Biodiversity Journal , 2017, 8 (2): 753–762 A report on two alien invasive species of the genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 (Hymenoptera Sphecidae) from Sicily, with a brief faunistic update on the native species Giuseppe Fabrizio Turrisi 1,* & Giovanni Altadonna 2 1Via Cristoforo Colombo 8, 95030, Pedara, Catania, Italy; e-mail: [email protected] 2Contrada Filangeri s.n.c., Vill. Pistunina, 98125, Messina, Italy; e-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Two alien invasive species of the genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 (Hymenoptera Sphecidae) were recently found in Sicily: S. caementarium (Drury, 1773) is recorded from Sicily (Messina province) for the first time; S. curvatum (F. Smith, 1870), previously recorded from Sicily only through generic data from literature and only one locality in a web forum of amateurs, is confirmed as definitely established in the Island. The Regional distribution of both alien species in Italy is revised based on data taken from literature and reliable reports from web forums. A brief faunistic account on the three native Sceliphron from Sicily is provided: S. destillatorium (Illiger, 1807) and S. spirifex (Linnaeus, 1758) are both new for the Aeolian Islands (respectively reported for Panarea and Vulcano). KEY WORDS Sceliphron caementarium ; first record; Sphecidae; Sicily; Italy; alien; invasive species. Received 12.06.2017; accepted 23.06.2017; printed 30.06.2017 INTRODUCTION body with more or less extended yellow spots. The head has a flattened frons, antenna filiform, without In terms of alien species diversity within inver- placoids in the male, distance between antennal tebrate orders, Hymenoptera ranks as third following socket and fronto-clypeal suture at least 0.5 anten - Coleoptera and Hemiptera, with about 300 species, nal socket diameter, mandible without teeth (with representing 30 families, introduced to Europe some exception in the female of a few species) and (Rasplus et al., 2010). Among the Mediterranean buccal parts short, with the third maxillary pal- countries, Italy hosts the largest number of alien Hy - pomere widened on its side; the legs have tarsal menoptera, about half of the European species, 144 plantulae, without spines; the propodeum has the according to Rasplus et al. (2010). But the know- dorsal area sharply defined, with a longitudinal me - ledge of alien hymenopteran species in insular con - dian furrow; the wings are hyaline, weakly yellow- texts still remains under-explored. It is noteworthy ish, with both recurrent veins ending in the second to underline that for islands alien species could play submarginal cell; the metasoma has an elongate to a more relevant role rather than mailand areas, due very elongate tubular petiole (Bohart & Menke, to obvious geographic reasons and thus the peculiar 1976; Pagliano & Negrisolo, 2005). ecological context, especially in smaller islands. The Sceliphron species build a mud multilocular The genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 (Hymenoptera pedotrofic nest attached to a wide range of sub- Sphecidae) is a distinctive sphecid-wasp genus char- strates, mainly rock walls, in a more or less con- acterized by the predominantly black colour of the cealed position, and frequently many specimens 754 GIUSEPPE FABRIZIO TURRISI & G IOVANNI ALTADONNA work closely each other to produce massive con - tion on biological invasions, available at centration of nests (Chatenoud et al., 2012). It is not http://www.europe-aliens.org/default. do (accessed unusual to find nests in strange substrates, e.g., a June 17, 2017). Photographs were produced with a wide range of handworks (Gepp, 2003; pers. obs.). Canon Power Shot SX130 IS digital camera with a The pedotrophic cells are provided with a variable 12.1 mega pixels’ resolution into a light chamber number of specimens of Aranaeae. with the aid of 11W fluorescent light-source. The genus has a worldwide distribution with 35 species (Pulawski, 2017), of which eight re- corded for Europe and Mediterranean basin RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (Schmid-Egger, 2005) and five for Italy (Pagliano & Negrisolo, 2005), including both the three native The present addition allows to raise the number and the two alien invasive species: S. caementarium of the known Sceliphron species of Sicily from (Drury, 1773) and S. curvatum (F. Smith, 1870). In three to five, which represent all the species cur- Sicily three native species of the genus were recor - rently known to Italy (Pagliano & Negrisolo, 2005). ded so far, although Strumia et al. (2012) indicated the presence of the alien S. curvatum since the year Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773) (Fig. 1) 2002 through a map, without indication of locality. In the present note, we provide the first evidence EXAMINED MATERIAL . 1 female, Sicily, Messina of the presence in Sicily of the two alien invasive province, Messina, Tremestieri, 35 m a.s.l. species of Sceliphron known for other parts of Italy. (38°08'36.9"N/15°31'21.7"E), 23.VIII.2013, G. Altadonna leg. (G.F. Turrisi collection, Pedara, Italy). DESCRIPTIoN . Main colour black, including MATERIAL AND METHODS trochanters and femurs of hind legs and petiole, except: antennal scapes, tegulae, pronotum, scutel - The examined material includes two specimens recently collected through hand-net by the authors lum of mesonotum, upper part of mesopleurae, in Messina province. The material has been identi - metanotum, distal part of propodeum, most of fore fied by the first author based on the keys and dia - and mid legs (except coxae, basal half of femurs gnoses provided by Bitsch et al. (1997), Pagliano & and tarsomeres 2–5), basal half of hind tibiae and Negrisolo (2005) and Schmid-Egger (2005). To re - hind tarsomeres 1–3, most of metasomal tergite 1 construct the distribution of the treated species in (except base), yellow; wings hyaline, sharply yel - Italy it has been taken into account data from spe - lowish with distal half slightly infuscate. Petiole cialist literature as well as reliable records (e.g., only straight, slightly shorter than rest of metasoma those containing photos, thus allowing a safe iden - (ratio: about 0.9); last sternite without carina. tification, as well as precise collecting data) pub- REMARKS . In origin, it was a Nearctic species lished in social forums, namely: “Forum Entomologi (Pulawski, 2017), which is become very widespread Italiani”, referred as F.E.I. in the text, available at in the World, being accidentally introduced into https: www.entomologiitaliani.net/forum (accessed Europe, Asia, Australasia (including Fiji, Microne - June 11, 2017); “Natura Mediterraneo”, section Hy - sia, Cook Islands), South America, Hawaiian menoptera, referred as Na.Me. in the text, available Islands, Antille, Martinique, Marquesas Islands at https://www.naturamediterraneo.com (accessed (Pagliano et al., 2000a, 2000b; Pagliano & Negrisolo, June 11, 2017); “Aracnofilia, Associazione Italiana 2005; Schmid-Egger, 2005; Pulawski, 2017). In di Aracnologia”, referred in the text as A.I.A., avail- Europe, it has been introduced several times during able at http://forum.aracnofilia.org (accessed June 19th and 20th centuries (Rasplus, 2010); it is be- 11, 2017); “Forum Acta Plantarum”, referred in the lieved that the introducing way was mainly by ship text as Ac.Pl., available at http://www.floraitaliae. cargos (Berland, 1946; Bogusch & Macek, 2005). It actaplantarum.org/index.php (accessed June 16, was first reported in 1945 from Versailles (but was 2017). Moreover, the status of the treated alien spe - never subsequently reported there) and in 1949 from cies has been detected in the website DAISIE (De - southern France (Berland, 1946; Rasplus, 2010). livering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Bogusch & Macek (2005) documented the possible Europe), being the major public source for informa - first finding of the species in Europe, through a spe - Two alien Sceliphron species (Hymenoptera Sphecidae) from Sicily, with a brief faunistic update on the native species 755 cimen collected in 1942. Anyway, only since the province, Caronia, Torre del Lauro, 5 m a.s.l. 1970s this species becomes well established in many (38°02’39.75”N/14°31’57.44”E), 30.VI.2014, G.F. countries of Europe and Asia: Belgium, Luxem - Turrisi leg. (G.F. Turrisi collection, Pedara, Italy). bourg, France (including Corsica), Germany, Aus- DESCRIPTIoN . Main colour black, including tria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, trochanters and femurs of hind legs and petiole, Italy, Spain (including Canary Islands), Portugal, except: clypeus, ventral part of antennal scapes, Ukraine, Iran, India (Leclercq, 1974, 1975; apex of antennomeres 3-4, tegulae, pronotum, Haeseler, 1976; Erlandsson, 1978; Leclercq & Claparede, 1978; Schneider & Pelles, 1988; Hamon middle part of mesoscutellum, upper part of meso - et al., 1989; Pauly, 1999; Pagliano, 1992, 1995; pleurae, two spots on base and distal part of pro- Pagliano et al., 2000a, b; Gusenleitner, 2002; Ver - podeum, ventral surface of distal half of fore and nier, 2003; Hellrigl, 2004; Bogusch & Macek, 2005; mid legs, distal half of metasomal tergite 1, yellow; Pagliano & Negrisolo, 2005; Schmid-Egger, 2005; tibiae, basal half of hind femurs and tarsi yellowish Bitsch & Barbier, 2006; Veprek & Straka, 2007; Fal - orange; metasomal tergites other than 2, with a dis- lahzadeh et al., 2009; Pagliano, 2009; Bitsch, 2010, continuous pale yellowish band; wings hyaline, 2014; Rasplus, 2010; Callot & Brua, 2013; Kannagi only slightly yellowish along a narrow line of costal et al., 2013; Zettel et al., 2014; Dollfuss, 2016; to marginal cell. The yellow colour could vary from DAISIE, 2017). However, the distribution at country yellow to yellowish-brown and reddish orange level still remains under-explored and in need of (e.g., see photos at F.E.I., Na.Me., and Ac.Pl.). further investigation above all to establish whether Petiole sharply arcuate upwards, quite shorter than its presence also includes natural habitats and which rest of metasoma (ratio: about 0.5); last sternite with types. In Italy, S. caementarium was found for the a weak but distinct carina carinate. first time in 1990 in Tuscany, near Pisa (Strumia, REMARKS .