Tiger beetles (Coleoptera Cicindelidae) of Capo Passero Island (Souther-eastern Sicily, Italy)

Capo Passero Island, at the southern tip of Sicily, hosts a distinctive assemblage of tiger beetles (Coleoptera Cicindelidae). This study provides updated records for the island, reporting five species - Calomera littoralis nemoralis, Calomera panormitana panormitana, Myriochile melancholica, Cephalota litorea goudotii and Lophyra flexuosa sardea - newly documented for this locality. Field surveys were conducted through direct observation and net collection across the main habitats, including sandy beaches, rocky shores, and saline soils. The island, covering only 0.37 km², serves as an important refuge for halophilous, psammo-halophilous, and rock-dwelling species. The Poisson regression analysis revealed no statistically significant effects of island area, distance from the mainland, or altitude on species richness. These results indicate that local ecological conditions, rather than general geographic gradients, primarily drive the distribution of tiger beetles in the circum-Sicilian islands. The findings emphasize the conservation value of small islands and the need to preserve specific habitats to maintain Cicindelidae populations.