Dodomeira sicana Bello

Dodomeira sicana Bellò & Baviera sp. n.

(Figures 11, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 41c, 70, 109)

Type locality. Sicily, Agrigento, Sicani, Bivona (Fig. 152).

Diagnosis. A small-size species (3.40–3.80 mm) belonging to the adrianae group with short sub-parallel elytra (length/width ratio: 1.63) and body shape sub-cylindrical. Within the species group, it is recognisable by rostrum with subconical sides, pronotum transverse (length: 0.75–0.85 mm, width: 0.85–0.95 mm, ratio 0.83–0.89), antenna slender with scape/funicle ratio 0.70–0.80, elytral declivity with spatulate, recumbent/raised (10°–40°) setae. Elytra slightly convex dorsally (length: 2.20–2.45 mm, width: 1.3 5– 1.50 mm, ratio 1.63), clothed by imbricate brownish-silvery scales and golden setae clavate or spatulate.

Type series. Holotype female with the following labels: [transparent label] genitalia in DHMF // [white, printed] ♀ // [white, printed] “I, Sicilia, Agrigento, Bivona, 420m, vaglio sub Olea, 11. XII. 2014, Bellò & Baviera legg.” // [white, printed] “ N 37°36.666’ E 013°25.970’,” // [green, printed] “Collezione Cesare Bellò” // [red, printed] “ Dodomeira sicana sp. n., Holotype, det. Bellò 2016 ” (CBE).

Paratypes. 17 females: “I, Sicilia, Agrigento, Bivona, 420m, vaglio sub Olea, 11. XII. 2014, Bellò & Baviera legg.” // “ N 37°36.666’ E 013°25.970” (CBE, CBA, GOS); 4 females: “IT, Sicilia, Agrigento, monti Sicani, Bivona, vaglio sub Olea, 365m, 11. XII. 2014, Bellò & Baviera legg.” // “ 37°38.093’ N 013°26.404’E ” (CBE); 1 female: “I, Sicilia, AG, Sicani, Bivona, vaglio sub Olea, 360m, 3. III. 2 013” // “37°38.093’N 013°26.404’E, Bellò & Chemello legg” (CBE).

Types are twenty-two (all females).

Other material. 1 female: “ Sicilia, AG, Monte Cammarata, 910m, 20. III. 2 0 15, A. Degiovanni leg.” (CBE). The specimen differs from paratypes for pronotum less transverse (length: 0.85 mm, width: 95 mm, ratio 0.89).

Holotype. Female. Total length: 3.50 mm. Body shape slender and subcylindrical. Dorsal vestiture with imbricate brownish-silvery scales with metallic sheen. Short, raised, spatulate-clavate setae on pronotum as on elytra (angle with elytral surface 15°–30°).

Rostrum covered by brownish-silvery scales, transverse (length/width ratio 0.83), sub-conical to the sides. Pterygia inconspicuous. Epistome absent. Mesorostrum slightly concave, anteriorly with about ten thin, curved, semi-erect setae. Vertex convex (vertex width / mesorostrum width: ratio 1.95) with spatulate and recumbent setae. Interocular space without visible fovea. Lateral and spherical eyes protruding from outline of head. Antenna quite robust and short with long, raised, silvery, widened setae. Antenna with ratio 0.73 (scape length: 0.70 mm, funicle length: 0.95 mm). Scape clubbed, slightly more robust than funicle, curved at the middle. Funicle segments including club, relative lengths as follows: 10.5.3.3.3.3.3.15; segments 1–5 with clavate setae; segments 4–7 pearlshaped. Club at least twice wider than funicle, fusiform with suture between first and second segment visible.

Pronotum clothed with brownish-silvery scales, transverse (length: 0.75 mm, width: 0.90 mm, ratio: 0.83), slightly sub-hexagonal, sinuate at the sides, wider in the middle with spatulate-clavate, silvery recumbent setae. Punctation usually covered by scales. Scutellum small and inconspicuous.

Elytra vaulted, covered by brownish-silvery scales, sub-cylindrical with suture quite flat (length: 2.20 mm, width: 1.35 mm, ratio: 1.63), wider at the middle. Humeri short and rounded. Elytral declivity with spatulate, recumbent/raised (10°–40°) raised setae. Punctation of striae, shallow, catenulate and impressed. Interstriae flat, with spatulate, short, silvery, raised or recumbent setae.

Legs robust and short, covered by brownish-silvery scales and rather short, clavate, silvery-golden setae. Femora clubbed. Protibia with two acute spines on inner edge, with quite evident mucro on inner apical angle. Protibia not sinuous on inner edge, metatibia and mesotibia straight in side view.

Tarsal segment 1 short, conical; segment 2 short and transverse; segment 3 shallowly bilobed; all segments with thin golden setae. Onychium curved, robust and quite short.

Female genitalia. See Figures: spermatheca (Fig. 70), sternite VIII (Fig. 109). Genitalia were examined in nine specimens.

Paratype variability. Paratypes are similar to the holotype but differ in size.

Distribution. See Fig. 139. Italian endemic. Known of Sicani Mountains, at 350–950 meters, between Bivona and the Cammarata Mount.

Etymology. The species take its name from the ancient people of Sicani who inhabited the region before and during the Greek and Roman domination of Sicily. In addition, the Sicani Mountains are a wilderness area very interesting in the central-western Sicily.

Ecology and Phenology. Collected by Berlese and Winkler extractors from soil obtained sifting the leaf litter on clay soil, of an olive grove in March and December, at 400–1000 meters.

Collections in the other months gave negative results.

Main soil type. Vertic-Cambisol (European Soil Data Centre; Panagos et al. 2012).

Reproduction. Probably parthenogenetic. Species known twenty-three females.