On the occurrence of relict populations of Pytho abieticola J. R. Sahlberg, 1875 in Switzerland (Coleoptera, Pythidae)

By

Chittaro, Yannick
Sanchez, Andreas
Szallies, Alexander
Gossner, Martin M.
Lachat, Thibault

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-3-8

Original Publication

Metabarcoding and metagenomics

Volume

7

Pages

1--11

Subjects

conifer , deadwood , Distribution , Faunistics , log , new record , subcortical

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/alpento.7.98799

 

Abstract

Several adults and larvae of Pytho abieticola were discovered in 2021 and 2022 at three different localities in two regions of Switzerland, the Jura mountains and the Swiss National Park in the Eastern Alps. This very rare saproxylic beetle has not been detected in Switzerland so far. Considered a relict of primeval forests, it is in strong decline or has already disappeared from large areas of Central Europe. The isolated Swiss populations are the westernmost in its distributional range. Information on the ecology and distribution of P. abieticola in Switzerland and Europe is provided and criteria to distinguish P. abieticola from the congeneric and syntopic P. depressus are defined.