Indagine morfometrica su adulti di Lucanus cervus (L.) (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) in provincia di Piacenza

[Autom. eng. transl.] The Lucanus cervus (L.) (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) has a marked sexual dimorphism, with males showing a positive allometry of the development of the jaws. Based on their size, adult males can also be traced to two distinct morphologies, the form minor and the major, which also differ in some behavioral and, perhaps, physiological aspects. In 2014 and 2015 a morphometric study was conducted on a population of L. cervus in the province of Piacenza during flight periods. The survey was carried out by capturing the largest number of sighted L. cervus adults in each periodic sampling. The specimens were then measured, marked and immediately released. Measurements taken on both males and females include: jaw length, head length, elytra length and total body length (jaws included). After verifying the statistical distribution of the data, they were normalized by transforming them into a natural logarithm and the statistical significance of the correlation between the total body length (or that of the elytra) was analyzed with the other two measured variables. In the case of males, a positive allometric correlation was found between the total length (or that of the elytra) and the length of the jaws (or that of the head). Otherwise, in the case of females, there are no significant relationships between the measured variables. The present investigation, the result of a study still in progress, increases the knowledge on the morphometry of kite-like adults, also useful for accrediting some hypotheses that support a behavioral difference between the two forms of males. Finally, the morphometric identities (maximum, minimum, average length) of the specimens measured in the study area are reported, and some general evaluations are given on the relationships between the various measures investigated.