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Michele Bellavista

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (3): 277-282

    Ignazio Sparacio, Tommaso La Mantia & Michele Bellavista
    Pachydema lopadusanorum n. sp. (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) from Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.3.277.282

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper the populations of Pachydema Castelnau, 1832 (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) living in Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy), so far attributed to P. hirticollis (Fabricius, 1787) of North Africa, are examined. The comparison of the main morphological characters between these two populations allowed to attribute those of Lampedusa to a new species that is described in the present work. Faunistic and biological observations on these species are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (2): 105-106
    Michele Bellavista
    Taxonomy and biology of the African Goliathini Krikken, 1984 (Coleoptera Cetoniidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.2.I.II
  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 487-492

    Michele Bellavista & Ignazio Sparacio
    Forest-ecological aspectsof the Allardius Ragusa, 1898 genre (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) in Sicily and Sardinia

    ABSTRACT
    The genus Allardius Ragusa, 1898 (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) includes only two species: Allardius oculatus (Baudi di Selve, 1876) endemic to Sicily and A. sardiniensis (Allard, 1877) endemic to Sardinia. They are infrequent species in nature with few reports in entomological bibliography. The authors describe and illustrate the larvae and the biological aspects of Allardius. In particular, it is highlighted the strong saproxylophagous activity of these beetles and the importance of their role in the ecology of a forest in relation to the presence of "dead wood".

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 261-262
    Michele Bellavista
    The Galápagos Islands
  • Biodiversity Journal, 1: 015-044

    Tommaso La Mantia, Michele Bellavista, Giovanni Giardina & Ignazio Sparacio
    Longhorn beetles of the Ficuzza woods (W Sicily, Italy) and their relationship with plant diversity (Coleoptera Cerambycidae)

    ABSTRACT
    The woods in Sicily are the result of centuries of anthropogenic activities that have reduced the surface of wood and changed the original composition even with the introduction of alien species to native flora. The value in terms of biodiversity of these forests remains, however, high for they are the last refuge areas for many animals and plant species. This study was conducted within the Ficuzza woods (West Sicily), extended about 5,000 hectares on the slopes of limestone-dolomite rock of Busambra (1615 m asl), within which lies the largest remaining forest area in western Sicily. It is an area with a wide diversity of vegetation, represented mainly by native forests (holm oak, cork oak, deciduous oaks), groups of riparian vegetation, shrubs, bushes, grasslands, and of non-native forest formations (Pinus and Eucalyptus woods). The study on Cerambycidae in this area is fragmented and does not specify a relation the species with the surrounding vegetation. This study was performed by choosing among various groups of insects, xylophagous Coleoptera Cerambycidae; existing literature data and extensive collected field data were reviewed. The analysis was also performed by the collection of dead wood in order to distinguish the relationship between the plant species and coleoptera. The results summarize and supplement the data registered so far, shedding further light on the ecological role of this group of insects that are also valid biomarkers of the integrity and complexity of the forest.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (4): 1001-1006

    Michele Bellavista, Pierpaolo Rapuzzi & Ignazio Sparacio
    A new species of Neopiciella Sama, 1988 (Coleoptera Cerambycidae) from western Sicily
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.4.1001.1006
    https://www.zoobank.org/References/8cb7a660-94a0-4123-85da-d6a92ec13ae2

    ABSTRACT
    A new species of the genus Neopiciella Sama, 1988 (Coleoptera Cerambycidae) from Sicily is described. Neopiciella stefaniae n. sp. is compared with the other species of this genus: N. sicula (Ganglbauer, 1885) from Sicily and N. kabyliana (Pic, 1896) from Algeria and Tunisia. Further information on the taxonomy, biology and geographical distribution of this small group of Beetles, and on N. stefaniae n. sp. in particular, are provided.