Altica ampelophaga Guerin-Meneville, 1858 - new record of Flea Beetle for Malta (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

The Chrysomelidae is a very large family of phytophagous beetles with some 40,000 described species. The majority of adults are leaf feeders, with some species specializing on a wide variety of seeds, and fewer species are associated with pollen. The feeding regime is diverse as they may feed externally on the leaf tissue or on the roots, within leaves, stems or roots often as miners, or within the seed itself. Very few species are myrmecophiles. Some species are considered as agricultural pests, causing direct damage to various parts of the plant; most noticeable is the reduction of leaf area or sometimes indirect damage via the transmission of plant viruses. However, several species have also been used successfully in biological control programmes for the control of invasive weeds.peer-reviewe

A new tree dwelling aphid, Greenidea ficicola Takahashi, 1921 for Malta (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Greenideidae)

Greenidea ficicola is recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Distributional, ecological and taxonomic notes are included for this speciespeer-reviewe

Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle, 2004 and Ophelimus maskelli Haliday, 1844 - two new records of gall forming Eulophidae from Malta (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

The Eulophidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) currently accommodates more than 4,000 described species worldwide in some 300 genera (noyES, 2003). In Europe, the family is represented by about 1,100 species (GAuld & Bolton, 1988). Eleven species have previously been recorded from Malta in various scattered publications, but of these only two were reported as occurring in Malta in the Fauna Europaea database (mitroiu, 2004). The purpose of the present work is to add a further two new records of the family from Malta bringing the total number of species known from these islands to 13, and to bring together the previously recorded species in the form of a short annotated list with referencespeer-reviewe

A second Palaearctic record of Monoxia obesula (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Galerucinae)

Monoxia obesula Blake is here recorded for the first time from Malta. This constitutes the second record for the Palaearctic Region, as the species was previously found in Sardinia (Italy) in 2013. In Malta, M. obesula was found on Chenopodium album, which represents a new host-plant record for this beetle.peer-reviewe

Dasineura papaveris (Winnertz, 1853) - new record of a gall-midge from Malta (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)

New record of a gall-midge from Maltapeer-reviewe

Syrphophilus bizonarius (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Hymenoptera) - new to Malta, with a revised check-list of the Ichneumonidae of the Maltese Islands

The Ichneumonidae is a species rich family with 36,179 valid species recorded by yu & horStmAnn (1997). Ichneumonids utilise a diverse array of insects and arachnids as their hosts and play an essential role in the normal functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. They have also been used successfully as biocontrol agents (GuPtA, 1991).peer-reviewe

Present knowledge of the Entomofauna of the Maltese Islands

The Maltese Islands' strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean basin and in between the Siculo Tunisian sill, always encouraged a number of foreign naturalists to visit and study their local entomofauna. A number of Maltese naturalists also contributed to such investigations. All this activity yielded a substantial amount of literature, sometimes with descriptions of possibly endemic species. Unfortunately, some of these earlier published works and those found in Maltese journals, are not easily accessible. A brief general account of the entomofauna inhabiting the Maltese Islands is provided, citing general works in which earlier citations may be found and where possible indicating lack of research on certain insect groups.peer-reviewe

A review of the Anthicidae of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean) (Coleoptera)

Based on the study of about 900 specimens collected recently and at the beginning of the last century, information on the Anthicidae fauna of the Maltese Islands is updated. Anthicus crinitus La Ferte-Senectere, 1849, Cyclodinus blandulus blandulus (Baudi, 1877), C. coniceps (Marseul, 1879) s.1., C. croissandeaui croissandeaui (Pic, 1892) and C.larvipennis (Marseul, 1879) all collected in Malta are new for the fauna of the islands of the Sicilian channel, whereas Omonadus bifasciatus (Rossi, 1792) and Stricticomus transversalis mel'idionalis (Pic, 1896) collected in Malta are new for the Maltese fauna. The presence of Cordicomus opaculus opaculus (Pic, 1892) and of Aulacoderus sulcithorax melitensis (Pic, 1903) in Malta is confirmed. Both records were based only on specimens collected at the beginning of last century. Moreover, A. sulcithorax melitensis is new to Italy. Elldomia tenuicollis tenuicollis (Rossi, 1792), Omonadus formicarius fOl'micarius (Goeze, 1777) and Cyclodinus constrictus (Curtis, 1838) s.1. are recorded for the first time for the Island of Gozo; C. minutus minutus (La Ferte-Senectere, 1842) is recorded for the first time for the Island of Gozo and from Manoel Island; C. debilis (La Ferte-Senectere, 1849) is new to the Island of Malta, whereas Anthicus fenestratus Schmidt, 1842, Allthicus tristis tristis Schmidt, 1842 and Cordicomus istanbilis instabilis (Schmidt, 1842) are new to the Island of Comino. Some new records of Anthicidae from Pantelleria and Lampedusa (Italy) are included. A zoogeographical analysis and an updated checklist of the 27 species of Anthicidae currently known from the islands of the Sicilian channel (Pantelleria, Maltese and Pelagic Islands) are provided. 119 Anthicus larvipennis ssp. mongolensis Medvedev, 1974 from Mongolia is raised to species level and formally transferred to the genus Cyclodinus Mulsant & Rey, 1866: C. mongolensis (Medvedev, 1974) (new rank). Finally, a primary homonomy is indicated for Anthicus robustissimus var. pallidior Pic, 1948 not Anthicus (Aulacoderus) sulcithorax var. pallidior Pic, 1941. The second one, according to the Code, is placed as a subspecies.peer-reviewe

The Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

The bark beetle fauna of the Maltese Islands is reviewed, based on literature records and examination of collected material. A total of twenty-one species have been recorded of which seventeen species represent new records from the Maltese archipelago. These include Hylurgus micklitzi, Kissophagus hederae, Phloeosinus thujae, Liparthrum mori, Scolytus amygdali, Scolytus rugulosus, Scolytus sulcifrons, Pityogenes calcaratus, Orthotomicus erosus, Thamnurgus characiae, Coccotrypes dactyliperda, Crypturgus cylindricollis, Crypturgus numidicus, Xyleborinus saxesenii, Hypocryphalus scabricollis comb. nov., Hypothenemus eruditus and Hypothenemus leprieuri. The earlier citation of Scolytus scolytus is incorrect and should refer to S. sulcifrons whereas the citation of Cryphalus piceae is definitely incorrect due to the absence of its host-plants in Malta. Additionally, two species, Xyleborus ferrugineus and X. volvulus 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 these two species in Malta.peer-reviewe

Annotated review of the Cantharidae and Malachiidae (Coleoptera) of the Maltese Islands

The Cantharidae and Malachiidae (Coleoptera) of the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Six species of the family Cantharidae are listed, two of which are new for the Maltese Islands: Cantharis praecox Gené, 1836, and Malthinus latirufus (Pic, 1901). Malthinus pseudoscriptus Wittmer, 1971, syn. nov. is synonymized with Malthinus scapularis Marseul, 1878. Male last abdominal segments of Malthodes cameroni (Pic, 1903) are illustrated for the first time. Fourteen species of the family Malachiidae are listed, four of which are new for the Maltese Islands: Sphinginus lobatus (Olivier, 1790), Attalus sicanus Erichson, 1840, Ebaeus ruffoi Pardo, 1962, and Axinotarsus pulicarius (Fabricius, 1775). Attalus melitensis var. testaceipes Pic, 1903, syn. nov. is synonymized with Attalus sicanus Erichson, 1840.peer-reviewe