G. it. Ent., 1 (5): 265-284
September 30, 1983
Trox (s. str.) granulipennis Fairm. and allied "taxa",
with two new species from Mediterranean area
(Coleoptera: Trogidae)
(XXV contribution to the knowledge of Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea)
by
RICCARDO PITTINO
Abstract - The Author hereby deals with the results of a study concerning the Mediterranean Trox (s.str.) F. of the "granulipennis" - group, based on external morphology as well as male genitalia, and carried out through the examination of 485 specimens (25 types) in all. 5 lectotypes and 18 paralectotypes are designated. T. granulipennis Fairm. is redescribed, T. confluens Woll. and T. barbarus Har. are verified to be synonymous with it. T. mixtus Har. (= berytensis Petr. n. syn.) and T. martini Reitt., hitherto regarded as subspecies of T. granulipennis, are verified to be valid species and redescribed too. T. aproximans Escal., considered also up to now a subspecies of T. granulipennis, is reduced to the value of an aberrant form of T. fabricii Reiche, although one might suggest the possibility the former is a West Maghrebinic race of the latter. Two new species, T. leonardii and T. klapperichi, hitherto confused in collections with T. granulipennis, are also described. Finally, the A. doesn't get to an exact evaluation of the systematic position of T. strandi Balth. and T. sordidatus Balth., the latter described from Greece as a subspecies of T. granulipennis, since Balthasar's types were not available to study. Nevertheless, after examining the original descriptions and comparing them to the "taxa" hereby studied, the A. concludes that both T. strandi and T. sordidatus in no way correlate to the true T. granulipennis. The former is suggested to be an aberrant form of T. fabricii Reiche, in consideration of the strongly reduced humeral callus, and the latter an aberrant form of T. hispidus (Pont.) close to the ab. asiaticus Fald. or a valid "taxon" near it, in consideration of the finely granulate even elytral costae and the intercostae nearly half-width of costae. The original drawings of male genitalia complete this work.
