Revisione Tassonomica delle Specie Paleartiche del Genere Agathidium Panzer (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Agathidiini) [Taxonomic Revision of the Palaearctic Species of the Genus Agathidium Panzer (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Agathidiini)]

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Language: Italian witn bilingual keys and summary in English and Italian

A revision of the Palaearctic Agathidium is presented, based on the examination of over 20,000 specimens. A total of 164 species and subspecies are recognized, and a number of synonymies are established

After a diagnosis of the genus Agathidium, the fundamental literature is given for each species, along with its description, distribution verified on the basis of specimens studied or drawn from reliable references, and information on the type-specimens. Diagnoses of all subgenera and species-groups are also presented.

The introductory part deals with: 1) the nomenclatural vicissitudes which the earliest two described species, Silpha seminulum Linnaeus, 1758 and Sphaeridium nigripenne Fabricius, 1792, have undergone; 2) a list of the subsequent descriptions of Agathidium taxa, in their chronological order and by geographical distribution; 3) the basis of the present systematic structure of the genus Agathidium; 4) the position of Agathidium within the tribe Agathidiini, using both a key and a table of the superspecific characters; 5) data on both ecology and morphology. A taxonomic checklist is presented.

This study of the Palaearctic Agathidium fauna leads to the following conclusion:
1) As many as 90% of species belong to the subgenera Neoceble and Agathidium s.str.
2) Endemic species are more prevalent in the Mediterranean region and most such species belong to subg. Agathidium s.str.
3) The subgenus Neoceble is predominant at higher latitude.

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