SPIXIANA 27 3 253-285 München, Ol. November 2004 ISSN 0341-8391 The Blattoptera fauna of Switzerland and the adjacent regions of France, Italy and Austria I. The species of the sylvestris-group of Ectobius (Blattellidae, Ectobiinae) Horst Bohn Bohn, H. (2004): The Blattoptera fauna of Switzerland and the adjacent regions of France, Italy and Austria. I. The species of the sylvestris-group of Ectobius (Blat-tellidae, Ectobiinae). -Spixiana 27/3: 253-285 In the first part of the revision of the Blattoptera of Switzerland the species of the sylvestris-group of Ectobius Stephens are treated. Two species of this group are already known: E. sylvestris (Poda) and E. lucidus (Hagenbach) which are widely distributed in Switzerland. One species is new for the country: E. eckeiieini Harz, hitherto only known from the type locality in France, has been found in the cantons Waadt (Vaud) and Wallis (Valais) and also in several departments of southem France. Two other species are new to science: E. ticiuus, spec. nov., is found in Tessin and the adjacent parts of Wallis and Graubünden (Grisons); in Italy in the southem Alps in between Valle d' Aosta and Lake Como. E. supramontes, spec. nov., occurs in Engadin (Graubünden); outside Switzerland it is found in Italy in the southem Alps between Lake Como and the river Adige, and in Austria near the border towards Engadin. The new species are described, depicted and compared with the known species. Important features in the male for the discrimination of the species of the si/Zfesfr/s-group are shape of glandulär pit, genital sclerites (helmet sclerite) and paraproct structures; in the female genital sclerites and colouration of abdominal Segments. A key for the determination of the Swiss species and maps showing their distribution are presented. ~ Prof. Dr. Horst Bohn, Biologie Department II, Universität München; present address: Zoologische Staatssammlung München, MünchhausenstraLse 21, D-81247 München; e-mail:
[email protected] Introduction The Blattoptera fauna of Switzerland is still very poorly known. The last comprehensive werk was published more than 80 years ago by Fruhstorfer (1921). It is of only restricted value since it appeared prior to Ramme's revision of the genus Ectobius Stephens in which the tili then chaotic Situation in the taxonomy of the European Ectobius species was clarified (Ramme 1923). Therefore, many of Fruhs-torfer's determinations remain doubtful. In Ramme's revision 7 species of Ectobius are listed as occurring in Switzerland: E. erythroiiotus Burr, E. lopponicus (Linnaeus), E. pallidus (Olivier), E. (Capraiellus) panzeh (Stephens), £. puiictatissimus Ramme, E. sylvestris (Poda), and £. vitliventris (Cos-ta); to these E. lucidus (Hagenbach) has to be added since the type specimen was found in Switzerland. Including two Phyllodromica Fieber and a Loboptera Brunner v. W. species recorded by Fruhstorfer, a total of 11 wild species of Blattaria has been report-ed from Switzerland. During the following decades the Swiss Blatto-ptera fauna was almost completely neglected. The only investigation dealing with Swiss Blattoptera was that of Hofmänner (1951) about the Orthoptera 253
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