Bolitophagus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1767)

Parisi, Francesco & B.,. Iucn., 2023, Further finding of Bolitophagus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1767) in Montenegro (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with brief comments on its distribution and conservation, Ecologica Montenegrina 67, pp. 40-44 : 41

Bolitophagus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1767)

Material. The discovery was made in Biogradska Gora National Park (42° 54’20.78N, 19° 35’30.99E) ( Figs. 1 A, B ), on 20 October 2022 at an elevation of 1,000 m (F. Parisi legit) (second record) ( Fig. 2 ). Figure 3 shows that the specimen was captured by direct search on standing and fallen deadwood. The specimen is deposited at the University of Molise (Unimol), F. Parisi collection .

Distribution. Montenegro (first record) (Kasbaz, 1967). Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Croatia, Russia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine (Löbl & Merki, 2008; Iwan & Löbl, 2020). Farashiani et al. (2022) report the presence of this insect in Iran.

B. reticulatus is included in red list of saproxylic beetles as Vulnerable (VU) in Italy ( Carpaneto et al., 2015), and Threatened in German ( Schmidl et al., 2021), but is currently not considered in the European red list ( Nieto & Alexander, 2010). Being a saproxylic beetle with a very low dispersal capability, linked to old forests with large quantities of dead wood, it is desirable that in the future the red list can also include this particular species linked to perennial mushrooms.

The strategies to preserve the Dinaric Alps forests and their tree diversity must recognize the essential role of saproxylic beetles as indicators of forest health. Therefore, further research is needed, as more species can be expected to be discovered in the forests of the Dinaric Alps ( Parisi, 2022), as these forests provide suitable habitats and breeding sites for saproxylic beetles due to the high diversity of plant species, abundance of old-growth trees, and extensive intact sections of this unique environment ( Farashiani et al., 2022). For the purpose of preserving this beetle, it is recommended to: (i) promote heterogeneity among trees; (ii) avoid removing fallen trees; (ii) ensure the presence of old-growth forests rich in microhabitats useful for saproxyophilous organisms; and (iii) retain habitat trees on which perennial fungi develop, which are essential for many fungivorous species ( Parisi 2022).

Figures

Figure 1. A. Location of Bolitophagus reticulatus finding site in Montenegro. B. Localization of the finding in the Bjelasica mountain range in the Dinaric Alps (Montenegro). Graphic processing Giovanni D'Amico.

Figure 2. Mixed forest of Norwegian beech-fir and fallen dead trees in Biogradska Gora National Park, where Bolitophagus reticulatus was found. Photo by F. Parisi.

Figure 3. Specimen of Bolitophagus reticulatus collected in Biogradska Gora National Park. Scale bar: 1 mm. The specimen was photographed with a 3D microscope with a full HD camera and LED illumination. Photo by F. Parisi.