Matthias Borer

The species of the subgenus Stichoptera occurring in Switzerland are revised, based on a combination of literature data, old museum specimens and recent material. Four species, one with two subspecies, Chrysolina kuesteri (Helliesen, 1912), Ch. latecincta latecincta (Demaison, 1896), Ch. latecincta norica (Holdhaus, 1914), Ch. rossia (Illiger, 1802) and Ch. sanguinolenta (Linnaeus, 1758) are confirmed to occur in Switzerland, while Ch. gypsophilae (Küster, 1845) has to be excluded from the Swiss fauna due to insufficient evidence. Errors and unclarities in the older literature are discussed. Ch. kuesteri was found abundantly in central Valais, allowing some notes on its larval biology. Larvae of the alpine Ch. latecincta are also illustrated, along with notes on its habitat and some past and present distribution records. Illustrations for all Swiss members of the subgenus, as well as distribution maps with all confirmed records, are provided.

Im Rahmen des 24 Stunden dauernden GEO-Tags der Natur in den Merian Garten bei Basel wurden 213 Kaferarten aus 34 Familien festgestellt. Folgende zwolf Arten aus neun Familien werden ausfuhrlicher besprochen: Anchomenus dorsalis (Carabidae), Lomechusa emarginata (Staphylinidae), Agrilus hyperici (Buprestidae), Aphanisticus elongatus (Buprestidae), Riolus subviolaceus (Elmidae), Langelandia anophthalma (Zopheridae), Sphindus dubius (Sphindidae), Xylographus bostrichoides (Ciidae), Bruchidius imbricornis (Chrysomelidae), Longitarsus scutellaris (Chrysomelidae), Eusomus ovulum (Curculionidae), Dryophthorus corticalis (Dryophthoridae). Neben einem Zweitfund fur die Schweiz, wurden auch einige Arten mit sehr zerstreutem und luckenhaftem Verbreitungsmuster fur die Schweiz gefunden. Die Artenliste spiegelt die Fachrichtungen der beteiligten Spezialisten und deren Sammel- und Beobachtungsmethode wieder. So reprasentiert sie nur partiell das wirkliche Potential des Untersuchungsgebietes und fuhrt zwangslaufig zu Ungleichgewichten. Dennoch konnen die Merian Garten als «Biodiversitats Insel» im urbanen Raum Basel bezeichnet werden.

Background Within the Coleoptera, the largest order in the animal kingdom, the exclusively herbivorous Chrysomelidae are recognized as one of the most species rich beetle families. The evolutionary processes that have fueled radiation into the more than thirty-five thousand currently recognized leaf beetle species remain partly unresolved. The prominent role of leaf beetles in the insect world, their omnipresence across all terrestrial biomes and their economic importance as common agricultural pest organisms make this family particularly interesting for studying the mechanisms that drive diversification. Here we specifically focus on two ecotypes of the alpine leaf beetle Oreina speciosissima (Scop.), which have been shown to exhibit morphological differences in male genitalia roughly corresponding to the subspecies Oreina speciosissima sensu stricto and Oreina speciosissima troglodytes. In general the two ecotypes segregate along an elevation gradient and by host plants: Oreina sp...