Considerazioni biogeografiche sulla coccidiofauna della Sicilia

Results of a zoogeographical study on scale insect fauna of Sicily are provided. Homoptera Coccoidea, due to the close relationship with their hostplant, represent a case study in understanding the role of human activities in fauna changes.The 169 species recorded up to know in the Island (which represent 42%of the Italian scale insects fauna) have been divided in basic distributional patterns, in cosmopolitan or subcosmopolitan elements and in endemic or with a restricted distributional area elements.The cosmopolitan or subcosmopolitan elements are themost numerous but have a limited zoogeographical value.They include species that moved from other countries to Sicily where the global warming effects on the climate allow them to establish and become pests of crops, forestry and ornamentals. Among the basic distributional patterns the species with wide distribution in the Holarctic region and those with wide distribution in the Mediterranean area are more numerous than the afrotropical and oriental species in the Mediterranean area and those endemic or with a restricted distributional area.Moreover, considerations on the composition of the fauna in relation to host plants representative of natural and anthropic environments are presented.