein, 1949 has also been found in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN, South Africa), making it possible to confirm the type locality for this species in South Africa and necessitating the erection of a new species, S. (P.) holmi sp. nov. for the specimens from Tanzania, previously grouped under the former taxon. Finally, two female specimens housed in the Museum of Central Africa (MRAC, Tervuren, Belgium) and other specimens reposited in private collections and previously regarded as belonging to S. (P.) aurifer Westwood, 1874 are here recognized as a separate species and described as S. (P.) congoensis sp. nov. , on the basis of their comparativedifferences in dorsal ornamentation, sculpture and shape of the mentum. The genus appears to be of special significance for the biodiversity of the continent, due to its rather unique ecological characteristics of association with bird and ant aerial nests. The suggestion that species may represent highly specialized and isolated relicts, as highlighted in Holm & Perissinotto (2010), seems to be validated and strengthened by these findings

The Porphyronota Burmeister, 1842 of Cameroon, with description of a new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Diplognathini)

Recent collections from Cameroon have revealed the occurrence of a new species of Porphyronota Burmeister, 1842 from Adamaoua and the Centre regions, P. antoinei sp. nov. This is described herein, along with a review of the known species of the country. The rehabilitation of the specific status of P. maculipennis Moser, 1916 is confirmed, as this species is clearly separated from P. hebraea (Olivier, 1789) by a number of diagnostic characters already highlighted by other authors and is also known mainly from Cameroon thus far. The occurrence of P. cinnamomea (Afzelius, 1817) in northern Cameroon is reported for the first time, and it is proposed that P. cinnamomea angolensis Holm, 1990 be upgraded to species level, P. angolensis stat. nov., as it is sufficiently different from the nominal form in the shape of its parameral apex and other key characters. The bioecology of the genus Porphyronota is discussed in the context of the prevailing habitat characteristics, the feeding and breeding patterns of the various taxa currently included in it. One group of species, previously constituting the obsolete genus Poecilophila Kolbe, 1893, lives in forest and open savanna habitats and its members breed within the soil or in rotten wood and feed on fruits, sap or flowers at the adult stage. A second group, probably composed of most if not all the other known species, lives in mountainous grassland habitats, undergoes period of dormancy underground and appears to depend on specific herbivore dung for larval growth

Field observation of Dorcus parallelipipedus feeding on the remains of Lucanus cervus cervus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)

A male of Dorcus parallelipipedus (Linnaeus, 1758) feeding on the remains of a Lucanus cervus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) female, which was probably preyed by a Hooded Crow (Corvus corone cornix Linnaeus, 1758) was observed and filmed in a relict oak-hornbeam forest of the Po Plain (N Italy, Lombardy region, Mantua province). This unusual behaviour is discussed and similar activities (cannibalism and entomophagy) of lucanids are highlighted

Introduzione

Questo volume vede la luce in un periodo di grande regressione politica e culturale. In Europa prevalgono i nazionalismi e anche  in Italia si torna a parlare di difesa delle radici e di identità nazionale. Nel contempo, dalle periferie del mondo, masse sempre più consistenti di disperati cercano un’alternativa alla propria condizione fuggendo verso paesi che non sono disposti ad accoglierli. Eppure, molto del benessere economico del quale gode una minima percentuale della popolazione mondiale si deve all’immigrazione, ai movimenti di popoli che dalle periferie hanno portato con sé cultura e idee, inventiva e ingegno. Pochi però sono disposti ad ammetterlo

Bradyrrhoa andreae sp. nov. from Central Italy (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The habitus of a series of specimens from Central Italy referable to the genus Bradyrrhoa Zeller, 1848, combined with the examination of their genitalia and with a DNA barcoding analysis performed on 6 specimens, allowed the identification of a new species, which is described here as Bradyrrhoa andreae sp. nov. B. imperialella is also reported for the first time in Umbria (Central Italy)

First records of the false click beetle Isorhipis marmottani from Italy (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae)

The rare central European beetle Isorhipis marmottani (Bonvouloir, 1871) is here reported for the first time from Italy (Emilia Romagna/Tuscany regions, Sasso Fratino Integral Nature Reserve). The currently known distribution, ecology, and biology, as well as the habitat of the species in the study area are briefl y discussed

Centro/periferia? Una messa in discussione attraverso le leggi antiebraiche nella scuola fascista

Over the last few decades, especially in the international arena, the categories of “centre” and “periphery” have undergone a profound rethinking in many disciplines: from economics in the globalised world to geography, from anthropology  to history. This process involved the spatial dimension, and above all the political one, which in turn posed the need to go beyond the narrative of a “centre” radiating a “periphery” and to define the two terms in the plural, emphasising their multidimensionality.This essay starts off with the questions: is it possible to overcome these categories? Or are they still meaningful if rethought creatively? And how much are they actually used implicitly, often with new implications? Given an Italian historiographical context in which these categories largely persist, the article reflects on their validity drawing on a specific case study: the fascist school  and the racist laws of 1938

A new locality in northern Algeria for the endangered Maghrebian endemic butterfly Pseudophilotes fatma (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Pseudophilotes fatma is an endemic butterfly species found in northern Algeria and Morocco, listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Previously, it was known only from a few localities of Algeria in the western part of the country and northern Morocco. In 2019 it has been recorded for the first time in Ghilassa Forest in the Bordj Bou Arréridj region of northern Algeria, about 100 km west of known Algerian distribution. This study also shortly discusses the current distribution of the species and sits endangerment.

First description of the female of Lamiogethes hastipenis Liu et al., 2020 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae, Meligethinae)

In this study, the female of Lamiogethes hastipenis Liu, Yang, Huang, Cline, Sabatelli & Audisio, 2020, is reported for the first time, based on recently collected specimens from its type locality in Shennongjia National Forest Park, Hubei Province, China. Dorsal and ventral pictures of both male and female, along with pictures of their genitalia, are provided. The larval hostplant of L. hastipenis (almost certainly in the family Lamiaceae) still results unknown

Microleptinae, a new subfamily for the fauna of Italy (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

The Darwin wasp subfamily Microleptinae is reported for the first time in Italy, with Microleptes obenbergeri Gregor, 1938 discovered in Lombardy and Tuscany. This was the only subfamily of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) of the European fauna not yet recorded for the country