Giuseppe Osella

Soil Curculionidae (Coleoptera)

Abstract Present knowledge of the blind soil Curculionidae (Coleoptera) has been synthesized. All the genera living in the deep soil, belonging, so far as is known, to eight different sub-families out of a total of 73 attributed to the Rhynchophora, have been surveyed. For each the number of taxa has been reported along with zoogeographical and systematic notes. On the basis of the morphological, biological and ecological characteristics, a hypothesis is advanced of when and how the soil was colonized, at the same time stressing the importance of the Curculionidae as ecological « indicators » of the soil in addition to their place in pure research.

Otiorhynchus radjai sp. n. from Vis Island (Dalmatia, Croatia), and description of a new subgenus of Otiorhynchus Germar (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

Abstract Otiorhynchus radjai sp. n. from Vis Island (Dalmatia, Croatia) is described. This new blind species, collected in a cave, is very closely related to some eyeless, hypogeous and/or cave dwelling Otiorhynchus from the Pre‐Alps of Lombardy and western Veneto (northern Italy) thus far included in the subgenus Troglorhynchus Schmidt, 1854. These species, however, share with the new taxon the untoothed femora, the united arms of female sternum 8, the spermatheca with nodus lengthened and body apex short, the ovopositor coxites with lengthened styles, being clearly separated at subgeneric level from the O. (Troglorhynchus) species living in the eastern Alps and Istria. The new subgenus Otiorhynchus (Baldorhynchus) subgen. n. (type species: Troglorhynchus baldensis Czwalina, 1875) is accordingly described.

Otiorhynchus (eunihus) praetutiorum n. sp. (coleoptera, curculionidae) from the Laga massif in central Italy

Abstract Otiorhynchus (Eunihus) praetutiorum n. sp. from central Italy is described. The new species, apparently limited to the winter snow valleys of the top of the Laga Massif, is related with Carpathian, Transylvanian, and Alpine species of O. (Eunihus) Reitter, 1912 (status revised), here revived from synonymy with O. (Nihus) Reitter, 1912. Otiorhynchus praetutiorum is quite different from O. (Eunihus) abnizzensis Stierlin, 1898, also found in the Apennines, which is instead closely related to the O. (Eunihus) species from the Balkans and Anatolia, all living in dry high‐altitude pastureland.