Publications - update 4

The ariophantid Hemiplecta belerang sp. nov. from South Sumatra is described in this paper. It is compared with its closest congeners, from which it is geographically and reproductively isolated.

Hemiplecta belerang Cilia & Abbas, 2012 - holotype specimen 

Hemiplecta belerang, live animal photographed in type locality

Reference:

Cilia, D. P. & Abbas, J., 2012. A new species of Hemiplecta Albers, 1850 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Ariophantidae) from Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversity Journal, 3 (2): 137-144. accessible here

Publications - update 3

One of the several lessepsian species colonizing areas of the Mediterranean is Brachidontes pharaonis, a bivalve with the ability to form dense mytilid mats over a range of different mediolittoral substrata. Since its initial observation from the Maltese Islands in the early 1970s, the species has consolidated its presence all over the archipelago. Close examination of the entire length of the Maltese shoreline was conducted to collect quantitative and qualitative data on the mytilid and on dominant accompanying macrofaunal and macrofloral species, in what represents the first comprehensive mapping of an allochthonous species within an island territory. Brachidontes pharaonis was found to have colonized most of the northern and eastern coastal stretches of the island of Malta, preferring limestone substrata in inlets with limited wave exposure and affected by high marine concentrations of hydrocarbons and other pollutants, where it reached individual abundances exceeding 1000 individuals per square metre.

A cluster of Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer, 1870) from a Globigerina limestone location on the Ta' Xbiex shore. Barnacles, patellids, chitons and coralline algae are also visible.

Reference:

Cilia, D. P. & Deidun, A., 2012. Branching out: mapping the spatial expansion of the lessepsian invader mytilid Brachidontes pharaonis around the Maltese Islands. Marine Biodiversity Records, 5 (e28): 1-8. DOI link

Publications - update 2

The invasive Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774), a freshwater and brackish water snail, is reported from Mosta and Baħrija in Malta. Shells from these populations are morphologically distinct from a population at Salini first recorded in 1981.

Shells of Melanoides tuberculata from Malta - specimens from Baħrija, Mosta and Salini.

Reference:

Cilia, D. P., Sciberras A. & Sciberras J., 2012. Two non-indigenous populations of Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Cerithioidea) in Malta. MalaCo, 9: 4 pp. accessible here

Publications - update 1

A new species of olivid neogastropod from West Java, Agaronia johnabbasi sp. nov., is described according to conchological characters. It is distinguished from congeners by means of its distinctive morphology and colouration.

Agaronia johnabbasi Cilia, 2012 (left specimen). For comparison - Agaronia johnkochi Voskuil, 1990 (middle specimen) and Agaronia nebulosa (Lamarck, 1811) (right specimen). All specimens are from West Java (Pangandaran Bay).

Reference:

Cilia, D. P., 2012. A new Javan species of Agaronia Gray, 1839 (Neogastropoda, Olividae). Novapex, 13 (1): 33-36.

New Sicilian landsnails

Two new species of land snails from Sicily have been described in the latest issue of Biodiversity Journal. The first species is a clausiliid in the genus which is this blog's namesake - Muticaria brancatoi Colomba, Reitano, Liberto, Giglio, Gregorini & Sparacio, 2012, from south-eastern Sicily. It is the fourth described Muticaria and is a perfect illustration of the genetic complexity exhibited by island endemisms.

Muticaria brancatoi Colomba, Reitano, Liberto, Giglio, Gregorini & Sparacio, 2012

The second species is a slug, Tandonia marinellii Liberto, Colomba, Giglio & Sparacio, 2012. The description is included in a paper which also mentions the first finds of Rumina saharica Pallary, 1901 from Sicily, for which specimens collected by myself from the island of Marettimo were examined.

Tandonia marinellii Liberto, Colomba, Giglio & Sparacio, 2012

The island of Marettimo, from where R. saharica has been recorded

References:

Colomba, M. S., Reitano, A., Liberto, F., Giglio, S., Gregorini, A. & Sparacio, I., 2012. Additional data on the genus Muticaria Lindholm, 1925 with description of a new species (Gastropoda Pulmonata Clausiliidae). Biodiversity Journal, 3: 251-258. accessible here

Liberto, F., Giglio, S., Colomba, M. S. & Sparacio I., 2012. New and little known land snails from Sicily (Mollusca Gastropoda). Biodiversity Journal, 3: 199-226. accessible here

Horticultural Wednesday I

Phalaenopsis is a very popular orchid genus originating from southeast Asia, with several horticultural varieties. The fine specimen above was photographed in Puerto de la Cruz, in Tenerife.

Entomological Society of Malta - vol. 4 launch

Last Friday saw the launch of the 4th volume of ESM's excellent series of papers dealing with, as the name of the society implies, the entomology of the Maltese islands and their biogeographic context.

The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. George Abela, and three society members (including its chairman) delivered short speeches on the importance of scientific research, peer reviews, funding and the maintenance of high publication standards. 

The scope of the talks ranged from the general, all-encompassing importance of works by luminaries such as Max Planck and Thomas Kuhn, to the specialized methodologies employed by scientists dealing in what the public may perceive as the "dinja stramba ta' dud, nemel u nsetti oħra" (lit. strange world of bugs, ants and other insects).

On to the main issue at hand - and its contents. This collection contains:

1) a catalogue of the aphid species occurring in Malta, with 48 new records, together with a list of aphid parasitoids, with three new records, and a new record of a coccid

2) observations and records of tachinid, rhinophorid and cecidomyiid flies from Malta and other Mediterranean areas

3) observations and records of nepticulid and pyralid moths from Malta

4) a catalogue of Maltese Scarabeoidea with eight new records, with a discussion on possible extinction mechanisms for these very interesting beetles

5) short features aimed at the younger demographic

A sample illustration - Scarabaeus (Ateuchetus) semipunctatus Fabricius, 1792 and Scarabaeus (Ateuchetus) variolosus Fabricius, 1787

The website was not updated in time for the launch, therefore for more information on the society please contact

Dr. David Mifsud
Entomological Society of Malta
P. O. Box 9
Marsa, MRS1000
Malta