Sicily - June 2016
In the year 2016 we spent one week in south of Italy to study the Jewel Beetles and Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) into their natural environment. Hot days in the end of June and an impressive Mt. Etna expected us on Sicily.
After arriving to the airport in Catania we did a first look on the lava plains of the Mt. Etna.
The flowers of Genista aetnensis (Biv.) DC. were shining beautiful yellow.
On broken twigs a small Jewel Beetle could be observed while laying eggs: Anthaxia impunctata Abeille de Perrin, 1909.
Specimens of Anthaxia impunctata Abeille de Perrin, 1909 from Mt. Etna. This species could be confoundet with other related species of this group. In Sicily also living Anthaxia spinolae Gory & Laporte 1839 and Anthaxia mendizabali Cobos, 1965.
On twigs of Genista aetnensis (Biv.) DC another typical Jewel Beetle while eating leaves could be found.
Agrilus albomarginatus Fiori, 1906
Ruderal place in the western part of the Mt. Etna.
Acmaeoderella trinacriae (Obenberger, 1923). The taxonomical status of this taxon is disputed. After zoogeographical and morphological indications it seems to be closely related to the westmediteranean Acmaeoderella coarctata (P. H. Lucas, 1846).
On the flowers of Achillea sp. a hairy Jewel Beetle is common: Acmaeoderella lanuginosa (Gyllenhal, 1817).
After leaving the Mt. Etna we spent time in the Nebrodi National Park. This pictoresque village is Cesaro at the entrace of Nebrodi.
Carex flacca Schreb. next to the road into an oak forest.
Egg of Aphanisticus pusillus (A.G. Olivier, 1790) on the leafe of Carex flacca Schreb.
On different flowers also colourful Jewel Beetles were found. Anthaxia croesus (Villers, 1789) [syn. scutellaris Gené, 1839].
On the way flowering Mentha pulegium L. is one of the hostplants of the often misidentified Trachys menthae Bedel, 1921.
Pseudospinolia uniformis (Dahlbom, 1854) on ground vegetation.
On the way to Bosco della Ficuzza we had to wait for Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758.
Precipitated Pinus pinea L. are very atractive for some Jewel Beetles.
One of them is Chrysobothris solieri Laporte & Gory, 1837.
Beautiful landscape with Fraxinus sp., Crataegus sp., Quercus sp. etc.
A common Jewel Beetle living in different kind of Rosaceae. At this place Crataegus sp. was the hostplant of Ptosima undecimmaculata (Herbst, 1784).
Trichodes ammios (Fabricius, 1787) on a flowering thistle.
One of the commonest Jewel Beetle on Sicily: Anthaxia millefolii (Fabricius, 1801).
Flowering Umbelliferae is habitat for some beautiful Jewel Beetles.
Anthaxia thalassophila Abeille de Perrin, 1900...
...and Anthaxia dimidiata (Thunberg, 1789).
On Rubus sp. Agrilus viridicaerulans ssp. rubi Schaefer, 1937 could be observed.
Pink flowering Cephalaria sp. This is the hostplant of Trachys dichrous Obenberger, 1918, a species very closely related to Trachys troglodytes Gyllenhal, 1817.
Also butterflies like Melitaea didyma (Esper, 1779) visited those flowers.
Carlina corymbosa L. could be observed as hostplant of Meliboeus episcopalis (Mannerheim, 1837).
Meliboeus episcopalis (Mannerheim, 1837) normaly sitting on the leafes of its hostplants.
Distribution of Meliboeus episcopalis (Mannerheim, 1837) and Carlina corymbosa L. (including ) in Europe.
Also a small butterfly (Zygaenidae) flew around this thistles.
Wet ground with small yellow flowers (Potentilla sp.) growing between Crataegus sp. which are probably the hostplant of the following Jewel Beetle in this area.
Anthaxia suzannae Théry, 1942 sat on yellow flower.
Also Acmaeodera degener ssp. quattordecimpunctata (Villers, 1789) could be found.
We went back to the Mt. Etna and found beautiful pink plants (Saponaria sicula Raf.) on lava plains.
Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque, 1810) did a sunbath.
Last view of this impressive vulcan.
Chrysis scutellaris Fabricius, 1794 flew around flowers.
Rare moment: Anthaxia millefolii (Fabricius, 1801) was catched by a robber fly (Asilidae).
Chrysis comparata Lepeletier, 1806 flew around leafes of oaks.
Ferula communis L.
Holopyga fervida (Fabricius, 1781) on the yellow flowers of Ferula communis L.
Young oak with strange green balls...
...generated by a small Gall wasp: Andricus kollari (Hartig, 1843).
Another gall generated by Andricus korlevici (Kieffer, 1902).
Looks like a strawberry: Galls of Colaspis trinacria Cerasa, 2015.