Hamecha, L., Mairif, M., Ahmed, D.A., & Marniche, F. 2026 Discoveries about Micrococcus silvestrii (Leonardi, 1907) (Hemiptera, Micrococcidae) in Algeria: Confirmation of its presence and geographical distribution. Polish Journal of Entomology 95:39–47
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Notes: The first mention of Micrococcus silvestrii (Leonardi, 1907) in Algeria dates back to 1936, when Balachowsky reported receiving colonies from M. P. de Peyerimhoff, collected from Tapinoma sp. nests in the Djurdjura Mountains. However, the exact collection site was not specified, no other documentation since then has confirmed its presence. In this work, we confirm the presence of M. silvestrii in the Djurdjura National Park in north-central Algeria, and make the first mention of it in the north-western region, specifically in the Theniet El Had National Park. Myrmecological surveys conducted between January 2023 and February 2025 enabled manual identification of several colonies of M. silvestrii in symbiosis with the ant Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 1911, under large stones and on host plants of the Poaceae family. These observations confirm the insect's presence and its range extension in Algeria.
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