The lamellicorn beetles of southern Sardinia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

Abstract

A faunistic inventory of lamellicorn beetles has been conducted in southern Sardinia (former province of Cagliari) based on literature and collection records, as well as on new fi ndings from recent fi eld expeditions (2003–2008). The taxonomic analysis of the study area revealed the occurrence of 105 species (2 Lucanidae, 2 Trogidae, 7 Geotrupidae, 1 Hybosoridae and 93 Scarabaeidae). The majority of families are represented by 100% of the known Sardinian fauna; o nly the Scarabaeidae, the most diverse family, is represented by 80.8% of its Sardinian members. Some considerations are made on the conservation status, trophic categories, chorotypes, habitat distribution and seasonal activity of all the species recorded. The percent values of coprophagous and phytophagous species are respectively 57.1% and 40.9%, almost reversed compared to the same values for the whole Italian lamellicorn fauna (46.8% and 50.5%). This pattern is probably due to the historical impact of land use (mainly based on livestock grazing) on the structure of the scarab communities.