• »V www.biodiversityjournaI.com ISSN 2039-0394 (Print Edition) ISSN 2039-0408 (Online Edition) with the support of world biodiversity association o n I u s Biodiversity Journal MARCH 2017, 8 (1): 1-314 FOR NATURALISTIC RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Xanthostemon aurantiacus (Brongn. et Gris) Schltr. - Chutes de la Madeleine, New Caledonia BIODIVERSITY JOURNAL 2017,8(1): 1-314 Quaternly scientific journal edited by Edizioni Danaus, viaV. Di Marco 43, 90143 Palermo, Italy www.biodiversityjournaI.com biodiversityjournal@gmail.com Official authorization no. 40 (28.12.2010) ISSN 2039-0394 (Print Edition) ISSN 2039-0408 (Online Edition) New Caledonia. New Caledonia is a hot spot with a high degree of endemism and a rich biodiversity (for instance about 3.300 species of plants have been recorded thus far, including the richest concentration of conifers in the world: 44 species, among them 13 species of the genus Araucaria and the only known parasitic conifer, i.e. Parasitaxus ustus). The presence of several phylogenetic relicts and the circumstance that it was originally a fragment of Gondwana pointed towards a “continental island”, but more recently, geological evidence indicating Palaeocene and Eocene submersions and biogeographic and molecular phylogenetic studies support the view that New Caledonia is a biota not older than the Oligocene (Grandcolas et ah, 2008). The island is therefore a "Darwinian island", although an old and large one. The main island (Grande Terre) hosts a diverse array of habitats, including moist lowland forest, cloud forest, dry forest, mangroves, savannah and the "maquis minier": this strange habitat is characterized by the presence of ultramafic rocks, toxic and poor of nutrients for the majority of plants. Nonetheless several endemic species of plants thrive there, forming a landscape somewhat similar to the South African Fynbos, although in the tropics. The images show some fine examples of the flora typical of maquis minier: a small Lomandra insularis (Asparagaceae) (right, center) growing in the middle of lichens ( Cladia retipora and Cladonia pycnoclada) (also right, top), and the flower of Cunonia macrophylla (Cunionaceae) (right, bottom). Alberto Ballerio, Viale Venezia 45, 25123 Brescia, Italy; e-mail: alberto.ballerio.bs@aballerio.it Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 3-8 Aphaenogaster muelleriana Wolf, 1915 (Hymenoptera Formi- cidae) in Salento (South East Italy) Antonio Scupola Museo Storia Naturale di Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 9, 37129 Verona, Italy; e-mail: scupolant@outlook.it ABSTRACT Workers of the ant Aphaenogaster muelleriana Wolf, 1915 (Hymenoptera Formicidae) have been found in Salento (Apulia, South East Italy) for the first time. Also, this record represents the first citation for the Italian peninsular territory. New Italian localities for A. splendida spe- cies-group are given here. KEY WORDS Ants; Aphaenogaster muelleriana', A. ovaticeps; A. splendida', first citation, Formicidae, Italy. Received 23.12.2016; accepted 05.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION In July 2016 during my myrmecological re- searches in Salento (South Apulia) I had the chance to collect some specimens of the nocturnal Aphaeno- gaster (Attomyrma) muelleriana Wolf, 1915 (Hy- menoptera Formicidae Myrmicinae Stenammini). This Balkan ant species was up to now virtually unknown on the Italian mainland, having only two historical records reporting localities close to the Slovenian borders. The Salentinian specimens rep- resent the first citation for Apulia and for the entire Italian peninsular territory. MATERIAL AND METHODS The specimens are stored in the following col- lections: ASPC: Antonio Scupola personal collec- tion (Verona, Italy); CGPC: Christophe Galgowski personal collection (Saint-Aubin-de Medoc, France); ESPC: Enrico Schifani personal collection (Palermo, Italy); BMNH: The Natural History Mu- seum of London U.K.; MSNM: Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano, Italy; MSNV: Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona, Italy; VGPC: Vincenzo Gentile personal collection (Napoli, Italy). Measurements were taken by means of an ocular graticule mounted on Leica MB3 stereomicroscope at 60X magnification. The measures are express in mm; The following acronyms have been used: CL (cephalic length, measured from the anterior edge of the clypeus to the posterior border of the head); CW (maximum width of the head, measured imme- diately after the eyes); SC (scapus length, measured without the basal condyle); Cl (cephalic index: CW/CL); CS (cephalic size: CW+CL/2). RESULTS Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma) muelleriana Wolf, 1915 Examined material. New data. Italy, Salento (Lecce Province, Apulia), Torre Vado, loc. Postu Vecchiu, 9-16.VII.2016, (at the base of a little wall near a house with garden), leg. A. Scupola; 15 workers. 4 Antonio Scupola Distribution. Emery (1898) first mentioned the Aphaenogaster muelleriana, nevertheless without giving a formal description of it. Sub- sequently Emery (1914) cited as A. ovaticeps new subspecies, a series of workers from Cephalonia, but also in this case without providing a formal description. He writes: “ wird dr. K. Wolf der die arbeiterin derselben bei Tries t fand, unter dem namen subsp. Mulleriana beschreiben” . [“...Dr. K. Wolf describes the worker found in the surround- ings of Trieste under the name subspecies mul- leriana A]. Wolf (1915), finally, describes A. ovaticeps ssp. muelleriana , on a single specimen (Muller legit) from Castle of Miramare near Trieste. After the original description, new specimens are signaled from Trieste (Finzi, 1922; Muller, 1923; Finzi, 1927) and Gorizia (Baroni Urbani, 1962). A. muelleriana is reported also from Slove- nia (Bracko, 2007), Croatia (Zimmermann, 1935; Bracko, 2006), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zimmer- man, 1935), Serbia (Petrov & Collingwood, 1992), Montenegro (Zimmermann, 1935; Karaman, 1998), Albania (or Greece ?) (Pindo) (Emery, 1898 sub A. ovaticeps ; Wolf, 1915; Emery, 1916, Finzi, 1927), Greece (Prevesa) (Emery, 1898 sub A. ovaticeps ; Wolf, 1915); Corfu island (Finzi, 1927), Cephalonia island (Emery, 1914). The presence in Macedonia (Borowiec, 2014) is dubious (not confirmed by Karaman, 2009 and Bracko et al., 2014). Remarks. The systematic position of A. muel- leriana is actually still unclear. This taxon for a long time has been considered only a subspecies of A. ovaticeps Emery, 1898, (endemic species from Liguria (North West Italy), as the differences found in the workers (head more slender and pos- terior much transverse, head surface more polish, propodeal spiny less developed) and found in the draws of the males (Wolf, 1915, based on the draws of Emery, 1898), were weak but constant. Muller (1923) studied the particular populations of A. ovaticeps ssp. muelleriana from Split (loc. Castella) (Central Balkan). He noticed that at first sight, the specimens are convergent with A. ovaticeps s. str. (head opacity and form of the pro- podeal spiny), but in the same time, he found some differences in males and in particular in the workers (he compared the draws of Emery, 1908) (post- petiole lower in profile as in A. muelleriana , and head more slender respect to A. ovaticeps s. str.). Muller then considered these populations as a possible separate new subspecies (not described), besides affirms that the Albanian (Grecian ?) popu- lations are probably co-specific with this new sub- species. Finzi (1927) observed that the population of A. ovaticeps ssp. muelleriana from Trieste, differs from A. ovaticeps s. str. only for the brightness of the vertexal, since the morphology of the head and propodeal spiny are subject to intranidal variation. He notices, in particular, that a specimen of A. ovaticeps s. str. from Genoa, (collected by Mantero in the year 1911), has a typical short propodeal spiny, while a specimen of A. muelleriana from Trieste has a longer propodeal spiny compared to those of ovaticeps s. str. Finzi (1927) had not enough materials to solve this problem and he never took in consideration males reported from Pindo and Preveza (Greece). Emery (1908) writes that the male of A. ovaticeps (sic!) (= muelleriana ?) from Pindo (Albania or Greece ?) has the wings “gelblich” (yellowish) and propodeal spiny less leaning, while the male from Genoa (f. typ.) has the wings “farblos” (colourless) and the propodeum more leaning. Finzi (1927), in every case, accepts “sic et simpliciter ” the vision of Muller, and considers the three followings entities: Aphaenogaster ovaticeps s. str. from Genoa (North West Italy: Liguria) Aphaenogaster ovaticeps ssp. muelleriana from Trieste (North East Italy: East Friuli and North West Balcania) Aphaenogaster ovaticeps n. ssp. of Muller, from southern Balkans (Split, Albania, North West Greece and Ionian islands). Agosti & Collingwood (1987) raised A. muel- leriana to bona specie without providing any fur- ther information. Recently, Borowiec (2014) in contrast with the current opinion, considers the possible synonymy between A. ovaticeps s. str. and A. muelleriana s.l. (inclusive of the new subspecies of Muller). He writes “... Materials from Corfu suggested that both taxa represent only forms of one species and nests with intermediate specimens were ob- served Here, I retain useful to provide measurements from the different populations: Aphaenogaster muelleriana Wolf, 1915 (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in Salento (South East Italy) 5 Aphaenogaster muelleriana 5 specimens from Salento, Torre Vado (ASCP) CL 1.280 1.260 1.230 1.230 1.344 CW 1.02 0.944 0.944 0.928 1.024 SC 1.82 1.600 1.600 1.600 1.800 Cl 0.797 0.749 0.767 0.754 0.762 CS 1.15 1.102 1.087 1.079 1.184 Aphaenogaster muelleriana 4 specimens from Greece: Aetolia, loc. Akamania (ASCP) CL 1.232 1.216 1.248 1.072 CW 0.880 0.912 0.960 0.784 SC 1.600 1.600 1.600 1.440 Cl 0.714 0.750 0.769 0.731 CS 1.056 1.064 1.104 0.928 Aphaenogaster ovaticeps 1 specimen If om Wolf, 1915 CL 1.200 CW 0.905 Cl 0.755 Aphaenogaster muellariana holotypus from Wolf, 1915 CL 1.250 CW 0.958 Cl 0.766 Figure 1. Head of worker of Aphaenogaster muelleriana from Torre Vado (Lecce, Italy). Wolfs measures perfectly match with my data. In particular A. muelleriana fall perfectly into the ranges (min-max) of Cl (0.75-0.80); CL (1.10-1.34) and CW (0.79-1.02). Same case for A. ovaticeps. This suggests that Borowiec could be right in considering all taxa as members of a single species. On the other hand I observed that the genus Aphaenogaster has the tendency to form allopatric species and endemisms, as underlined in the recent revision of the related A. cecconii species-group (Borowiec & Salata, 2014). In this optics it is therefore possible that the vis- ion of Muller could be correct and new synonymies premature. I think that only studies based on the males from all populations of the entire areal can clarify the situation. Here I consider Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma) muelleriana a bona species , within the A. splendida species-group (sensu Boer, 2013). A. muelleriana in Salento have a transadriatic origin as many other Apulian insects (for example the tenebrionid beetle Dendarus caelatus Brulle, 1832, common in West Greece but in Italy present only in Salento). These species are usually Balkan distributed with the separated presence in Italy in the North East (Friuli) and/or in the South East (Apulia) (Gridelli, 1958). Figure 2. Body of the worker of Aphaenogaster muelleriana from Torre Vado (Lecce, Italy). 6 Antonio Scupola Figure 3. Distribution of the species Aphaenogaster ovaticeps (yellow squares), A. muelleriana (red squares) and A. splendida (blue circles). NEW DATA ON THE A. SPLENDIDA SPE- CIES-GROUP IN ITALY Aphaenogaster splendida (Roger, 1859) Examined material. New data. Campania. Prai- ano di Positano, 9.VII.1966, leg. Poldi, 1 worker (MSNM). Calabria. Reggio Calabria, centro citta, 3/VI/04, leg. E. Sgro, 1 worker (coll. Sgro); Locri (camping), 1 gyne (dealate) (MSNM). Sicily. Alto- fonte (Palermo), IX. 1963, leg. Genduso, 1 male (MSNM); Tre Mestieri Etneo (Catania), 21. VIII. 1960, 1 gyne (MSNM); Catania, 7.VI.2005, leg. Strano, 2 workers, 1 gyne and 1 male (MSNM); Catania, 6.VII.2006, leg. Strano, 2 work- ers 1 male (ex coll. Sgro) (ASCP); Catania, 29.V.1993, leg. Poldi, 1 worker (MSNM); Torretta Torra (Bosco della Ficuzza, Palermo) 940 m, X. 2005, leg. Gatto, 1 worker and 2 males (MSNM); PedaraLoc. Tarderia, Catania, 14.VI.1950, leg. Cas- tellari, 1 worker (MSNM); Palermo, 14.IX.20 16, leg. Schifani, 1 worker (ESPC). Distribution. Campania; Sicilia, Friuli, Lazio (Baroni Urbani, 1971); Pantelleria (Mei, 1995); Campania, Calabria (present paper). Remarks. The workers from Calabria differ from Catania specimens having propodeal spines slightly developed and differently oriented, differ- ent sculpture of the mesosoma and less hairy gaster. These differences are not sufficient to hypothesize a different form (Sgro pers. comm.). On the other side, males of Greece (Aetolia) have a different pro- podeum profile, suggesting the existence of a dif- ferent form respect to western Mediterranean populations. Aphaenogaster ovaticeps Emery, 1898 Examined material. New data. Liguria. Chiav- ari, Genova, 10. VII. 2015, leg. S. Viale, 1 worker, 1 gyne and 1 male (VGPC). Distribution. Genoa (Baroni Urbani, 1971). Remarks. Species apparently endemic to Lig- uria (North West Italy). Collected first by Mantero (1898) but misidentified with A. subterranoides Aphaenogaster muelleriana Wolf, 1915 (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in Salento (South East Italy) 7 Forel (see Emery, 1916) and subsequently described as new species by Emery (1898). Aphaenogaster muellariana Wolf, 1915 Examined material. New data. Apulia, present paper. Veneto: Mestre- Venezia, 23.IX.1936, leg. Maura, 3 workers (MSNM); Venezia citta, 5 .VIE 1991, 3 workers (MSNM); idem, 3 .VIII. 1953, 1 gyne (MSNM); 19.VII.1933, leg. Giordani Soika, 1 worker (MSNM); Venezia citta, San Polo Portico, 7. VI. 1973, leg. Poldi, 1 worker (MSNM). Distribution. Eastern Friuli (Baroni Urbani, 1971), Veneto, Apulia (present paper). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Vincenzo Gentile (Napoli, Italy), and the lamented Ezio Sgro (Reggio Calabria, Italy) for the interesting data cited in this paper. A special thank to Francesco Ballarin (Beijing, China), Enrico Schifani (Palermo, Italy) for the donation of a specimen of A. splendida , to Fabrizio Rigato (MSNM) for the data provided based on the Milan museum collection, to Enrico Ruzzier (BMNH) for suggestions and advices provided during the manu- script realisation. REFERENCES AgostiD. & Collingwood C.A., 1987. A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste I Synonymic list. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 60: 51-62. Baroni Urbani C., 1962. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d’ Italia I. Redia, 47: 129- 138. Baroni Urbani C., 1971. Catalogo delle specie di formiche d’ltalia. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d’ltalia X. Memorie della Societa entomologica italiana, 50: 5-287. Boer R, 2013. Revision of the European ants of the Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa species-group (Hy- menoptera Formicidae). Tijdschrift voor Entomolo- gie, 156: 57- 93. Borowiec L., 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Medi- terranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Genus - Monograph 25 (1-2) special issue: 1- 340. Borowiec L. & Salata S., 2014. Review of Mediterranean members of the Aphaenogaster cecconii group (Hy- menoptera Formicidae). With description of four new species. Zootaxa, 3861: 40- 60. Bracko G., 2006. Review of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera Formicidae) of Croatia. Acta Entomologica Slov- enica, 14: 131- 156. Bracko G., 2007. Checklist of the ants of Slovenia (Hy- menoptera Formicidae). Natura Sloveniae, 9: 15- 24. Bracko G., Wagner H.C., Schultz A., Gioahin E., Maticic J. & Tratnik A., 2014. New investigation and a re- vised check list of the ants (Hymenoptera Formi- cidae) of the Republic of Macedonia. North-Western Journal of Zoology, 10: 10-14. Emery C., 1898. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der palaearkt- ischen Ameisen. Ofversigt af Finska Vetenskaps- Societetens Forhandlingar, 20: 124-151. Emery C., 1908. Beitrage zur Monographic der Formi- ciden des palaartischen Faunengebietes (Hym.). 3. Die mit Aphaenogaster verwandte Gattungen- gruppe. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1908: 305-338. Emery C., 1914. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Bearbeitung von O. Leonhard's Sammlungen. Ento- mologische Mitteilungen, 3: 156-159. Emery C., 1916. Formiche d’ltalia nuove o critiche. Ren- diconti reale Accademia Scienze 1st. Bologna (1915— 1916): 53-66. Finzi B., 1922. Primo contributo alia conoscenza della fauna mirmecologica della Venezia Giulia. Bollettino della Societa Entomologica Italiana, 53: 118-120. Finzi B., 1927. Terzo contributo alia conoscenza della fauna mirmecologica della Venezia Giulia. Bollettino della Societa Entomologica Italiana, 59: 7-10. Gridelli E., 1958. II problema delle specie a diffusione attuale transadriatica con particolare riguardo ai Co- leotteri. Bollettino Zoologico, Suppl., 17: 421M41. Karaman M., 1998. Data About investigation on myrme- cofauna (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in Montenegro. Glas. Republ. Zavoda zast. prirode prirodnjackog Muzeja, Podgorica, 26: 55-72. Karaman M.G., 2009. An introduction to the ant fauna of Macedonia (Balkan Peninsula), a check list (Hy- menoptera Formicidae). Natura Montenegrina, 8: 151-162. Mantero G., 1898. Res Ligusticae XXX. Materiali per un catalogo degli Imenotteri liguri. Parte I, Formicidi. Annali del Museo civico di Storia Naturale, 39: 146— 160. Mei M., 1995. Arthropoda di Lampedusa, Linosa e Pantelleria (Canale di Sicilia. Mar Mediterraneo). Hymenoptera Formicidae (con diagnosi di due nuove specie). II Naturalista siciliano, 19 (Suppl.): 753-772. 8 Antonio Scupola Muller G., 1923. Le formiche della Venezia Giulia e della Dalmazia. Bollettino della Societa Adriatica di Scienze Naturali in Trieste, 28: 11-180. Petrov I.Z. & Collingwood C.A., 1992. Survey of the myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of Yugoslavia. Archives of Biological Sciences, Bel- grade, 44: 79-91. WolfK., 1915. Studien iiber palaearktischenFonniciden. I. Bericht des Naturwissenschaftlich-Medizinischen Vereins in Innsbruck, 35: 37-52. Zimmermann S., 1935. Beitrag zur kenntnis der Ameis- enfaua Siiddalmatiens. Verhandlungen der Zoolo- gisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 84 (1934): 1-65. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 9-10 Does Leptailurus serval (Schreber, 1 776) (Mammalia Felidae) occur in Western Egypt? Spartaco Gippoliti 1 * &Aldo Oriani 2 'Parco Zoo Gallorose, Cecina, Italy; e-mail: spartacolobus@hotmail.com 2 Viale Abruzzi 73 A, 20131 Milano, Italy ‘Corresponding author ABSTRACT The serval cat, Leptailurus serval Schreber, 1776 (Mammalia Felidae), has never been cited from Egypt and Libya in recent time. Here we report the presence of a mounted skin (with skull inside) in a local shop inside the Shiwa Oasis (NW Egypt). The scarcely-spotted pattern exhibited by this skin adds interest to this record. We suggest to secure the specimen to a Natural History Museum and begin an ad hoc investigation in the region. KEY WORDS Shiwa Oasis; Serval; Sahara. Received 02.12.2016; accepted 27.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION The Serval, Leptailurus serval (Schreber, 1776) (Mammalia Felidae), is relatively abundant and widespread in Africa with several subspecies and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List (Thiel, 2015). There is only one known population of Serval from north of the Sahara, in the Maghreb (Hunter & Bowland, 2013) and it is classified regionally as Critically Endangered. The species has never been historically reported from Libya and Egypt (Hufna- gel, 1972; Osborn & Helmy, 1980; Aulagnier et al., 2010). However, as far as Libya is concerned, Holocene remains of the species have been found in Western Libya (Peters & Pollath, 2004). We noted, incidentally, that a recent map (Hunter & Bowland, 2013) overlooked the distribution of the species along Eritrea - where the species is defin- itely known from multiple records (Yalden et al., 1980) and probably the Red Sea hills of Sudan. During a trip to the Shiwa Oasis (NW Egypt), precisely on 6 May 2012, one of us (A.O.) ob- served in a local shop at the feet of Shali Fortress a very badly mounted skin of a medium sized cat. Two photos were taken of the specimens (Fig. 1), that was immediately identified as a L. serval , al- though it showed a particularly scarce marking pattern. Siwa Oasis lies approximately 300 km south of the Mediterranean Sea coast, near the border with Libya. It extended in a west-east direction between 29°06 , -29°21’N and 25°16’- 26°08’. Surface area is about 1100 km 2 (Goodman et al., 1986). We consider now useful a publication and de- scription of this specimen as a mean to attract at- tention to the issue and collect more data (eventually securing the specimen for a museum collection). In first instance, we find the fact that the whole skin is mounted (with skull inside) as an indirect evidence of the local (or very close origin) of the animal, even if we can consider some com- merce of sub-Saharan serval skins a likely possib- ility. Two distinct coat patterns are known for the ser- val, and were formerly considered two distinct spe- 10 Spartaco Gippoliti & Aldo Oriani Figure 1 . Serval mounted skin found in a shop near the Shali Fortress, Siwa Oasis, 6 May 2012 (photo by Aldo Oriani). cies (Pocock, 1907); the typical serval pattern with relatively big marking, and the servaline one with minute marking. The present atypical skin is prac- tically spotless, except a number of big black patches found dorsally. From the hind legs two black lines reach the flanks. Underparts are yel- lowish rather than white. Furthermore, it is noteworthy the woolly ap- pearance of the coat except for the dorsal area. It seems as the serval was killed during a molt phase. The skin presents a much deeper pelage tone from the ‘typical’ sandy-buff. This is somewhat surpris- ingly considering this pattern is found, as a rule, in more humid regions (Rosevear, 1974). Can such a medium-sized species have escaped researchers until now? Rosevear (1974) reports for West Africa that “is a not uncommon animal.... Yet as it is only exceptionally on the move during the day, and then mostly skulking in undergrowth, it is rarely seen save in car headlights or by night hunters with powerfid lamps ” . It is reasonable that only through ad hoc research we could discover more details on distribution and conservation status of the Sahara serval. REFERENCES Aulagnier S., Haffner P., Mitchell- Jones A.J., Moutou F. & Zima J., 2010. Guide des mammiferes d’Europe, d’Afrique du Nord et du Moyen-Orient. Delachaux & Niestle, Paris, 271 pp. Goodman S.M., Meininger P.L. & Mullie W.C., 1986. The birds of the Egyptian Western Desert. Miscel- laneous Publications. Museum of Zoology, Univer- sity of Michigan, 172: 1-91. Hufnagel E., 1972. Cats (Felidae). In: Libyan mammals. The Oleander Press, 41-44 pp. Hunter L. & Bowland J., 2013. Leptailurus serval Serval. In: Kingdon J. & Hoffmann M. (Eds.), Mammals of Africa. V. Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhino- ceroses. Bloomsbury, London, 180-186. Osborn D.J. & Helmy I., 1980. The contemporary land mammals of Egypt (including Sinai). Fieldiana Zo- ology, 5: 1-579. Peters J. & Pollath N., 2004. Holocene faunas of the East- ern Sahara: Zoogeographical and palaeoecological aspects. In: Lauwerier R.C.G.M. & Plug I. (Eds.), The future from the past. Archaeozoology in wildlife conservation and heritage management. Oxbow Books, 34-50. Pocock R.I., 1907. Notes upon some African species of the genus Fells, based upon specimens recently ex- hibited in the Society’s Gardens. Proceedings of The Zoological Society of London, 1907: 656-677. Rosevear D.R., 1974. The Carnivores of West Africa. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, 548 pp. Thiel C., 2015. Leptailurus serval. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T11638A50654625. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015- 2.RLTS.T11638A50654625.en. Downloaded on 10 March 2017. Yalden D.M., Largen M.J. & Kock D., 1980. Catalogue of mammals of Ethiopia 4. Carnivora. Monitore Zo- ologico Italiano, suppl. 13: 169-272. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 11-14 Sightings of Red Squirrels Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus 1 758 (Mam- malia Rodentia) in the Monumento Naturale ' ‘Pineta di Fre- gene” and in the Castel di Guido Oasis (Latium, Italy) Riccardo Di Giuseppe' & Mauro Grano 2 'Via dei Tre Denari 212, 00057 Maccarese, Italy; e-mail: info@programmanatura.it 2 Via Valcenischia 24, 00141Roma, Italy; e-mail: elaphe58@yahoo.it "■Corresponding author ABSTRACT This note gives news of the sighting of the Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia Rodentia) in the monumental pine forest of Fregene, nowadays recognized as Federico Fellini Park and of other specimens inside the Oasis Lipu of Castel di Guido. The first sighting is the confirmation of the presence of the species in coastal pinewoods of Latium. The second one constitutes the first report for this area. KEY WORDS Castel di Guido; Fregene; Monumental Pinewood; urban ecology; Sciurus vulgaris. Received 09.01.2017; accepted 24.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION The Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 belongs to the Mammals class, Rodents order and Sciuridae family. It is the only native arboreal squirrel in Europe and in most of the Palearctic area. Its area covers, in west-east direction, from England to Japan while in north-south direction, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, includ- ing the Caucasus (Gumell, 1987). In Italy it is wide- spread in the Alps and the Apennines, reaching the hillside. In plain it is almost absent because of the excessive fragmentation of its habitat; it is not present in the islands. It is a species related to forest formations, which can be made of conifer, mixed woods or simple hardwoods. It is spread from sea level up to the limit of the forest vegetation (Waut- ers & Marinoli, 2008). The species is primarily found in Latium in nat- ural areas near the Apennines, as well as in some urban parks in Rome like Villa Ada and Villa Borghese. It seems to be absent in coastal pine- woods (Capizzi, 2009). The Pineta Monumentale of Fregene, managed as an urban park, is made up of Italian stone pine Pinus pinea L. These pines, dated among the oldest of the Tyrrhenian Coastal and probably of the entire Mediterranean basin (Di Filippo et al., 2015), offer a special landscape and natural value, providing an ideal habitat for the red squirrel. The whole area of Castel di Guido, includ- ing the homonymous Lipu Oasis, is part of a typ- ical environment and landscape of the Campagna Romana. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The Fregene’s pinewood, inserted in the “Nat- ural Reserve of the Roman Coast”, is one of the best known examples of the Italian coastal pine forest. 12 Riccardo Di Giuseppe & Mauro Grano It is an area of high cultural-historic value and nat- uralistic-ecological value. It is a relic of Tyrrhenian landscape before the land reclamation, which star- ted from the end of the 1 9th century in the Roman coast. Nowadays the area is used by a large number of people for sport and leisure activities. The pine forest is characterized by the presence of century- old specimens of Pinus pinea (about 220 years), until now dated among the oldest of the whole of the Mediterranean basin (Di Filippo et al., 2015). In the pine forest, there are areas with a higher dens- ity of vegetation. This is especially shown where are typical elements of the Mediterranean maquis such as Quercus ilex L., Arbutus unedo L., Erica arborea L., Pistacia lends cus L., Myrtus communis L., Rhamnus alaternus L., Phillyrea angustifolia L., P. latifolia L., Laurus nobilis L. and Ruscus aculeatus L. This type of plant formation is the primary maquis - known as the original vegetation not altered by man, responding to the climate and flora of the place. From the point of view of the fauna, the Fre- gene’s pinewood is an area of great interest for its presence of bird species which are typical of old woodlands, such as the red woodpecker Dendro- cocopos major (Linnaeus, 1758) and the green woodpecker Picus viridis Linnaeus, 1758. Among mammals we remember the fox Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758 and the hedgehog Erinaceus euro- paeus Linnaeus, 1758. The territory of Castel di Guido, an agricultural center since the end of the tenth century, has typical characteristics of the Campagna Romana; while the flat areas are cultivated, the steepest parts, which do not allow an easy tillage, are characterized by a typical natural plant formation of Mediterranean climate areas. The area is characterized, in fact, for the presence of evergreen oak such as Quercus ilex and Q. suber L. which are accompanied by under- growth made of Phillyrea angustifolia, P latifolia, Rhamnus alaternus. Erica arborea, Arbutus unedo and Pistacia lentiscus. In this area there are also sev- eral examples of typical oaks of the mixed decidu- ous wood, such as Quercus pubescens Willd., Q. cerris L. and Q. crenata Lam. (Di Giuseppe, 2012). Inside the reserve 160 bird species have been counted (Cecere, 2006). Among these it is import- ant to underline the presence of booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus (J.F. Gmelin, 1788), of the nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758, of a large colony of bee-eaters Merops apiaster Lin- naeus, 1758, and some nocturnal raptors as Tyto alba Scopoli, 1769, Otus scops Linnaeus, 1758, Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758), Athene noctua Sco- poli, 1769, Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Strix aluco Linnaeus, 1758. There are many mammals, as the fox Vulpes vidpes, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Lin- naeus, 1758), the European hare Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778 and recently, even the wolf Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758. Considering the presence of an important her- petofauna, in 2016 Castel di Guido has been desig- nated AREN (Area di Rilevanza Erpetologica Nazionale, i.e. Relevant National Herpetological Area) by Societas Herpetologica Italica. Methods The observation in the Pineta Monumentale of Fregene, lingered for several days and in different times of the day. These observations have been made with the aid of binoculars Minox HG 10X43. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS This note describes the sighting, in January 2016, of an individual of Red Squirrel Sciurus vul- garis in Pineta Monumentale of Fregene (Fi- umicino). The specimen was observed for several days by one of the authors, in the early hours of the day, as is typical of the species (Lurz et al., 2005), both on land and in the act of climbing on trees. It was also noted as it entered into a cavity at the top of Pinus pinea. The specimen, of which was not possible to determine the sex, had a deep brown color. Nor was possible to understand whether the observations made on different days were referring to the same specimen or to different individuals. This sighting represents a new evidence about the presence of the species in the Pineta Monumentale of Fregene which with its maturity level reached, provides a suitable habitat for this species. The feeding supply is probably based on fruits of Pinus pinea, but also on other seeds, fruits and sprouts (Wauters & Dhondt, 1987). The presence of the squirrel in the pine forest of Fregene is relevant because in recent studies con- ducted in the province of Rome, it was shown that Sightings of Red Squirrels Sciurus vulgaris in the “Pineta di Fregene” and in the Castel di Guido Oasis (Latium, Italy) 13 Figure 1. The young Red Squirrel is fed at the Wildlife Rescue Center of Lipu in Rome. it had turned away from coastal pinewoods (Capizzi, 2009). It is absent, in fact, also in the nearby coastal pinewoods of Castel Fusano and Castel Porziano (A. Cattaneo, pers. com.). On March 2016 at the Oasis Lipu of Castel di Guido, in the village of Castel di Guido (Rome), it was found by some cyclists a young squirrel which was taken at the Wildlife Rescue Centre of Lipu in Rome (Fig. 1). It was a young female still un- weaned, released in June in the oasis through an ac- climatization cage. A few weeks later in the same site was spotted an adult specimen. The Maccarese area - Fregene and the Castel di Guido area are separated by anthropic barriers, such as the A12 Civitavecchia - Rome and the rail- way Rome - Civitavecchia, which create signific- ant ecological fragmentation (Battisti, 2004). Flowever, these two areas are connected to each other through the old Via di Maccarese, which could be a natural ecological corridor for the spread of this species. In conclusion with this note can be confirmed the presence of Sciurus vulgaris in the territory of Fregene and in that one of Castel di Guido, places included in the Roman Coast State Nature Reserve. Regarding the area of Fregene, it would be appropriate and desirable to promote in the future specific research and studies to determ- ine whether it is a growing population or some isolated specimens. As concerns the Castel di Guido areas it can be affirmed that the existing population is consolidated and reproductive. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Augusto Cat- taneo (Rome, Italy), Cristina Cattaneo (Rome, Italy), Francesca Manzia (Rome, Italy), Alessia De Lorenzis (Rome, Italy), Flavia Cappello (Rome, Italy) and Fabrizio Monaco (Fiumicino, Italy). A special thanks to the people of Fregene, habitual goers of the pinewood, for signalling the presence of the red squirrel in that area. REFERENCES Battisti C., 2004. Frammentazione ambientale, connet- tivita, reti ecologiche. Un contributo teorico e meto- dologico con particolare riferimento alia fauna selvatica. Provincia di Roma, Assessorato alle Politiche ambientali, Agricoltura e Protezione civile, 249 pp. Capizzi D., 2009. Scoiattolo comune Sciurus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Amori G., Battisti C., De Felici S. (a cura di), 2009, I Mammiferi della Provincia di Roma. Dallo stato delle conoscenze alia gestione e conservazione delle specie. Provincia di Roma, As- sessorato alle Politiche dell’ Agricoltura, Stilgrafica, Roma: 150-151. Cecere J.G., 2006. L’ Avifauna: Ricerche e Check-list. I Quademi dell’Oasi Castel di Guido, Lipu, Vol. 3, 143 pp. Di Filippo A., Baliva M., De Angelis M. & Piovesan G., 2015. Analisi dendroecologica della pineta vetusta di Fregene (Fiumicino - RM). In: Atti del II Congresso Intemazionale di Selvicoltura. Progettare il futuro per il settore forestale, Firenze, 26-29 novembre 2014. Firenze, Accademia Italiana di Scienze Forestali. Vol. 1: 161-165. Di Giuseppe R., 2012. Ecologia e biologia riproduttiva del tritone punteggiato Lissotriton vulgaris meridi- onalis (Boulenger, 1882) (Amphibia, Urodela) nelF area di Castel di Guido (Lazio). Atti del Museo di Storia Naturale della Maremma, 23: 33-47. Gurnell J., 1987. The natural history of squirrels. Chris- topher Helm, London, 201 pp. 14 Riccardo Di Giuseppe & Mauro Grano Lurz P.W.W., Gurnell J. & Magris L., 2005. Sciurus vul- garis. Mammalian Species, 769: 1-10. Wauters L.A. & Dhondt A.A., 1987. Activity budget and foraging behaviour of the red squirrel {Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758) in a coniferous habitat. Zeitschrift fur Saugetierkunde, 52: 341-352. Wauters L.A. & Dhondt A. A., 1988. The use of red squirrel dreys to estimate population density. Journal of Zoology, 214: 179-187. Wauters L.A. & Martinoli A., 2008. Sciurus vulgaris. In Amori G., Contoli L., Nappi A. (Eds.), Fauna d’ltalia. Mammalia II. Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Lago- morpha, Rodentia. Vol. XLIV. Edizioni Calderini de II Sole 24 Ore, Milano: 349-360. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 15-18 New record of an irregular sea urchin, Brissus latecarinatus (Leske, 1778) (Echinoidea Brissidae) from the Andaman Islands Naveen Kumar Nigam & Chelladurai Raghunathan Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre Horticulture Road, Haddo, Port Blair-744102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India * Corresponding author, email: naveennigam88@gmail.com ABSTRACT An irregular sea urchin, Brissus latecarinatus (Leske, 1 778) Echinoidea Brissidae, is reported herein for the first time from Andaman Islands. A brief description along with a note on its distribution are provided. KEY WORDS Andaman Islands; Brissus', Brissidae; Irregular; Echinoidea; Spatangoida. Received 16.01.2017; accepted 27.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION Sea urchins are exclusively marine animals which are found in the sandy and coral reefs areas of the intertidal to the subtidal zones. Sea urchins fall under the Class Echinoidea which is divided in two categories based on their shapes, regular sea urchins and irregular sea urchins. The regular sea urchins possess almost a spherical symmetry and irregular sea urchins are bilaterally symmetrical (Chao, 2000). In recent times, veiy few authors contributed to the echinoids in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Mortensen, 1951; James, 1966; Sastry 2005, 2007; Raghunathan et al., 2013). At present a total of 125 echinoid species are reported from India of which 83 species from Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Clark & Rowe, 1971; Hegde & Rivonker, 2013; Murugan et al., 2016). Till date, only one species of Brissus Gray, 1825 (Brissidae) has been described from the Indian waters. Brissus latecarinatus (Leske, 1778) is known from the East coast, Lak- shadweep and Gulf of Mannar (Bell, 1888; Clark & Rowe, 1971; James, 1983, Sastry, 1991). There has been no collection and description of the irregular sea urchins from Andaman and Nicobar Islands so far. The present paper allows to extend the range of B. latecarinatus to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. MATERIAL AND METHODS Marine exploratory studies with special ref- erence to Echinodermata have been carried out in two districts viz., North and Middle Andaman and South Andaman (Fig. 1) of the Andaman and Nico- bar Islands by employing Self Contained Under water Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) in depths ran- ging from 10-30 m. Specimens were collected by hand picking and preserved in dry condition. The preserved specimens were examined under stereo- zoom microscope (Leica M 205 A) and measure- ments were taken using a Vernier caliper (Aerospace 150 mm). The identification was based on morphological characters given in Clark & Rowe (1971) and Chao (2000). All the identified 16 Naveen Kumar Nigam & Chelladurai Raghunathan specimens are deposited in the National Zoological Collection at the Zoological Survey of India, Anda- man and Nicobar Islands. ABBREVIATIONS. t.l.= total length; t.w. = total width; t.h.= total height. RESULTS Systematics Classis ECHINOIDEA Leske, 1778 Ordo SPATANGOIDA L. Agassiz, 1840 Familia BRISSIDAE Gray, 1855 Genus Brissus Gray, 1825 Brissus latecarinatus (Leske, 1778) Figs. 2-7 Examined material. One specimen, Casurina Bay (Lat: 13°14.262’N, Long: 92°50.491’E), North and Middle Andaman, depth 10 meter, 23.V.2016, (Reg. No. ZSI/ANRC-16124); one specimen, Lax- manpur (Lat: 11°50.712’N, Long: 93°00.855 , E), Neil Island, South Andaman, depth 15 meter, 6.X.2016, (Reg. No. ZSI/ANRC- 16125); one spe- cimen, Sunset Point (Lat: 11°50.470’N, Long: 93°01.159’E), Neil Island, South Andaman, depth 15 meter, 7.X.2016, (Reg. No. ZSI/ANRC- 16 126). Description. Test oval and white in color. Test medium in size t.l./t.w./t.h.= 34/29/18 mm, outline from above curved, without distinct frontal notch, posterior side narrow and posterior end pointed. The pore series of frontal ambulacrum is not petal- oid. Posterior interambulacrum distinctly raised and keeled like. Posterior end obliquely truncate, slop- ing toward dorsal side. The apical disc well de- veloped with 4 genital pores, posterior petals longer than anterior petals. Petals suken, narrowing prox- imally and anterior to pore series of anterior petals, series of posterior petals slightly billowy, anterior petals pore pair narrower than posterior pore. Phyl- lodes long and well developed. Sternal system broad, labrum longer thickened and impenetrable, peripetalous fasciole well developed. Subanal fas- ciole bean shaped. Periproct longitudinally oval denuded. Figure 1. Map showing localities of Brissus latecarinatus in Andaman Islands. A: Laxmanpur, Neil Island, South Andaman. B: Sunset Point, Neil Island, South Andaman. C: Casurina Bay, North and Middle Andaman. New record of an irregular sea urchin, Brissus latecarinatus (Echinoidea Brissidae) from the Andaman Islands 17 Figures 2-7. Brissus latecarinatus from the Andaman Islands. Fig. 2: aboral view. Fig. 3: oral view. Fig. 4: lateral views (left side). Fig. 5: lateral views (right side). Fig. 6: pore-series of frontal ambulacrum, petals. Fig. 7: view of subanal region and periproct. Distribution and Biology. Brissus latecarina- tus has been reported from the West Indian Ocean, Mascarence Island, East Africa and Madagascar; Maidive; Ceylon; East Indies; North Australia; Phil- ippine Island; China; Japan; South Pacific Island; Red Sea (Clark & Rowe, 1971) Kenya (Humphreys, 1981), Aldabra (Clark, 1984), Northwestern Aus- tralian (Marsh & Marshall, 1983), Australia (Rowe & Gates, 1995), East Coast of Africa to Hawaiian Islands (Sastry, 1991), Hawaii Islands (Edmondson, 1946; Clark & Rowe, 1971), Easter Island (Fell, 1974), Gulf of Thailand (Latypov, 2013), Mexico (Martinez-Melo et al., 2016). This species is exclusively available in sub- tidal zone, sandy substrates, and corals reefs areas. Remarks. New record to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Brissus latecarinatus was previously known from the mainland India (East coast, Lak- shadweep and Gulf of Mannar) and hitherto not known from these Islands so far. From Lakshad- weep, Bell (1888) reported B. unicolor (Leske, 18 Naveen Kumar Nigam & Chelladurai Raghunathan 1778) but James (1983) identified B. unicolor as a B. latecarinatus however, the reasons behind such a change were not mentioned by James. In 1989, James collected a test of sea urchin and identified it as a B. latecarinatus from Lakshadweep (Agatti Island) but without poviding a formal description. The present report of B. latecarinatus from the An- daman Islands stresses the significance of intensive studies for precise documentation of the echinoid diversity and distribution in the Islands. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are thankful to the Director of Zo- ological Survey of India for necessary facilities and to Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India for providing support for this work. Assistance rendered by Miss. Smitan- jali Choudhury and Miss. Preeti Pereira, ZSI, Port Blair for collection of specimens is duly acknow- ledged. REFERENCES Bell F.J., 1888. Report on a collection of echinoderm fauna of the Bay of Bengal. Proceedings of the Zo- ological Society of London, 383-389. Chao S.-M., 2000. The irregular sea urchins (Echinoder- mata: Echinoidea) from Taiwan, with descriptions of six new records. Zoological Studies, 39: 250-265. Clark A.M. & Rowe F.W.E., 1971. Monograph of shal- low-water indo-west Pacific Echinoderms. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) London, x + 238 p. + 30 pis. Clark A.M. , 1984. Echinodermata of the Seychelles. In: Stoddart D.R. (Ed.), Biogeography and Ecology of the Seychelles Islands. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, 83-102. Edmondson C.H., 1946. Reef and shore fauna of Hawaii. Berince P. Bishop Museum special publication, 22: 1-381. Fell F.J., 1974. The Echinoids of Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Pacific Science, 28: 147-158. Hegde M.R. & Rivonker C.U., 2013. A new record of Temnopleurus decipiens (de Meijere, 1904) (Echin- oidea, Temnopleuroida, Temnopleuridae) from Indian waters. Zoosystema, 35: 97-111. Humphreys W.F., 1981. The echinoderms of Kenya's marine parks and adjacent regions. Koninklijk Mu- seum voorMidden-Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) Zo- ologische Documentatie, 19: 39 pp. James D.B., 1966. Studies on Indian Echinoderms-I Rediscovery of the Echinoid, Breynia verdenburgi Anderson from Andaman Sea, with an emended de- scription. Journal of Marine Biological Association of India, 8: 76-81. James D.B., 1983. Sea cucumber and sea urchin resources. Bulletin of the Central Inland Fisheries Research In- stitute, 34: 85-93. James D.B. 1989. Echinoderms of Lakshadweep and their zoogeography. Bulletin of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, 43: 97-144. Latypov Y.Y., 2013. Features of formation of reefs and macrobenthos communities in the An Thoi ar- chipelago the Gulf of Thailand (South China Sea). En- vironmental Science An Indian Journal, 8: 297-307. Marsh L.M. & Marshall J.I., 1983. Some aspects of the zoogeography of northwestern Australian echinoids (other than holothurians). Bulletin of Marine Science, 33: 671-687. Martinez-Melo A., Solis-Marin F., Buitron- Sanchez B. & Laguarda-Figueras A., 2016. An occurrence re- cords database of Irregular Echinoids (Echinoder- mata: Echinoidea) in Mexico. Biodiversity Data Journal, 4: e7729. Mortensen T., 1951. A Monograph of the Echinoidea. V, 2. Spatangoida II. Amphisternata II. Spatangidae, Loveniidae, Pericosmidae Schizasteridae, Brissidae, 593 pp., C. A. Reitzel, Copenhagen, 514-518 pp. Murugan M., Rajendran N., Kasirajan S., Moorthy P. & Balakrishnan G., 2016. Diversity assessment of ech- inoderms from Mudasalodai and Pazhayar in the southeast coast of India. Journal of Coastal Life Medicine, 4: 108-113. Raghunathan C., Sadhukhan K., Mondal T., Sivaperuman C. & Venkataraman K., 2013. A Guide to Common Echinoderms of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Zo- ological Survey of India, Kolkata, 210 pp. Sastry D.R.K., 1991. Echinodermata: Asteroidea, Ophiu- roidea and Echinoidea. State fauna series 2: Fauna of Lakshadweep. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. 363-397 pp. Rowe F.W.E & Gates J., 1995. Echinodermata. In ‘Zo- ological Catalogue of Australia’. 33 (Ed. A. Wells.) CSIRO Australia, Melbourne, 510 pp. Sastry D.R.K., 2005. Echinodermata of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal: An Annotated list, Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occa- sional Paper No. 233: 1-207. Sastry D.R.K., 2007. Echinodermata of India: An Annot- ated list, Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 271: 1-387. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 19-20 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta spinoletta (Linnaeus, 1 758) (Aves Motacillidae) actively feeding on small fishes Arnaldo Camilloni 1 , Raffaele Luca 2 , Roberto Casalini 3 & Andrea Corso 4 * 'Via Antonio Rosmini 5, 00033 Cave, Rome, Italy; email: amaldocam@alice.it 2 Via Morino 78, 00033 Cave, Rome, Italy; email: raffol265@gmail.com 3 Museo Civico di Zoologia, Via Ulisse Aldrovandi 18, 00197 Rome, Italy; email: roberto.casalini@comime.roma.it 4 Via Camastra 10, 96100 Siracusa, Italy; email: zoologywp@gmail.com ^Corresponding author ABSTRACT In this paper, the Authors observed and photographically documented some Water Pipits Anthus spinoletta spinoletta (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves Motacillidae) feeding on alive small fishes, Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821) of the Cyprinodontidae family, at Pantani delLInferno, Circeo National Park (Lazio, Italy). KEY WORDS Circeo National Park; ecology; Water Pipit. Received 17.01.2017; accepted 11.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION During December 2016, two of us (ACa, RLu) repeatedly observed some Water Pipits Anthus spi- noletta spinoletta (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves Motacil- lidae) feeding on alive small fishes at Pantani delLInferno, Circeo National Park (Lazio, Central Italy). The birds walking in very shallow water, actively sought small fry, which were caught and swallowed entirely. The observation was repeated in several occasion and photographically docu- mented. Despite this passerine winters regularly all over the Italian Peninsula, as being also a breeding species and partial migrant, such a behaviour was never recorded before anywhere in the country. For that reason, we believe is of interest report- ing now our observations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS From mid to late December 2016, regular visits to the shallow, brakish retrodunal ponds of the wet- lands complex of Circeo National Park (Latina, Lazio, Italy), in the locality called Pantani dell’ Inferno, gave the opportunity to observe several Water Pipits at very close range, therefore obtaining a number of close up photographs. Once the last two authors of this short note (RC and ACo) received the photographs, realised that the catching of alive fishes by the species was something probably never reported before or at least rather unusual. The small fry were identified as Mediterranean Killifish or South European Tooth- carp Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821), a fish of the Cyprinodontidae family, endemic to the Mediterranean basin, where it is found in most countries but the Iberian Peninsulan (Bianco, 1995; Duchi & Maino, 2013). Its natural habitats are saline lakes, brackish marshes, and coastal saline lagoons or salt-pans (Bianco, 1995; Leonardos, 2008; Lo Duca & Marrone, 2009 ). Both Glutz von Blotzheim & Bauer (1985) and Cramp (1988) re- port only occasional feeding on dead fishes found 20 Arnaldo Camilloni et alii Figures 1-3. Anthus spinoletta spinoletta fishing and eating Aphanius fasciatus at Pantani dell’ Inferno (Lazio, Italy) (Fig. 1 by A. Camilloni; Figs. 2, 3 by R. Luca). along bank shores, while Alstrom et al. (2003) men- tion fishes as prey for some Motacillidae, without further information on which species. However, Fikkert (2013) reports the first and so far the pre- viously only known case of fishing Water Pipit, concerning a single bird observed in the Nether- lands, catching, killing and eating fishes. This au- thor, mentions the killing of 1 6 small fishes, with a length of about 4 cm each, identified as belonging to three species: Eurasian Perch Perea fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), Sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus (Heckel, 1 843) and Nine-spined Stickleback Pun- gitius pungitius (Linnaeus, 1758). Our observations regard seven fishes rapidly molested and eaten by the Water Pipits, and consti- tute, up to date, the second ever published evidence of fish- eating and the first regarding the Mediter- ranean area. REFERENCES Alstrom R, Mild K. & Zetterstrom B., 2003. Pipits and Wagtails of Europe, Asia and North America. Helm Identification Guides, C. Helm Publishers, London, 496 pp. Bianco P.G., 1995. Mediterranean endemic freshwater fishes of Italy. Biological Conservation, 72: 159-170. Cramp S., 1988. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: the birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. V., Tyrant flycatchers to thrushes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1084 pp. Duchi A. & Maino S., 2013. Una popolazione non segna- lata di Nono Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821) (Cyprinodontiformes Cyprinodontidae) nel Pantano di Marzamemi (Pachino, Siracusa) e aggiornamento della distribuzione in Sicilia Sud-Orientale. II Nat- uralista siciliano, 37: 521-527. Fikkert C., 2013. Skillful fishing by a Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta. Limosa, 86: 88-90. Glutz von Blotzheim O.N. & Bauer K., 1985. Handbuch der Vogel Mitteleuropas. Band 10/11, Passeriformes (1. Teil) Motacillidae - Prunellidae. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 895 pp. Leonardos I., 2008. The feeding ecology of Aphanius fas- ciatus (Valenciennes, 1821) in the lagoonal system ofMessolongi (western Greece). Scientia Marina, 72: 393-401. Lo Duca R. & Marrone F., 2009. Conferma della presenza di Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821) (Cyp- rinodontiformes Cyprinodontidae) nel bacino idro- grafico del Fiume Imera meridionale (Sicilia). IlNat- uralista siciliano, 33: 115-125. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 21-26 Proliferation and exopolysaccharide production of Azotobacter in the presence of mercury Reginawanti Hindersah 1 *, Oviyanti Mulyani 1 & Rafael Osok 2 'Department of Soil Science Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km 21 Jatinangor 45363, Indonesia "Department of Soil Science Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Pattimura, Jalan Ir. Putuhena Kampus Poka Ambon, Indonesia ■"Corresponding author, email: reginawanti@unpad.ac.id ABSTRACT Bioremediation is a cheap, easy and effective method to improve the quality of heavy metal- contaminated agricultural land. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria recently has been pro- posed to be used in bioremediation of heavy metal. Rhizosphere-inhabitant Azotobacter produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) as a mechanism to avoid heavy metal poisoning; and in other hand EPS mobilize heavy metals in soil. The objective of this study was to get an in- formation about growth and exopolysaccharide production profile of Azotobacter in media with and without mercury chloride. The bacteria were isolated from mercury-contaminated tailing at gold mining area in Maluku Province; and cultured in liquid medium containing 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 . Cultures were incubated for 4 days at 115 rpm on gyratory shaker at room temperature. The results showed that all three isolates of Azotobacter enabled to grow in media with lower level of HgCl 2 but Azotobacter Buru-1 and Buru-2 did not grow on media with 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 . Azotobacter bd3a was able to grow on media with 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 although the cell density was lower than that of control and lower level of mercury. The presence of mercury affected and generally suppressed the production of EPS; but the effect depend on the isolates. Azotobacter Buru-2 produced more EPS at 2 and 4 days after incubation in the presence of 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 . KEY WORDS Agricultural land; Azotobacter, Bioremediation; Mercury. Received 23.02.2016; accepted 21.03.2016; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION Illegal gold mining at Burn Island in Maluku Province, Indonesia produced million ton of tailing with low soil fertility and containing mercury since gold extraction was done with amalgamation pro- cess. Currently mercury-contaminated tailings was disposed improperly at gold mining site and agri- cultural areas. The relatively cheap, easy and ef- fective way to reduce levels of mercury in agricultural land is bioremediation. The best way to reduce levels of heavy metals is increased mobility and availability of heavy metals in order to be more easily uptaken by plant accumulators of heavy metals. Recently Plant Growth Promotion Rhizobac- teria (PGPR) has been developed as a bioremediation inoculant. Azotobacter is heterotrophic aerobic PGPR which are responsible for plant growth through non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation and phyto- hormone production. One of EPS-producing microbes that potentially may be developed for the bioremediation of mer- cury-contaminated soil through the mechanisms of absorption is Azotobacter. Exopolysccharide (EPS), 22 Reginawanti Hindersah etalii an outer cell structures associated with the cell wall, is an important substance and has been known to have a real effect on the adsorption of metal (Prasad et al., 2014). The capacity of Azotobacter in syn- thesizing EPS has been widely reported (Vermani et al., 1997; Hindersah & Sudirja, 2010; Gauri et al., 2012). Exopolysaccharide is an extracellular polymer that can control mobilization of heavy metals (Chen et al., 1995; Hindersah et al., 2007; Micheletti et al., 2008). Exopolysaccharide produc- tion was mainly determined by the isolates and the presence of carbon and nitrogen available (Vermani et al., 1997; Hindersah & Sudiija, 2010). However, the production of EPS can be inhibited or induced by the presence of heavy metals such as although Azotobacter has been reported as soil bacteria that is resistant to mercury (Franqois et al., 2011). In the process to screening potent PGPR to re- mediate mercury-contaminated soil in Burn Island, some Azotobacter isolates have been isolated from tailing disposed on productive soil around gold min- ing area in Gunung Botak, Burn Regency. The bare tailings contain 10-306 mg/kg of total mercury de- posited during three years mining from 2012-2105. The average total mercury concentration in agricul- tural land nearby mining area was 0.1-5 mg/kg which is normal for the soil formed for parent ma- terial containing no cinnabar, an more of mercury. This research was conducted to obtain the growth and EPS production profile of Azotobacter in the li- quid media in the presence of mercury chloride. In the future, this Azotobacter will be used as biore- mediation agent to decrease either total or available mercury level in tailing disposed on productive paddy soil. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted from May to June 2016 in Soil Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Agri- culture, Universitas Padjadjaran. Source of isolates were mercury-contaminated tailings in the gold- mining area at District of Wamsait, Bum Regency, Maluku Priovince. Azotobacter isolates Bum- 1 and Bum-2 isolated from the tailings contain 10 mg/kg of total mercury while Azotobacter bd3a was isol- ated from tailings containing 306 mg/kg of total mercury. Three isolates of Azotobacter each were grown in a liquid medium described by Vermani et al. (1997) which contains 10 g sucrose, 1.0 g KH 2 PO 4 , 1.0 g MgS0 4 .7H 2 0; 0.5 g NaCl; 0.1 g CaC0 3 ; 0.1 g NaN0 3 ; 0.1 g FeS0 4 ; 10 mg Na 2 Mo0 4 ; 15 g agar; 1 L aquadest at pH 7, without and with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/L of L HgCl 2 . As many as 1% of pure cultures of Azotobacter on N-free media at a density of 108 cfu/mL was added into 25 mL of Vermani’s liquid medium in the 100 mL erlen- meyer. Incubation was done on gyratory shaker with 115 rpm at room temperature for three days. Cell density of Azotobacter was measured every day for three consecutive days. Exopolysaccharide concentration in culture were analyzed at 2 and 4 days after incubation according to the method described by Vermani et al. (1997) modified by Hindersah & Sudirja (2010). Bacterial cell density was determined by the Di- lution Plate Method on Vermani’s agar medium. The plates were incubated for 48 hours before the clear, convex and slimy Azotobacter' s colony were count. Exopolysaccharide production was determ- ined by gravimetric, a total of 20 ml bacterial cul- ture was centrifuged 9,000 rpm at 4 °C for 20 minutes; 10 mL of the supernatant was added with 20 mL of cold acetone and left overnight at 4 °C prior to centrifugation at 9,000 rpm at 4 °C for 20 minutes. Exopolysaccharide in the bottom of the tube was transferred to a Whatman no. 1 filter paper and heated at 35 °C for 1 hour and placed into a desiccator for 20 minutes before it was weighed. Acidity measurement was done by using poten- tiometer at room temperature; by dipping the elec- trode in bacterial liquid culture until a constant pH value. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Viability of Azotobacter in liquid media in the presence of mercury In this experiment, three isolates were cultured on liquid media both with and without mercury. The concentration of HgCl 2 were 5,10,15 and 20 mg/L equivalent to 3.7; 7.4; 11.1 and 14.8 mg/L mercury. All three isolates demonstrated the ability to live and proliferate on mercury exposure conditions ex- pect Burul and Buru2 in higher mercury concen- tration (Table 1). Proliferation and exopolysaccharide production of Azotobacter in the presence of mercury 23 Azotobacter HgCl (mg/L) Cell density (CFU) Isolates 2 £) a y \ Day 2 Day 3 Bum 1 Control 55,000 820,000 11,900,000 5 44,000 730,000 10,800,000 10 22,300 410,000 4,500,000 15 8,100 110,000 1,230,000 20 0 0 0 Bum 2 Control 101,000 1,460,000 18,100,000 5 98,000 1,330,000 17,200,000 10 11,000 152,000 1,900,000 15 4,200 67,000 700,000 20 0 0 0 Bd3a Control 98,000 1,480,000 17,900,000 5 97,000 1,120,000 11,100,000 10 77,000 960,000 10,300,000 15 49,000 138,000 18,200,000 20 28,000 350,000 480,000 Table 1 . Effect of mercury chloride Azotobacter cell density in liquid culture after three days incubation with some level of mercury. There was an increase of cell density from day one to day three after incubation. Comparing to control treatment, a clear decline in population was shown by all isolate cultured in medium with 15 mg/L and 20 mg/kg of mercury; isolate Buru-1 and Buru-2 did not grow in media with 20 mg/L of mercury. Decrease in mercury level caused decline in cell density especially in day three after incuba- tion, explained that mercury has interfered with the metabolic system of Azotobacter especially Buru- 1 and Buru-2. Isolates bd3a was more resistant to HgC^ at concentration of 15 and 20 mg/kg com- pared to another isolate. Cell of Azotobacter bd3a proliferated in liquid media with higher level of mercury although slower than cell proliferation in lower level of mercury and control treatment (Table 1). Soil polluted by elevated levels of heavy metals caused negative effect on the activity of microbe and their diversity. According to Robinson & Tuov- inen (1984), mercury resistant bacteria can be isol- ated not only from the location of mercury contaminated soil but also of sediment, waste oil and clinic or hospital. Bacterial resistance to mer- cury and mercury-containing organic material is de- termined by a plasmid, a small circular DNA mo- lecules, which also encodes resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics. For example Actinobacteria is one of the bacteria that can reduce Hg (2+) to Hg (0) facilitated by the mercuric reductase (MERA); and plays an important role in biogeochemical cycles mercury in temperate environments (Moller et al., 2014). Azotobacter resistance on mercury is also me- diated by activity of mercury reductase and or- ganomercury lyase which decreases the toxicity of mercury. Azotobacter can extend the phase lag with the presence of 10-50 mol/L of HgC^ and Nitrogen fixation capacity slightly inhibited when the bac- teria were incubated with 10 mol/L of HgC^Ghosh etal., 1996). Resistant Pseudomonas, Cronobacter and Bacillus bacteria detoxified mercury up to 95%; it was shown that Cronobacter species are the most efficient in eliminating mercury in NFB me- dium (Rafique et al., 2015). Exopolysaccharide Profile Production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) by three isolate of Azotobacter in Vermani’s media with or 24 Reginawanti Hindersah etalii without mercury is shown in Fig 2. The presence of mercury influenced and generally suppressed pro- duction of EPS; but the effect depends on Azoto- bacter isolates. On day two, in general, the presence of mercury increased the concentration of EPS, but at 4 days after incubation there was a decrease in the production of EPS. In general, EPS production of buru-1 and bd3a were significantly low compared to that of control, especially on day four. Two days after incubation the production of EPS of buru-2 with 20 mg/L of mercury was approximately 2 -fold compared to control (Fig. 1). However at 4 days after incuba- tion, the production of EPS of buru-2 decreased up to 50% in the presence of 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 (Fig. 2). The presence of mercury in the media induced the production of EPS since bacteria develop mech- anisms to avoid heavy metal poisoning. Exopoly- saccharide can adsorb heavy metals before it is entering the system of metabolism. Mercury expos- ure for 4 days substantially reduces the concentra- tion of EPS compared to the EPS production of Azotobacter in mercury-free medium (Fig 1). The effect of Mercury on the synthesis of EPS by Azotobacter is reported elsewhere. EPS is formed to withstand drought, environmental stress, and especially to protect nitrogenase from oxygen (Sabra et al., 2000). Gupta & Diwan (2016) described that the establishment of bacterial EPS on the cell surface was to avoid heavy metal toxicity. Exopolysaccharide is one of the outer structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial cell; in the form of capsules or secreted as mucus that is not strongly attached on the cell surface (Prasad et al., 2014). Exopolysaccharide is a ligand that binds to metals through hydroxyl and carboxyl (Chen et al., 1995; Janecka et al., 2002) to facilitate the mobil- ization of heavy metals that can be absorbed by plants. Franqois et al. (2011) have successfully identi- fied a bacterial EPS production in sludge and water 60 ~o I O) t/3 O XI W 1 HgCl 2 (mg/kg) burn 1 ■ bum 2 bd3a Figure 1. Effect of mercury on the Exopolisaccharide of three isolates of Azotobacter in liquid media with and without HgCl 2 on two (a) and four (b) days after incubation. Proliferation and exopolysaccharide production of Azotobacter in the presence of mercury 25 that can proliferate in media with some levels of mercury. Depending on the species, mercury can be extracted from biomass after cultured on media with mercury, showing that bacteria adsorb mer- cury. Exopolysachharide synthesis is also a natural mechanisms associated with antibiotics (Francois et al., 2011). For soil microbes, Microbial EPS is one of important substances which has a significant role in facilitating the improvement of soil pores, increasing the root adhering soil and also nutrient uptake especially of nitrogen (Alami et al., 2000). Such mechanism would be an important reason to use Azotobacter in bioremediation. Azotobacter might have a dual role; first as PGPR that promote growth through nitrogen fixation and phytohor- mone production and second as bioremediation agents through the production of EPS. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that all three isolates of Azo- tobacter were able to proliferate in liquid culture contaminated with mercury. Azotobacter was able to grow in media with HgCl 2 up to 20 mg/L and the production of EPS depends on isolates and mercuiy level in liquid media. Isolate of bd3a showed a de- clined growth in media with 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 . The presence of mercury affected and generally sup- pressed the production of EPS; but the effect de- pends on the isolates. Azotobacter buru-2 was the most efficient un EPS producing on day two and four in the medium with 20 mg/L of HgCl 2 . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research was funded by the Directorate of Higher Education-Higher Education Ministry of Research and Technology-Higher Education Re- pub lik Indonesia in 2016, for Fundamental Re- search scheme. We thank the Laboratory of Bio- chemistry Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Sciences Universitas Padjadjaran for facilitating the analysis of exopolysaccharide. REFERENCES Alami Y., Achouak W., Moral C. & Heulin T., 2000. Rhizo sphere soil aggregation and plant growth promotion of sunflowers by an exopolysaccharide producing Rhizobium sp. strain isolated from sun- flower roots. Applied and Environmental Microbio- logy, 66: 3393-3398. Chen J-H., Czajka D.R., Lion L.W., Shuler M.L. & Ghiorse W.C., 1995. Trace metal mobilization in soil by bacterial polymers. Environmental Health Perspective, 103: 53-58. Frangois F., Lombard C., Guigner J-M., Soreau R, Brian- Jaisson F., Martino G., Vandervennet M., Garcia D.I., Molinier A-L., Pignol D., Peduzzi J., Zirah S. & Rebuffata S., 201 1. Isolation and Characterization of Environmental Bacteria Capable of Extracellular Biosorption of Mercury. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78: 1097-1106. Gauri S.S. & Mandal S.M. & Pati B.R., 2012. Impact of Azotobacter Exopolysaccharides on Sustainable Agriculture. Applied Microbiology and Biotechno- logy, 95: 331-338. Ghosh S., Sadhukhan P, Ghosh D. & Chaudhuri J., 1996. Studies on the effect of mercury and organo- mercurial on the growth and nitrogen fixation by mercury-resistant Azotobacter strains. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 80: 319-326. Gupta P & Diwan B., 2016. Bacterial Exopolysac- charide mediated heavy metal removal: A review on biosynthesis, mechanism and remediation strategies. Biotechnology Reports, 13: 58-71. Hindersah R., Arief D.H., Soemitro S. & Gunarto L., 2007. Pengaruh inokulasi Azotobacter sp. LKM6 yang memproduksi eksopolisakarida dan aplikasi kadmium klorida terhadap kadmium di tanah dan tajuk selada. Proceeding of Indonesian Soil Science Society Seminar, Yogyakarta 5-7 December 2007. 1140-1146 pp. Hindersah R. & Sudirja R., 2010. Suhu dan waktu inku- basi untuk optimasi kandungan eksopolisakarida dn fitohormon inokulan cair Azotobacter sp. LKM6. Jumal Natur Indonesia, 14: 52-56. Janecka J., Jenkins M.B., Brackett N.S., Lion L.W. & Ghiorse W.C., 2002. Characterization of a Sinorhizobium isolate and its extracellular polymer implicated in pollutant transport in soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68: 423-426. Micheletti E., Colica C., Viti C., Tamagnini P. & De Philippis R., 2008. Selectivity in the heavy metal removal by exopolysaccharide-producing cyano- bacteria. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 105: 88-94. Moller A.K., Barkay T., Hansen M.A., Norman A., Hansen L.H., Sorensen S.J., Boyd E.S. & Kroer N., 2014. Mercuric reductase genes (merA) and mercury resistance plasmids in high arctic snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 87: 52-63. 26 Reginawanti Hindersah etalii Prasad R.K., Gautam R. & Behai S., 2014. Exopolysac- charide secreting bacteria: Potential for useful ap- plications. International Journal of Research, 1: 17-32. Rafique A., Amin A. & Latif Z., 2015. Screening and characterization of mercury-resistant nitrogen fixing bacteria and their use as bio fertilizers and for mercury bioremediation. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 47: 1271-1277. Robinson J.B. & Tuovinen O.H., 1984. Mechanisms of Microbial Resistance and Detoxification of mercury and organomercury compounds: Physiological, Bio- chemical, and Genetic Analyses. Microbiology Re- view, 48: 95-124. Sabra W., Zeng A.P., Lunsdorf H. & Deckwer D.W., 2000. Effect of oxygen on formation and structure of Azotobacter vinelandii alginate and its role in protec- ting nitrogenase. Applied and Environmental Micro- biology, 66: 4037-4044. Vermani M.V., Kelkar S.M. & Kamat M.Y., 1997. Stu- dies in polysaccharide production and growth of Azo- tobacter vinelandii MTCC 2459, a plant rhizosphere isolate. Letter of Applied Microbiology, 24: 379- 383. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 27-32 New locality records of a rare Dragonfly Gynacantha khasiaca Madachlan, 1 896 (Odonata Aeshnidae) from India Arajush Payra 1 *, Gaurab Nandi Das',Aratril< Pal 2 , Debarun Patra 3 &Ashish DTiple 4 ‘Department ofW ildlife and Biodiversity Conservation North Orissa University, Takatpur. Baripada-757003, Odisha, India Depart nient of Botany, University ofNorth Bengal, Da rjeeling - 734014, West Bengal, India Department of M olecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Napaani. Assam 784028, India department of Zoology, Vidyabharti College. Seloo, Wardha 442104, M aharashtra, India Corresponding author: araj u s h p a y ra @ gmail.com ABSTRACT Gynaccinthd khcisicicci M aclachlan, 1 896 (O donata A eshnidae) is a beautiful dragonfly, dis- tributed mainly in South-eastern Asia. During Odonata survey in different parts of North- Eastern and Eastern India from 2014 to 2016, some specimens of this species were observed and photographed from 6 localities. Present record of this species from Purba Medinipur, West Bengal represents its Sou the inmost distribution in India. KEY WORDS Aeshnidae; distribution; dragonflies; observation; Purba M edinipur. Received 24.02.2017; accepted 22.03.2 0 16; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION Dragonflies and damsel flies (Order Odonata) are the prominent and colorful insects of wetlands with long, slender abdomen, commonly known as aerial predators, hunting by sight. These are mostly found around the vicinity of freshwater habitats like rivers, stream s, marshes, lakes and even small pools and rice fields. As predators it plays an important role in wetland and terrestrial food chains. Dragon- flies are reliable indicators of overall ecosystem health and also good Biocontrol agents (Andrew et al., 2009; Tiple et al., 2013). Worldwide, 5952 spe- cies under 652 genera of odonates have been repor- ted, of which 477 species, 50 subspecies in 142 genera and 18 families are known from India (Sub- ram anian, 2014; Nair & Subram anian, 2014; Kir an et al., 2015; Emiliyamma & Palot, 2016). Among dragonflies, the genus GyYICICClYlthci R am - bur, 1 8 42 are large in size, pale brown and green in colour and are crepuscular by nature (Fraser, 1 936). The genus Gynacantha with 92 species is distributed throughout the world, especially in the tropics and subtropics region (Asahina, 1 993; Schorr & Paulson, 2016). Among them about 30 species are known from the South-eastern Asia and in India the genus Gynacantha is represented only by 13 species (Subramanian, 2014; Khan, 2015a). This distribu tio n range of G. khasiaca M aclachlan, 1896 is known from India (M itra, 2002), Nepal (Vick, 1 989) and M yanrn ar (Fraser, 1936), and possibly Tibet (M artin, 1 909), although this record appears to be suspec- ted by Fraser (1 936). According to M itra (2002), Bangladesh has also been included in the range of this species and Recently Khan (2015b) reported the species from Tilagor Eco Park of Bangladesh and confirmed its distribution in Bangladesh. MATERIAL AND METHODS The authors have been documenting the Odonata 28 Arajush Payra et alii diversity in different parts of Eastern and North- Eastern India from 20 14-20 1 6. During the extens- ive survey random specimen collection of G. khasi- ClCCl was not adopted, as morphologically this species shows some unique characteristics that can easily differentiate it from other Indian GyndCdYltHci. Only one specimen was collected from Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal on 29th September 2015 and photographed, including its anal appendages and Wing Venation were taken with the help of Macro lens. We compared specimen and photo- graphs, with known species of the genus GyVl- acantha and identified with the help of identifica- tion keys provided by Fraser (1936). RESULTS From the present survey 9 individuals (7 males, 2 females) were observed from 6 localities. Details of the sightings from 6 localities are presented in Tab le 1 . D is trib u tio nal range of G. kflClsiciCCl in S ou th - ern Asia is showed in figure 1 and morphological characters in figures 2-10. Among the 9 individuals, we observed one brown morph male and one female, the rest were greenish in colour. This brown morph may be due to their young stage. As this kind of morphological colour changes with respect to aging as observed by Fraser (1936) in the specimens of GyildCdYlthd dravidd Fieftinck, 1960. In case of old G. khcisidCCl male, eyes are pale blue to olive green in colour. Labrum and labium olive brown in colour. Frons light green with black ‘T ’ shaped mark on its upper s id e. Thorax is bright green, with two thick blackish brown stripes on each side of it. Legs are mainly black to blackish brown. Wings are hyaline, but at the base of wing tinted with bright amber colour. Pterostigma dark brown in colour and covering 4, 5 cells. Discoidal cells 5 celled in forewing, but in case of hind wing it varies from 4-6 cells. Fength of the abdomen is mainly 47-51 mm. Segment 1 laterally green and dorsally brown. Segment 2 is laterally bluish and light green beneath. Segment 3-7 with jugal paired spots and greenish paired ap- ical annule. Segment 8-10 entirely black. Anal ap- pendages black in colour, where inferior anal appendages is two-third the length of the superior N A Legend O Mew Record • Old Record Bangladesh India Nepal Myanmar Bhutan o 0 385 770 1,540 Kilometers 1 i i i I i i i J * 9 o Figure 1 . D is trib u tio nal range of GyflCLCCWthcL khcLSiCLCCL Maclachlan, 1896 in S outhern A sia. New locality records of a rare Dragonfly Gynacantha khasiaca (Odonata Aeshnidae) from India 29 Date and time Location Latitude and longitude Altitude Sex Habitat 06.10.2014; 1 i . 4 5 am Deo Pahar, Golaghat, Assam 26°35'56"'N 93°44’6”E 15 3m M ale Dense forest 1 8.1 1 .20 14; 5pm Murti River, Gorumara Na- tional Park, West Bengal 26°49'46"N 88°49'58”E 144 m M ale Dense forest 1 2.07.20 1 5 ; 10.17 am C ooch B ehar, W est B engal 2 6 0 1 9 ' 2 1 " N 89°26'48” E 46 m Fern ale Human h ab ita tio n 06.8.20 1 5; 12.27 pm Siliguri, W est B engal 2 6 °4 2 ’ 2 1 ”N 8 8 °2 2 ’ 1 2 ” E 12 5 m M ale Human h ab ita tio n 1 4.09.20 1 5 ; 12.31 pm Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal 2 1 0 4 0 ’ 1 9 ” N 87°34'29” E 7 m M ale Human h ab ita tio n 2 1 .09.20 1 5 ; 13.01 pm Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, W est B engal 2 1 0 4 0 ’ 1 9 " N 87°34'29”E 7 m Female Human h ab ita tio n 29.09.20 1 5 ; 1 8.09 pm Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, W est B engal 2 1 °40 ' 1 9"N 87°34'29'’E 7 m M ale Human h ab ita tio n 07.1 0.20 1 5 ; 18.50 pm Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, W est B engal 2 1 °40 ’ 1 9"N 87°34'29'’ E 7 m M ale Human h ab ita tio n 28.1 0.20 1 5 ; 18.15 pm Khalingduar Forest IB, Assam 26.5 1 .43 N 9 1 .52.47 E 3 77 m M ale Human h ab ita tio n Table 1. Sighting records of GynCLCCMthci kfiCLSiCLCCL in different parts of Eastern India. Figures 2-4. GynaCCMthcL khosittCCl male (Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal; 7. X .2015). Fig. 2: lateral view of the specimen. Fig. 3: wing venation of the specimen. Fig. 4: anal appendages (inferior anal appendages more than half the length of superior anal appendages). 30 Arajush Payra et alii Figures 5-io. Gynaccmtha khasiaca. Fig. 5: Gynacantha khasiaca male (Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, 14. IX. 2015): Young male shows brown morph. Fig. 6: GyndCdTlthd khdSidCd female (Cooch Behar Purba, West Bengal, 1 2 .V 11.20 1 5 ): Young female shows brown morph. Fig. 7: GyVldCdYltHd khdSidCd m ale (Deo Pahar, Golaghat, Assam, 06.X. 20 14): dorsal-lateral view. Fig. 8: GyildCdllthd khdSidCd female (Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, 2 1. IX. 20 15): lateral view. Fig. 9: GyndCdUthd khdSidCd male (M urti River, Gorumara National Park, West Bengal, 18. XI. 20 14): lateral view. Fig. 10: GyVldCdVlthd khdSidCd male (Siliguri, West Bengal, 06. VIII. 2015): lateral view. New locality records of a rare Dragonfly Gynacantha khasiaca (Odonata Aeshnidae) from India 3 1 anal appendages. Old females are also similar to males except sexual characteristics. In case of young male eyes are olive brown. Lab- rum and labium also brownish. Side of the thorax is light yellowish in colour. Base of the wing also tinted with brown amber colour. Dorsal surface of the all abdominal segments blackish brown and beneath pale yellow. Male and female specimens of Gynacantha were observed in dense forest area, human habitations with dense vegetation near aquatic bodies at different parts of Eastern and North-Eastern India (see Table 1). Among the species of the genus Gynacantha, G. khasiaca is one of most beautiful dr agon fly. It can be easily distinguished from other Indian Gyn- acantha by the greater length of inferior anal ap- pendages which is more than half the length of superior anal appendages and two blackish brown stripes on each side of the bright green thorax (Fraser, 1936; Khan, 2015). DISCUSSION In India G. khasiaca was mainly restricted to North-eastern India and previously known from Meghalaya: Khasia Hills (Fraser, 1 922; Kimmins, 1969; M acLachlan, 1896), Assam : M angaldai (Laid- law, 1 923, Fraser, 1 936), Arunachl Pradesh: Abor Hills (Laidlaw, 1914), West Bengal: Cooch Behar (M itra, 2002) and Hasimara, Duars (Fraser, 1 936), in Uttarakhand (Prasad & Sinha, 2010) collection locality is unknown. Presently we observed this spe- cies from 6 localities of both Eastern and North- Eastern India. Among them 5 localities are new for this species. The newly observed locality of G. khasiaca in Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India lies approximately 550 km southwest of the Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India and Tilagarh Eco Park, Bangladesh, which are the nearest previously known localities. The observation of this species in Khal- ingduar Forest IB, Assam is also important as this place is very close to the Bhutan. Hence such new locality records indicate this species may be found in Bhutan as well as in other parts of Peninsular India in a next future. Despite the recent reports of G. khasiaca in Bangladesh by Khan (2015b) and in Nepal by Vick (1989), in India the lastrecord of this species was made by Mitra (2002) and the examined specimen was collected in 1 9 8 3. Therefore our present investigation designates its reports after a long tim e in India. With the exception of the observation from Deo Pahar, Assam and Murti River bed, West Bengal; the remaining observed localities were very close to human habitations. During the last decade, the cities have expanded twice in their circumference causing loss of natural habitats for Odonates. Urban development is expected to have a deleterious im- pact on Odonata populations, if only because the construction of buildings and concretes replaces or reduces the area of natural and semi-natural hab- itats. The quality of residual habitats may also be adversely affected by various forms of pollutants (Tiple & Chandra, 2013; Tiple & Koparde, 2015). Due to the limited knowledge on distribution, sea- sonality, low number of known localities and con- tinuous decline of habitats, G. khasiaca was categorized as a Data Deficientin IUCN (Mitra et al, 2010). Much work has yet to be done in future to clarify the distribution and status of the species, especially for the purposes of conservation. REFERENCES Andrew R.J., Subram aniam K.A.& Tiple A. D., 2009. A Handbook on Common Odonates of Central India. South Asian Council of Odonatology, 65 pp. Asahina S., 1993. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 33-38 Update to the status of Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1 798) and Trithemis kirbyi Selys, 1 89 1 for Italy and Central Mediterranean basin (Odonata Libellulidae) Andrea Corso 1 *, Ottavio Jan ni 2 , Maurizio Pavesi 3 & Michele Vigano 4 'MISC, Via Camastra 10, 96100 Siracusa, Italy; e-mail: zoologywp@gmail.com 2 MISC, Via Ongetta 5, 21010 Germignaga, Varese, Italy; e-mail: mikivigano@yahoo.com 3 Museo di Storia Naturale, Corso Venezia 55, 20121 Milano, Italy; e-mail: maurizio_pavesi@yahoo.com 4 MISC, Via G.G. D’Amore 21, 81016 Piedimonte Matese, Caserta, Italy ‘ Corresponding author ABSTRACT An overview of the records of Pantala flavescens and Trithemis kirbyi for the Sicilian Channel islands and mainland Sicily, with comments on their possible status in this area, is provided. In light of the number of observed individuals, P flavescens is likely to be regular in the stud- ied area, with up to 30 individuals recorded per year since autumn 2012. Trithemis kirbyi, conversely, is only known from few scattered records, so that its status in the area remains to be elucidated. No evidence of reproductive behaviour nor of actual breeding in this area was hitherto found for any of the two species. KEY WORDS Pantala flavescens ; Pelagie islands; Trithemis kirbyi. Received 26.02.2017; accepted 15.03.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) (Odonata Libellulidae) is the most widespread dragonfly spe- cies in the world, being recorded from all continents but Antarctica. It reaches northwards at least to north-eastern U.S. in North America, and to Kamcatka in eastern Asia, yet its main range is bet- ween 40°S and 40°N (Walker & Corbet, 1975). It is an outstandingly resistant, powerful flyer, and a very long distance migrant, often laying eggs during its migrations wherever suitable conditions are found (Boudot et al. 2013). Because of its rapid lar- val development, it is also able to exploit temporary waterbodies created by seasonal or occasional rains. During migration, the species is capable of very long sea-crossings - up to 1 ,000 km in a few days - either at night or during daylight (Feng et al., 2006; Anderson, 2009; Hobson et al., 2013; May, 2013; Suhling et al., 2009, 2016; Vieira & Cordero- Rivera, 2015). It has also reached Easter Island, one of the most remote islands in the world, more than 3,500 km from South American coasts, where a breeding population occurs (Dumont & Verschuren, 1991). Despite its highly migratory nature and the wide distribution, records in Europe and North Africa are surprisingly scarce (Jacquemin & Boudot, 1999; Jodicke, 1995; Jodicke et al., 2000; Schrijvershof, 2006; Buczynski et al., 2014). In Africa, P. flavescens is commonly found throughout the continent including Madagascar, from the Cape of Good Hope to the southern edge of the Sahara; there are however only a few records north of the Sahara, not recorded e. g. for Libya or Western 34 Andrea Corso et alii Sahara (Boudot et al., 2013). It is more frequent in Egypt and adjacent areas of Asia Minor (Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006; Kalkman & Van Pelt, 2006; Boudot et al., 2009). Trithemis kirbyi Selys, 1891 (Odonata Libellul- idae) is widespread throughout Africa, except in rainforest areas, and in Southern Asia up to India (Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006; Boudot et al., 2009). Unlike P. flavescens, T. kirbyi is not a regular long- distance migrant, its movements being essentially erratic; yet it has recently and rapidly expanded its range northwards, spreading into south-western Europe (Chelmick & Pickess, 2008; Cano- Villegas & Conesa-Garcia, 2009; Herrera-Grao et al., 2012; Corso et al., 2012; Boudot et al., 2013; Obregon- Romero et al., 2013). Global warming is influen- cing the distribution range of numerous species of Odonata, causing northward expansions, while a tendency towards an increasing range of move- ments in their migratoiy patterns has noticed as well (Ott, 2001, 2010; Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006; Bernard et al., 2009; Vieira & Cordero-Rivera, 2015). Trithemis kirbyi was recorded for the first time in Sardinia in 2003 (Holusa, 2008). Corso et al. (2012) briefly reported first records of P. flavescens for Italy and of T. kirbyi for the small Sicilian islands, in view of the present, more detailed report. All the records of the two species for Sicilian Channel islands and Sicily, updated to November 2016, are herewith listed and discussed. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study area, shown in figure 1 and figure 2, is represented by: 1) The Pelagie Islands (Isole Pelagie), three small islands - Lampedusa, Linosa, and Lampione - located in the middle of the Sicilian Channel, south of Sicily, halfway between Malta and Tunisia. Geographically and geologically one part of the archipelago (Lampedusa and Lampione) belongs to the African plateau, while Linosa is a volcanic island; politically and administratively the islands fall within the Sicilian province of Agrigento and represent the southernmost part of Italy. The largest island is Lampedusa, about 20 km 2 ; the second largest island is Linosa, while the smallest is the uninhabited Lampione. The vegetation on Lampedusa and Lampione is exceedingly low and scarce, because of extensive destruction of the formerly existing Mediterranean scrub; the latter is better preserved on Linosa. Aquatic biotopes are extremely scarce and scattered, only consisting in a few temporary, rain- fed waterbodies. The maximum altitude of the archipelago is on Linosa, with Monte Vulcano (195 m a.s.l.), followed by Lampedusa, with Albero Sole (133 m a.s.l.). 2) Northwest of the Pelagie there is the volcanic island of Pantelleria, 110 km south-west of Sicily and only 70 km north-east of Tunisia, by far the largest and highest in altitude of the Sicilian Chan- nel islands (836 m a.s.l., ca. 83 1cm 2 ). Besides having several temporary waterbodies, consisting in man-made water reservoirs and catchments, it has a permanent volcanic lake, with a dense, locally wide reed belt, potentially suitable for several Odonata; because of high salinity, however, only Ischnura fountaineae Morton, 1905, with the only known viable European population, is definitely known to breed here, and very few other dragonflies are supposed to do so, at least occasionally. 3) Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean basin, is situated right in the centre of this “closed” sea. It has a great variety of aquatic biotopes, in- cluding coastal brackish wetlands, freshwater lentic biotopes (either natural or man-made), streams and rivers, habitats for a lot of Odonata species. Since 2004, the islands of the Sicilian Channel were visited every year, mainly by AC, OJ and MV. The Pelagie were regularly visited in spring (Lebruary-May), summer (June- August), autumn (September-November), with a few winter visits (December-January). Pantelleria, conversely, was visited mainly in spring, with a very few visits in summer and autumn. More specifically, between April 2004 and November 2016, the Pelagie were visited for a total of almost 540 days, mostly during the autumn (see Corso et al., 2012). During these visits, all potentially suitable dragonfly habitats, over as much ground as possible, were prospected, in order to assess what dragonfly species were actually or possibly breeding in local waterbodies, and what were only regular migratories or acci- dental vagrants. The former ones proved extremely scarce (Corso et al., 2012). Information, although derived from more anecdotal observations, re- garding the island of Djerba, Southern Tunisia, Gulf of Gabes, and the Maltese Archipelago are also reported, as these sites are geographically close and Pantala flavescens and Trithemis kirbyi (Odonata Libellulidae) in Italy and Central Mediterranean basin 35 Figure 1. The study area in the Centre of Mediterranean Basin, red circles showing the observations (and/or literature data) sites. Figure 2. Map of Sicily showing the areas where Pantala flavescens was recorded during this study. records from these areas are closely associated with the patterns affecting Sicily and Pelagie islands. Most of the records here reported refer to netted or photographed specimens. However, some concern field observations only, since P flavescens and T. kirbyi are strong, fast fliers, often quite shy and difficult to catch or approach. Fortunately, both are locally unmistakable, so that their field identifica- tion is easy and reliable (Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006). When netted, the specimens were photo- graphed in the hand in four different positions - side view, from below, from above and a close up of secondary genitalia. To photograph the specimens we used a digital SLR camera with a 18-70 mm lens. Only a few voucher specimens were collected, currently housed in the private collections of two of the authors (AC and MP). RESULTS Corso et al. (2012) report the first Italian records of P. flavescens from the Pelagie on October 2012, with no further details. A detailed list of records is herewith provided. Lampedusa: 1 ex. (sex?), CalaMorta, 27.X.2012. Linosa: 1 male, 28.X.2012; 1 male, 5.XI.2012; 13 exx. (mostly males), 6.XI.2012; 3 exx. (sex?), 7.XI.12; 8 exx. (mostly males), 8.XI.2012; 2 exx. (sex?), 11.XI.2012 (Figs. 3-5). Both males and females, the formers more abundant, were recorded; all individuals were apparently immature, none of the males showing bright red coloration. Only 1 male, on 6.XI.2012, was collected, and is currently housed in MP collection (Figs. 4, 5). In the fol- lowing years, P. flavescens was regularly recorded on Linosa. At least 15 exx. were noticed from 20.X.2013 to mid XI.2013; at least 8 from late X.2014 to mid XI. 2014; in 2015, 1 male was seen on 27.X, 1 on 28. X and 1 on 3. XI; in 2016, only 1 (sex?) on 22.X. Sicily mainland (Fig. 2): the first confirmed record concerns 1 male, Pantano (= marsh) Cuba (Siracusa province), 36°42’27.10 ,, N 15°1 , 30.40”E, 2.XII.2012, AC (MP coll.). In the following years, further individuals were observed: 1 male, Siracusa, 37°6’37.34 ,, N 15°13’43.28”E, 15. X.2014; 1 male, near Trapani, 37°59 , 34.18”N 12°31’9.52”E, 20.X.2014; 1 male, near Mazara del Vallo (Trapani province), 37°39’44.25”N 12°32 , 2.06”E, 18.X.2014; 1 male, Siracusa, in the very same site of the 2014 record, a mall parking area, 19.X.2016 (all by AC). Although the repeated observations on the said parking area may appear surprising at first, the warm asphalted ground could actually prove attractive to wandering individuals. Because of their relevance to the study area, ob- servations by AC at Djerba island (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia) are also reported. At least 20 specimens 36 Andrea Corso et alii Figure 3. First photographically documented record of Pantala flavescens for Italy, concerning an immature male observed at Linosa Island, Pelagie (Agrigento province, Sicily) on 18.X.2012 (M. Vigano/MISC). Figures 4, 5. The only specimen collected of P. flavescens in Italy up to date - 1 male netted at Linosa Island, Pelagie, on 6.XI.2012 (M. Vigano/MISC). Figures 6, 7. The first Trithemis kirbyi ever photographed alive in the field for Italy, at Linosa Island, Pelagie, on 16.X.2013 (Igor Maiorano/MISC). Figure 8. A mature female of P. flavescens collected in the Sinai desert, Egypt, October 2009, during massive migration, for comparison (A. Corso/MISC). Figure 9. An immature male of P. flavescens collected in the Sinai desert, Egypt, October 2009, during massive migration, for comparison (A. Corso/MISC). Pantala flavescens and Trithemis kirbyi (Odonata Libellulidae) in Italy and Central Mediterranean basin 37 (mostly males) were observed on 30.IX.2010, around the water treatment ponds of El Kantara (33°41’52.48”N 10°56’25.45”E), probably the best site for Odonata in the entire island (AC, unpubl.). In the Maltese Archipelago, the species was re- corded in the summer 2013 with three specimens observed/collected (Degabriele, 2014). It is to be stressed that no reason seems to exist, for which migratory P. flavescens should not occur also on Pantelleria. Lack of records may only result from no researcher presence on the island during the suitable period. As for T. kirbyi , Corso et al. (2012) provided the second record for Italy, after the first from Sardinia in 2003 (Holusa, 2008), and the first regional one, of a pair observed on Lampedusa, Capo Grecale, 20.X.2012. Subsequent records were obtained. Lampedusa: 1 male observed, Albero Sole, 35°31 , 40.41 ,, N 12°32’20.04”E, 6.XI.2014. Linosa: at least 6 specimens (3 males, 3 females) 35°52 , 10.65”N 12°51’49.77”E, 16-20.X.2013, 3 of which (2 males, 1 female) were collected (Pigs. 6, 7, AC and MP collections). CONCLUSIONS The Pelagie islands are the only European area where the highly migratory P. flavescens was recor- ded regularly through more years (Corso et al., 2012; Buczynski et al., 2014). During this study, up to about 30 specimens were noticed - mostly col- lected or photographed - on Linosa and Lampedusa every autumn, since the first records by Corso et al. (2012). Some records were also obtained in Sicily mainland, in December 2012 and again in autumn 2014 and 2016. The species was recently recorded also in the Maltese Archipelago (Degabriele, 2014). Upon future studies, P flavescens very likely will prove a regular migrant also here, and on Pantelleria as well. Although the species is a regular migrant also in Sicily mainland, where no doubt a number of suitable biotopes exists, there is at present no evidence of breeding in Italy; this also will be the target of future studies. Trithemis kirbyi is wide- spread and rather common throughout North Africa (Dijkstra & Lewington, 2006; Boudot et al., 2009, 2013) and is at present rapidly spreading in Spain as well (Chelmick & Piclcess, 2008; Herrera-Grao et al., 2012; Obregon-Romero et al., 2013); yet it has only occasionally been recorded in the Sicilian Channel islands, precisely in the Pelagie (Corso et al., 2012), while no record for Sicily mainland cur- rently does exist. REFERENCES Anderson R.C., 2009. Do dragonflies migrate across the western Indian Ocean? Journal of Tropical Ecology, 25: 347-358 Boudot J.-P., Kalkman V.J., Azpiliculeta Amorin M., Bogdanovic T., Cordero Rivera A., Degabriele G., Dommanget J.-L., Garrigos B., Jovic M., Kotarac M., Lopau W., Marinov M., Mihokovic N., Riservato E., Samraoui B. & Schneider W., 2009. Atlas of the Odonata of the Mediterranean and North Africa. Libellula, Supplement, 9: 1-256. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 39-44 Chiloneus hoffmanni (Gonzalez, 1 970) (Coleoptera Curculionidae) new to Italy, with a checklist of the species of the genus and ecological notes Roberto Casalini 1 , Enzo Colonnelli 2 *, Andrea Corso 3 & David Mifsud 4 'Museo Civico di Zoologia, via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 18, 00187 Roma, Italy 2 via delle Giunchiglie, 56, 00172 Roma, Italy 3 via Camastra, 10, 96100 Siracusa, Italy, institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta ^Corresponding author, email: ecolonnelli@yahoo.it ABSTRACT Chiloneus hoffmanni (Gonzalez, 1970) (Coleoptera Curculionidae) thus far considered a Maltese endemic, is here recorded for the first time from Lampedusa island (Italy). Several adults of this species and of C. solarii Pesarini, 1970 were found feeding on leaves of Chaiybdis pancration (Asparagaceae). These observations constitute the first data on the eco- logy of these species. An updated checklist of Chiloneus Schoenherr, 1842 is also provided. KEY WORDS Curculionidae; Chiloneus; diversity; biology; Mediterranean. Received 06.03.2017; accepted 23.03.2017; printed 30.03.2017 INTRODUCTION Chiloneus Schoenherr, 1 842 is a genus of Scia- philini Sharp, 1891 (Coleoptera Curculionidae) hav- ing a Mediterranean-Turanian distribution. The genus currently includes 41 described species of which 40 are accommodated in the nominal sub- genus, and one in the subgenus Mylaconeus Pesar- ini, 1970 (Borovec, 2013; Borovec & Perrin, 2016). The absolute majority of species are distributed in the wanner parts of the Mediterranean basin. The most recent and comprehensive revision of this group was published by Gonzalez (1970), who however confused members of this genus with those of Desbrochersella Reitter, 1906, a morpho- logically similar genus of Omiini Shuckard, 1840 (Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 1999). Distinguishing features for the above mentioned genera were provided by Borovec & Perrin (2016), who also described new species, proposed new combinations and several new synonyms, outdating the recent catalogue of Borovec (2013). Four species of Chiloneus were recorded from Italy, of which three belong to the nominotypical subgenus, and one to the endemic subgenus Mylaconeus (Abbazzi & Maggini, 2009; Borovec, 2013). MATERIAL AND METHODS In the last 1 0 years, regular visits to the Pelagie islands were carried out by one of us (AC), mostly to study the bird and dragonfly fauna (Corso, 2005; Corso et al., 2009, 2012). During October and November 2016, several specimens of Chiloneus were hand-collected on sea squill after heavy rains on Linosa island. A few weeks later, in view of the 40 Roberto Casalini etalii results obtained in Linosa, the same plant was suc- cessfully investigated on Lampedusa island in order to check the presence of Chiloneus. Given the faun- istic and botanic similarity between the Pelagie and the Maltese archipelagoes (Corti et al., 2002), we decided to compare Chiloneus from the three is- lands, i.e. Linosa, Lampedusa and Malta, which are close to each other (Fig. 7). In Malta, one of us (DM) collected this weevil from the base of the same plant, called also sea onion or giant hyacinth, in a coastal garigue habitat in the south-eastern part of Malta (Munxar, l/o St. Thomas Bay), and addi- tional material was available from Mellieha in Malta and Qbajjar in Gozo. Specimens are pre- served in the personal collections of EC and RC in Rome, and of DM in Malta. Body size of specimens is meant from an ideal line in front of eyes to the tip of elytra, excluding thus the rostrum, as usual for weevils. Measures were taken with an ocular grid. Pictures were taken by Francesco Sacco with a Nikon 810 camera provided with a Mitutoyo Plan Apo 10X objective and a tube lens f 80mm 4X. Photo were then stacked with the program Helicon Focus 6. 1 , and further processed using the program Adobe Photoshop CS5. Nomenclature of plants follows the checklist by Conti et al. (2005). ABBREVIATIONS. AC: Andrea Corso; EC: Enzo Colonnelli; RC: Roberto Casalini; DM: David Mifsud. Distribution, AG: Algeria; BH: Bosnia and Hercegovina; CY: Cyprus; CR: Croatia; EG: Egypt; GR: Greece; KZ: Kazakistan; IT: Italy; JO: Jordan; IS: Israel; LB: Libya; MA: Malta; MO: Morocco; SP: Spain; TR: Turkey; TU: Tunisia. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION On Linosa island, Chiloneus solarii Pesarini, 1 970, a weevil previously known on the basis of the eight type specimens (Pesarini, 1970), was com- monly found at the base of leaves of Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta (Asparagaceae) (Fig. 5). It was found from sea level up to the top of Monte Vulcano (m 195 a.s.l.), feeding on leaves and pro- ducing irregular holes on their surface (Fig. 6). Dur- ing the day, adults were hidden at the base of the rather succulent large leaves of the plant, being act- ive at night. Similar behaviour was shown by Chi- loneus on Lampedusa and the Maltese islands. Hun- dreds of exemplars were observed in Linosa, and about 130 were collected at Monte Vulcano, Monte Bandiera, Monte Rosso and Mannarazza. These are the first ecological observations for these insular Chiloneus , whose larvae probably develop inside the bulbs of Chaiybdis and/or possibly inside roots of the near plants. During the five days spent on Lampedusa sev- eral Charybdis and similar plants from all over the island were investigated for the presence of this weevil. Interestingly, many specimens of Chiloneus were found all over the western part of the island, from Capo Ponente to Albero Sole, Punta dell’ Ac - qua, Cala Pulcino and Cala Galera, whereas not a single specimen was found on the eastern part, east of the town of Lampedusa to Punta Sottile, Cala Francese and Capo Levante. In fact, on the eastern part of the island, and suggesting that the two weevils exclude each other from developing on the same plants, was rather common only the sub- endemic Brachycerus schatzmayri Zumpt, 1937. This rather common weevil produces similar damage to the leaves of the plant, and no less than 40 specimens were found. Apart this large As- paragaceae, no other plant was found as possible host of this huge Brachycerus Olivier, 1789 in the island. In the field it became evident that the speci- mens of Chiloneus from Lampedusa were sligthly different from those found in Linosa. Specimens from Linosa and Lampedusa were morphologically compared, and it was found that they belong to two apparently different species. In fact, the specimens from Lampedusa were very similar to Chiloneus hoffmanni Gonzalez, 1970, a species considered endemic to the Maltese ar- chipelago (Mifsud & Colonnelli, 2010). From side to side examination of numerous specimens of Chi- loneus from Malta and Lampedusa, we were able to identify the Chiloneus from Lampedusa as C. hoffmanni , a species never reported for the Italian fauna. Given the close relationship of these insular Chiloneus to one another and their variability of size, density and colour of scales of integument, absence or presence and size of profemoral tooth, the only reliable feature which allows discrimina- tion of C. hoffmanni (Fig. 1) from C. solarii (Fig. Chiloneus hoffmanni (Curculionidae) new to Italy, with a checklist of the species of the genus and ecological notes 41 Figures 1, 3. Male of Chiloneus hoffmanni from Lampedusa (Sicilian Channel, Italy), habitus and aedeagus from above, respectively. Figures 2, 4. Male of Chiloneus solarii from Linosa (Sicilian Channel, Italy), habitus and aedeagus from above, respectively. Photos by Francesco Sacco. Figure 5. Leaves of Charybdis pancration cribbled by adults of Chiloneus solarii in Linosa (Sicilian Channel, Italy). Figure 6. Detail of the same, with some insects half- hidden inside the rosette of leaves. Photos by Andrea Corso. 2) are the striae of the latter which are clearly nar- rower since their punctures are at most as wide as 1/3 of the width of the flat dorsal intervals, whereas in C. hoffmanni at least some striae are formed by punctures as wide as half of the often quite convex intervals. The aedeagus and spermatheca are very similar in both species, merely the aedeagus of C. hoffmanni is slightly wider than that of C. solarii (Figs. 2 and 4). The body size of C. hoffmanni is also on average somewhat larger (mm 4. 0-5. 5, mean 4.6) than that of C. solarii (mm 3. 5-5.0, mean 4.2). The presence or absence of minute blunt profemoral tooth cannot be used to differen- tiate these two species as indicated by Pesarini (1970), since a great variability was observed fol- lowing examination of more than 220 specimens at hand. In general, vestiture of C. hoffmanni is also sparser, and its integument more polished and paler, whereas the colour of scales varies in both species from golden-brownish to metallic greenish. We plan to carry out molecular studies next year to better assess the taxonomic status of these ex- tremely close insular populations. 42 Roberto Casalini etalii CHECKLIST As already pointed out, the checklist of Chi- loneus provided by Borovec (2013) became out- dated after the publication of the work by Borovec & Perrin (2016) in which several taxonomical, no- menclatural and distributional changes were made. It seems thus appropriate to provide here under an updated list of all species of this genus, using a format slightly different from that used in the catalogue by Lobl & Smetana (2013). However, same country abbreviations are being used to fa- cilitate comparison in distributional data. Indented names are synonyms. The list is presented here under. Chiloneus ( Chiloneus ) Schoenherr, 1842 Chilonorrhinus Reitter, 1915 Micro elytro don Pic, 1945 Rhinochrosis Desbrochers des Loges, 1892 aliquoi (Pesarini, 1975) - IT barbaricus (Gonzalez, 1970) - AG vaulogeri (Desbrochers des Loges, 1897) belloi Borovec et Weill, 2016 - SP brevipilis Desbrochers des Loges, 1893 - AG, TU tuniseus Desbrochers des Loges, 1897 brevithorax Desbrochers des Loges, 1875 - CY theresae (Pic, 1945) carinidorsum Desbrochers des Loges, 1871 - AG chevrolati Tournier, 1 874 - MO, PT, SP parvus (Stierlin, 1899) subglobatus (Desbrochers des Loges, 1892) tingitanus (Gonzalez, 1970) chobauti (Desbrochers des Loges, 1897) - AG MO, TU inhumeralis (Pic, 1903) cinerascens (Rosenhauer, 1856) - AG, MO, SP nitens (Pic, 1904) seminitidus (Hustache, 1941) corcyreus Penecke, 1935 - GR (Kerkyra) corpulentus (Kiesenwetter, 1864) - GR cyrenaicus Borovec et Weill, 2016 - LB franzi (Gonzalez, 1970) - SP gabrieli Reitter, 1915 - GR globulus Borovec et Perrin, 2016 - AG hispidus (Gonzalez, 1972) - JO Tunis Hammamet o O Mona Trapani O Favignana Palermo o o Reggio Calabria Marsala o Catania o Agrigento Sicilia Ragusa Siracusa o Linosa Malta Figure 7. Map of central Mediterranean, showing the position of Linosa, Lampedusa, and Maltese islands. Localities of Chiloneus hoffmanni are marked by red squares, whereas those of C. solarii are marked by a red dot. Chiloneus hoffmanni (Curculionidae) new to Italy, with a checklist of the species of the genus and ecological notes 43 hoffmanni (Gonzalez, 1970) - IT (Lampedusa), MA deluccaiV esarini, 1970 infuscatus (Chevrolat, 1861) - AG, TU algericus Desbrochers des Loges, 1871 innotatus (Pic, 1927) - CY insulanus (Gonzalez, 1970) jonicus Kraatz, 1859 - GR maculatus (Hampe, 1870) - BH, CR maroccanus (Hoffmann, 1954) - MO mediterraneus (Gonzalez, 1970) - SP meridionalis (Boheman, 1840) - IT (Sicily) championi (Gonzalez, 1970) siculus Boheman, 1 842 minutissimus (Pic, 1904) - AG nitidipennis (Pic, 1927) subannulipes (Pic, 1917) omiasformis Borovec et Weill, 2016 - SP ottomanus Desbrochers des Loges, 1892 - TR pallidns Bajtenov, 1974 - KZ pennatus (Faust, 1885) - AG, SP dividuus (Pic, 1904) pruinosus (Desbrochers des Loges, 1896) pertusicollis (Fairmaire, 1868) - AG, EG nasutus Desbrochers des Loges, 1897 ruficornis (Allard, 1869) sphaeropterus (Allard, 1869) sahlbergi Reitter, 1915 - IS scythropoides Reitter, 1915 - CY sitoniformis Reitter, 1915 - IS sitonoides Reitter, 1915 - AG solarii Pesarini, 1970 - IT (Linosa) submaculatus (Pic, 1917) - AG, TU alboscutellaris ( Pic, 1917) syriacus (Stierlin, 1886) - IS tenietensis Borovec et Perrin, 2016 - AG vaulogeri (Pic, 1896) - LB, TU alluaudi (Pic, 1903) pdosulus Normand, 1953 veneriatus Normand, 1937: 244 - TU Chiloneus ( Mylaconeus ) Pesarini, 1970 lonai Pesarini, 1970- IT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ottavio Janni (Piedimonte Matese, Caserta), Michele Vigano (Germignaga, Varese), Lucio Man- iscalco (Palermo, Italy), Raimondo Finati (Napoli, Italy), Hans Larsson (Malmoe, Sweden) and Igor Maiorano (Trieste, Italy), friends and colleagues of the birding team MISC, with whom Andrea Corso regularly visited the Pelagie islands in the last ten years, are thanked for their collaboration in the field. Fabio Tuccio (Linosa, Italy) is appreciated for his hospitality during the stay at Linosa island. Francesco Sacco (Rome, Italy) was so kind to take the pictures of the weevils. Marco Giardini (Sant’ Angelo Romano,, Italy) gave us information about nomenclature of the plants. REFERENCES Abbazzi P. & Maggini L., 2009. Elenco sistematico- faunistico dei Curculionoidea italiani, Scolytidae e Platypodidae esclusi (Insecta, Coleoptera). Aldrovan- dia, 5:29-216. Alonso-Zarazaga M.A. & Lyal C.H.C., 1999. A world catalogue of families and genera of Curculionoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) (Excepting Scolytidae and Platypodidae). Entomopraxis, Barcelona, 315 pp. Borovec R., 2013. Tribe Sciaphilini Sharp, 1891. In: I. Lobl & Smetana A. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaeartic Coleoptera. Volume 8. Curculionoidea II. Brill, Leiden, Boston, 83-85 and 377-386. Borovec R. & Perrin H., 2016. On the systematic position of some species of Chiloneus, Desbrocher sella and Sciaphilus, with description of two new species and lectotype selection (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: En- timinae). Zootaxa, 419: 131-152. Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A. & Blasi C. (Eds.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora. Palombi e Partner, Roma, 420 pp. Corso A., 2005. Avifauna di Sicilia. Edizioni L’Epos, Palermo, 320 pp. Corso A., Janni O., Larsson H. & Gustin M., 2009. Com- mend sullo status del Marangone dal ciuffo Phalac- rocorax aristotelis desmarestii in Sicilia. Alula, 16: 213-215. Corso A., Janni O., Pavesi M., Sammut M., Sciberras A. & Vigano M., 2012. Annotated checklist of the dragonflies (Insecta Odonata) of the islands of the Sicilian Channel, including the first records of Sym- petrum sinaiticum Dumont, 1977 and Pantala flaves- cens (Fabricius 1798) for Italy. Biodiversity Journal, 3: 459-478. Corti C., Lo Cascio P., Massetti M. & Pasta S., 2002. Storia naturale delle isole Pelagie. Edizioni L’Epos, Palermo, 189 pp. Gonzalez M., 1970. El genero Desbrochersella Reitter (Col. Curculionidae). Publicaciones del Instituto de Biologia Aplicada, 48: 49-72. 44 Roberto Casalini etalii Lobl I. & Smetana A. (Eds.), 2013. Catalogue of Palae- artic Coleoptera. Volume 8. Curculionoidea II. Brill, Leiden, Boston, 700 pp. Mifsud D. & Colonnelli E., 2010. The Curculionoidea of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean) (Cole- optera). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Malta, 3: 55-143. Pesarini C., 1970. I Chiloneus italiani con descrizione di tre nuove specie e di un nuovo sottogenere (VIII con- tribute) alia conoscenza dei coleotteri curculionidi). Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, 112: 373-386. MARCH 2017, 8 (1): 45-312 www.biodiversityjournaf.com ISSN 2039-0394 (Print Edition) ISSN 2039-0408 (Online Edition) PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3rd INTERNATIONAL MONOGRAPH with the support of CONGRESS world biodiversity association o n I u s BIODIVERSITY, MEDITERRANEAN, SOCIETY” SEPTEMBER 4th-6th, 2015 NOTO-VENDICARI. ITALY Juniperus turbinata Guss. - Piano Pirrera, Acate, Sicily BIODIVERSITY JOURNAL 2016,8 (I): 45-312 Quaternly scientific journal edited by Edizioni Danaus, viaV. Di Marco 43,90143 Palermo, Italy www.biodiversityjournal.com biodiversityjournal@gmail.com Official authorization no. 40 (28.12.2010) ISSN 2039-0394 (Print Edition) ISSN 2039-0408 (Online Edition) Juniperus turbinata Guss. (Cupressaceae). Juniperus phoenicea was described by Linnaeus (1753) from specimens collected from Montpellier, southern France; later Gussone (1845), described J. turbinata from southern Sicily differentiating it from the previous one. After many taxonomic vicissitudes, the two species are currently recognized by various authors and by the FUCN's Conifer Specialist Group. Juniperus turbinata differs from J. phoenicea mostly by having a larger (12-14 mm), sub-ovoid cone and leaves without scarious border (Arrigoni, 2012). J. phoenicea is a western European taxon that grows in a wide bioclimatic range from thermo- to supramediterranean belt with semiarid to humid ombrotype, in Spain, southern France, Italy in Maritime and Apuane Alps, while J. turbinata is found from the infra- to supramediterranean belt with arid to humid ombrotype and is widespread in the Mediterranean region and Canary Islands, both in coastal and inland regions (Mazur et al., 20 1 6). J. turbinata is a large shrub or a small tree (8- 1 2m tall), which grows mainly in coastal areas of the Mediterranean region and in mountains of northwest of Africa. In Sicily, the species is generally rare but a large population was recently discovered near Acate in SE Sicily (Minissale & Sciandrello, 2013). It is a typical Mediterranean species globally evaluated as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN world red list (Farjon, 2013). In fact although it is widely distributed along the coasts of the Mediterranean, subpopulations are scattered and usually small or very small. It often occurs close to urbanized coastal strips, or paleo-dunes where much of the original habitat has been destroyed. So reinforcement of J. turbinata populations and habitat restoration should be implemented. References: Arrigoni PV., 2012. Miscellaneous notes about some taxa of the Italian flora. Webbia, 67: 3746. - Farjon A., 2013 .Juniperus turbinata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.Tl 6349692 A84434669. Downloaded on 26 March 2017. - Gussone J., 1845. Florae Siculae Synopsis 2, Neapoli, p. 634 - Linnaeus C., 1753. Species plantarum 2. Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii, p. 640. - Mazur M., Minissale P., Sciandrello S. & Boratynski A., 2016. Morphological and ecological comparison of populations of Juniperus turbinata Guss. and J. phoenicea L. from the Mediterranean region. Plant Biosystems, 150: 313-322. - Minissale P. & Sciandrello S., 2013. A relic wood of Juniperus turbinata Guss. (Cupressaceae) in Sicily: Structural and ecological features, conservation perspectives. Plant Biosystems, 147: 145-157. Pietro Minissalei Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Scienze Ambientali, Universita di Catania, Via A. Longo 19, 95125 Catania, Italy; e-mail: p.minissale@unict.it -Cover photo by Pietro Minissale Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 47-48 Monograph Introduction Considerations on the International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society” Giorgio Sabella Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences - Section of Animal Biology “M. La Greca”, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; e-mail: sabellag@unict.it Received 05.05.2016; accepted 12.05.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) The Congress, held in September 2015 inNoto- Vendicari (Siracusa, Sicily, Italy) (Figs. 1, 2), the Sicilian town declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO, represented a new opportunity for sci- entific debate (as in the previous meetings held in 2012 in Palermo and 2014 in Cefalu-Castelbuono, Sicily, Italy), among university researchers and scholars, members of scientific and environment- alist associations, operators involved in environ- mental management and territorial planning, managers of protected areas, scholars dealing in energy resources, communication and environ- mental education. In particular, the conference focused on: i) plant and animal biodiversity; ii) biological and ecolo- gical research, included the anthropogenic impact, particularly in the Mediterranean, placing attention on protected areas and their role; iii) issues related to the debate concerning the sustainability and its perspectives in the field of energy, medicine, edu- cation and involvement of civil society. A further aim of the congress was also to strengthen collaboration, international friendships and networks, already established in previous meetings, as well as to extend the debate on nature conservation to new areas, favoring the formation of a large cultural community who share a common interest in environmental sustainability starting from a vision of ethics and not a consumerist or opportunistic one. These themes - the relationship between man and environment and of the development of a truly and not only nominal, sustainable lifestyle - are highly topical and have great importance not only for the conservation of nature, but especially for the survival of our Planet. Over the past 25 years, globalization has resul- ted in rapid and profound changes in society, creat- ing many new opportunities, but also generating problems in the implementation of development models and ensuring environmental sustainabilty. It is clear that many environmental problems, such as, climate change, the equitable use of re- sources, mutual respect for the different cultures, conservation of migratory species and the control of the introduction of alien species, require the adoption of global policies and cannot be dealt on a national or local scale. However, this must not prevent anyone from adopting correct nature con- servation policies on all levels, including those in- volving change in personal behaviors. In this context, the study of biodiversity at all levels, genetic variability, species, communities and ecosystems, it is crucial to understanding the mech- 48 Giorgio Sabella Figure 1. Noto Cathedral (Sicily, Italy, photo P. Iuvara). Figure 2. Vendicari, Salinaro House (Sicily, Italy, photo P. Iuvara). anisms that regulate the functioning of nature, set conservation policies and environmental manage- ment based on scientific criteria and not merely on aesthetical or worse yet utilitarian basis. On the other hand, it is increasingly evident that it is ne- cessary to rethink the current models of society based on consumism and on uncontrolled exploita- tion of resources. For this reason, the publication of the Proceed- ings of the Congress has been divided into two sec- tions. The contributions of the first section, mainly bio-naturalistic and involving many and varied aspects of biodiversity of animal, vegetation and habitat, are published in the Biodiversity Journal, while the contributions of the second section, which examine the relationship between man and environ- ment, will be published in the Proceedings and Me- moirs of Ente Fauna Siciliana. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 49-58 Monograph Modern taxonomic and biogeographic approaches to biodi versity in the Mediterranean area Alessandro Minelli Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58 B, I 35131 Padova, Italy; email: alessandro.minelli@unipd.it ABSTRACT I review here examples of recent progress in the taxonomy and biogeography of Mediter- ranean taxa. Morphological approaches have still much to offer, as shown by a study of the Sicilian species of the wingless weevil genus Pseudomeira Stierlin, 1881 (Coleoptera Curculionidae). A systematic analysis of molecular markers, however, is revealing a huge number of previously unsuspected cryptic species, as in the scarab genus Pachypus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera Pachypodidae). Other molecular studies have revealed very deep phylo- geographic structure in the Corsican brook salamander; the presence of six or more species hitherto lumped under Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pulmonata Subulinidae), in a snail genus in which biparental and uniparental reproduction coexist; the conservation of the same male pheromone in vicariant species of the scarab beetles of the genus Osmoderma Lepeletier et Serville, 1828 (Coleoptera Cetoniidae); the interplay of vicariance and dispersal events in giving rise to the different taxa of the land snail genus Chilostoma Fitzinger, 1833 (Gastropoda Flelicidae) inhabiting the Greek islands. Further examples of modern biogeographic studies are a morphometric analysis revealing the preferential localization of steep slopes of phenetic diversity of seven butterfly species groups in the Tuscan archipelago and across the Strait of Messina; a research on tenebrionid beetles showing that present distribution patterns are not completely explained by postglacial recolonization from Pleistocenic refugia; a comparative analysis of the diversity of patterns (explained in part by vicariance, in part by dispersal) in the biota on the two shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. A study on the ocellated lizards provides a nice analysis of climatic niche evolution throughout speciation. Finally, a comparative study of mtDNA from spurge hawkmoths collected between 1884 and 1986 has demonstrated the complete disappearance, within one century, of a lineage from a former area of sympatry with what now appears as its vicariant. KEY WORDS dispersal; ecological niche; molecular taxonomy; taxonomic methods; vicariance. Received 08.04.2016; accepted 21.07.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The terrestrial and freshwater biota of the Medi- terranean area have long attracted the attention of zoologists and botanists. Their study has always been a challenging but eventually rewarding task for the taxonomist confronted with a sometimes ex- plosive fragmentation of isolated populations whose taxonomic rank, either specific or subspe- cific, continues to trouble us to date, as well as for 50 Alessandro Minelli the biogeographer looking for an interpretation of present-day distributions in the light of past events, including palaeoclimatic history. There is plenty of lineages within which on- going speciation is worth investigation. But there are also persisting traces of palaeogeographic and palaeoecological events, suggesting for example areas of glacial refugium and routes of (^colon- ization. There are distribution patterns that would support a vicariance paradigm in biogeography alongside others supporting dispersal instead. In the last few decades, the study of the Medi- terranean biota has been often addressed by means of new research tools, especially those of molecular systematics, but also other approaches, for example those of multivariate morphometries, have contrib- uted and are still contributing to an evolving appre- ciation of biodiversity in the Mediterranean area. In the following, I will review a few recent stud- ies, beginning with examples of accurate evaluation of species diversity in critically difficult genera, due to the careful application of different taxonomic ap- proaches, either morphological or molecular. Next, I will move into the spatial dimension of biological diversity, thus giving examples of studies address- ing the dispersal vs. vicariance dichotomy, the loc- alization of refugia or the subtle interpopulation relationships revealed by phylogeography. I will provide examples focussing on the evolution of Mediterranean biota in geological times as well as others revealing instead dynamic changes in very recent time, virtually in the present. MORPHOLOGY TO MOLECULES Since the advent of molecular systematics and especially since the development of cheap and highly efficient sequencing techniques, many authors have expressed critical or at least sceptical attitudes in respect to the usefulness of purely mor- phological analyses in taxonomy, and especially in the reconstruction of phylogeny. This criticism is arguably justified in some groups, but it is simply wrong as a general rule. Specialists generally know where to look for reliable taxonomic traits, they also know that their study may require operationally challenging and time-consuming work. Coleopter- ists, for example, know well that the aedeagus (the main component of the male copulatory organ) is generally diagnostic at the species level, even in groups with very uniform external morphology; in some groups, additional information (occasionally even more diagnostic than the morphology of the aedeagus) can be found in the female reproductive apparatus, especially in the sclerotized sper- matheca. A very good example of taxonomic study based on a careful study of genital structures is Bello & Baviera’s (2011) revision of the Sicilian species of Pseudomeira Stierlin, 1881 (Coleoptera Curculionidae), a genus of wingless weevils whose members are nearly undistinguishable on external morphology, but are confidently set apart by examining the last two abdominal tergites, plus aedeagus, tegmen and spiculum gastrale of males, and ovipositor, spiculum ventrale and spermatheca of females. The importance of using female charac- ters is exemplarily demonstrated by this study be- cause, of the 18 Sicilian species now recognized in the genus, six are parthenogenetic and thus repres- ented by females only. An obvious superiority of many taxonomic stud- ies based on morphology in respect to most of those based on molecules is the much better sampling, both in terms of localities and as number of speci- mens. For example, Bello & Baviera (2011) exami- ned over 2000 specimens from 116 localities, a sampling that allowed them to find a number of spe- cies new to science. It must be acknowledged, anyway, that because of the rapidly increasing efficiency and the also rap- idly decreasing cost of DNA sequencing, molecular studies are also increasingly based on extensive sampling. Results are often puzzling and sometimes astonishing. A case in point is the current progress with the taxonomy of the scarab genus Pachypus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera Pachypodidae), insects of extremely reduced vagility, due in particular to the wingless condition of the females. To the first- described species, P. candidae (Petagna, 1787), re- corded from Southern Italy, Latium, Elba, Sardinia, Corsica, old taxonomists were able to add only P caesus Erichson, 1 840, from Sicily, and P demoflysi Normand, 1936, only known from Cap Serrat in Tunisia and Annaba in Algeria. The picture, how- ever, has changed rapidly since Sparacio (2008) re- cognized the Sardinian representatives of this genus as belonging to a new species, P melonii Sparacio, 2008. In Sardinia, however, another, morphologic- ally quite different species was described soon there- Modem taxonomic and biogeographic approaches to biodiversity in the Mediterranean area 51 after, P. sardiniensis Guerlach, Bazzato et Cillo, 2013 (Guerlach et al., 2013). It was not difficult then to suspect that the overall taxonomic articula- tion of the Pachypus populations in the Tyrrhenian area is possibly more complex than accepted thus far. The study of two markers (Coxl and 16S) of the mitochondrial DNA of an extended sample from many localities of Italiy and Sardinia (Ahrens et al., 2015) has revealed indeed a huge genetic diversity, suggesting the presence of up to 42 species! PHYLOGEOGRAPHY With their study of the Corsican brook salaman- der, Euproctus montanus (Savi, 1838), Bisconti et al. (2013) have provided a fine example of the com- plex phylogeographic patterns that may exist among the populations of what has been hitherto regarded as a quite uniform insular endemic. In the case of a poorly vagile animal, an island of the size of Corsica can host indeed a lot of ancient and geo- graphically structured variation. The most surpris- ing result of this study is the strongly unequal distribution of recognizable lineages of Euproctus Gene, 1838 in the different parts of the island. The authors found five main clades, all but one restric- ted to northern Corsica and essentially allopatric: only in one sample did they find sympatric speci- mens belonging to two different lineages. Besides the strictly scientific interest of these findings, this detailed phylogeographic analysis has important consequences in terms of conservation, because it has revealed a previously unsuspected concentration of intraspecific diversity in a restric- ted part of the island, contrasting with the uniform presence of one lineage only throughout most of Corsica. Critically important in terms of conserva- tion is the fact that the four localized lineages have each been sampled in one or two localities only. Northern Corsica has been also identified as the theatre of ancient phylogeographic splittings between lineages of other organisms with limited dispersal power, such as the land snail Solatopupa guidoni (Caziot, 1903) (Ketmaier et al., 2010), the isopod Helleria brevicornis Ebner, 1868 (Gentile et al., 2010) and the rockrose Cistus creticus Sibth. et Sm. (Falchi et al., 2009). Remarkable is the amount of divergence among the five Euproctus montanus lineages, which is quite larger than the genetic differences found among species pairs in several lineages of European newts, for example between Calotriton asper (Duges, 1852) and C. arnoldii Carranza et Amat, 2005 (Carranza & Amat, 2005), Triturus marmoratus (Latreille, 1800) and T. pygmaeus (Wolterstorff, 1905) (Carranza & Amat, 2005), or T. carnifex (Laurenti, 1768) and T. macedonicus (Karaman, 1922) (Amtzen et al., 2007). The splits between these Euproctus lineages have been dated 2. 6-5. 8 Myr, in agreement with the di- vergence time estimated for other parallel splits in- volving different taxa previously studied in Corsica: these include a lizard ( Archaeolacerta bedriagae (Camerano, 1885)) with parapatric lineages living in northern Corsica that split apart 3. 7-5. 9 Myr ago (Salvi et al., 2010). Bisconti et al.’s (2013) results deserve two ad- ditional comments. The first is of methodological nature. The clear phylogeographic pattern they discovered among the populations of Euproctus montanus is based on comparisons of mitochondrial DN A markers, but no parallel pattern was recovered based on nuclear DNA markers. This is certainly not a reason to regard their result with suspicion, but it is a warning that the whole story has not been reconstructed yet in full. The second point, amply discussed by the authors themselves, is that the geo- graphical isolation between the Euproctus clades cannot be explained in terms of either present or ancient geographical barriers; however, the palaeo- climatic history of the island may have been largely responsible for the geographic pattern of distribu- tion of the mountain newt lineages, in the light of Sue’s (1984) reconstruction, based palynologic and macroflora analyses, according to which the palaeo- environmental evolution of north-western Mediter- ranean was characterized during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene by a progressive decrease in mois- ture, with dry summers, favouring forest clearing, becoming a regular feature approximately 3.2 Myr ago. SPECIES IN FACULTATIVELY UNIPA- RENTAL ORGANISMS Delimiting species is often very critical when taxonomic units do not coincide with close repro- ductive communities, that is, in the presence of hy- 52 Alessandro Minelli bridization, but also when reproductive communit- ies do not exist at all, that is, in the case of organ- isms with uniparental reproduction. Under these circumstances, it is pretty impossible to adopt uni- form procedures: every case is to some extent dif- ferent from the others. Particularly challenging are the plants and animals adopting a mixed reproduct- ive strategy, that is those in which biparental and uniparental reproduction coexist. A Mediterranean example is Rumina Risso, 1 826 (Pulmonata Subulin- idae), a genus of facultatively selfing (self-fertil- izing) snails. Based on morphology, three species have been traditionally recognized. A polymorph- ism of body colour is also long known among the populations hitherto referred to R. decollata (Linnaeus, 1758). A recent study by Prevot et al. (2013) has addressed the question of whether this diversity corresponds to fixed alternative pheno- types due to sustained selfing or to diverging taxo- nomic units. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences were compared, revealing an unexpected phylogenetic structure suggesting the presence of 7-10 species, one corresponding to R. saharica Pallary, 1901 and the others currently grouped under the name R. decollata (Linnaeus, 1758). The contribution of the facultative selfing reproductive strategy to the ongoing differentiation within this snail genus remains, however, obscure. MORPHOLOGY, DNA AND PHEROMONES Before the advent of methods for sequencing proteins and nucleic acids, taxonomists had learned to extend comparisons beyond morphology, to in- clude data on the presence or absence of specific molecules of modest size. Particularly attractive were sexual pheromones, because these are often a (the) key cue through which the animal assesses the identity of a potential partner. Nowadays it is possible to combine data on pheromones (or on the response to pheromones) with those obtained from morphology and standard molecular investigations, as in the recent study of Zauli et al. (2016) on the scarab beetles of the genus Osmoderma Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 (Coleoptera Cetoniidae). The tax- onomy of these rare (and protected) insects is dif- ficult. Traditionally, only a single species O. eremita (Scopoli, 1763) was recognized in our area, but other taxa were quite recently proposed, based on slight morphological differences in agree- ment with a consistent geographic pattern. From a first molecular study (Audisio et al., 2009), based on the mtDNA cytochrome C oxidase I gene (COI), it resulted that at least four species should be recog- nized: the western O. eremita , the Sicilian endemic O. cristinae Sparacio, 1994 and two eastern species, O. barnabita Motschulsky, 1845 and O. lassallei Baraud et Tauzin, 1991 ; a fifth species, O. italicum Sparacio, 2000, occurs in S-Italy (see Audisio et al., 2007). A new study by Zauli et al. (2016) has confirmed the differentiation of O. eremita and O. cristinae at the level of species, supported now by more extensive molecular evid- ence (AFLP, i.e. amplified fragment length poly- morphism markers, in addition to COI) and by a morphometric analysis of male genitalia. The study of pheromones, however, has failed to identify any difference between the two species: the males of both taxa produce and release (R)-(+)-c-decalac- tone, whose attractive power has been demon- strated in either case in the field. According to the authors, the allopatry between O. eremita and O. eremita can explain the use the same sexual pher- omone by both species, due to the lack of selective pressure for the evolution of a prezygotic isolation mechanism. DISPERSAL VS. VICARIANCE A research on the Greek representatives of the land snail genus Chilostoma Fitzinger, 1833 (Gast- ropoda Helicidae) (Psonis et al., 2015) revealed a complex biogeographic history of these molluscs, involving both vicariance and dispersal patterns. These snails are highly diversified and present high levels of endemism. In this study, the authors investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the lineages of the genus Chilostoma distributed in Greece based on partial DNA sequences of two mi- tochondrial DNA (16S rRNA and COI) genes. Complete sequences of one nuclear gene (ITS1) representing the major mitochondrial lineages were also analyzed. The phylogenetic trees revealed three distinct major clades, corresponding to the three subgenera Cattania Brusina, 1904, Josephinella Haas, 1936 and Thiessea Kobelt, 1904, which sep- arated in the late Miocene. They started differenti- ating into distinct species during the Pliocene and Modem taxonomic and biogeographic approaches to biodiversity in the Mediterranean area 53 Pleistocene through not less than nine vicariance and seven dispersal events. STEEP SLOPES OF PHENETIC DIVERSITY Even in the case of species with veiy large dis- tribution areas, the straits between islands or con- tinental masses are the places where morphology changes more significantly between populations living even at a modest distance. By using a di- versity of morphometries methods, Dapporto et al. (2012) estimated this relationship between morpho- logical differentiation and geographic proximity in terms of phenetic slope, a measure whose scores can be plotted onto a map, providing impressive and easily graspable results. Their study targeted the Western Mediterranean populations of seven butterfly species groups, including samples from Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, the Balearic Islands and several smaller islands of the circum-Italian, circum-Sicilian and circum-Sardo-Corsican ar- chipelagos. Geometric morphometries was applied to the male genitalia. Here are the main results: Lasiommata megera (Linnaeus, 1767) group - two distinct morphotypes, one (L. paramegaera (Hiibner, [1824]) in Sardinia, Corsica, Capraia and Montecristo, the other (L. megera) in the remaining is- lands studied, Europe and North Africa. Italian pop- ulations possibly representing a third morphotype. Pyronia cecilia (Vallantin, 1894) - two distinct morphotypes, one on most West Mediterranean is- lands and in Spain, the other in Italy; intermediate populations in North Africa and Sicily. Pyronia tithonus (Linnaeus, 1767) - a highly di- vergent population in North Africa and a south-west to north-east cline; similarity between populations on Sardinia, Corsica and Elba with those in south- eastern France and between populations from Spain and the Balkans. Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) - two morpho- types, one in North Africa, Spain, Sicily, Sardinia and the surrounding islands, the other in Italy and Eastern Europe; intermediate populations in Cor- sica, Elba, Giglio, Pianosa, Capri, Ischia. Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758) group - two closely related species: C. lyllus (Esper, 1805) in North Africa, southern Spain, the Balear- ics, Sardinia and Sicily, C. pamphilus in Corsica, the Italian mainland and neighbouring islands as well as Eastern Europe; intermediate populations in France and Catalonia. Hipparchia semele (Linnaeus, 1758) group - the nominal species in the European mainland; vicari- ant species on some islands (Ponza: H. sbordonii Kudma, 1984; Aeolian Islands: H. leighebi Kudma, 1976). The closely related H. aristaeus (Bonelli, 1826) group occurs in Sardinia, Corsica and the Tuscan islands ( H . aristaeus ) and North Africa (the vicariant H. algirica (Oberthiir, 1876)). In Sicily the two groups occur in sympatry, with H. semele and a taxon, H. blachieri (Friihstorfer 1908), of the H. aristaeus group. This group is represented in south- ern Italy by H. neapolitana Stauder, 1921, together with populations of the H. semele group and indi- viduals with intermediate characteristics suggesting hybridization between the two lineages. In each species (or group of strictly related, vi- cariant species) the morphometric analysis of the shape of genitalia reveals narrow areas of steep variation. In most cases these areas correspond to sea straits; here are examples: P. aegeria - a steep slope around Ponza and along the Tyrrhenian Sea; minor slopes between Ischia, Capri and the mainland, at the strait of Mess- ina and in a few mainland areas. Lasiommata megera/ paramegaera - a steep slope in the Tuscan Archipelago where the two morphotypes come into close contact without any evidence of hybridization. Pyronia cecilia - major slopes between the Tuscan Archipelago and the Italian mainland. Pyronia tithonus - a steep slope between the Tuscan islands and Italian mainland, between France and Italy and between Morocco and Spain but also alongside Corsica. M. jurtina , steep slopes correspond to all sea straits between the Italian Peninsula and neighbour- ing islands (Elba, Giglio, Ischia, Capri, Sicily). Summing up, this study confirms the distinct- ness between the insular Mediterranean populations and those of the mainland, a result to some extent surprising in a group of insects with good flying power (see also Cesaroni et al., 1994; Dapporto et al., 2009, 2011; Dapporto, 2010). As a general trend, the butterfly populations of Mediterranean is- lands are more similar to those of more western and southern areas. For example, those of Sardinia are very similar to those living in North Africa. To ex- plain this trend, Dapporto et al. (2012) suggested 54 Alessandro Minelli two hypotheses. The first of these is based on the possible passive transport by winds, which mainly blow in summer from the west, however, this might explain the similarity between the fauna of Spain and Sardinia, but not between Tunisia and Sardinia. Therefore, the authors favour an alternative hypo- thesis based on palaeogeography and palaeocli- matology. QUATERNARY REFUGIA During most of the Quaternary, the environ- mental conditions oscillating between peaks of cold (glacial) and temperate (interglacial) climate caused the extinction of many species and the migration of others. The complex orography of the continent put strong constraints on those migratory routes, the paths of which can be reconstructed quite accur- ately. During the glacial peaks, a number of species survived in southern refugia, from which they even- tually moved back towards higher latitudes in the inter- or postglacial times. An excellent summary of our knowledge of these events is Hewitt (1999). Of recent studies focussing on the reconstruc- tion of postglacial colonization trajectories in the Mediterranean area, I will single out Fattorini & Ulrich’s (2012) research on tenebrionid beetles. According to their reconstruction, tenebrionid beetles recolonized Europe, in post-glacial times, following multiple trajectories, moving from two refiigial centres, one in the Iberian peninsula, the other in the Balkan peninsula. As expected, the lin- eages involved in the postglacial recolonization were the more tolerant and, possibly, more mobile species, whereas many species with low dispersal capabilities that evolved in those southern refugia could not spread northwards. These results are broadly in accordance with the long established patterns of recolonization from a number of glacial refugia in southern Europe (e.g., Taberlet et al., 1998; Dapporto et al., 2009, 2011; Dapporto, 2010), but also revealed that the whole biogeographic history of Europe throughout the Holocene and late Pleistocene cannot be reduced to that. Fattorini & Ulrich (2012) interpret the high levels of endemism of tenebrionids in Spain and Sardinia as witnessing that the faunas of these re- gions originated during the Tertiary period and have remained substantially isolated since then. This in- dicates a complex history involving geographical isolation and past and current conditions. In other terms, besides the effects of the last Pleistocene gla- ciation that largely erased the effects of previous palaeogeographic and palaeoecological events, some pre-Pleistocene patterns are still evident in the distribution of European tenebrionids. This is sug- gested for example by phylogenetic reconstructions of the Mediterranean species of Tentyria Latreille, 1802 (Palmer & Cambefort, 2000) and Blaps Fabri- cius, 1775 (Condamine et al., 2011), indicating an ancient colonization of southern European areas from North Africa across the Gibraltar Strait. BIOVIVERSITY ACROSS THE STRAIT If the Mediterranean basin as a whole is long acknowledged as a hotspot of biological diversity, less attention is generally paid to the local concen- tration of biodiversity in smaller, sometimes very strictly localized areas. In a very informative review paper, Rodriguez- Sanchez et al. (2008) focussed on the floristic diversity of two shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, itself a pivotal area between two larger biodiversity hotspots as the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula and NW Africa. This small region hosts a relict flora with a high percentage of en- demic species, and the dominance of vegetation types other than the usual Mediterranean-type sclerophyllous forests and shrublands. The authors show that plant endemism in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar is associated with poor soils and mild Mediterranean climate, whereas relictness is primarily associated with riparian and humid habitats, probably stable to some degree since the Late Tertiary. The phylogeographic studies performed thus far on a number of animals have shown that the degree of isolation correlated to the presence of the Strait of Gibraltar is very different from case to case. Although narrow, this strait separates dis- tinguishable lineages in a nearly sedentary bird such as the great bustard Otis tarda Linnaeus, 1758 (Broderick et al., 2003). However, other an- imals with low dispersal power have been appar- ently able to cros the Strait during the last 60 000 years, in some cases at least with the help of hu- mans; there are examples among mammals (the white-toothed shrews of the genus Crocidura Modem taxonomic and biogeographic approaches to biodiversity in the Mediterranean area 55 Wagler, 1832; Cosson et al., 2005) and snakes (the false smooth snakes of the genus Macroprotodon Guichenot, 1850; Carranza et al., 2004) and even in the salamanders of the genus Pleurodeles Michahelles, 1830 (Veith et al., 2004). A different story is told by the lizard Psammodromus algirus (Linnaeus, 1758), which crossed the Strait around 2 million years ago, despite its poor attitude to long-distance dispersal (Carranza et al., 2006). Unable to cross the Strait were other vertebrates, currently represented by different, vicariant spe- cies on the European and African shores: for example, the spadefoot toads are represented by Pelobates cultripes (Cuvier, 1829) in Iberian Peninsula, by P varaldii Pasteur et Bons, 1959 in northern Africa (Garcia-Paris et al., 2003). By vi- cariant taxa are also represented, on the European vs. African side of the Strait, the painted frogs of the genus Discoglossus Otth, 1837 (Fromhage et al., 2004) and the freshwater fishes of the genus Barbus Cuvier et Cloquet, 1816 (Zardoya & Doad- rio, 1999). CLIMATIC NICHE EVOLUTION THROU- GHOUT SPECIATION Ahmadzadeh et al. (2016) used the large ocel- lated lizards of the genus Timon Tschudi, 1836 to study the evolution of ecological niches through comparative phyloclimatic analysis and to determ- ine the possible role of climatic niche evolution dur- ing the speciation process. The authors established first a phylogeny of this taxon, based on three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, and provided an age estimate for all lineage splittings leading to the six living species. The large ocellated lizards are estimatd to have diverged from the sister genus Lacerta Linnaeus, 1758 ca. 18.6 Myr ago. Within Timon , two main clades diverged 14.5 Myr ago and today have widely disjunct distributions. The eastern clade in- cludes the two oriental species T. princeps (Blan- ford, 1874) and T. kurdistanicus Suchow, 1936, which split apart 7.9 Myr ago. The western clade consists of the European subclade with the species T. lepidus (Daudin, 1802) and T. nevadensis (Buch- holz, 1963), and the African subclade with the spe- cies T. pater (Lataste, 1880) and T. tangitanus (Boulenger, 1889). These two subclades are estim- ated to have split apart 7.4 Myr ago, while species divergence inside the European and African sub- clades has been dated 5.7 Myr and 6.0 Myr respect- ively. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that the di- vergence between the eastern and western groups of Timon was determined by multiple vicariance events. As remarked by the authors, the same bio- geographical patterns involving divergence and vicariance between a western and a eastern Medi- terranean lineages has been found in other genera of reptiles and amphibians: among the reptiles, in the amphisbaenian genus Blanus Wagler, 1830 (the western B. cinereus (Bedriaga, 1884), B. mettetali Bons, 1963, B. marine Albert et Fernandez, 2009 and B. tingitanus Busack, 1988 vs. the eastern B. strauchi (Bedriaga, 1884)) (Vasconcelos et al., 2006; Albert et al., 2007; Sindaco et al., 2014); among the amphibians, in Pelobates Wagler, 1830 (the western P. cultripes (Cuvier, 1 829) and P varaldii Pasteur et Bons, 1959 vs. the eastern P syriacus Boettger, 1889) (Tarkhnishvili & Gokhelashvili, 1999; Crot- tini et al., 2010) and Pelodytes Bonaparte, 1838 (the western P punctatus (Daudin, 1802) and P. ibericus Sanchez-Herraiz, Barbadillo-Escriva, Machordom and Sanchiz, 2000 vs. the eastern P. caucasicus Boulenger, 1896) (Van de Vliet et al., 2012). In the following steps of their study, Ahmadz- adeh et al. (2016) used multivariate statistics on species distribution models to characterize all spe- cies in terms of their ecological niches. The authors used the latter term in the sense of the so-called Grinnellian niche (cf. Grinnell, 1917), defined by Soberon (2007) as a “ subset [..] of scenopoetic variable space [average temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, terrain aspect, etc.] corresponding to geographic areas defined by actual or potential properties of [a] species ”, rather than as Eltonian niche (cf. Elton, 1927; MacArthur, 1968), measured instead in terms of biotic interactions and resource-consumer dy- namics (bionomic variables). Niche divergence among species was quantified by Ahmadzadeh et al. (2016) by computing mul- tivariate niche overlaps via two-dimensional and n- dimensional approaches. A generally low niche di- vergence emerged among the members of the eastern group, contrasting with the remarkable climatic divergence observed within the western group. The results suggest an important role of tern- 56 Alessandro Minelli perature seasonality in a Mediterranean and Atlantic climate context and a substantatial degree of niche conservatism in terms of microhabitats as described by vegetation cover. POPULATION CHANGES DURING THE LAST CENTURY Against the background of studies such as the example of Euproctus montanus discussed above, revealing a phylogeographic structure essentially frozen for a few million years, it is sensible to close with an example of the unexpectedly rapid pace at which the geographical distribution of different haplotypes can change in vagile organisms as are the hawkmoths (Sphingidae). The study of Mende & Hundsdoerfer (2013) on Hyles euphorbiae (Lin- naeus, 1758) is also an excellent example of the pre- cious information we can obtain from molecular studies of museum specimens. Six distinct mitochondrial lineages are recog- nized in the Mediterranean region for this group of large moths. The mitochondrial lineage found throughout most of Europe ( H . euphorbiae) is also present on Malta, but is replaced by a different lineage (informally known as ‘//. italica’’) in South- ern Italy and Sicily. By analyzing DNA sequences obtained from museum specimens collected at dif- ferent times between 1884 and 1986, Mende and Hundsdoerfer (2013) provided a reconstruction of the evolution throughout the Twentieth Century of the mitochondrial demographic structure of the Hyles euphorbiae complex in Italy and Malta. At the beginning of the XX century, the European (//. euphorbiae) lineage coexisted with the southern (‘//. italica’’) one both in Southern Italy and in Si- cily. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 59-64 Monograph Identification of emission sources from data of PM 2 5 chemical speciation measured with automatic monitors: application in a coastal site of the Mediterranean basin Ettore Petralia , Massimo Berico, Teresa LaTorretta, Antonella Malaguti, Milena Stracquadanio & ChiaraTelloli ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development; SSPT-MET-INAT At- mospheric Pollution Laboratory. Centro Ricerche “E. Clementel”, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4 , 40129 Bologna, Italy ’Corresponding author, e-mail: ettore.petralia@enea.it ABSTRACT High -time resolution (1 hour) measurements of 11 species (organic carbon, elemental carbon, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) within the PM 2 5 were conducted, from 3rd May to 30th June 2010, in a coastal site of Basilicata (Italy). Acquired data were analysed through Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) method in order to individuate potential emission sources. This source apportionment evaluation revealed 5 factors separated as Vehicular traffic, Combustion of biomass, Secondary aerosol, Aged marine, Marine fresh and Dust. For each factor were defined profile, temporal trend, 2411- cycle and percentage contribution to measured PM 2 5 , also emphasizing the relationship be- tween factors and different wind conditions. KEY WORDS Automatic monitors; High-time resolution PM 2 5 measures; Positive Matrix Factorization; Rural background site; Source apportionment. Received 14.12.2016; accepted 02.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The study presented here had as its overall ob- jective the identification of emission sources (source apportionment) from PM 2 5 chemical spe- ciation data collected by automatic monitors, and was conducted at a coastal site within the Mediter- ranean basin. In particular, attention was focused on the use of noil-conventional measuring systems such as automatic monitor, in an intensive monito- ring campaign with acquisition of high-time reso- lution data; it was verified the application of multivariate statistical methods to such resolution data typology (likely high variability), in order to detect and identify potential emission sources by a source apportionment receptor model approach for a rural background site where the sources are not particularly evident; finally, it was attempted to solve the emissive framework using a limited num- ber of PM 2 5 chemical parameters, as described below. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study site, localised at the ENEA - Trisaia Research Centre (Rotondella, Matera), is a coastal area in Basilicata (Italy), 4 km away from the sea (Gulf of Taranto) and about 10 km distant from Ap- pennino Calabro-Lucano (Fig. 1). In relation to the 60 Ettore Petralia et alii potential emission sources it is considered as rural background (according to the criteria in Italian Deer. Leg. 13 agosto 2010, n. 155) where the main activities in the area are agriculture and handicraft, thus missing important punctual emission sources. The distance from the nearest town of great extent (Taranto) is 60 km, while the distances from the nearest towns of medium size are 4 km (Nova Siri Scalo) and 6 km (Policoro). The distance from the main roads is around 600-700 meters, with the presence of a four lane motorway (SS106-Jonica) and a two lane motorway (SS653-Sinnica). The weather framework regarding the wind for the entire sample period shows a prevalent direction along the NW-SE axis, where to phenomena of local breeze were alternating continuative perturba- tion events from NW; in fact more in detail were differentiated three wind condition periods: in addition to the local breeze situation, emerged situations of continuous perturbation from NW, and situations of local breeze associated with sand transport. Instrumental set-up was consisting in a trans- portable container-laboratory hosting inside an URG 9000D Ambient Ion Monitor associated with two ion chromatographs to analyse the major sol- uble inorganic ions (Cl", NOy, NOy, S0 4 ", Na + , NH 4 + , K + , Mg ++ , Ca ++ ), an SUNSET semi-con- tinuous EC/OC analyzer for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), a control unit for the acquisition of weather data. Other than the facility to work standing-alone via remote control, additional important advant- ages of automated sampling and measurement systems are the reduction or absence of positive and negative artefacts in the sample (due to the non-manipulation of specimen, the presence of denuder that allows the separation of the gas phase and of the aerosol phase, and the minimum sampling interval) and a low limit of detection value, with possibility to reveal even very low mass concentrations. Finally these tools allow to perform measurement campaigns for limited periods with anyhow a consistent number of data available, sufficient for advanced statistical ana- lysis such as multivariate techniques through which is possible the identification and quantification of the emission sources. On the other hand the high- time resolution of data from automated monitors permits to obtain further information on the emis- sion sources’ activity, for example any possible variation within the daily cycle. The sampling periods accounted for 59 days, from 3rd May to 30th June 2010, with an 1 hour- time resolution of measures; 11 species (organic carbon, OC; elemental carbon, EC; chloride, Cl"; nitrite, N0 2 "; nitrate, N0 3 "; sulfate, S0 4 ~~; sodium, Na+; ammonium, NH 4 + ; potassium, K + ; mag- nesium, Mg ++ ; calcium, Ca ++ ) within the PM 25 (aero-suspended particles < 2.5pm of diameter) were measured. Factorial analysis with PMF (Positive Matrix Factorization) was applied at the concentration data; PMF allows to obtain information on the con- tribution of emission sources in a specific receptor site without knowing the sources’ emissivity refer- ence profiles. The solution to the factorial model Figure 1. Localisation of the sampling site. ug / m 3 average std min max OC 1.66 0.55 0.82 2.94 EC 0.42 0.23 0.12 1.04 Cl 0.48 0.33 0.03 1.66 NOz' 0.16 0.04 0.06 0.26 NOb' 0.51 0.24 0.20 1.17 sof" 1.90 0.81 0.54 3.78 Na + 0.764 0.151 0.479 1.120 nh 4 + 1.020 0.505 0.148 2.279 K + 0.112 0.049 0.015 0.212 Mg 2 * 0.023 0.017 0.015 0.092 Ca 2+ 0.097 0.108 0.015 0.481 Table 1 . Average, standard deviation, minimum and maximum for each sampled component. Emission sources from data of PM 25 chemical speciation: application in a coastal site of the Mediterranean basin 61 Na + jAoAl * EC JL K* 2 + juuMe^Jk-. ^W*A^s#Jv Mg NO ' ** VoAvwC^^ |^_ i c n 2-i ««» Jl j *. 4 . Ca 2+ _u_ Vv^WwW^ Figure 2. Species’ time series. Figure 3. Individuated factors through PMF analysis. with PMF explains the correlation between the vari- ables observed through their linear combinations called “factors”, associated to sources, which ori- ginate from common latent characteristics of the observed variables. The input model needs certain defined parameters such as the errors associated with the individual specimen and the number of factors in which clustering the experimental data, corresponding to the theoretically expected sources. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The figure 2 shows sampled species’ time series, where is noticeable the high variability of the values along the sampling period and the Table 1 shows a summary of mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum for each sampled compon- ent, highlighting also how low are concentrations. For the case studied, the PMF analysis permit- ted to individuate and recognise 5 factors (Fig. 3), as follows. The first factor is Vehicular traffic with a high percentage of EC, N0 2 ‘, N0 3 ', linked to vehicular exhaust emissions, together with the presence of Ca ++ related to road resuspension. Another recog- nized factor was the Combustion of biomass with high percentage of organic carbon, elemental car- bon and potassium, all components derived from combustion processes. A third emission factor has been identified as Secondary aerosol with preval- 62 Ettore Petralia et alii ence (high % contribution) of sulfate and am- monium as well, so a secondary aerosol present as ammonium sulfate. Another factor was composed of Marine fresh aerosol and Dust, with a very high value of chlorine (which characterize the fresh marine aerosol component) associated to a high value of sodium, and the presence of magnesium and calcium associated to both marine and sand transport. The fifth factor was the so-called Aged marine, defined as such because differently than the fresh marine presents no chlorine (which comes to be lost rapidly) but only the sodium. This factor is mixed with a component of anthropogenic nature, as evidenced by the organic carbon and ni- trite (both of non-marine origin) probably carried by the wind at the time of the air masses displacement. In the Figure 4 are presented for each factor the time series along the whole sampling period (left) and the trends within the 24h-cycle (right). Vehicular traffic presents a bimodal trend almost coincident with the main hours of moving vehicles: around 6:00-7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., i Aged marine 02 - 05-10 12 - 05-10 22 - 05-10 01 - 05-10 11 - 05-10 21 - 05-10 01 - 07 - Figure 4. Time series and 24h-cycle of each factor. Emission sources from data of PM 25 chemical speciation: application in a coastal site of the Mediterranean basin 63 OC EC Cl- N02- N03- S04= Vehicular traffic Combustion of biomass ■ Secondary aerosol ■ Aged marine ■ Marine fresh + Dust Figure 5. Contribution % of each species to the 5 factors. when traffic flows are greater, the Vehicular traffic factor has the highest values. Combustion of bio- mass, probably connected to agricultural activities such as stubbles burning, has higher concentrations during the daytime. Secondary aerosol has daily changes that can be associated with both photo- chemical processes and movements of air masses involving the area. Marine fresh and Aged marine are obviously influenced by sea-land breezes, so when the breeze blew from the sea during the day the highest concentrations of Marine fresh were re- corded; when the breeze blew from the land, Aged marine returns as the air masses are beckoned. Also, as mentioned before, it was made a differ- entiation into three periods cumulating the days similar according three main anemological situ- ations: 24 days combined with aNW perturbation; 16 days combined with situation of local breeze; 19 days combined with local breeze to which is associated a transport of sand. In the period when the perturbation comes from NW, so the Tyrrhe- nian, the wind is stronger, while in situations of local breeze and sand transport the wind maintains lower speeds. What happens to individual sources during vari- ous anemological typologies. Vehicular traffic as expected shows bimodal daily trend similar in the all three periods although concentrations are dif- ferent; this factor occurs with lowest values through- out NW perturbation maybe depending from dispersion and dilution concerns, in consideration that the height of the mixing layer is greater during the periods of perturbation. Combustion of biomass concentrations are lower as well during NW per- turbations, again probably because of greater dilu- tion; it shows within the 24h-cycle higher values more during daytime because of human activity. Even Secondary aerosol is lower during NW per- turbation, with an almost constant trend over the 24 hours; therefore this secondary aerosols is likely associated with a regional background pollution. Aged marine increases during the NW perturbation because maybe linked to marine aerosol from the Tyrrhenian that depletes chlorine during the way; in this factor are also present components related to pollution from human activities (eg. OC, N0 2 ') because they are probably dragged by air masses passing through the mainland. Marine fresh aerosol shows higher values during the periods of local breeze and sand transport for accumulation-dilu- tion question and with 24h-cycle increasing in day- time according to sea-land breeze phases. Then, other data of most interest is the percent- age contribution of each species to the 5 factors (Fig. 5) where it is seen that some components enter more in certain factors rather than in others like for example the S0 4 " which most enters into Secondary aerosol, or as the chlorine which enters completely into Marine fresh; instead other components such as N0 3 ' are distributed in several factors more or less abundantly in one rather than in another. Finally, regarding the contribution of the 5 factors on the total PM 2 5 detected, it is seen that the main factor in terms of mass is attributable to Secondary aerosol with 30%, then follows Combustion of bio- mass with 22%, then Aged marine with 21%, then 64 Ettore Petralia et alii Vehicular traffic Combustion of biomass ■ Secondary aerosol ■ Aged marine ■ Marine fresh + Dust Figure 6. Contribution of the 5 factors on the total PM2.5 detected. Marine fresh & Dust with 15%, and finally Vehicu- lar traffic with 7% (Fig. 6). CONCLUSIONS In general the source apportionment techniques, through multivariate statistical analysis, allow to have information about air pollution factors that in- sist on a specific area, with the possibility of differ- entiating anthropogenic sources and natural sources, and discriminating primary and secondary sources. In particular for a rural background site, as this study case, PMF model leads to the predeter- mination of factors although the concentrations of species are highly variable and near to the detection limit. The use of PMF model is therefore to be con- sidered a valid basis for the identification of the most probable emission profiles at a site where the sources are not particularly evident; hence it be- comes essential to improve that receptor analysis with weather studies, in particular anemology and mixing layer height both locally and regionally. For certain investigations as our situation is eventually important rather temporal trends with cycles in the short and medium term as well as occasional events, and high-time resolution monitors can provide an important contribution to the identification of po- tential emission sources a fortiori in case of limited number of parameters and limited sampling period. Essential bibliography is reported below. REFERENCES Almeida S.M., Pio C.A., Freitas M.C., Reis M.A. & Trancoso M.A., 2006. Approaching PM 2 5 and PM 2 5 - 10 source apportionment by mass balance analysis, principal component analysis and particle size distri- bution. Science of the Total Environment, 368: 663- 674. Belis C.A., Larsen B.R., Amato F., El Haddad I., Favez O., Harrison R.M., Hopke P.K., Nava S., Paatero P., Prevot A., Quass U., Vecchi R. & Viana M., 2014. European Guide on Air Pollution Source Apportion- ment with Receptor Models. European Commission - Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability, http://publications.jrc. ec.europa. eu/ repo sitory/handle/JRC 83309. Kim E. & Hopke P.K., 2008. Source characterization of ambient fine particles at multiple sites in the Seattle area. Atmospheric Environment, 42: 6047- 6056. Lee E., Chan C.K. & Paatero P., 1999. Application of positive matrix factorization in source apportionment of particulate pollutants in Hong Kong. Atmospheric Environment, 33, 3201-3212. Malaguti A., Mircea M., La Torretta T.M.G., Telloli C., Petralia E., Stracquadanio M. & Berico M., 2015. Chemical composition of fine and coarse aerosol particles in the Central Mediterranean area during dust and non-dust conditions. Aerosol and Air Qual- ity Research, 15: 410-425. Malaguti A., Mircea M., La Torretta T.M.G., Telloli C., Petralia E,, Stracquadanio M. & Berico M., 2015. Comparison of Online and Offline Methods for Measuring Fine Secondary Inorganic Ions and Car- bonaceous Aerosols in the Central Mediterranean Area. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 15: 2641- 2653. Nicolas J.F., Galindo N., Yubero E., Pastor C., Esclapez R. & Crespo J., 2009. Aerosol inorganic ions in a semi- arid region on the Southeastern Spanish Mediter- ranean Coast. Water Air and Soil Pollution 201 : 149— 159, doi:10.1007/sl 1270-008-9934-2. Norris G., Duvall R., Brown S. & Bai S., 2014. EPAPos- itive Matrix Factorization (PMF) 5.0 Fundamentals and User Guide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC 20460. Paatero R, 2004. User’s guide for positive matrix factor- ization programs PMF2 and PMF3, Parti: tutorial. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Paatero P. & Tapper U., 1994. Positive Matrix Factoriza- tion: a non-negative factor model with optimal utilization of error estimates of data values. Environ- metrics, 5: 111-126. SPECIEUROPE, European Commission - Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability. http://source-apportionment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/. Con- tacts: Claudio Belis and Denise Pemigotti. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 65-72 Monograph Seafood species identification by DNA barcoding, a molecular tool for food traceability Venera Ferrito &Anna Maria Pappalardo Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences - Section of Animal Biology “M. La Greca”, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; e-mail: vfeiTito@unict.it; pappalam@unict.it ABSTRACT Traceability contributes to improve food safety giving information on animal species, origin, authenticity, composition and production system. Species identification is an important step of seafood traceability and molecular tools have been proved far superior to all other dia- gnostic methods previously used. The seafood products are particularly affected by commer- cial frauds based on unintentional or deliberate species substitutions of low value fish species for high value fish. In this review, we summarize the data concerning the level of fish species misidentification in processed products in the Italian fish markets and strengthen that DNA barcoding is an effective molecular tool to track down mislabeling and food frauds. Further- more, we highlight the COIBar-RFLP (Cytochrome Oxidase I Barcode-Restriction Fragment Lengh Polymorphism), combining two consolidated techniques (COI barcoding and PCR- RFLP) in a new molecular strategy as a rapid method for routine screening to detect the mislabeling of seafood products. KEY WORDS COIBar-RFLP; DNA Barcoding; Frauds; Seafood products. Received 12.10.2016; accepted 19.12.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The fish trade globalization and the increased demand for fishery products, have raised important concerns about the food authentication due to the alarming levels of seafood mislabeling worldwide detected (Garcia- Vazquez et al., 2011; Changizi et al., 2013; Helyar et al., 2014; Huang et al., 2014; Armani et al., 2015; Benard-Capelle et al., 2015; Lamendin et al., 2015). As a result, a high and growing interest in the origin of seafood products has been triggered in consumers who demand for food quality and safety assurance. In this context, seafood traceability has become very important to respond to the consumers demand to know what they eating. According to the European Union (EU) regulation 178/2002, traceability is the ability to track any food through all stages of production, processing and distribution (including importation and at retail). More specifically, product tracking is the process that follows the product from upstream to downstream (from beginning to the end) so that, at every stage of the process, appropriate traces or informations can be supplied. Product tracing is the reverse process of the food supply chain, or a method in gathering the informations previously re- leased (Fig. 1). Therefore, traceability contributes to improve food safety giving information on an- imal species, origin, authenticity, composition and production system. 66 Venera Ferrito & Anna Maria Pappalardo Focusing on species identification, that is an important step of seafood traceability, advances in molecular biology technologies opened new avenues in the field of food-safety, offering new analytical controls suitable both to enhance the food- safety and food-authenticity of foodstuff for humans and to detect frauds. The reliability and sensitivity of species authentication through mo- lecular biology techniques is far superior to all other diagnostic methods previously used, since it is based both on the study of genes, from which the uniqueness that characterizes all living things, and on stability of DNA to every kind of treatment that is used in the food processing industry. In particular, molecular biology tools allowed to exceed the limits of the morphological approach in species identification. The morphological identification of gross anatomical features of the whole fish accord- ing to dichotomous key proposals by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has represented, for example in Italy, the only method used in iden- tification of fish species as legal standard of value. However, a growing scientific literature dealing with seafood products authentication has demon- strated that the highly automated biomolecular SEAFOOD PRODUCT Figure 1. Flowchart of traceability in seafood industry. Ar- rows indicate product tracking or the process that follows the product from upstream to downstream (from beginning to the end). techniques can greatly improve species identifica- tion in processed seafood products, especially when due to the industrial processing, species lose those morphological characters useful to recognize them. Multiple marker types (mitochondrial genes, micro- satellites, SNPs) have been submitted to analytical methods such as nucleotide sequencing, fragment analysis and genotyping for species identification in processed products. Among these molecular markers, a partial sequence of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) referred to as a barcode sequence, has been widely used for fish species identification in transformed fishery products (Ogden, 2008). The COI DNA barcode has been validated for forensic species identification (Dawnay et al., 2007) and is currently being used to differentiate between animal taxa enabling dis- crimination for more than 98% of animal species (e.g., Hebert et al., 2003a, b; 2004; Paquin & Hedin, 2004; Ward et al., 2005; Hajibabaei et al., 2006; Lefebure et al., 2006). Based on considerations above, and considering that the new food habits have led to an increased consumption of fresh or frozen cuts, processed and ready to eat food, making species identification very difficult, the aims of the present review are: 1) to summarize the data concerning the level of fish species misidentification in processed products in the Italian fish markets; 2) , to strengthen that DNA barcoding is an ef- fective molecular tool to track down mislabeling and food frauds; 3) to recommend the formal adoption of DNA- based procedures for the establishment of effective standardized traceability systems by policy govern- ment. For these purposes, we will describe first the DNA barcoding methodology and then we will re- port on several cases of fish species substitutions. Finally, we will deal with analytical approaches al- lowing to improve the rapid identification of spe- cies in convenience seafood useful for routine species identification by local authorities. DISCUSSION DNA barcoding as a prime tool of species au- thentication Over the last decade, DNA barcoding has Seafood species identification by DNA barcoding, a molecular tool for food traceability 67 emerged as a universal method to identify living organism. It is based on the sequencing of a short and standardized gene region for the recognition and identification of animal species. However, DNA barcoding does not seek to throw away the morphological studies in support of a narrow and entirely molecular identification system. The overall purpose is to build an alliance between molecular and morphological taxonomists for rapid and unequivocally species identification (Bhat- tacharya et al., 2015). The quest for a genetic marker useful to determine unambiguously the spe- cies is still a matter of debate. Such a genetic marker should have several features. It should show high interspecific but low intraspecific variation to avoid ambiguities in the authentication of species. From the technical point of view it should be char- acterized by well-preserved PCR-primer sequences at the borders, to guarantee PCR amplification reliable, reproducible, productive and without the risk of producing false negatives, especially in a cluster analysis. Tipically, mitochondrial genes are used for DNA barcoding in animal: the mtDNAhas a higher rate of mutation compared to the nuclear genome, is maternally inherited, has a high copy number, which promotes PCR amplification (Hebert et al., 2004). The best candidate to this role has been proposed to be, at least for animals, an approximately 648 bp region, near the 5’ end of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene, a highly conserved, bioenergetic gene encoding for protein subunits of the respiratory chain and is referred as a “barcode sequence” (e.g. Hebert et al. 2003a, b, 2004; Paquin & Hedin, 2004; Ward et al., 2005; Pappalardo et al., 2011; Pappalardo & Ferrito, 2015a, b; Pappalardo et al., 2015). This gene region generally shows little variation within species but substantial divergence between species, allowing for taxa differentiation (e.g. “barcoding gap”) (Mayer & Paulay, 2005). The Consortium of Barcode of Life (CBOL) has indicated this sequence, also know as the “Folmer region”, to be the reference barcode for animal organisms. Until now, the adoption of COI as a DNA barcode has been successful in the species identification and in the discovery of cryptic species among amphibians (Vences et al., 2005), ants (Smith et al. 2005), birds (Hebert et al., 2004), collemboles (Hogg & Hebert, 2004), fishes (Ward et al., 2005), mots and butter- flies (Ball & Armstrong, 2006; Hajibabaei et al., 2006) and spiders (Barret & Hebert, 2005). Most of this studied species (>94%) showed well separated barcodes, suitable for identification purpose (Ward et al. 2005; Hajibabaei et al., 2006). Generally, two approaches have been employed to analyze DNA barcode sequences and to verify the identity of unknown samples: a similarity search which is conducted with the DNA Identification Engine at BOLD (Barcode of Life Database), based on the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) algorithm (Eddy, 1998), and BLAST algorithm of GenBanlc (Al- tschul et al., 1990); and the Neighbour-Joining (NJ) trees built with a distance-based approach to illustrate sequence identity based on tree topology. However, conventional DNA barcoding encounters a problem: DNA degradation in processed biolo- gical material often prevents the recovery of PCR fragments longer than 200 bp, impeding full barcode recovery (Hajibabaei et al., 2006). Some authors have proposed the use of a “mini-barcode” sequence to overcome this problem. The mini- barcode system dramatically broadens the applica- tions of DNA barcoding and several authors as Meusnier et al. (2008) have demonstrated that shorter barcode sequences (< 150 bp) represent ef- ficient tags for species identification. According to Ferri et al. (2015) the power of the DNA barcoding is to merge in a single approach the moleculariza- tion of identification process, the standardization of molecular markers and analytical procedures and the data computerization of identification results. Information gathered from DNA barcodes can be used across many fields of biology, where species identification play a central role, including ecology, conservation biology, biosecurity, medicine and pharmacology (Pecnikar & Buzan, 2014). Further- more, a relatively recent and important application aspect of DNA barcoding method concerns the food safety, since the rapid and accurate species identi- fication through this promising tool has proved very useful to detect potentially frauds particularly in transformed seafood products. Fish market frauds In the last ten years, a large number of scientific reports have highlighted that fraudulent fish species substitution based on willful or unintentional sub- stitution of low value fish species for high value fish, is common in processed products, such as 68 Venera Ferrito & Anna Maria Pappalardo fillets and transformed products, due that the mor- phological identification of the processed species is very difficult or impossible. More specifically, the recent literature deals with the proper identification of species contained in food through the DNA barcoding methodology (Barcaccia et al., 2015) and several investigations have been carried out on sea- food products from various marketed brands and on samples purchased in fish marketplaces. The Italian markets have been investigated to verify the label information of several seafood products. For example, 69 samples of fresh and frozen fish fillets obtained from department stores and fishmongers of four different regions of North- ern and Central Italy (Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Tuscany and Latium) were investigated for label information trough COI DNA barcoding (Filonzi et al., 2010). It was shown that the identified species did not matched with the ones declared on label in 22 samples (32%). The amount of commercial frauds in the trading of shark slices labeled as “palombo” in Italian markets, was evaluated by Barbuto et al. (2010), which highlighted a relevant economical impact for consumers. Indeed, the re- cognition of commercialized shark species through the DNA barcoding approach showed a high amount of commercial frauds rising the 80% of analysed “palombo” slices. Studies by Nicole et al. (2012) used a multi-locus DNA barcoding strategy for genetic identification of the marine species present in 37 seafood products (30 fish, 3 crusta- cean and 4 mollusk samples) some of which were fresh or frozen skinned fillets, or heat treated or canned samples. The results of this study showed that the identified species of five samples (13.5 %) did not matched the label information and suppor- ted the use of COI -based identification of fish sample as an efficient tool for food authentication. More recently, Cutarelli et al. (2014) ascertained possible labeling frauds, made substituting value species with less precious ones, in 58 Italian com- mercial seafood products from Southern Italy mar- kets (40 samples were whole fish caught in the Mediterranean Sea and 18 samples were commer- cial fish products). No mislabeling was found for the whole fish sample, while two important frauds were detected in transformed products (11.1%): in a sample sold as cod fillets in butter, the species Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius, 1810 (Gadiformes Gadidae) and G. morhua Linnaeus, 1758 were sub- stituted by the less valuable species Pollachins virens (Linnaeus, 1758), and in a sample sold as frozen grouper fillets that were made of halibut, Reinhardtius hippo glossoides (Walbaum, 1792) (Pleuronectiformes Pleuronectidae), instead of grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) (Percifonnes Serranidae). A 56.6% of mislabeling (17 products out of 30) was reported by Tantillo et al. (2015) for Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gadiformes Merlucciidae) or European hake fillet in Southern Italy (Apulia), while only 5% of mislabeling (6 sample on 120) was detected by Di Pinto et al. (2016) in the same region (Apulia) in packaged frozen fishery products sold as breaded hake cutlets, croquettes and sticks, and breaded plaice fillets in market, supermarket and hypermar- ket chains. However, it would be noted that none of the products analyzed by Di Pinto et al. (2016) declared the presence of M. merluccius on the label, suggesting that the substitution of the European hake, when it occurs, is deliberate (Ferrito et al. 2016). The screening of forty fresh and frozen fillet samples labeled as European plaice, Pleuronectes platessa Linnaeus, 1758 (Pleuronectiformes Pleur- onectidae) and common sole, Solea solea (Lin- naeus, 1758) (Pleuronectiformes Soleidae) ran- domly purchased at several supermarkets in Sicily and Calabria, allowed to detect mislabeled products both for European plaice (35 % of the cases) and common sole (41 % of the cases). Pleuronectes platessa was replaced by Platichthys jlesus (Lin- naeus, 1758) (Pleuronectiformes Pleuronectidae), Limanda limanda (Linnaeus, 1758) and the river fish Pangasius hypophtalmus (Sauvage, 1878) (Siluriformes Pangasiidae); Solea solea was re- placed by Arnoglossus laterna (Walbaum, 1792) (Pleuronectiformes Bothidae) (Pappalardo & Fer- rito, 2015a). Toward a common strategy for a rapid iden- tification of fish species: the COIBar-RFLP Recently, two consolidated methods including COI barcoding and PCR-RFLP were combined in a new molecular strategy (COIBar-RFLP, Cyto- chrome Oxidase I Barcode-Restriction Fragment Lengh Polymorphism) for fish species identifica- tion in processed seafood products (Pappalardo & Ferrito, 2015b; Ferrito et al., 2016) (Fig. 2). The aim was to perform a rapid and easy molecular approach Seafood species identification by DNA barcoding, a molecular tool for food traceability 69 R F L P Total DNA s p 2 Extraction COIBar-RFLP Spl Sp2 Sp3 VI $00 1 )|» 100 lift COI COI Barcode PCR amplification * D N A B A R C 0 D I N G Electrophoresis Restriction digest Different sizes of fragments Figure 2. Diagram summarizing the steps of the DNA barcoding method (above) and of the RFLP (Random fragment Length Polymorphism) method (below) combined in the COIBar-RFLP strategy. by using the conventional DNA barcoding and a traditional PCR-restriction fragment length poly- morphism method to unveil potential mislabeling commercial frauds. Emerging molecular techniques have recently been used for seafood fish species identification, but most of them are currently only available for use by specialists in specially- equipped laboratories and they include very expens- ive methods such as real-time PCR, microarray technology, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) (e.g. Balitzki-Korte et al., 2005; Kochzius et al., 2008; Teletchea et al., 2008; Heiberg & Morrissey, 2011; Pascoal et al., 2012; Chuang et al., 2012; Li et al. 2013; Prado et al., 2013). On the other hand, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) has proven to be a practical, simple and rapid technique (Partis et al., 2000) and a high level of expertise in molecular genetics is not ne- cessary for interpreting results obtained on agarose gels. In RFLP analysis, the DNA is cutted into frag- ments by restriction enzymes and the resulting re- striction fragments are separated according to their lengths by gel electrophoresis. Therefore, PCR- RFLP may be considered a suitable technique for routine species identification in processed fishery products, showing excellent potential even in the case of mixtures of species (Rea et al., 2009). The COIBar-RFLP analysis was applied to in- vestigate labeling accuracy in processed anchovy products to unveil putative fish fraud involving the replacement of the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758), with less valuable Engraulidae and Clupeidae species (Pappalardo & Ferrito, 2015b). Four different species, E. en- crasicolus, E. japonicus (Temminck et Schlegel, 1846), Sardinella aurita Valenciennes, 1847 and Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), were found in the processed products labeled as European an- chovy and the COIBar-RFLP yielded differential patterns of Mbol restriction sites allowing the unambiguous discrimination of European anchovy from the other species. The COIBar-RFLP was also performed for white fish authentication in conveni- ence seafood (Ferrito et al., 2016). In conflict with the Italian Ministerial Decree (MD) of January, 31, 2008 stating that fish products labeled as hake must 70 Venera Ferrito & Anna Maria Pappalardo contain only the species M. merluccius, four species, Gadus chalcogrammus Pallas, 1814, M. merluccius , M. productus (Ayres, 1855) and M. pa- radoxus Franca, 1960, were found in 30% of products (frozen breaded steaks and fish fingers) collected from Southern Italy markets and labeled as hake. The restriction enzyme Hinfl yielded dif- ferential digestion patterns suitable to discriminate the four species and to unveil inconsistencies between product labels and genetic species identi- fication. CONCLUSIONS Mislabeling detected through molecular tools has been reported for seafood products worldwide (e.g. Garcia- Vasquez et al., 2011, Chanzigi et al., 2013, Galal-Kallaf et al., 2014, Benard-Capelle et al., 2015, Carvalho et al., 2015, Cawthorn et al. 2015, Lamendin et al., 2015). In particular, COI DNA barcoding has been adopted by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the primary method of regulatory control of seafood products in the United States (Handy et al., 2011); by the governmental Brazilian Consumers Protec- tion Agency for application of financial penalties, due to detection of mislabeling and species substi- tution in seafood products (Carvalho et al., 2015); and in Canada, which is in the process of incor- porating DNA barcoding into its regulatory frame- work for fish species authentication (Clark, 2015). 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Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences. 360: 1859-1868. Ward R.D., Zemlak T.S., Innes B.H., Last PR. & Hebert P.D.N., 2005. DNA barcoding Australia’s fish spe- cies. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 360: 1 847— 1857. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 73-78 Monograph Survey on the presence of phlebotominae sandflies in eastern Sicily and connected risk of leishmaniasis Oscar Lisi, Valerio Vaccalluzzo &Vera D’Urso Department of Biolog ical. Geolog ical and Environmental Sciences - Sect ion of Animal Biology, University of Catania, via Androne 8 1 - 95 1 24 Catania, Italy Corresponding author, e-mail: olisi@ unict.it ABSTRACT The authors summarize the results of all the searches for phlebotomes in eastern Sicily, in- cluding the connected risk for humans and dogs to contract leishmaniasis, and point out the current situation with new risks, and the main goals for present and future research. KEY WORDS Phlebotomes; PhlebotOUUlS SergentU Leishmonia tropica-, leishmaniasis; Eastern Sicily. Received 06.09.2016; accepted 30.11.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION Sicily is a region in which sandflies are much widespread and leishmaniasis is endemic, falling into the sm all group of Italian regions with highest values of incidence of the disease; this is always due to Leishmania infantum n ico lie, 1908 (Trypanoso- matida Trypanosomatidae), responsible for all kinds of leishmaniasis, both human and canine, its main vector is PhlebotoniUS perniciosus News te ad, 1911 (Diptera Psychodidae), present in all environments, followed by P. peifiliewi P arro t, 1930, whose role as vector is practically limited to rural environments with sufficient presence of farm animals. Two forms of human leishmaniasis are known in Italy; visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a very serious illness which invariably requires hospitalization; from about 10 to more than 40 new cases/year in Sicily are reported to the Ministry of Health. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) does not require hospitalization and always has benign esit, therefore it is often non- denoun ced or even non - recognised (Gradoni, 2013); for this reasons, though the number of new cases/year recorded is more or less similar to VL, it is believed that the real incidence is far higher. Among the possible factors determining such a stable situation of the disease, well rooted in the territory, one can record the very high number of infected dogs, constituting the parasite reservoir, the increasing number of persons with immunodefi- ciency and of travellers and migrants accross the Mediterranean, and the effects of global warming, which have had a positive influence on the vectors’ survaillance and distribution. STATE OF ART The first study on phlebotomes in S icily was due to Adler & Theodor (1931), who carried out a very important pioneering investigation on several foci ofleishmaniasis in the Mediterranean, including the town of Catania, in which they found P. peVYli- ciosus, P. neglectus To n n o ir, 19 2 1 , P. sergenti P arro t, 19 17, P papatasi Scopoii, 1 7 8 6 and Sergentomyia minutd (Rondani, 1843). They concluded that the main vector had to be P. peVYlicioSUS and observed that the distribution of the disease and the vector Oscar LIsi etalii 74 were rather inhomogeneous in the town, anyway with more incidence in the periphery than the centre of the town. Unfortunately, the results of their research, espe- cially as regards the phlebotome species composi- tion, were misrepresented by the fact that the authors based their search for phlebotomes mostly inside sick person’s houses, without taking into appropriate consideration the environments of adult emerging and daytime shelter of these insects out of houses. Biocca et al. (1977) reported the results of their collections in many sites all over Italy, with a few data also on Sicily. Among the others, they found P. perniciosus ( 3 0 . 6 % of the specimens), P. per- filiewi (20.0%), and, only in Sicily, P. Sergenti (0.1%). They confirmed P. pemicWSUS as the main vector of leishm aniasis in Italy and noticed its eco- logical plasticity, finding it in various habitats and from 0 to 1000 m a.s.l.. They reported P. perfiliewi in Sicily as vector for CL. They also found the very common and abundant species S. WlinutCl (4 7.8% ) , which however stings mostly anphibians and rep- tiles and is not involved in the transmission of Leishmania Borovsky 1898 (Ross 1903) for hu- mans or dogs. After 70 years from Adler’s and Theodor’s in- vestigation, finally the attention focused again on Sicily, thanks to Ruta et al., 2002, who carried out a research in the hinterlands of Catania and Siracusa; they collected more than 2000 specimens, and found collectively P. peVYlitioSUS (50.4%), P. neglectus ( o . 3 % ) , P. papatasi ( o .2 % ) , P. sergenti (0.3%) and S. ntinutCl (48.8%); however, it must be stressed that in a site they found about 90% of P. pernidoSUS. The authors observed a flight season from May to, in some sites, November (October in others), and reported two generations during the flight season, with just a very slight sign of a third generation in the sites with the longest flight season, immediately stopped by the incoming of the cold season . They stated that temperature and photoperiod proved to be important to determine start and end of the flight season, while during it humidity proved to be the most impo rt ant factor which allowed sand- flies survival. That a parameter proved to influence the more or less presence of PhlebotOinUS Loew 1845 species with respect to SergentOinyici F rang a et Par rot, 1920, the formerbeing more linked to hu- midity, the latter more resistant to aridity. Last but not least, the authors remarked on the fact that the risk of transmission of leishmaniasis is not constant during the whole flight season, it becoming noticeable later than the appearance of adults (for the fact that they need first to get contact with infected hosts), and the risk becomes max- imum in correspondence with the two peaks of phlebotome density during the season. The authors found more phlebotomes close to the coast then in inland, thus determining a different risk. D’Urso et al. (2002) performed a research in Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa provinces during the triennial 1997-99, collecting more than 10,000 spe- cimens. They found, collectively: S. ininutCL (63.6 %), P. perniciosus ( 3 4 . i % ) , P. sergenti ( l . i % ) and lastly, P. neglectus , P. papatasi and P perfiliewi (<1%). Though not very high percentage, they found more frequently P. sergenti than in the pre- vious searches, and the authors remarked on the fact that this species, though not in Italy, transmits L. tropica in other M editerranean countries. The authors did not find noticeable differences in sandflies abundance and species composition linked to different altitudes and distance from the coast, pointing out the role of the specific kind of environment (e.g. more or less anthropized, with different humidity and vegetation, with a different presence of animals). They find on average a dif- ference between the Aetnean area and the Hyblean one, the former being more anthropized and humid with a higher sandfly biodiversity and an important presence of P. pemicWSUS, P. Sergenti and P. neg- lectus, the latter more rural and dry, dominated essentially by S. Itlinutd, therefore with lower risk of leishm aniasis. The presence of P. Sergenti in Sicily, induced D’Urso et al. (2004) to focus on this species, ana- lyzing collections in the triennial 1 997-99 in one collecting site at the foot of Etna, and another in the Hyblean area. In the former site the authors found 77.7% of P. perniciosus and 2.0% of P. sergenti , while in the latter, apart from a great deal of speci- mens of S. minuta, P. perniciosus was only 14.4% and f! sergenti less than 0.02%. The authors pointed out that P. Sergenti is associated with domestic environments in urban and periurban areas between 0 and 750 m a.s.l. but were not able to comment on a possible role in transmission o f leish m an iasis due to the low density found in the studied sites. In any case it is worth to mention that gradually, a scenario was coming out, in which this species was not Survey on the presence of phlebotominae sandflies in eastern Sicily and connected risk of leishmaniasis 7 5 always so rare as had resulted from the oldest searches. Another research focusing on P Sergenti was due to Maroli et al. (2006), and was practically the continuation of the previous mentioned (D’Urso et al., 2004), which allowed the authors to find an Etnean site in which P. sergenti w as the dominant species (about 54%). Maroli et al. (2006) sampled in the flight seasons 2004 and 2005 finding that this species had a shorter flight season than P. pemi- CIOSUS, with only one main density peak (i.e. one main generation of adults). They also tested fern ales w ith blood m eal, finding that P. Sergenti fed m ostly on dogs (77.8%), far less on avia ns (8.3%) and only little on humans (2.8%), while P. pCTYlicioSUS only on dogs (60.0%) and humans (13.3%); however, it must be stressed that in spite of possible prefer- ences, phlebotomes are oportunistic feeders which take their blood meal on the animals more at hand. Maroli et al. (2005) carried out a research on phlebotome ecology, sampling in 18 sites in various parts of Sicily during 2004 flight season. Among the various environments chosen for putting the traps, they can be recorded: farms with various livestock, chicken pens and wall crevices. They col- lected a total of 882 1 specimens mostly belonging to S. minuta (69.9%), while among the Phlebot- OtnUS species the proportions were: P. pemicioSUS (52.9%), P. perfiliewi Parrot, 1930 (46.5%), P. ne- glectus (0.5% ), P. sergenti (o.i%) and P. papatasi (0.03%). The authors pointed out that the two pro- ven vectors of Leishmanici infantum, P. perniciosus and P. perfiliewi, were abundant, the former more present in domestic environments, the latter more linked to farm animals (chickens excluded). Finally, our research group decided to go on with the studies and see what had happened to the phlebotomes in the town of Catania after more than 70 years of urbanistic and sanitary progress, with a series of searches, started with a big monitoring in 5 1 sampling sites distributed in the urban tissue, in 2006 flight season. A good 45 sites resulted positive for phlebotomes, collecting a total of 434 1 speci- mens, belonging to six species, one of which, P. masdttii Grassi, 1908, was new for Sicily. With respect to Adler & Theodor (1931) investigation, the presence of phlebotomes in the town had not only kept more than sufficient for the illnes’ main- tenance and propagation, but, differently from Adler’s and Theodor’s results, the sandflies, and in particular P. pernicioSUS, turned out to be abundant also in the centre of the town. Besides, with respect to recent investigations in Sicily (e.g. Ruta et al., 2002), it was observed in some sites a very long flight season: from May to December, with a clear, though lower, third peak in phlebotome density, which means a third generation (D’Urso et al., 2008a, 2009). In some collecting sites, also P. Sergenti was abundant: itwas found to be up to 45.5% of the spe- cimens, which was the highest percent ratio ever re corded in Sicily (D’Urso et al., 2008b). Those results induced our research group, in collaboration with a group of colleagues from the “Istituto Superiore di Sanita” (Rome), to make additional investigations in 2008, 20 1 2 and 2013, both in the most interesting sites of Catania, and in several A etnean sites, integrating the research also with immunological, molecular and cultural tech- niques in order to analyze females of PhlebotomuS searching for viruses and Leishmania, and about the latter we found that 11% of the investigated females of P. pernicioSUS were positive for genomic Leish- mania DNA (Lisi et al., 2 0 1 4); unfortunately it was not possible to determine the species; according to the current know ledge it should be L. infantum, but the aim of the investigation was also to check if some exotic Leishmania species had been able to reach Sicily and set itself up there, idea justified for several reasons, as it is discussed in the following paragraph. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS A s it can be seen, the searches of the last decade have drawn a scenario about the presence of phle- botomes in eastern Sicily, that fully justifies the pres- ence of the illness as endemic, maintained by these insects as vectors, and by the huge number of in- fected dogs, as reservoir, with the problem of the stray, very numerous and practically out of control. About the vectors, by comparing the results of the researches of the last ten years, with those of the older ones, it seems that phlebotome flight season has prolonged, and perhaps the species composition of several environments, especially urban, changed, in favour of a more efficient maintainance and propagation of the disease; all this is very probably due to global w arm ing, which seems to have determ - 76 Oscar LIsi etalii Messina • Palermo • Trapani Taormina A • Enna Caltanissetta * * Aohiqentd Catania Siracusa * Ragusa Figure 1. Distribution of PhlebotomUS Sergenti in Sicily according to the literature. ined the prolongation of the flight season, and, sup- posedly (the avalaible data are still insufficient to state this with certainty), changes in species composition of some environments, especially the urban, and the general abundance of these insects. Global warming is a process still in act, thus rendering the situation dynamic, and therefore in need to be monitored. Another very important aspect to which to pay careful attention, is the possibility for some exotic Leishmania to reach Sicily and set itself up there finding a species of phlebotome (competent or not for “our” L. infantum) suitable as a vector. The island lies in the main immigration route of the “Mediterranean boat people”, migrants who fled African and Middle East countries, most of which are endem ic for L. tropica, because of civil conflicts and/or poverty. Moreover, Catania is located close to the Sigonella NATO military base, where every year soldiers from all over the world (including L. tropica. W rig h t, 1903 - endem ic M id die East coun- tries) pass through. It is therefore not unlikely that in div id u al in fee ted w ith L. tropica may reach S icily (this, actually, has already happened), where the presence of P. SCFgenti, the proven vector of L. tropica in the countries in which the parasite is endemic, constitutes a high potential risk for intro- duction of the exotic parasite with the illness it causes. Rioux (2001) demons trated thatpopulations of P. Sergenti from Morocco are highly subjected to get infected by L. tropica, and Depaquit et al. (2002), while studying the intraspecific variability of different populations of P. SCrgenti, found out that Sicilian and Moroccan populations are “sister groups”, thus arising the suspect that Sicilian P. Sergenti might be as easily infected by L. tropica as the M oroccan . In Italy the distribution of P. Sergenti seems to be limited to the East coast of Sicily (Fig. 1), but while in the close past it was known only from few Aetnean sites (Adler & Theodor, 1931; Biocca et Survey on the presence of phlebotominae sandflies in eastern Sicily and connected risk of leishmaniasis 77 al., 1977), it then proved to be more spread along the coast not only in the Aetnean territory, but also in the Hyblean area (D’Urso et al., 2002, 2004; Maroli et al., 2006); there fore, with mo re in v e s tig - ations, it is possible that it will be found in other areas, at least on the island; on the other hand, even if the species were really today present only in east- ern Sicily, it is not possible to exclude a coloniza- tion of the rest of the island, and of southern Italy. Besides, though less probable, it cannot be ex- cluded that also other species of Leishmania may reach Italy finding a phlebotome species capable to establish a local cycle spreading the parasite. Today, we “only” know that cases of foreigners affected by exotic Leishmania species have already been repor- ted: not only the above mentioned L. tropica but also L. tnCljor from Africa and Middle East, and L. braziliensis e L. panamenisis from South America. Unfortunately, neither the clinical observation of the patient nor the morpho logical observation of the parasite under a microscope allow to identify the Leishmania species, thus increasing the above men- tioned risks since an exotic Leishmania m ight be at first mi s taken with the local L. infantum and a cor- rect identification might take place much later, when the exotic parasite has already spread. To conclude, it is necessary to keep on monitor- ing and investigating to complete the picture of the distribution and bio-ecology of the PhlebotomuS species, especially P. Sergenti, and ensure that L. tropica, as well as any other exotic Leishmania, has not already started to set itself up in Sicily; in the meantime, it would be much helpful if a better sanitary control of stray dogs and immigrants might be achieved . REFERENCES Adler S. & Theodor O., 193 1. Investigation on Mediter- ranean Kala Azar. III. The Sandflies of the Mediter- ranean Basin. Distribution and Bionomics of Sandflies in Catania and District. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 108: 464-480. Biocca E., Coluzzi A. & Costa n t i n i R., 1977. Osser- vazioni sulla attuale d is trib u z io n e dei flebotomi italiani e su alcuni caratteri morfologici d iffe re n z ia li tra specie del sottogenere PhlebotomuS ( L arro u s siu s) . Parassitologia, 19: 19-31. Depaquit J., Ferte H., Leger N ., Lefranc F.,Alves-Pires C ., Hanafi H ., Maroli M ., M o rilla s -M a rq u ez F., Rioux J.A ., Svobodova M. & Volf P., 2002. ITS 2 sequences heterogeneity in PhlebotomuS Sergenty Parrot, 19 17 and PhlebotomuS similiS: possible consequence in their ability to transmit LeishtnCinici tropica. International Journal for Parasitology, 32: 1123-1131. D'Urso V., Khoury C., Bianchi R. & Maroli M., 2002. D is tr ib u z io n e dei flebotomi (Diptera: Psycodidae) nella Sicilia Orientale: primi dati di transetti di stazioni di monitoraggio della costa verso l’en- troterra. B iogeographia, 23: 1 58-1 64. D'UrsoV., LisiO.,Distefano S.,BarresiG.& MaroliM., 2008a. First entomological survey on Phlebotomine sandflies in Catania, Italy, since the historical Adler & Theodor's investigations on mediterranean Kala Azar (193 1). 6th International Symposium on Phle- botomine Sand f lies. Lima, Peru. October 27-31, 1. D'Urso V., Lisi O. & Maroli M ., 2008b. Bioecologia e dispersione di PhlebotomuS Sergenti Parrot, 1917 (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Sicilia. XXXVII Con- gresso Nazionale Italiano B iogeografia. 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Maroli M., D'Urso V., Tor in a A., Caracappa S., Bianchi R., Khoury C., Buongiorno G. & Rossi E., 2005. Ecology of Phlebotomine vectors in Sicily (Italy): a study on species distribution by habitat. Third World Congress on Leishmaniasis, Palerm o-Terrasini, Ab- stract, 167. Maroli M., Khoury C., Bongiorno G., Bianchi R., Peresan L. & D'Urso V., 2006. Seasonality and feeling habit of PlllebotontUS Sergenti (Diptera, Psychodidae) in a focus of eastern Sicily, Italy. SOIPA XXIV Abstracts, Parassitologia, 48: 160. Rioux J.A ., 2001. Trente ans de cooperation franco-m aro- caine sur les leishm anioses: depistage des foyers. 78 Oscar LIsi etalii Facteurs de risque. Changements climatiques et dy- namique noso-geographique. Bulletin de l'Association des Anciens Eleves de l’lnstitut Pasteur, 168: 90-101. Ruta F., D'Urso V., Khoury C., Bianchi R. & M aroli M ., 2002. Monitoraggio dei flebotomi (Diptera: Psy- codidae) nella Sicilia orientale. A tti XIX Congresso Nazionale Italiano di E n to m o lo g ia , Catania: 1 0 8 3 — 1 088. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 79-86 Monograph Preliminary observations on the use of drones in the environ- mental monitoring and in the management of protected areas. The case study of “R.N.O. Vendicari”, Syracuse (Italy) Giorgio Sabella 1 *, Fabio Massimo Viglianisi 1 , Sergio Rotondi 1 & Filadelfo Brogna 2 DepartmentofBiological, Geological and Environ mental Science, Section of Animal Biology, University of Catania, via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; e-mail: sabellag@unict.it; fabiovgl@unict.it; sergiorotondi@hotmail.it 2 Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development. Service Office forthe Territory of Syracuse, Italy; e-mail: fbrogna@ regione.sicilia.it Corresponding author ABSTRACT The possible utilization ofUAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), also called drones, as means for the environmental monitoring and the management of protected areas has been investig- ated. The study was carried out in “R.N.O. Vendicari”, Syracuse (Sicily, Italy) in relation to the problems of the fruition's management of the protected area. Some operational proposals on the use of drones for these aims are suggested and the preliminary results are presented. KEY WORDS UAS; Sicily; Protected areas; Environmental monitoring; Management; Drone. Received 21.06.2016; accepted 01.10.2 0 16; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy ) INTRODUCTION The study of ecology, especially environmental monitoring, has benefited, since the 60s of last cen- tury, of the latest technologies and of the technical innovations openig up new possibilities in many theoretical and applied branches of the natural sciences. Since the 80s of last century, a further con- tribution to research in this field has been made with the use of two new technologies: the GPS (Global Positioning System) and the GIS (Geographical Information System). In the last decade even the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) seem to have had the same kind of impact in the scientific and applied areas (Anderson & Gaston,2013;Chabot& Bird,2015). The use of drones has strongly increased due to their ease of use and the lowering of the costs of these remotely piloted aircrafts. On board they can, carry small computers, cam eras and various sensors. These can be easily used by n o n - sp e c ia lis ts , who can then use them in many work activities to collect data by multiparameter sensors (Thamm & Judex, 2006). In general, the use of these resources has helped in increasing, as never before, the acquisi- tion of both qualitative and quantitative environ- mental and spatial data (M arris, 2013).Applications to this data can be broadly divided into two cat- egories: research applications and direct conserva- tion applications (Sandbrook, 2015). Apart from the research applications, also the control of the risk areas or of protected ones, will certainly benefit from the use of these unmanned aircraft system s, supporting operators and ensuring that the management and m onitoring of these areas are more reliable convenient and accurate (Kramer 80 Giorgio Sabella etalii & Thamm, 2006; Kohl & Wich, 2012). This is part of the ongoing relationship between the effort to safeguard protected areas and their fruition (West et al., 2006). The extension of the R.N.O. “Oasi faunistica di Vendicari” (Southern Eastern Sicily) and its critic- ality along with the continued reduction of the supervisory staff, make it difficult to continously monitor. The aim of this paper is to determine whetherthe use ofUAS could make the monitoring and the control of this area easier by reducing costs and at the same time ensuring that the interventions of the teams on the ground are more efficient. In this work we use the word drone or UAS for all types of aircrafts without an on board pilot, although in the literature these vehicles are often classified and designated by various other names (Anderson & Gaston, 2013). MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area and management issues The Oriented Natural Reserve “R.N.O. Oasi faunistica di Vendicari”, instituted by D. A. 14 March 1984 in accordance with L. R. 98/81, is located in the southeastofSicily, between No to and Pachino in the province of Syracuse, and occupies an area of about 1,517 hectares (Fig. 1). Its peri- meter is included in those of the ZPS ITA 090029 - Pantani della Sicilia su d -o rien ta le , and of the SIC and ZPS ITA09002 - Vendicari, instituted in accord- ance with Directive 1 992/43/EEC and with Direct- ive 2009/147 /EC. The reserve is also included within the area identified by IB A (International Bird Areas) criteria cod. IB A 1 998-2000: IT167 “Pantani di Vendicari e di Capo Passero”, and in the Ramsar area “3IT043 Vendicari”, in accordance with D.P.R. 448 of 13 March 1 976, because it is recognized as a key area for the resting and the migration of migratory birds. The reserve is a coastal area of great natural and landscape value, characterized by high plant and animal biodiversity thanks to the variety of habitats (rocky and sandy coasts, brackish and freshwater swamps, salt marshes, M editerranean scrub, scrub- land and cultivated areas), due to the presence of various types of substrates, as well as edaphic and hydrogeological relationships. This did not prevent Figure 1. Geographical framing, maps and logos of The Oriented Nature Reserve “R.N.O. Faunistic oasis of Vendicari”, Syracuse (Sicily, Italy). Use of the drone in the environmental monitoring and in the management of protected areas,“R.N.O.Vendicari”, (Italy) 8 l about half of the reserve’s territory to be used for agricultural activities (AA.VV., 1991). The overall climate is rather dry, characterized by mild winters with little rainfall and hot, dry sum- mers. Average annual rainfall does not reach 400 mm per year, with a maximum ofjust over 60 mm in October, December and January, and values close to zero in the summer months (June to August). The average annual temperature is 18.2 °C . The coldest months are January and February with a monthly average of 11.9 °C . Quite high temperatures are reached in July and August with average monthly respectively being 25.3 °C and 26.2 °C (AA.VV., 1991). The reserve falls within the lower dry ther- momediterranean bioclimatic belt(Scelsi& Sparnp- in a to , 1 9 9 8). The management plan of “Pantani della Sicilia sudorientale” (2009), approved under the condition with D .D .G . 673/2009 of Regional C ouncillorship of Land and Environment, highlights several critical aspects of the R.N.O. mainly related to agricultural activities, but also to the high hum an pressure linked to its touristic fruition, especially in the summer months; during just 2014 an estimate of, by defect, more than 1 20,000 visitors visited the beaches of Vendicari (Iuvara, 20 15). The dam ages caused to the protected areas by an excessive fruition have already been studied and documented (Muhar et al., 2002). Technical characteristics of the utilized ma- terials The drone used is the Phantom 3 Professional (Fig. 2). The technical characteristics of the drone and its equipment are summarized in Table 1. Regulatory information on U AS flights The only current regu latio n for U AS flig h ts is th e Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulation of ENAC (C ivil Aviation Authority) (2nd edition published in 16 July 2015 and updated in 21 December 2015). There are several types of the UAS and there are different classifications in which they are grouped per weight, range, use, etc. (see Anderson & Gaston, 2013 for a review). Among the different UAS types,the two most common are those weigh- ing less than 300 grams and 2 kg. The lightest models (weighing less than 300 g) are characterized by low flight range (under 10 minutes) combined Figure 2. The Phantom 3 Professional built by DJI. with lower quality of photographs. For this reason we have chosen to operate the flights using a drone belonging to the second category (whose operations are regulated by art. 12 of ENAC Regulation): the model Phantom 3 Pro. This has an upper flight range of up to 20 minutes and is equipped with a camera with 4k resolution, which has a high level of image definition. These characteristics make it appropriate for the purposes of the present study. For whichever flight scenario, it is mandatory that the driver is recognized by ENAC (art. 21) through the adequate certification. The drone must also be in sured . Based on the experience and on the fact that the ENAC regulations are constantly evolving and clear guidelines have yet to be enacted, we propose the following methodological process consisting of a series of good practices to be followed in the case of any flight plan processing: Download from the Aviation website (www. aeronautica.difesa.it) the updated version of the Italian Aviation Map (CAI) in which the obstacles to the flight and the zone types to air controlled traffic (VFR Visual Flight Rules) are shown. Identify the flight area and take action based on the type of the overfly zone. The prohibited air- spaces, according to paragraph 4 of the article 24 of the ENAC Regulation, are those within the ATZ (Aerodrome Traffic Zone) of an airport, or located at a distance of less than 5 km from an airport and those within the active regulated areas and the prohibited areas. In the latter all protected areas are included and so it is to necessary to request the prior authorization of the Managing Authority. When 82 Giorgio Sabella etalii obtained this authorization must also be requested from the ENAC Authority (article 24, paragraph 6 of EN AC Regulation). The visual flight (Visual Line of Sight or VLOS) must always be performed by a pilot with Attesta- tion of Pilot of UAS (article 21, paragraph 1 of ENAC Regulation) and with a medical certification of class II issued by the standards relating to the li- cense LAPL (Light A ircraft Pilots Licence) (article 21, paragraph 2 of ENAC Regulation). The pilot must be accompanied by a qualified observer (art- icle 5 of ENAC Regulation). Aircraft: technical specification Weight (in eluding battery and propellers 1280 g Diagonal size (including propellers) 590 mm Mas Ascent Speed 5 m/s Max Descent Speed 3 m/s Hover Accuracy Vertical: +/- 0. 1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/- 0.5 m; Horizontal: +/- 1.5 m Max Speed 16 m/s (ATTI mode, no wind ) Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level 6000 m (Default altitude limit: 1 20 m above takeoff point) Operating Temperature 0°C to 40° C G PS Mode GPS/GLONASS Camera: technical specification Sensor Sony EXMOR 1/2.3” Effective pixels: 12.4 M (total pixels: 12.76M) Lens FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8, focus at 8 ISO Range 100-3200 (video) 100-1600 (photo) Shutter Speed 8s -1 /8000s Image Max Size 4000 x 3000 Still Photography Modes Single Shot; Burst Shooting: 3/5/7 shots: Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5: Bracketed Frames at 0.7EV Bias; Time- lapse. Video Recording Modes UriD: 4096x2 I60p 24/25, 3840x2 160p 24/25/30; Ft ID: 1 920x 1 08 Op 24/25/30/48/50/60; H D: 1 280x720p 24/2 5/ 3 0/48/ 50/60 ; 2 .7K : 2704 x!520p 24/25/30 (29.97) Remote Controller and APP: technical specification Operating Frequency 2.400 GHz-2.483 GHz Max Distance Up to 5 km or 3.1 miles (unobstructed, free of interference) Mobile App DJI GO Latency 220ms (depending on conditions and mobile device) Required Operating Systems iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4, 1 .2 or later Table 1. Technical sped fi cation of: Aircarft, Camera and Remote con tr oiler of Drone used. Use of the drone in the environmental monitoring and in the management of protected areas, “R.N.O.Vendicari”, (Italy) 8 3 Perform a pre-flight checklist, which includes: checking weather and of environmental conditions; evaluting flight risks (obstacles, buildings, towers, high tension cables, etc.); checking of integrity and efficiency of the drone. Informations on operated flights The flights are performed according to the re- quirements of the ENAC Regulation respecting the condition laid down for flight in VLOS, according to article 24, paragraph 2 (maximum height 150 m and ray of maximum distance from operator of 500 m) and also according to article 27 paragraph 2 (Horizontal safety distance of at least 150 m from the groups of people, and at least 50 m from indi- viduals). The experience was carried out during the first decade of August 2015, from 10.00 to 11.00 a. m., the climatic and weather conditions optimal, wind speeds below 1 0 kph, tem perature 3 1 °C,Magnetic Storm 3Kp. Using as a starting point the Marianelli houses of the Regional Azienda of the State Forests (Fig. 3), which is located roughly in the centre of the re- serve, two flight plans were scheduled. The two flights were scheduled for control of the north side and the south side of the reserve and for the overfly of some fixed points allowing to monitor the access roads and check for unauthor- ized access to the reserve beaches. Moreover, it was possible to verify the number of bathers and mon- itor any behaviour prohibited by the Regulation of the reserve in the Calamosche (Fig. 4) and Eloro beaches (Fig. 5). Operatively, in the two flights the drone re- mained at a maximum height of 70 m and at a 150 m distance from people for privacy and security reasons. The first flight (Fig. 6) flew over the south and the southeast zones of the reserve and lasted about 18 minutes, covering a linear pa th of approximately 4,600 m. with relative displacement of the operator to ensure that the aircraft was always. During the overflight of the zones, live video and photos were taken. The images were seen by the reserve supervisory staff and then the filming were also observed offline and subjected to analysis and processing by the reserve managers. Particular attention was paid to the overflights of Calamosche beach due to the strong inflow of swimmers at this time. A first live estimate of presence of people on the beach was made and later, in offline mode, an accurate count of the number of swimmers was done. These two numbers were compared with the number of appearances detected by supervisory staff based on daily records of access to reserve. This made it possible to verify the percentage of users who had used the not controlled accesses of the reserve. Figure 3. The starting field of the drone, the M arianelli houses of the R egional A zienda of the State Forests photographed by drone. Figure 4. The Calamosche beach photographed by drone. Figure 5. The Eloro beach photographed by drone. 84 Giorgio Sabella etalii The second flight (Fig. 7) flew over the north and northeast zones of the reserve and lasted about 19 minutes, covering a linear path of approximately 3,640 m . The flight arrangements were the same used in the previous flight. This time, however, in addition to verifying and counting the number of bathers on the beaches of the northern side of the reserve, the position of the parked cars along the access road to the beach was also detected to verify possible grounds for refusal to circulation of any rescue v eh ic le s . In addition, the flight was scheduled to overfly the houses subject to legal seizure to check the pos- sible construction of new buildings or extensions to existing ones. RESULTS The use of the drone inside the R.N.O. Vendicari has been very satisfactory. From a technical point of view, it has been appreciated the extreme ease and immediacy of the procedures of setup and start- ing (Watts et al., 2010). In fact, the positioning of the batteries on the drone is as simple as changing the battery on a mobile phone, to start the program on the Control Pad less than five minutes are needed, this perspective is a positive factor because the operativity of the drone is virtually immediate and therefore also in emergency circumstances its use would be valid. Another positive factor has been the battery life of the drone that has allowed about 20-25 minutes of flight and operation in total autonomy and no maintenance, allowing a very thorough reconnais- sance of the areas of the reserves examined. It allows for high quality shooting of video and photographs allowing it to reach a level of detail in the images which was mo re than satisfactory. Also the streaming link between operator and drone is never lost even when up to several hundreds of meters away, similary the flight controls sent in ter - actively by the operator of the drone were executed w itho u t delays. Interesting was also the simulation carried out deliberately to lose contact between the drone and the operator. In this case the software implemented in the aircraft enabled it to return to land independ- ently and at the same starting point. This proves that, even in difficult situations such as problems caused by the weather or by the operator, the drone would not be lost and there would be no accidents on landing, thanks to its excellent emergency sys- tem . On the con tr ary, there are some ethical and tech- nical disadvantages in the use of the drone. The ethical and social implications (safety, privacy, psy- chological wellbeing, data security and understand- ing of conservation problems) in the use of the drones are recently examined by Sandbrook (2015). In particular, with regards to privacy, the main problem is whether it is ethical to monitor people without their knowledge, because this practice could represent an infringement of human rights (see Finn & Wrigth, 2012 for a detailed analysis), although these aspects of privacy have been already invaded with the use of satellite monitoring and fixed cameras. In the case of protected areas, this practice has the deliberate intention of law enforce- rnent and it should be incorporated, with full reason and legality, into the reserve regulation, but on public land it shows some illegality profiles (Sand- brook, 2015). Even the question of confidentiality of data is relevant and needs for regulation. The risks of misuse of drone technology for the surveillance have been already highlighted and some solutions have been proposed to avoid con- flicts with local people (W est et al., 2006; Paneque- Galvez et al., 2014). The main recommended solutions are transparency of information and the adoption of communally-agreed rules. The use of fear as a tool of conservation raises obvious ethical questions (Sandbrook, 2015). Also like all electronic devices even UAS are exposed to hacker risk, which would allow an at- tacker to take control of the aircraft by changing course with possible serious consequences (Hart- mann & Steup, 2013). As regards the technical problems, the main one is detected in the operating limits of the batteries of the drone that do not allow their use with temper- atures above 40 °C . During the performed flights, the weather condi tions and the time (early morning between 10.00 and 11.00 a. m.) fell extensively in the tolerance range of the batteries, while in the same location, in the following weeks and in the first hours of the afternoon, the temperature had reached the tolerance limit of the instrument and therefore no flight could not have been carried out. Use of the drone in the environmental monitoring and in the management of protected areas,“R.N.O.Vendicari”, (Italy) 8 5 Figure 6. Flight plan number 1, with full telemetry, itinerary direction of Calamosche beach. The red line indicate the path of drone. Figure 7. Flight plan number 1, with full tele me try, itinerary direction ofEloro beach. The red line indicate the path of drone. This is a significant problem because it does not allow monitoring of users of the reserve in the period that is experiencing the greatest influx of visitors. CONCLUSIONS Although the use of drones for conservation is in its infancy and there is currently limited evidence regarding their effectiveness as a conservation tool (Sandbrook, 2015), in our case study the use of un- manned aircrafts has proved a very useful tool for the reserve operators for the ease of use of the drone and for the results obtained from the flights. In addition, his low cost could favourably in- fluence the choice by the administration in the pur- chase and use of this instrument, which could validly help the reduced number of supervisory staff of the reserve in the surveillance action. Moreover, the possibility to program the flights on predeter- mined paths and at set intervals during the day represents a further advantage linked to the use of drones for the monitoring of protected areas. In any case, the drone could not be used as a substitute for the control actions and for interven- tion of operators but should be used only as a sup- port means for operator on site, who could be relieved from unnecessary patrols and would thus be able to intervene more timely and precisely in places where the aerial monitoring would show vi- olations, misconduct, etc. Also valuable would be its contribution to the prevention and deterrence of the fires and of the harmful actions. In fact, the overflight at low alti- tude is immediately noticed, and induces in people a more cautious and respectful attitude because the drone allow s, thanks to high image quality, the pre- cise recognition of people and/or vehicles who are offenders of the reserve regulation. This last point regards the regulatory and ethical aspects is one on which we must reflect carefully (particularly as it regards the privacy and confidentiality of the data) and probably it w ill be necessary to operate changes of the laws, rules and regulations regarding the use of drones in the monitoring and c o n tro 1 o f p ro tec ted areas. For example, given that the ENAC Regula- tion is still being defined and applied throughout the national territory, it would be desirable that it is update to provide different rules for overflights of natural areas and reserves, since most are sparsely populated. 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Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Low- Altitude Aerial Surveys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 74: 1614-1619. West P., Igoe J. & Brockington D ., 2006. Parks and people: the social impact of protected areas. Annual Review o f A n tro p o lo g y , 35: 25 1-257. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 87-104 Monograph The wild vascular flora of the Archaeological Park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) Pietro Minissale 1 & Saverio Sciandrello 2 Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, Section of Animal Biology, University of Catania, Italy 1,2 C.U.T.G.A.N.A. Centro Universitario per la Tutela e la Gestione degli Ambienti Naturali e degliAgroecosistemi Universita di Catania, Italy ABSTRACT This paper presents an updated list of the wild vascular flora growing in the Archaeological Park of Syracuse and surrounding areas. The list of plants is the result of a bibliographic ana- lysis and field surveys carried out in 2013-2015. A total of 343 specific and infraspecific taxa are reported. The families most represented are Poaceae (43), Fabaceae (38) and Asteraceae (35 taxa). The analysis of the biological spectrum of the vascular flora indicate the predom- inance of therophytes (51%) and hemicryptophytes (20%) while, from a chorological point of view, most of the species show a Mediterranean distribution (134 taxa). The phytogeo- graphical value of some rare species, in particular OrigCltllim OlliteS, Elcitifie gUSSOYiei, Collitriche truncata, Aristolochia altissima and Brassica souliei subsp. amplexicaulis is discussed. The presence of some alien species, such as Vcichellici kttYYOO , LcifltCinCl CCU71CIYCI , Ailanthus Clltissimu is also highlighted, because in this area they represent a serious threat to native p la n t b io d iv e rs ity . KEY WORDS OYiganum onites; Elatine gussonei; Habitats of Community in te rest; conservation; alien species. Received 13.01.2016; accepted 19.05.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- V e n d ic ari (Italy ) INTRODUCTION The Archaeological Park of Syracuse, famous for the big Greek Theater and other vestiges of Greek and Roman times, houses elements of flora and vegetation of great natural value which are m a in tain e d over tim e thanks to the p rote c tio n of th e archaeological site itself. This constraint prevents very common activities on the outside areas such as grazing, fire and urbanization. In this way the pro- tec tio n and con serv a tio n of species and plant com- munities of great importance, indicators of special m ic ro h ab itats were indirectly guaranteed. In 2013 the execution of major maintenance of the inside p ub lie green , m ad e by th e F o res try of Syracuse, fo 1- lowing the provisions of the Superintendence, gave the opportunity to carry out a study on the flora aimed at its protection during worksite activities. In this way it was possible to update the knowledge on the vascular flora and to highlight some emer- gencies and peculiarities so far not fully known, which make even more extraordinary the cultural and natural value of the area. The research has taken account of earlier studies. In particular is worthy of mention the floristic research of Zodda (1 928, 1 929), who recorded many species for the archae- ological site in question within a study on the flora of th e m u n ic ip ality of Syracuse. M ore recently, stud- ies on the flora and vegetation of the archaeolo- gical areas of Syracuse were made by Corbetta et 88 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello al. (2002), on the Greek Theatre and the surround- ing areas; by Salmeri & Guglielmo (2012) on the Latomie of Syracuse; Guglielmo et al. (2002) on “Latomia dei Cappuccini”; Guglielmo et al. (2006) on the archaeological sites in eastern Sicily. MATERIAL AND METHODS The plants list is the result of a bibliographic analysis and field surveys carried out during the years 20 1 3-20 1 6. The study focused on the census of native vascular flora with particular regard to the species of p hy to g eo g rap h ic al or natural interest, but also to the naturalized non-native species, poten- tially invasive and their location on the site; includ- ing their G IS mapping. The nomenclature follows Giardina et al. (2007); relatively to the Orchidaceae the reference was Delforge (2005). Flora of Italy (Pignatti, 1982), Med-Checklist (Greuter et al., 1984, 1 986) and Flora Europaea (Tutin et al., 1964-1980) were also consulted . The collected samples are preserved in the herb- arium of the Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences of Catania University (C AT). Study area The study area includes the fenced archaeolo- gical park, which covers about 23 hectares and the outside area to the west of the park on the southern side of the “Colie Temenite”, which is also subjec- ted to archaeological restrictions. Geographically the site falls in the Hyblaean district (Fig.l), a dis- tinct area from the rest of Sicily, both in geological (Manuella et al., 2015) and phytogeographical terms (Brullo et al., 2011). The area is characterized by a Miocene carbonatic series, consisting mainly of calcirudite, belonging to the formation Monti Climiti.The whole area is affected by various forms of surface erosion as alveolar cavities, grooves, and trays of corrosion. Throughout the area tectonic fractures are also present, many of them are perpen- dicular to the surface and therefore easily accessible for the rainwater that increases their expansion. The area is also affected by forms of underground karstific atio n (Lena, 1 990). Figure 1. Study area: the Archaeological Park of Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy). The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 89 Regarding the climate, the Syracuse therm o-plu- viometric station records average annual temper- atures of 18.2 ° C and average annual rainfall of 543 mm (Zampino et al., 1997). Overall the bio-climate of the area can be defined lower thermo mediter- ranean, lower dry, according to R iv as-M artinez (1994) and Bazan et al. (2015). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The research allowed to update the list of flora, which has resulted in 343 recorded species, some of them are of great phy togeographical and conser- vation value. Previously Zodda (1 928, 1 929) had reported 158 entities, by making collections of flora in the town of Syracuse for the archaeological area and Temenite hill; then Corbetta et al. (2002), for the area of the archaeological park, reported 191 entities, many of which not recorded by Zodda. The current study has led to a considerable increase of the flora’s list for the area, also con- firming the presence of the rarest species previ- ously reported. Taking account of the limited size of the site, and by the fact that a fairly wide area is used as a garden, the vascular wild flora, overall, is quite rich and diversified. There are also many ornamental species that are not mentioned here with the exception of those showing autonomous capacity to spread. For the ornamental species census, see Salmeri & Guglielmo (2012) and Min- issale et al. (2016). On the whole, the chorological spectrum (Fig. 2) shows the prevalence of species with broad Mediterranean range (134 taxa); some others have a partial Mediterranean range (34), few species have a range which extends in temperate regions (84 taxa) or in tropical/arid areas (43 taxa) or aim ost all over the world (12 taxa). Important features of this flora are: on the one hand the endemics (9 taxa, Sicilian or S Italy and Sicily endemics), precious elements of this site, and on the other hand the high number of alien naturalized species (27 taxa), that trivializes the flora and might threaten native species. The biological spectrum shows, as expec- ted, the prevalence with over 50% of therophytes followed by hem icryptophy tes and geophytes (Fig. 3). Among the species already known in this area, the presence of OrigCUlUtTl OliiteS has a phytogeo- graphic relevance, this species having an east M editerranean distribution, widespread on Greek and Turkish coasts of the Aegean Sea and in most of the Aegean islands (Vokou et al., 1 988; Aykut Tonk et al. 2010). It is also present in Sicily only near Syracuse (Fig. 4) and reported in Malta (Greuter et al., 1986), but no longer found because probably only cultivated (Mifsud, 2007). It is to re m ark that the species was described by Linnaeus (1 7 5 3 ) from a herbarium specimen just collected from Syracuse (Fig. 5). Before Linnaeus, Boccone (1697) had already shown this species to Syracuse, identified, as was the custom at that time, with a diagnostic phrase “Origanum ligtlOSUtfl SyVOCUS- anum, perenne umbella amplissima, brevi lato, nervoso folio, nigricante 1 . He pointed out that it grew in Sicily only at Syracuse, on the road for Melilli, about two miles from the town, that is in Peleoterrp. 24 1 % Med .Trap. 5 CM«d. a* 2 E Med S Med 4 9 Circumbg-r £ Mtd.'Ad 11 4H Bpfea-Trpp End COSf^Ofl 12 EurO-Med Figure 2. Chorological spectrum (see text). Figure 3. Biological spectrum (see text). 90 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello •m'ftf. 8, ORIGANUM ffuris oblongs aggrcgatis hirfutts,,fo* Ills cordatis twurii torts. Otijijaiiam liguoium rjmcufjtuini [wrctinc, umkclhain- piitlima brcvt, latu & ncrvofo *ol;o. Beet, mnf, i.f, 4 f. i . 38 . Origanum onites, Bmh. pin. 111. an} Habitat Synciife. b Habitue Major a ns fed iigaefmt. Caulcs pilit io/tgit pa- tttiu. Fuiia parva, tordar*, fttifejftiia, nenta, fatint ftfratJ, ntnnifjte lamentefn , ex nlij rumor urn rttdi - m eutit. Spic* eongtjix, ut in Alaj/rana, fed eklomg.f, in fittgnfo pta/txeuh terns, truer media fejfitr, viliojd, FloieS nihi. Figure 4. Origanum onites-. Siracusa May 30, 2013. Figure 5 . Origanum onites diagnosis in Linnaeus (1753, 2: 590). the same places where it is found today. He also compares it with a plant represented by Alpini (1 5 92), called HySSOpUS graeCOVUin , w hile A nguil- lara (1561) describes a hyssop of the Greeks that would be nothing but an oregano that grow s in the Cyclades and Crete. On this basis Boccone rightly thought that these entities were the same species and highlights in this way its east Mediterranean range, with a disjunction in Syracuse. In the archaeological site, where in more recent times was signaled by Zodda (1928), it is found mainly on the rock edges o v e rlo o king the “La to m ia del Paradiso” and “ In tag lia te 11a” and on rocky out- crops of “Colle Temenite”, external to the archae- ological park, up to the slope, above the cem etery of Syracuse. Other locations near Syracuse, where the species was reported from Fagotto & Longhitano (1989) are Acradina, “L atom ia dei Cappuccini”, Santa Panagia tuna fishery and “Con trad a Pantan- elli”. The species, from the investigations carried out in the course of this study, is still present in these locations, only Pantanelli has not been con- firmed; in any case th e most substantial population, fo rm e d fro m some hundreds of individuals remains that of Colle Temenite including archaeological park. This species seems well integrated in the nat- ural vegetation and therefore could be considered a spontaneous species with disjoined areal confined in Sicily, in Syracuse surroundings. However you could not exclude an ancient introduction by the Greeks themselves at the time of the Syracuse foundation in the eighth century BC, or in the following centuries. A not her species of phy to geograph ical interest is Brassica souliei (B att.) b att. w ith the subsp. amplex- icaulis (Desf.) Greuter et Burdet distributed in Morocco and Sicily (Greuteretal., 1984). In the is- land is quite common on clay gullies of the central area (Giardina et a 1 . , 2007; Brullo et a 1 . , 2011), but rare or absent elsewhere. In Syracuse it has already been reported by Pignatti (1 982). Since in the rest of Hyblaean district it is not reported, the presence in the archaeological area of the Tem enite hill could be traced back, but as accidental introduction, due to intensive exchanges, in the Greek era, with the city of Gela which was connected with Syracuse by a specific road (Burgio, 2005). The research also helped to highlight an ex- traordinary, hitherto little known, peculiarity of the archaeological area that significantly enhances the floristic value of this area. The hard M iocenic lime- stones subjected to natural erosion have dimples and natural excavations where in winter accumu- lates rainwater that drains into the spring. These dimples in the archaeological area were created in great numbers and in more regular form also by ancient Greek colonists that used to carve rock blocks of various sizes, sometimes leaving cavities and shallow dimples (Mastelloni, 2014). Thus a somewhat peculiar system of temporary pools, for the flora which grows there, originated (Figs. 6, 7). The most important species found in the pools is Elutilie gUSSOliei { Fig. 8), so far known only for the M altese Islands and Lampedusa. Only recently it has been reported to some localities of the southern Hyblaean Mounts (Molnar et a 1 . , 2014) and Minissale & Sciandrello (2016) report it for the Neapolis of Syracuse especially in the rock pools around the Tomb of Archimedes (Fig. 9), above the Greek Theatre, but also in outdoor areas on rocky outcrops crossed by the panoramic road near the west side of the archaeological park (Fig. 10). In the past it has been confused with the related Elcttitie ITICICWpodci Guss.; under this name it has been reported for the archaeological area of The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 9 1 Syracuse by Nicotra (1 890) and since then it was no longer observed. In addition Minissale & Sciandrello (2016) showed that the samples col- lected in some locations in western Sicily can be referred to this species thus becoming a Sicilian- Maltese endemic. The discovery in the archae- ological site is of exceptional value considering that just the monuments p ro te c tio n has indirectly favored its survival by preventing activities such as fire, grazing and especially the urbanization that has been rampant over most of th e areas bordering the archaeological site. The investigation however, allowed to find EldthlC gUSSOYld in other places of the outskirts of Syracuse; this is particularly the crags of Akradina and near the old tuna fishery of Santa Panagia. Figures 6-11 Species and plant communities in the archaeological park. Fig. 6: Rock pools and excavations near the Greek Theatre (M arch 26, 2013). Fig. 7: Grooves and dimples at the Tomb of Archimedes (April 4 2013). Fig. 8: EldtiflC gUSSOYld , detail of flowers and capsules (April 4, 2013). Fig. 9: ElcititlC gUSSOHSi community in a smallpoolatthe Tomb of Archimedes (April 4, 2013). Fig. 10: A pool temporary already dry in early spring on the Temenite h ill: ElcitinC gUSSOVLCi vegetation bordered by Tillaea vaillantii vegetation (M arch 26, 20 1 3). Fig. 1 1 : TillaeCl vaillantii near the G reek Theatre (M arch 26, 20 1 3). 92 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello Other hygrophilous species of considerable rarity found here are Tillaea vaillantii, (Fig. li), Lythrum hyssopifolia { Fig. 12 ), Ccillit riche truncata (Fig. 13 ). Each of these hygrophilous ephemeral species characterizes different, typical of temporary pools, plant m icro-com m unities, but each one diversified for flooding period and soil depth (Minissale & Sciandrello, 2016). In the wide areas of the archaeological park af- fected by reforestation of pines and eucalyptus trees, flora does not present normally peculiarities of re- mark, but sometimes species of some interest may be found, as Aristolochid ClltlSSUllCL subendemic spe- cies of H yblean Mounts and Algeria, found at the altar of Hieron and upstream of the Greek theater, OprhyS siculd , near the Rom an am phith eater, OvcHis Figures 12-17 Plant species at the archaeological park. Fig. 12: LythrWfl HisSOp if O Hci in pools with deep soil above the Greek Theatre (March 26, 2013). Fig. 13: Cdllit riche tTlinCQ-tCl in the deeper artificial pools near the tomb of Archimedes (A pril 4, 20 1 3 ). Fig . 14: AbutUon theoplirdSti in Latomia San ta Venera (December 14, 2015). Fig. 15: Vdcliellid kdrWO on the walls of the sacred way above the Greek Theatre (March 26, 2013). Fig. 16: LdHtdHd CdlTldVd (March 26, 2013). Fig. 17: Opuntid dillenii ( March 26,20 1 3 ). The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 93 papilionacea war. grandiflora, in outside areas of the archaeological park. A nother species particularly rare in Sicily (Giardina et al., 2007), is Abutilofl thcO- phrasti, found in L atom ia Santa Venera (Fig. 14). Alongside these floristic findings of great value, the study also highlighted critical issues, such as the presence and sometimes large spread of some in- vasive alien species which threaten not only local biodiversity but also the monuments themselves. These are Vachellia kcitTOO. native to southern A frica, which can settle easily even in small crevices and cracks in the rock and it is present with hundreds of specimens mainly in the upstream portion of the Greek T heat re (Fig. 15) and close to the to mb of Archimedes. In order to preserve the archaeological site is necessary to pursue over time a schedule for the eradication of this alien species from the archae- ological site and where possible from neighboring areas. The risk of its settlem ent throughout the site is far from negligible, because even if cut at the base of th e stem , it has g re at ab ility to regro w th . Its ab ility to occupy niches and rocky ravines, in the long run. leads to the fragmentation of the rocks with serious damage to the archaeological site, but also for the flora and the natural habitats present. They require repetitive tasks such as cutting, chemical control, localized to the stum ps in order to reduce the risk of contamination to the rest of the flora and fauna. Other exotic species spread in the area, with independent propagation capacity, are hctYltClTlCl camara (Fig. 1 6 ) , Washingtonia robusta , Opuntia dillenii (F ig. 17). Also forthese species containment interventions, and, if possible, eradication, pro- longed in tim e, are required . Inside the quarries, characterized by greater coolness and moisture of the soil, AUanthuS altis- Sima , highly invasive species, took great develop- ment, so intensive cuts were carried out during the last works in order to keep it under control; but for the future a stronger action needs to be made such as the uprooting and chem ical treatm ent. The distribution map of the abovem entioned “good” and “bad” floristic emergencies, in the study area, is showed in figure 18. Species of naturalistic interest to be protected A Abubion theophrasti ■ Anstorochia a Hissima # Caliimehe truncate I 1 Satire gussonei # Qptwyssieula # Orchis papilomacea var grandiflora H Origanum onrtes ■ Saroopotenurn spmosum # Serapias lingua: — v r ■ II \ ■ ■ ^11 1 i — o sj? bar tana camara Q Opuntia (filler ii + Washingloma robusta Figure 18. Map of floristic emergencies recorded in the study area: the Archaeological Park of Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy). 94 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello FLORISTIC LIST The following floristic list shows, in addition to the binomial with the author, biological form, chorotype, IUCN category. Abbreviations of life forms follow Pignatti (1982). The following letters indicate the species already reported by Zodda (1 928), (Z.a); Zodda (1929), (Z.b); Corbetta et al. (2002), (C.); except where otherwise indicated, they were con firm ed as present in the cu rre n t study; the species of new recording for the site are indicated w ith the letter (n ). PTERID OPH YTA Familia ADIANTACEAE Adiantum capillus-veneris L .; G rhiz; B oreo-Trop.; (C.) Familia ASPLENIA CEAE Ceterach officinarum wind.; h ros; Euro-Med.- Iran.-Tur.; (n) Familia AZOLL ACE AE Azolla mexicana c . Presi.; i nat; Nat., Trop. Amer- ica.; (n ) Familia P O L Y P O D I A C E A E Polypodium cambricum l. subsp. serrulatum (Ar- c an g .) Pic hi Serm .; H ros, Euri-Medit.; (n ) Familia SELAGINELLACEAE Selaginella denticulata (L .) Spring; Ch rept; Med.; (n) GYM NOSPERM AE Familia PIN ACE AE Pinus halepensis m iiier; p scap; N at., M ed. (extens- ively planted, occasionally of spontaneous growth); (C .) PinUS pineO L.; P scap; Nat., Euri-Medit. (planted, occasionally of spontaneous growth); (C .) ANGIOSPERMAE (D ic o ty le d o n e s ) Fam ilia ACANTHACEAE Acanthus mollis L.;H scap;W M ed.; (C ., Z.a) Familia AMARANTHACEAE Amaranthus hybridus l ,;T scap; Nat., Trop. Amer- ica; (C .) Amaranthus retroflexus l.; t scap; Nat., N Amer- ica; (C .) Chenopodium album L .; T scap; C osm op.; (C .) Familia ANACARDIACEAE Pistacia lentiscus l .; P caesp; Med.; (C.) Pistacia terebinthus l .; P caesp; Med.; (C.) Fam ilia AP1ACEAE Apium nodiflorum (L .)Lag.;H scap ; P aleotem p .; (C .) DaUCUS CaWta L. subsp. caro ta; H bien; Euro-M ed.; (C., Z.a) Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum (Ucria) Beg.; H scap.;S M ed.; (n) Smyrnium olusatrum L.; H bien; Med.; (C.) Thapsia garganica l h scap; Med.; (n) Tordylium apulum L .; T scap ; M ed .; (Z .a) Familia APOCYNACEAE Nerium oleander l . ; p caesp; M ed.; (C., Z.a) Vinca major L.; Ch rept; M ed.; (Z.b) F am ilia ARAL IA CEAE Hedera helix L. subsp. helix ; P lian; Paleotemp.; (C.) Familia ARISTOLOCHIACEAE Aristolochia altissimav esf.; Plian;SW M ed . ; L R ; (Z.a) Familia ASTERACEAE Anthemis arvensis l . subsp. arvensis ; t scap ; Med.; (n) Beilis annua L .; T scap; M ed .; (n) Carduus pycnocephalus L.;H bien; Med.; (C . ) The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 95 Carlina corymbosa l.;h scap;w Med.; (C.) Chamaeleon gummifer (L.) c ass.; H ros; S Med.; (n) Calendula arvensis L.; T scap; Euro-M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (n) Carthamus lanatus L.; T scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (n) Cichorium pumilum Jacq.; T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Coleostephus myconis (L.)Rchb.Fii.;T scap; M ed .; (n) Cynara cardunculus l . s u b s p . cardunculus: h scap; Med.; (n ) Glebionis coronarium (L.) spach.; t scap; Med.; (C ., Z .a) Erigeron bonariensis l.; t scap; Nat., America; (C.) Erigeron canadensis l .; T scap; Cos mop.; (C.) Symphyotrichum squamatus (Sprengei) Nesom; h scap; Nat., Trop. America; (C.) Dittrichia graveolens (L.) Greuter; T scap; Med.; (C .) Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter; H scap;W Med. (C ., Z .a) Eupatorium cannabinum l.; h scap; Euro-Med.; (C., Z.a) Filago pyramidata L.;T scap; Euro-Med.; (n) Galactites elegans (Ail.) Soidano; h b ie n ; Med.; (C., Z.a) Helminthotheca echioides (l.) Hoiub ; T scap; M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Hyoseris radiata L.;H ros; Med.; (Z. a) Hypochoeris achyrophorus l. ;t scap; Med.; (c.) Hypochoeris radicata l . ; h ros; M ed.; (n) Onopordum illyricum L.; H bien; Med. (Z.a) Pallenis spinosa (L .) C ass.; T scap ; M ed .; (Z .a) Phagnalon rupestre (L .) d c . subsp. rup e s tre ; C h suffr;W M ed.; (n) Phagnalon saxatile (L .) Cass.; Ch suffr; W Med.; L R ; (C ., Z .a) Raphanus raphanistrum l . subsp. raphanistrum: t scap; Euro-Med.; (Z.a) Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth var. picroides-, h scap; Med.; (C., Z.a) Senecio vulgaris L.; T scap; Paleotem p.; (C ., Z.a) Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner; h b ie n ; Med.; (C .) Sonchus oleraceus L .; T scap; C osm op.; (C .) Sonchus tenerrimus L .; H scap ; M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Tragopogon porrifolius L.;H bien; Med.; (C.) Urospermum picroides (L .) s ch m id t; t scap; M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Urospermum dalechampii (L.) Schmidt ; H scap; M ed .; (Z .a) Familia BORAGINACEAE Anchusella cretica (M ill.) B igazzi, N ardi et S elv i;T scap; E Med.; (Z.a), not found now Borago officinalis L .; T scap ; M ed .; (n) Cerinthe major l . subsp. major \ g bulb; Med.; (c., Z .a) Cynoglossum creticum m iiier; h bien; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (C ., Z.a) Echium italicum L. subsp. siculum (L acaita) Greu- ter et Burdet; (n) Echium plantagineum l . t scap; Med.; (C.) Heliotropium europaeum l . ; t scap; Euro -M ed.- Iran.-Tur.; (C.) Myosotis arvensis h ill; t scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Familia BRASSICACEAE Biscutella maritima Ten.; T scap; SW Med.; (Z.a) Brassica souliei (Batt.) Batt. subsp. amplexicaulis (Desf.) Greuter et Burdet; T scap; SW Med.; (reported by Pignatti [1 982] in Syracuse); (n) Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medicus; H bien; Cos mop.; (n) Coronopus didymus (L .) S m .; T rept; N at., N A ill er- ica; (C .) Diplot axis erucoides (L .) d c .; t scap; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (C., Z.a) Diplot axis tenuifolia (L .) d c .; h scap; Euro-M ed.; (C.) Erophila verna (L.) chevaii.; t scap; Paleotemp.; (n) Hirschfeldia incana (L.) l agreze-Fossat; H scap; M ed.; (n) Lobularia maritima (L .) Desv.; h scap; Med.; (c., Z .a) Matthiola incana (L.) r. b r. subsp. incana ch suffr; N W M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Sinapis alba L. subsp. alba ; T scap; A.; Nat., E M edit.; (C .) Sisymbrium officinale (L.) scop.; t scap; Euro- M ed .; (C .) Familia CACTACEAE Opuntia ficus -indica {h .) Mill.; P succ; Nat., Trop. A m eric a ; (C .) 96 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello Opuntia dillenii (Ker-Gawl.) Haw.; P succ; Nat., Tro p . Am eric a ; (n ) F am ilia CAMPANULACEAE Campanula erinus l.; t scap; m ed.; (C ., z.a) Trachelium caeruleum l .; c h suffr; w m edit.; (z .b) F am ilia C A P PA R ID A C E A E Capparis spinosah .■ Ch suffr; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (C .) Familia C A P R IF 0 L I A C E A E Fedia comucopiae (L.) Gaertner; T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Sixalis atropurpurea (L.) Greuter et Burdet subsp. maritima (L .) G re u ter e t Burdet; H b ien ; Med.; (C.). Valerianella eriocarpa d esv.; T scap; Med.-Atl.; (C.) Valerianella microcarpa Loisei.; t scap; Med.; (Z.a) Familia CARYOPHYLLACEAE Arenaria serpyllifolia l . s u b s p . leptoclados ( r e ic h e n b . ) Nyman; T scap; Paleotemp.; (C.) Cerastium glomeratum T h u ill. ; T scap; Circumbor.; (Z.a) Minuartia mediterranea (Ledeb.)K.Maiy;T scap; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Paronychia argentea Lam.; H caesp; Med.; (Z.a) Polycarpon tetraphyllum (L.) l .; T scap; Euro- M ed.; (C .) Sagina apetala Ard. subsp. apetala ; T scap; Pa- leotemp.; (C ., Z.a) Silene colorata Poiret; T scap ; M ed .; (Z .a) SHene gallica L. T scap; Euro -Med.; (n) Spergularia bocconei (Scheele) Graebner; T scap; Paleotemp.; (C.) Stellaria media (L.) v ill. subsp. media ; t rept; Cosmop.; ( C . ) Stellaria pallida (Dumort.) Pire; T scap; Euro- M ed .; (Z .b) Fam ilia CONVOLVULACEAE Calystegia sylvatica ( Kit.) Griseb.; H scand; M ed.- Iran.-Tur.; (C., Z.a) Convolvulus althaeoides L H scand; Med.; (C., Z .a) Convolvulus arvens is L .; G rhiz; Paleotemp.; (C ., Z .b) Convolvulus cantabrica L.; H scap; Euro -Med.; (Z.a) Familia CRASSULACEAE Sedum caeruleum L .; T scap ; S Med.; (Z .a) Sedum Stellatum L .; T scap ; M ed.; (n) Tillaea muscosa l .; t scap; Euro-M ed.; (n) Tillaea vaillantii w uid . ; t scap; Med.-Trop.; LR; (Z.a) Umbilicus rupestris (Salisb.)Dandy;G bulb; M ed.- Trop .; (n) Familia ELATINACEAE Elatine gussonei (Somm.) Brullo, Lanfranco, Pavone et Ronsisvalle; I rad; End. Sicily Maltese Islands; CR; (n, it had been reported by Nicotra (1890), to the Ear of Dionysius, as Elatine macropoda g u ss .) Familia EUPHORBIA CEAE Andrachne telephioides l.; ch suffr; m ed.-iran.- Tur.; LR; (C., Z.a) Chamaesyce canescens (L.) Prokh.; t rept; Euro- M ed.; (C .) Euphorbia exigua L. var. exigua ; T scap; Euro- M ed . (Z .a) Euphorbia helioscopia l .; T scap; Paleotemp.; (C., Z .a) Euphorbia humifusa w iiid .; n at., a sia; (C .) Euphorbia peplus l .; T scap ; C ircum bor.; (C ., Z.a) Euphorbia pinea L .; C h suffr; Med.; (C .) Euphorbia terracina l.; t scap; m ed .; (c ., z .a) M ercurial is annua L T scap; Paleotemp.; (C., Z.a) Ricinus communis L.; T scap; Nat., Trop. Africa.; (C ., Z .a) Familia FABACEAE Acacia saligna (Labill.) Wendl. fil.; P scap ; N at., A u stralia ; (n ) Anagyris foetida L.; P caesp; Med.; (n) Anthyllis vulneraria l. subsp. maura (G. Beck) Maire;H scap;W M ed.; (n) The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 97 Anthyllis vulneraria l. subsp. rubriflora (dc.) Arcangeli; H scap; Euro-Med.; (Z.a) Astragalus boeticus l.; t scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (Z.a) Astragalus epiglottis l ,;T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Astragalus hamosus L.; T scap; M ed.; (C .) Bituminaria bituminosa (L .) s tirton ; h scap; Med. Hippocrepis multisiliquosa l.; t scap; w Med. Lathy rus articulatus L.; T scap; Med.; (C„ Z.b) Lathyrus clymenum l .; t scap; m ed .; (c .) Lotus corniculatus L.; H scap; P aleotem p .; (C .) Lotus cytisoides L .; C h suffr; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Lotus edulis L .; T scap; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Lotus ornithopodioides L.;T scap; Med.; (C„ Z.a) Medicago italica (M iiier) Fiori subsp. tornata (L.) Emberger et M aire; T scap; W M ed.; (C.) Medicago littoralis Rohde ex Loisei. var. littoralis; T scap ; M ed .; (Z .a) Medicago lupulinah.-, T scap; P aleotem p.; (C ., Z.a) Medicago minima (L .) b artai.; t scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Medicago polymorpha l ,;T scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (C.) Medicago truncatula Gaertner; T scap; Med.-Atl.; (C.) Melilotus indicus (L .) a 11 . ; t scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (C.) Melilotus sulcatus D esf.; T scap ; M ed .; (C .) Ononis natrix l . subsp. ramosissima (Desf.) Batt.; H caesp ; M ed .; (Z .a) Ononis reclinata l .; t scap; Med.; (c.) Ononis viscosa l . subsp. breviflora (D c .) n y man; T scap; Med.; (C.) Robinia pseudoacacia L.; P caesp; Nat., N America; (Z.b) Tetragonolobus purpureus M oench; T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Trifolium campestre S c h rebel- ; T scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Trifolium nigrescens v i v . subsp. nigrescens ; t scap; M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Trifolium resupinatum L . ; T rept; Med.; (n) Trifolium scabrum L .; T l-ept; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Trifolium subterraneum v . subsp. subterraneum ; t rept; Euro-Med.; (n) Trifolium tomentosum L.; T rept; Med.; (C.) Tripodion tetraphyllum (L.) Fourr.; t scap; Med.; (C ., Z .a) Vachellia karroo (H ayne) Banfi et Galasso; P caesp; Nat., S Africa; (C. sub Acada karWO H ayne) Vicia hybrida l .; t scap ; Med.; (Z .a) Vida Sativa L . subsp. sativa ; T scap; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (C .) Familia FAGACEAE Quercus ileXL.- P scap; M ed.; (C .) Familia GERANIACEAE Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Her.; T scap; Pa- leotem p .; (C .) Erodium malacoides { L.) L'Her.; T scap; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Erodium mo schatum {L .) L'Her.; T scap; M ed.; (C ., Z .a) Geranium molle l. subsp. molle ; t scap; Pa- leotem p .; (C ., Z.a) Geranium rotundifolium L.; T scap; Euro-Med.; (C ., Z .a) Geranium robertianum l . subsp. robertianum ; t scap; Circumbor.; (Z.a) Familia LAM IACEAE Ajuga chamaepitys (L.) Schreber subsp. chamae- pytis ; T scap; Med.; (C., Z.a) Ajuga iva (L.) Schreber; Ch suffr; Med.; (C.) Ballota nigra l . subsp. uncinata (F io ri et b eg uino t) Patzak; H scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Calamintha nepeta (L.)Savisubsp. nepeta ; h scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Coridothymus capitatus { L.) Reichenb. fil.; Ch frut; Med.; (Z.a) Lamium amplexicaule L .■ T scap; Paleotemp.; (C.) Mentha pulegium l .; h scap; Euro-M ed.-Iran.-Tur; (n) Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. subsp. suaveolens ; h scap; Euro-Med.; (C.) Micromeria canescens (Guss.) b e nth am ; ch suffr; End. It. -sic .; (Z.a) Micromeria consentina (Ten.) N . Terrace.; Ch suffr; End. it. -sic.; reported by Zodda (1928), but probably confused with the next species and therefore it could be excluded from this florula Micromeria graeca (L.) Bentham subsp. tenuifolia (Ten.) Nyman; Ch suffr; End. It. -sic.; (n) Micromeria microphylla ( d u r v . ) Bentham; c h suffr; End. It. -sic.; LR; (Z.b) Micromeria nervosa (Desf.) Bentham Ch suffr; M ed .; (Z .a) 98 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello Origanum onites L.; Ch suffr; E Med.; VU; (C., Z .a) Prasium majus L C h frut; M ed.; (C Z .a) Salvia verbenaca l h scap ; m ed .-a ti.; (z .a) Sideritis romana l.; t scap; w m ed.; (c .) Teucrium capitatumh .; Ch suffr; Med.; (n) Teucrium flavumh. subsp. flavum: Ch frut; Med.; (C.) Teucrium fruticans L.;NP;W Med.; (C.,Z.a) F am ilia LAURACEAE Laurus nobilis L .; P caesp ; N at., M ed.-A tl.; (C .) F am ilia LIN ACEAE Linum bienne m ill. var. bienne ; h bien ; m ed.-A ti. ; (Z.a) Linum Strictum L.; T scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (n) F am ilia LYTHRACEAE Lythrum hyssopifolia l .; T scap; Paleotemp.; (n) Familia M ALVACEAE Abutilon theophrasti M edik. Tscap; Paleotemp.; (n) Malva nicaeensis a 11. ; t scap; Med.; (Z.a) Malva parviflora L.; T scap; M ed.; (C .) Malva sylvestris l .; h scap; Euro-M ed.; (C., Z.a) Fam ilia MORACEAE Ficus carica L .; P scap; N M ed .; (C .) Fam ilia NYC TA GIN ACEAE Mirabilis jalapa l.; g bulb; Nat., S A m eric a ; (C Z .b) Familia OLEACEAE Olca CUWpaca L. subsp. oleaster (Hoffmanns et Link) Negodi; P caesp; Med.; (C .) Familia OROBANCHACEAE Bellardia trixago (L .) a 11. ; t scap ; M ed .; (Z .a) Parentucellia viscosa (L.) caruei; t scap; M ed .- A tl.; (Z .a) Fam ilia OXAL ID ACEAE Oxalis corniculata l . ; h rept; Cos mop.; (C., Z.a) Oxalis pes-caprae L G bulb; Nat., S Africa; (C ., Z .a) Familia PAPAVERACEAE Fumaria bastardii b oreau; T scap ; M ed .-A tl.; (Z .a) Fumaria capreolata l .; t scap; Euro-M ed.; (C.) Fumaria flabellata g a span-.; t scap ; Med.; (Z .a) Fumaria muralis Sonder ex Koch; T scap; Euro- M ed.; (Z .a) Fumaria officinalis l. subsp. officinalis ; t scap; Paleotemp.; (Z.a) Papaver rhoeas L. subsp. rhoeas ; T scap; Pa- leotemp.; (C .) Papaver setigerum dc.;t scap; m ed.; (C .) Familia PHYTOLACCACEAE Phytolacca americana L .; G rhiz ; N at., N America; (n) Fam ilia PLAN TA GIN ACEAE Antirrhinum siculum Miller; Ch frut; End. It. -sic.; (C., Z.a) Callitriche truncata Guss. subsp. truncata-, i rad; M ed.-A tl.; V U ; (Z .a) Kickxia commutata (Bernh.) Fritsch subsp. com- mutata ; H rept; M ed.; (C .) Kickxia elatine{L.) Dumort. subsp. elatine t scap; Euro-M ed. (n) Linaria reflexa{h.) Desf.; T rept; C Med.; (C., Z.a) Plantago afra l. subsp. afra-, t scap; Med.; (c., Z .a) Plantago lagopus l .; T scap ; M ed .; (C ., Z .a) Veronica arvensis l .; t scap; Paleotemp.; (C., Z.a) Veronica cymbalaria Bodard; T scap; Med.; (C., Z .a) Veronica hederifolia l .; t scap; Paleotemp.; (Z.a) Veronica polita Fries; T scap; Circumbor.; (Z.a) Fam ilia PLUMBAG IN ACEAE Plumbago europaea L . ; Ch frut; Med. (n) Familia POLYGONACEAE Polygonum aviculare L T rept; Boreo-Trop.; (n) The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 99 Rumex buceplialophorus l. subsp. bucephalo- phorus-, T scap; M ed.; (Z .a) Rumex patientia L H scap; Nat., E Europe; (Z.a) Rumex pulcher l . subsp . pulcher, h scap; Med.- A tE; (C .) F am ilia PORTULACACEAE Portulaca oleracea l. subsp. oleracea ; t scap; B oreo-Trop.; (C.) F am ilia PRIMULACEAE Anagallis arvensis L . ; T rept; B oreo-Trop.; (C .) Anagallis foemina Miller; T rept; Boreo-Trop.; (Z.a) Samolus valerandi L.; H caesp; Boreo-Trop.; (C ., Z .a) F am ilia RANUNCULACEAE Anemone coronaria l.; g bulb; m ed.; (n > Clematis vitalba L.; P lian; Euro-M ed.; (Z.b) Nigella damascena l ,;T scap; Med.; ( n ) Ranuncuus bullatus L H ros; N Med.; (n) Ranunculus muricatus L.;T scap; Med.; n F am ilia RESEDACEAE Reseda alba L.; T scap; Med.; (C., Z.a) F am ilia RHAMNACEAE Rhamnus alaternus L.; P caesp; M ed.; (C ., Z.a) F am ilia ROSACEAE Pyrus spinosa Forssk.; P caesp; Med.; (Z.b) Rubus ulmifolius Schott; NP; Euro-M ed.; (C ., Z.a) Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach; NP; E Med.; LR; (n) Familia RUBIACEAE Asperula aristata l. m. subsp. scabra (Presi) Nym .; H scap; Euro-M ed.; (n) Crucianella angustifolia l .; t scap; Med.; (z.a) Galium murale (L.) All.; T scap; M ed.; (Z.a) Galium aparine L T scap; Paleotemp.; (C.) Galium verrucosum Huds. subsp. verrucosum ; t scap; Euro-M ed. Rubia peregrinaL P lian; Med. (n) Sherardia arvensis l .; t scap ; Euro-M ed .; (z .a) Valantia muralish.-, t scap; m ed.; (C., z.a) Fam ilia R U TA C E A E Ruta chalepensis L .; C h suffr; Med.; (Z.a) Familia S C R O P H U L A R I A C E A E Scrophularia peregrina l.;t scap; Med.; (c.) Verbascum sinuatum L .; H bien ; M ed .; (C .) Fam ilia SIMAROUBACEAE Ailanthus altissima (M iiier) Swingle; P scap; Nat., China; ( n ) Familia SOLANACEAE Hyoscyamus albus L .; T scap; M ed .; (C .) Mandragora autumnalis b ertoi.; h ros; Med.; (c.) Solanum nigrum L . subsp. nigrum ; T scap; Boreo- Trop.; (C .) Familia ULMACEAE Celtis australis L .; P scap; Med.; (Z.a) Fam ilia URTICACEAE Parietaria judaica L.; H scap; Euro-M ed. -Iran. - Tur; (C ., Z .a) Parietaria lusitanicah. subsp. lusitanica- t rept; M ed .; (C .) Urtica membranacea Poiret; t scap; m ed.; (C .) Familia VERBENACEAE Lantana Camara L.; P caesp; Nat., Trop. America; (C.) Verbena officinalis l .; h scap; Boreo-Trop.; (C.) Familia ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Tribulus terrestris l.; t rept; c o s m o p . ; ( C . ) ANGIOSPERMAE ( M o n o c o ty le d o n e s ) Fam ilia ARACEAE 100 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello Arisarum vulgare Targ.-To z z . , Cj rhiz , 1VI c cl . , ( C . , Z.a) Arumitalicum Miller; G rhiz; Med.-Atl.; (Z.a) F am ilia CYPERACEAE CcireX CUpvinC !(Sandorex H e u ffe 1) N e n d tw ic h ex A. Kern.; H caesp ; Euro-M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (n) Carex divisa Hudson; G rhiz; M ed.-Atl.; (Z.b) Cyperus aureus Ten. G rhiz; Med.-Trop.; (C .) Cyperus longus l. subsp. badius (Desf.) Asch. et G r. ; G rh iz ; Med.; (n ) Cyperus rotundas L G rhiz; Med.-Trop.; (C .) F am ilia 1RIDACEAE Gladiolus italicus Mill.; G bulb; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (n) Gynandriris sisyrinchium (L .) Pari.; g bulb; Med.; (Z.a) Gynandriris todaroana cif. et Giac.; g rhiz; End. sic .-sard ,-cors .; (Z.a); not found now Hermodactylus tuberosus (L.) Saiisb.; g rhiz; n M ed .; (n) Iris florentina L G rhiz; Nat., unknown origin ; (Z.b) Iris planifolia (Miller) Dur. et Sch.; G bulb; W M ed .; (Z .a) Romulea bulbocodium (L.) Sebast. et Mauri; G bulb; M ed.; (n) Familia JUNC ACEAE J UnCUS ambigUUS Guss.; T caesp; Cos mop.; (Z.a) not found now Juncus bufonius L .; T caesp; B oreo-Trop.; (n) J linCUS folioSUS Desf.; T scap; SO -Med.; (n) Juncus hybridus B rot.; T caesp; Euro-M ed.; (n) Fa m ilia ALLIACEAE Allium neapolitanum C yr.; G bulb; Med.; (Z.b) Allium roseum L.; G bulb; Med.; (C.) Allium obtusiflorum DC.;G bulb; End. Sicily (col- lected by Brullo in 1980, [Brullo etal. 1994] not found now) Nothoscordum gracile (Aiton) Stearn; G bulb.; N at., A m eric a ; (n ) Fam ilia AMARYLL ID ACEAE Narcissus serotinus L .; G bulb; Med.; (n) Fam ilia ASPARAGACEAE Asparagus acutifolius L.; NP; Med.; (C.) Asparagus albus L.;NP;W Med.;(n) Familia ASPHODELACEAE Asphodelus fistulosus L.; H bien; M ed.; (C ., Z.a) Asphodelus ramosus L . ; G rhiz; Med.; (C .) Familia HYACINTH ACEAE Bellevalia romana (L .) Sweet; G bulb; Med.; (Z.a) Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) speta; g bulb; M ed.; (C .) Melomphis arabica (L .) Raf.; G bulb; Med.; (n) Muscari parviflorumD esf.; G bulb; M ed.; LR; (C.) Ornithogalum gussonei Ten.; G bulb;E M ed.; (Z.a) PrOSperO autunmale (L .) Speta; G bulb; Med.; (n) Familia RUSC ACEAE Ruscus hypophyllumv Ch frut; SW Med.; (Z.a) Familia LEMNACEAE Lcmna minor L.; I nat; B oreo-Trop.; (n) Familia ORCHID ACEAE Ophrys sicula Tineo; G bulb; M ed.; (n) Orchis papilionacea l . v a r. grandiflora b o is s . ; G bulb; W Med.; (C .) Serapias linguav.-, g bulb; m ed.-Atl. (n) Fam ilia ARECACEAE Chamaerops humilis l.; p scap; w Med.; (C.) Washingtonia robusta H.wendi.; p scap; Nat.; M e s sic o (n ) Familia POACEAE Andropogon distachyos l .; h caesp; M ed.; (C., Z.a) Anisantha diandra (Roth) Tzvelev; T scap; Euro- M ed.; (C .) Anisantha fas ciculat a (C. Presl) Nevski; T scap; M ed .; (C .) The wild vascular flora of the archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse and surrounding areas (Sicily, Italy) 101 Anisantha madritensis (L.) Nevski; t s c a p : m ed.- A tl. (C Z .a) Anisantha rigida { Roth) Hyl.; T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Anisantha rubens (L.) Nevski; t scap; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (C.) Anisantha sterilis (L .) Nevski; t scap; Paleotem p.; (C.) Anthoxanthum gracile B i\.; T scap; S Med.; (Z.b) Avena barbata Potter; T scap; Cosmop.; (C., Z.a) Avena sterilis L.;T scap; Med.; (C.) Bromus alopecuros Poir.-, T scap; Med; (C .) Catapodium rigidum (L.) Hubbard subsp. rigidum, T scap; Euro-M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (C.) Cynodon dactylon ( L.) Pers.; G rhiz; Boreo-Trop.; (C ., Z .a) Cynosurus echinatus L .; T scap; M ed.; (Z.a) Dactylis hispanica Roth; H caesp; Med.; (Z.a) Dactyloctaenium aegyptium (L.) Richter; t rept; Nat., sub tro p . ; (n ) Dasypirum villosum (L.) Borbas; T scap; Med.- Iran.-Tur.; (Z.a) Digitaria sanguinalis { l.) scop, subsp. sanguinalis ; T scap; Boreo-Trop.; (C., Z.a) Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link; T scap; Boreo- Trop.; (Z.a) Echinochloa crus-galli (L .) Beauv.; T scap; Boreo- Trop.; (C., Z.a) Eragrostis minor Host; T scap; Circumbor.; (C .) Eragrostis pilosa (L .) p. b eauv.; Cosmop.; (n - new record for Hyblaean district) Hordeum leporinum Link; T scap; M ed.; (C ., Z.a) Hyparrhenia hirta (L .) Stapf; H caesp; M ed.-Trop.; (C., Z.a) Hyparrhenia sinaica (D elile) Llaurado; H caesp; M ed.-Trop.; (Z.a) Lagurus ovatus L. subsp. ovatus ; T scap; Med.; (Z.a) Lamarckia aurca (L.) M oench; T scap; M ed .-Iran .- Tur., (C ., Z .a) Lolium pcrcnne L .; H caesp; Circumbor.; (Z.a) Panicum repens L G rhiz; M ed.-Trop.; (C., Z.a) Phalaris minor Retz.; T scap; M ed.-Iran.-Tur.; (C .) Piptatherum miliaceum (L.) coss .. subsp. miliacea ; H caesp; Med. - A tl.; (C Z.a) Poa annua L.; T caesp; Cosmop.; (C.) Poa infirma H .B .K .; T caesp ; M ed .; (n) Poa bulbosa l . ; h caesp.; Paleotem p.; (n) Polypogon monspeliensis (L .) d esf.; t scap; M ed.- Trop.; (n) Polypogon maritimus wind.; t scap; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (n) Polypogon viridis (G o u a n ) B r e is tr. ; H caesp; Med.; (C ., Z.a) Setaria verticillata (L.) Beauv.; T scap; Boreo- Trop.; (C .) Sorghum halepense { L.) Pers.; G rhiz; M ed.-Trop.; (C.) Stipa Capensis Thumb.; T scap; M ed.; (C., Z.a) Trachynia distachya (L .) l ink ; t scap; M ed.-Iran.- Tur.; (C .) Trisetaria aurea (Ten.) Pign.; T scap; C M ed.; (Z.a) Vulpia myUWS (L.) G m elin ; T caesp; Boreo-Trop.; (C.) Fam ilia TYPHACEAE Typha angustifolia L .; G rhiz; C osm op.; (C .) HABITATS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND PROPOSAL FOR S.C.I. INSTITUTION Despite the vegetation features occurring in the archaeological site are not examined in this paper, since already treated by C orbetta et al. (2012) and M inissale & Sciandrello (2016), here it would point out that in the entire archaeological area of Neapolis, including the non -fenced area placed west of the Greek Theater, which extends to the cemetery in Syracuse, occupying the non urbanized part of “ C o lie Temenite”, there are habitats of Community in te rest deserving of protec ti on which could be safe- guarded, not only in an indirect way by the archae- ological restrictions, but also by the establishment of a Site of Community Importance ( S .C .1 .) . In this way good management practices could be intro- duced and it might be also a legal bulwark against new property speculation that, after the great urban expansions of the 60s and 70s of the last century, do not cease to surround and threaten these sites. In th e area the h ab itats of Annex I of th e European Directive 93/42 EEC, which justify the institution of a Site of Comm unity importance (S.C.I.), are the fo 1 1 o wing: 3170*: Mediterranean temporary ponds, corres- ponding to temporary pondsa characterized by am- phibious community of the Isoeto-Nanojuncetea class with Elatine gussonei and Tillaea vaillantii, 5420: Sarcopoterium spinosum phryg anas: in this habitat can be included scrubland with Ori- ganum OniteS which is associated with Corido- 102 Pietro Minissale & Saverio Sciandrello thymus capitatus and sometimes Sarcopoterium spinosum, 6220*: Mediterranean xeric grasslands ( TheVO - Br achy po dieted) ■. here including the grasslands dominated by Hyparrhenid hirtd, but also arid ephemeral grasslands, such as those dominated by Seduifl coeruleum that colonizes the rock with re- duced soil and the grasslands dominated by Stipa CapeUSlS which prefers a more thick soil. The rocky habitats, being of artificial origin, al- though older than 2000 years, still do not host the typical rocky flora, except Antirrhinum siculum , and therefore they can not be ascribed to the cat- egory as specified in Annex I. The presence in the study area of the endemic Elatine gUSSOnei is of great importance since it is among the few Italian plant species of Community interest included in Annex 11 of the Habitats Direct- ive, whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation. This is particularly true fo r th e h ab ita t of tem po rary pools w ith endemic species not always well protected by the Natura 2000 network as recently highlighted by Bagella et al. (20 13). CONCLUSIONS The plant cover, both natural and cultivated, of the archaeological park contributes to characterize the site and, as we have seen, it can provide points of interest for visitors, which go far beyond just ornamental value, landscaping or the possibility of having shade and cool in summer; but as evidenced by Minissale et al. (2016), it requires precise and regular management interventions. In particular the “positive” botanical emergencies found in the archaeological site and surrounding areas must be protected with great care; they represent an im port- ant natural heritage that enriches the value of the ar- chaeological site and in some cases they are the expression of human actions that occurred in an- tiquity; including quarry activities of stone blocks that have increased the presence of micro-sites with temporary pools suitable for the flora. On the other hand the problem of invasive alien species should not be underestimated; although very recently, it is likely to become a serious threat to the archaeolo- gical site as a whole; therefore, the control of invas- ive species must be continuous and prolonged in tim e . Good management of the “green” will facilitate access to areas, as most of the quarries, that before the works of 2013 were almost inaccessible. For these areas we highlight the opportunity to schedule some intervention to improve the ornamental green cover in order to differentiate it with a more Medi- terranean footprint. In this regard, many species of the Mediterranean maquis and garrigue could be used, for the delimitation of the hedges currently made with PittOSpOrum tobira (Thunb.) W.T.Aiton, species of East Asia imported in Europe in XIX century. In this case the use of myrtle ( MyrtUS COmmuniS L.), a Mediterranean species, present in Hyblean area, would be especially suitable for the atom a em anating from the foliage and the beautiful summer b 1 o o m . Besides, the creation of thematic paths within the Neapolis will be a valuable support to the use of the site including the purpose of inducing (at least some of the 500, 000 visitors per year who ac- cess it) to learn more about this exceptional cultural and naturalistic heritage. In any case a rigorous pro- tocol of sustainable use will have to be developed in order to avoid to damage or compromise the ex- istence of the reported floristic peculiarities. Finally, it is hoped that the scientific results briefly summarized in this article and in Minissale & Sciandrello (2016) can be interfaced with other skills to m ake them the subject of further scientific publications and dissemination editorial products useful to raise awareness to plant heritage respect, but also in order to plan a proper management of the archaeological site and the surrounding territory. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was carried out with the support of the Regional Forestry Company now called Re- gional Department of Rural and Territorial Devel- opment (D ip artim en to Regionale Sviluppo Rurale e Terri to riale - Assessor a to Regionale dell’Agricol- tura dello Sviluppo Rurale e della Pesca Mediter- ranea ) office of Syracuse, as part of an agreement fo r th e study and management of the flo ra of the Ar- chaeological Park of Syracuse promoted by the Su- perin te n d e n c e for the Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Syracuse (Soprintendenza per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali di Siracusa - Assessor ato Beni Culturali e dell’Identita Siciliana). 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Annu- ario del R . Liceo Scientifico “O . M . Corbino”, Siracusa (Anno scolastico 1927-28) 3: 81-91. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 105-112 Monograph Preliminary data on the occurrence of alien macroalgae in the vermetid reef along the coasts of Favignana Island (South- ern Tyrrhenian Sea) Paolo Balistreri* &Anna Maria Mannino Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Sezione di Botanica ed Ecologia vegetale, Universita di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: requin.blanc@hotmail.it; annamaria.mannino@unipa.it ’Corresponding author ABSTRACT Intertidal vermetid reefs are highly diverse systems that provide numerous habitats for animal and vegetal species, leading to an increase of intertidal biodiversity. These habitats, particu- larly vulnerable to environmental changes and human activities, are now experiencing high mortality in several areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Since alien macroalgae are nowadays considered one of the most serious threats to biodiversity and natural ecosystem functioning, we provide a first baseline assessment of the occurrence of alien species in the vermetid reef along the coasts of the Island of Favignana (Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area). Surveyes carried out in 2015 revealed the only presence of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder (Bryopsidales Caulerpaceae). The alga, exclusively recorded within the cuvettes, showed low values of abundance (class 1: cover <10%) except for San Giuseppe and Punta Longa localities where the values of abundance fell within the class 3 (cover <40% and >20%). No significant cor- relations were highlighted between the abundance values of C. cylindracea and those of the dominant macroalgae inhabiting the cuvettes. KEY WORDS Alien macroalgae; Favignana Island; southern Tyrrhenian Sea; vermetid reef. Received 20.04.2016; accepted 23.08.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most severely affected areas by biological invasions, a “sea under siege” (Galil, 2000; Boudouresque et al., 2005; Rilov & Galil, 2009). The number of alien marine species reported so far ranges from more than 600 to nearly 1 .000 (Zenetos et al., 2012; Galil & Goren, 2014). As far as marine macrophytes are concerned, a total of one hundred and thirty three species have been listed as possible aliens; of these, 23 belong to the Chlorophyta, 79 to the Rhodo- phyta, 30 to the Ochrophyta, and one is a seagrass species (Tracheophyta) (Verlaque et al., 2015). At present, 52 non-indigenous macroalgae are reported from the Italian coasts, 6 Chlorophyta, 9 Ochro- phyta, 36 Rhodophyta and 1 aquatic angiosperm (Sfriso & Marchini, 2014). Among them the invas- ive taxa belonging to the genus Caulerpa (Bryop- sidales Caulerpaceae), Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Sonder) Verlaque, Huisman et Boudour- esque, thereafter reinstated to its species rank as C. cylindracea Sonder (Belton et al., 2014), C. taxi- folia (Vahl) C. Agardh and C. taxifolia (Vahl) C. 106 Paolo Balistreri &Anna Maria Mannino Agardh var. distichophylla (Sonder) Verlaque, Huisman et Procaccini, recently recorded in Sicily (in 2007 as C. distichophylla in Meisnez et al., 2010; Jongma et al., 2013; Musco et al., 2014), have raised serious ecological and economic con- cern. Sicily and smaller surrounding Islands, located at the crossroads between the eastern and western sectors of the Mediterranean Sea and characterized by intense maritime traffic (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al., 2011; Coll et al., 2012; Katsanevakis et al., 2014), are particularly vulnerable and suitable to biological marine invasions (Bianchi, 2007; Oc- chipinti-Ambrogi et al., 2011; Katsanevakis et al., 2012; Pap ini et al., 2013; see also Figs. 2-5 in Kat- sanevakis et al., 2014) and then can be considered as important sources for secondary dispersal. Ver- metid reefs are bioconstructions built up by the gastropod mollusc Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) (Vermetidae) in association with some coralline algae such as Neogoniolithon brassica- florida (Harvey) Setchell et Mason. These biocon- structions play a fundamental structural role, as they protect coasts from erosion, regulate sediment transport and accumulation, serve as carbon sinks, make the habitat more complex and heterogeneous and provide numerous habitats for animal and ve- getal species thus increasing intertidal biodiversity (Pandolfo et al., 1992, 1996; Badalamenti et al., 1998). These biogenic constructions, enclosed in the SPA/BIO Protocol (Barcelona Convention) are now threatened by environmental changes and human activities (e.g. pollution, climate change, ocean acidification) thus experiencing high mortality in several areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Di Franco et al., 2011; Galil, 2013; Milazzo et al., 2014). Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), even though have a strong potential for habitat and biodiversity con- servation, seem to be not effective in protecting from the different threats and then from biological invasions, sometimes enhancing them (e.g. Byers, 2005; Klinger et al., 2006; Burfeind et al., 2013). Since the increase of knowledge is essential for the conservation and protection of this highly valuable and vulnerable habitat, with this study we provide a first baseline assessment of the distribution and abundance of alien macroalgae in the vermetid reefs present along the coasts of Favignana Island (Egadi Islands MPA). MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The study was carried out at Favignana Island (Egadi Islands MPA), located approximately five kilometers from the western coast of Sicily. The Is- land, part of the Aegadian Archipelago, represents an example of a lower Pleistocene bioclastic cal- carenite, characterized by a typic association known as foramol (Kil, 2010). More or less continuous ver- metid reefs are present along the coasts of Favig- nana, consistent with the true reefs described along the north-western Sicilian coasts (Antonioli et al., 1999; Chemello, 2009). Their distribution confirms the need of carbonatic substrates and of an abrasion platform for the formation of true reefs (Dieli et al., 2001). Recently, a preliminary description of the reefs present along the coasts of Favignana Island was provided (Balistreri et al., 2015; Table 1). Sampling and Data analysis Surveys were carried out in summer 2015 in ten areas, characterized by the presence of a vermetid reef (Fig. 1). Five areas were selected along the north- ern side: Faraglione, Pozzo, Arre Turinu, San Gi- useppe, San Nicola, and five along the southern side: Pattern 1 Outer Margin: wide, flattened and ir- regular. In the inner side, crevices were also present. Inner Margin: Dendropoma cristatum is absent. Cuvettes: not many, not deep and with a variable width. Pattern 2 Outer Margin: thin and not continuou- sly arranged. Inner Margin: Dendropoma cristatum is absent. Cuvettes: not many and not deep. Pattern 3 Outer Margin: it has a variable height and sometimes it is absent. Some crevi- ces can also be present together with regrowth areas. Inner Margin: Dendropoma cristatum is absent. Cuvettes: many and sometimes very deep. Table 1 . Local patterns of vermetid reef observed at Favignana Island (Balistreri et al., 2015). On the occurrence of alien macroalgae in the vermetid reef along the coasts ofFavignana Island (S-Tyrrhenian Sea) 107 Figure 1. Location of the study areas at Favignana Island. Figures 2-5. Cciulerpa cylindracea. Fig. 2: Habit (photo by Fabio Russo). Figs. 3, 4: Patches within cuvettes, the stolons of Caulerpa cylindracea are strictly intermingled with the thalli of other macroalgae (San Giuseppe). Fig. 5: A patch beneath the reef (San Giuseppe). 108 Paolo Balistreri &Anna Maria Mannino Grotta Perciata, Cala Rotonda, Stomello, Punta Longa, Cala Azzurra. These areas were surveyed in order to check the presence of alien macroalgae. Six of the studied areas (Faraglione, Pozzo, Arre Turinu, Grotta Perciata, Cala Rotonda, Stomello) were already checked for the presence of alien species in summer 2012 (Balistreri, 2011/2012). The mac- roalgal community inhabiting the reef was also ana- lysed in terms of abundance values of the dominant taxa. Abundance values of the alien taxa together with those of the dominant macroalgae were estimated, as substratum cover (%), by placing six replicated 400 cm 2 quadrats within the colonized surface, and five classes were considered: 1 (cover <10%), 2 (cover <20% and >10%), 3 (cover <40% and >20%), 4 (cover <60% and >40%) and 5 (cover >60%). RESULTS The surveys showed the only presence of C. cylindracea (Fig. 2), generally forming isolated patches within the cuvettes of the vermetid reef (Figs. 3, 4). Moreover, it has been observed that the stolons of C. cylindracea frequently grew strictly intermingled with the thalli of other macroalgae, leading to a complex web (Figs. 3,4). The alga was totally absent at Faraglione, Grotta Perciata, Pozzo and Stomello (Table 2). The abund- ance values of C. cylindracea were low and fell within the class 1 (cover <10%), with the exception of Punta Longa and San Giuseppe, where the abund- Study area Reef pattern 2012 2015 Faraglione 1 1 - Pozzo 1 1 - Arre Turino 3 - 1 Grotta Perciata 2 1 - Stomello 2 1 - Cala Rotonda 3 - 1 San Giuseppe 2 ms 3 San Nicola 1 ms 1 Cala Azzurra 2 ms 1 Punta Longa 2 ms 3 Table 2. Classes of abundance of Caulerpa cylindracea in 2012 and 2015 (ms = missing data, - = absent). ances fell within the class 3 (cover <40% and >20%) (Table 2). At San Giuseppe, patches of C. cyl- indracea were more or less continuously present up to 1 m depth (Fig. 5) whereas at Cala Azzurra only isolated thalli were present beneath the reef. The macroalgal community inhabiting the cuvettes was dominated by the following five taxa: Cystoseira amentacea (C. Agardh) Bory, Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau, Jania rubens (Linnaeus) J. V. Lamouroux, Laurencia obtusa (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux and Padina pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy. No significant correlations were highlighted between the abundance values of C. cylindracea and those of the dominant macroalgae (Table 3). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Caulerpa cylindracea , the only alien species we recorded, was exclusively present within the cu- vettes and generally showed a patchy distribution. Low abundance values were registered, with the exception of Punta Longa and San Giuseppe. Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint-Leon, observed in summer 2008 only at San Giuseppe within the cuvettes near the outer margin of the reef (Balistreri, 2009/2010; Fig. 6), was totally absent both in 2012 and 2015. The comparison with data obtained from sur- veys carried out in 2012 highlighted some differ- ences in the distribution of C. cylindracea. In particular, at Faraglione, Grotta Perciata, Pozzo and Stomello the alga, recorded in 2012, was totally absent in 2015 whereas at Arre Turino and Cala Rotonda it was absent in 2012 but was present in 2015 (Table 2). In both years low abundance values were registered. At the moment the presence of C. cylindracea doesn’t raise serious concern in the studied areas. However, as it is a highly successful species (Car- mthers et al., 1993; Ceccherelli et al., 2000; Cec- cherelli & Piazzi, 2001; Raniello et al., 2007; Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al., 2011; Felline et al., 2012; Gorbi et al., 2014) and MPAs seem to be not effective in protecting from the different threats and then from biological invasions, its spread and dis- tribution should be regularly monitored. Moreover, since this species takes advantage of ecosystem degradation (Occhipinti-Ambrogi & Savini, 2003), making fragmented or less structured habitats highly vulnerable to its invasion (Ruitton et al., On the occurrence of alien macroalgae in the vermetid reef along the coasts ofFavignana Island (S-Tyrrhenian Sea) 109 Taxa Classes of abundance Faraglione Poz/o Arre Turino Grotta Perciata Sto niello Cala Ro ton da San Giuseppe San Nicola Cala Azzurra Punta Longa R Junta ruhens ! 0 1 2 0 ! 4 2 2 0 R Laurencin o burnt i 1 1 l 1 0 0 2 1 0 O Cystoseira amentacea 4 4 3 4 4 4 2 0 3 3 O Halopteris scoparia 0 0 l 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 O Padina pavonka 0 1 3 1 0 0 I \ 0 0 C Caulerpa cylindracea 0 0 1 0 0 ! 3 1 1 3 Table 3. Classes of abundance of Caulerpa cylindracea and the dominant macroalgae in 2015 (R = Rhodophyta, O = Ochrophyta, C = Chlorophyta). Figure 6. Thalli of Asparagopsis taxiformis (San Giuseppe). 2005; Bulleri et al., 2010, 2011; Katsanevakis et al., 2010), effective management and conservation strategies have to be planned within the MPA. The vermetid reef is a highly vulnerable habitat, characterised by a delicate balance between two opposite processes, deposition and erosion, with the balance generally tilting toward deposition (Chemello & Silenzi, 2011), even though “the struc- ture can undergo a kind of ‘ suicide ’ leading to its destruction by catastrophic events ” (Antonioli et al., 1999; Chemello & Silenzi, 2011). Moreover, in- creases in sedimentation might enhance the invas- iveness of alien species such as C. cylindracea (Airoldi & Cinelli, 1997; Piazzi et al., 2007). Indeed, this alga is able to tolerate high sedimentation rates and its spread and competitive ability may be en- hanced by sediment deposition as consequence of its ability to trap sediments (Piazzi et al., 2005, 2007). As consequence of its active mechanism of stolonisation it forms compact multilayered mats to- gether with macroalgae, that traps sediment creating a relevant decrease of redox potential underneath (Piazzi et al., 1997, 2005, 2007; Klein & Verlaque, 2008; Mannino & Di Giovanni, 2011; Matijevic et al., 2013). This mat may negatively affect the benthic assemblages (in term of diversity and struc- ture), alters sediment conditions, causes drastic re- ductions in diversity of the infaunal compartment 110 Paolo Balistreri &Anna Maria Mannino (Antolic et al., 2008; Klein & Verlaque, 2008; Bal- dacconi & Corriero, 2009; Holmer et al., 2009; Zuljevic et al., 201 1) and directly affect reproduction of demersal species (Felline et al., 2012). Since areas located at the crossroads between the eastern and western sectors of the Mediter- ranean, like Sicily and the circum-Sicilian Islands, are more vulnerable to biological marine invasions, reg- ular monitoring programs, including public aware- ness campaigns (e.g. the project entitled “Progetto Caulerpa cylindracea - Egadi” sponsored by the Department of Biological Chemical and Pharma- ceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo and the Egadi Islands MPA and available at http://www.ampisoleegadi.it/progetto_caulerpa_ cylindracea_egadi.html), regular surveys and map- ping by scientists, are strongly needed to assess the spread dynamics of invasive species not only within the protected areas (i.e. MPAs and Natural Re- serves), but also in their surroundings in order to reduce continuous spillover effects (see also Otero et al., 2013). 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Invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea makes a strong impact on the Mediterranean sponge Sarcotra- gus spinosulus. Biological Invasions, 13: 2303-2308. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 113-118 Monograph Breeding of Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis C.L. Brehm, 1831 (Aves Podicipedidae) in the SCI and SPA ITA060002 “Lago di Pergusa” (Sicily, Italy) RosaTermine “Kore” University of Enna, Laboratory of Sanitary Environmental Engineering - Section of Biology, Cittadella U niversitaria - 941 00 Enna, Italy; e-mail: rosa. term ine@ unikore.it ABSTRACT On 2015 breeding season, we censused a high number of Podiceps Yligricollis C.L. Brehm, 1831 (Aves Podicipedidae), breeding in the SCI and SPA ITA060002 “Lago di Pergusa”, including the Nature Reserve “Lago di Pergusa”. After 1950 the breeding records of the P. nigricollis in Italy were of approximately twenty and relative to a few pairs. Since 2010, in the Lake Pergusa, the P. nigricollis has changed its status fro m “m igratory, o v erw in tering and irregular breeder” to “regular breeder”. In 2010, and more regularly in 2012-2015, there are in fact documented breeding attempts with relative offspring. This Lake has so far counted the largest number of breeding pairs for S icily and Italy. We point therefore to the importance of this protected natural area as a breeding site for the P. nigricollis. KEY WORDS Black-necked Grebe; nesting; Pergusa Lake; Podiceps nigricollis-, Sicily. Received 08.04.2016; accepted 21.06.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vend ic ari (Italy ) INTRODUCTION After 1950 the breeding records of the Podiceps nigricollis C.L. Brehm, 1831 (Aves Podicipedidae) in Italy were of approximately twenty and relative to a few pairs (B riche tti & Fracasso,2013;Verducci & Sighele, 2013). In Sicily (Fig. 1), this specie was considered resident and regularly breeding (Benoit, 1 840; Doderlein, 1 873 ). Later on, only two breeding attempts were recorded: in 1 957 in the Lake Per- gusa (20-25 pairs approximately) (Krampitz, 1 958) and in 1966 in Palermo province, in the Scanzano dam (1 pair) (Iapichino & M assa, 1989). For over thirty years on the Island there have been anecdotal sightings and irregular summer occurrence ( A A . V V., 2008). From 2000 to 2011 there were a few cases of breeding attempts: in 2000 and 2005 in Caltanis- setta province (Mascara, 2007); in 2004, in 2006 (Corso, 2005, 2007) and 2011 (Di Blasi, pers. comm. 2011) in Siracusa province. Since 2010, in the Lake Pergusa, the P. nigricol- tohas changed its status from “migratory, overwin- tering and irregular breeder” to “regular breeder”. There are in fact documented breeding attempts with relative offspring: - in 2010, with maximum observation of 16 adults at most and 13 chicks and juveniles together (Ientile et al., 2010; Termine et al., 2011); - in 2012, with maximum observation of 50 adults at most and 49 chicks and juveniles together (Termine & M assa, 2015); 114 RosaTermine - in 2013, with maximum observation of 128 adults and 112 chicks and juveniles together (Ter- mine & Massa, 2015). In 2011, between April and July, there are records of 8 individuals with nuptial plumage, however at the end of June their number was already reduced to 2 and, given the absence of observations of new born chicks, there are hypo- theses that those were summer residents (Termine & Massa, 2015). MATERIAL AND METHODS Main object of this study, the monitoring of P. nigricollis, was conducted from October 2013 to August2015 by observation sessions at least every 15 days with 10x42 binoculars and 255-50x80 tele- scope. We walked the whole lake perimeter with an electric boat to access sites not seen from the coast. In the warm season, observation sessions were conducted in early mornings and late afternoon, thus during activity peak for water birds. Observa- tion data were then inputted in a complete database. Study area The SCI and SPA ITA060002 “Lago di Pergusa” (EN) include the Nature Reserve “Lago di Pergusa” (402.5 hectares) created after the RegionalLaw No. 71 of 1995 and managed by the former Regional Province ofEnna, now “Libero Consorzio Com un- ale”. The Lake Pergusa is a closed basin, approxim- ately 140 hectares large and characterized by marked water level fluctuations influenced by both precipitations and summer evaporation that make their waters as brackish ones. For about twenty years the Lake water level de- creased gradually down to its almost complete dis- appearance in the summer 2002 following long drought periods and several anthropic actions star- ted in ‘30s with land reclamation works and con- tinuing throughout ‘60s and ‘70s with ground water draw from private and public wells. Since 2003 the Lake water level has been in- stead increasing, because both precipitation in- crease and well closing, so that in the last years the level is recorded beyond 4 metres versus 27 centimetres in 2002, when the water deficit and Figure 1. Breeding sites of PodicepS Yligricollis in Sicily (1957-2015). Breeding of Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (Aves Podicipedidae) in the “Lago di Pergusa” (Sicily, Italy) 115 Figure 2. Swimming adult with three chicks on its back in the “Lago di Pergusa”. Figure 3. Young grouped in large creche. the salty conditions were so marked that they res- ulted in an almost complete absence of its biotic com ponent. Controlled inflows of external water from the nearby Ancipa dam ofTroina (Enna) have also con- tributed to the recovery of the Lake. Between 2002 and 2004, indeed, the managing body conducted a test for the environmental recovery of the Lake: 804,420 cubic metres of water were put in between December 11, 2002 and May 7, 2003, and 750,010 cubic metres of water were put in between March 29 and May 3 1, 2004. Each inflow represents 1/6 of the total lake volume, today estimated as approx- imately 4,500,000 cubic metres. Despite its small size, the Lake hosts a rich avi- fauna; censuses recorded more than 170 species, in- cluding breeding, overwintering and migratory ones. Some of them are with a specific conservation status; among the breeders, 18 species are included in the European lists SPEC, among these 5 species are included in the Annex I, Dir. 2009/147/CE: TytO alba { Scopoii, 1 769), Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler 1814), Aythya nyvoca (G iildenstadt, 1770), Porphyrio porphyrio (Linnaeus, 1 75 8) and lx- obiychus minutus (Linnaeus, 1 766). Moreover, 5 species are included in the Italian Red List: OtUS scops (Linnaeus, 1758), Tyto alba , Aythya nyroca, Porphyrio porphyrio and Ixobrychus minutus (Ter- m ine et al., 2008 ). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION On the 18th Lebruary 2014, on 12 individuals, 6 were with nuptial plumage; 4 of them showed an intraspecific competition, whereas one individual with nuptial plumage and another with winter plumage appeared as a pair that was observed also on the following days; the breeding pairs were ob- served from May to October, with observation of maximum (Table 1, red font) 146 adults and 238 chicks and juveniles together. On 17th Lebruary 2015, on 25 individuals, 13 were with a nuptial plumage; 6 of them showed an intraspecific competition; the breeding pairs were observed from May to August, with observation of maximum (Table 1, red font) 261 adults and 304 chicks and juveniles together. According to the observations conducted in Per- gusa since 2010, the chicks are moved on the back, even two-three at once (Pig. 2) by both parents and they become independent at 2-3 week old although they keep staying with their parents; as the breeding season goes on, the pairs move close to each other, together with their offspring, until they form larger and larger groups. Then starting in mid-August the young are grouped in large creche (often only one), while some adults hang round the groups (Pig. 3) and other adults move to different directions getting sometimes far from the groups. Starting in mid-October young and adults 116 RosaTermine Date Singles Pairs Tot. Adults Pulli Juv. Total Pulli +Juv. I7.V.2014 65 1 67 1 1 1 5, VI. 2014 19 37 93 68 68 29. VI. 2014 21 39 99 27 53 80 13.VII.2014 12 65 142 1 13 83 196 03.VIII.2014 30 58 146 18 200 218 1 5. VII 1.2014 84 30 144 12 226 238 29.V1II.2014 139 139 22 5 225 29. IX. 2014 130 130 210 210 14.X. 2014 117 117 193 193 25. V. 2015 73 4 81 4 4 20.VL2015 135 58 251 1 85 185 30. VI. 2015 46 104 254 42 184 2 26 1 l .VII. 201 5 177 4 1 259 55 246 301 21.VII.201 5 45 108 261 40 264 304 02. VIII. 2015 172 38 248 15 283 298 15.VIII.2015 206 1 9 244 18 277 295 Table 1. Observations of PodicepS nigricollis daring 2014 and 2015 breeding seasons in the “Lago di Pergusa” (Sicily, Italy). Table 2. Maximum number of adults of PodicepS nigvicollis ob serv ed in the different months (2004-2015) in the “Lago di Pergusa” (Sicily, Italy). Breeding of Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (Aves Podicipedidae) in the “Lago di Pergusa” (Sicily, Italy) 117 cannot be distinguished as the adults turn into the w inter plumage. On the Lake, the number of individuals is markedly reduced starting in November; the occur- rence of P. nigricollis in w intering is m uch reduced : in the 2010-11 winter there were 2-4 observed in- dividuals, in the 2011-12 winter 3-8, in the 2012- 13 winter 4-5 (Termine & M assa, 2015); in the 2013-14 winter 8-12, and in the 2014-15 winter 12-25 (Table 2). During the breeding season, including the one in 2010, in the Lake there was a marked water vegetation cover forming floating mats, probably promoting the occurrence and breeding of this spe- cies. CONCLUSIONS We therefore emphasise the importance of this protected natural area as a breeding site for the Podiceps nigricollis. The restored ecological and conservation conditions of the Lake may have fa- voured an optimal context for this species settlement. This Lake has so far counted the largest number of breeding pairs for Sicily and Italy (Verducci & Sighele, 2013). Monitoring of avifauna is fundamental for un- derstanding the evolution of biotic elements of the ecosystems; in fact the avian populations change according to diverse and often fast paces, therefore the continuous monitoring is crucial for assessing the conservation status of protected natural areas, including the ones in Rete Natura 2000, given the significant effect of biotic and abiotic variables on the breeding success. In Italy the low number of nesting sites make this breeding population particularly vulnerable to environmental fluctuations and the action of other disturbance elements even at small scales (Gustin et al. 2010). Accordingly, in addition to population monitoring, it is necessary to at least continue to monitor the water quality so that to prevent poten- tial negative effects on the whole community. Given its rare status as a breeder species, the Black-necked Grebe is a species understudied in Italy (Gustin et al., 2010) so that sessions of band- ing and marking are strongly warranted. Finally, given the exceptional nature of breeding occurrence of the this species in Italy, investigating the winter movements of young with tracking devices would warrant future investigations as this event appears to become consistent across the years. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We thank the “Libero Consorzio Comunale” of Enna for supporting our research. A special thank goes to Bruno M assa for his precious suggestions. We also thank Daniela Campobello for English. REFERENCES A u tori Vari, 2008.Atlante della Biodiversita della Sicilia: Vertebrati terrestri. Studie Ricerche, 6,AR PA S icilia, P ale rm o , 5 3 6 p p . Benoit L., 1840. O rnitologia Siciliana. Stamperia G. F i- um ara, M essina. Brichetti P. & Fracasso G ., 2013. Ornitologia Italiana. Vol. 1. G aviidae-Falconidae. Edizione elettronica riveduta e aggiornata. Alberto Perdisa Ed., Bologna, 4 6 3 p p . Corso A., 2005. Avifauna di Sicilia. L’Epos Societa Editrice, Palermo, 324 pp. Corso A., 2007. In: Ruggieri L. & Sighele M. (red.), 2007. Annuario 2006. EBN Italia, Verona, 10. Di Blasi F., 2011. Personal communication. LIPU S aline di Priolo (Siracusa). Doderlein P., 1 873. Avifauna del Modenese e della Si- cilia. Giornale di Scienze N aturali ed Economiche, 5: 265-328. Gustin M., Brambilla M. & Celada C. (a cura di), 2010. Valutazione dello Stato di C o n serv azio n e dell’avi- fauna italiana. Volume I. Non-Passeriformes. Min- istero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli (LIPU), 842 pp. Iapichino C. & Massa B., 1989. The Birds of Sicily. Brit- ish O rnithologist’U nion, C heck-list, 11: 1-170. Ientile R., Termine R. & Siracusa A. M ., 2010. Nidi- ficazione di Svasso piccolo Podiceps nigricollis C.L. Brehrn, 1831 (Aves Podicipediform es) nella Riserva N aturale Speciale Lago di Pergusa (Enna). II N aturalista siciliano, 34: 543-544. Krampitz H.E., 1 95 8. Weiteres uber die Brutvogel Sizi- liens. Journal of Ornithology, 99: 39-58. Mascara R., 2007. L’avifauna degli invasi artificiali di Cimia, Comunelli e Disueri (C altanissetta, Sicilia). Aggiornamento 1993-2006. Uccelli d ‘Italia, 32: 9-20. Massa B. & Schenk H ., 1 983. Similarity tra le avifaune della Sicilia, Sardegna e Corsica. Lavori della Societa Italiana di B iogeografia, 8 ( 1980): 757-799. 118 Rosa Termine Term in e R., Canale E. D., Ientile R., Cuti N Di Grande C.S. & Massa B ., 2008. Vertebrati della Riserva N at- urale Speciale e S ito d’Importanza Comunitaria Lago di Pergusa. II Naturalista siciliano, 32: 1 0 5 — 186. Termine R., Ientile R. & Siracusa M.A., 2011. N idi- ficazione di Svasso piccolo nella Riserva N aturale Speciale del Lago di Pergusa. Biologi Italiani, 4 1, n° 2: 42-46. Termine R. & Massa B ., 2015. N idificazione di Svasso piccolo Podiceps nigricollis C. L. Brehm, 1831 al lago di Pergusa (Enna). In: Pedrini P., Rossi F., Bogliani G., Serra L. & Sustersic A. (a cur a di), 2015. XVII Convegno Italiano di Ornitologia: A tti del convegno di Trento. Ed. MUSE, Trento, 65-70. Verducci D. & Sighele M ., 2013. La nidificazione dello Svasso piccolo Podiceps nigricollis in Italia. Uccelli d ’ Italia, 3 8: 39-48. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 119-121 Monograph Mycterodus arpadi Dlabola, 1 977 (Hemiptera Issidae): a new record from Europe Ilia Gjonov Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology and Anthropology National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: gjonov@cicadina.com ABSTRACT Mycterodus arpadi Dlabola, 1977 (Hemiptera Issidae) is reported only from Asia Minor (Beikoz, Istanbul Province). In 2012, in the Bulgarian part of the Strandzha Mountain a few specimens of the species were collected and photographed. This is the first record of M. arpadi in Europe. KEY WORDS Bulgaria; fauna; Issidae; Mycterodus arpadi', new record. Received 21.03.2016; accepted 08.05.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The Issidae family described by Spinola in 1839, belongs to the order Hemiptera and includes numerous species. In the Western Palaearctic there is only one tribe, Issini Spinola, 1839 comprising 51 genera and more than 455 species (Gnezdilov, 2013). The genus Mycterodus Spinola, 1839 is one of the richest within the family. It is present in the Western Palaearctic with 40 species distributed in Central and Southeastern Europe, Eastern Mediter- ranean Basin, Anatolia, Caucasus, Middle Asia, and Iran (Gnezdilov et al., 2014). Mycterodus arpadi Dlabola, 1977 was described on the base of only one male specimen from Beikoz (the Anatolian part of Turkey). The specimen is de- posited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest) (Dlabola, 1977). There are no other pub- lished records except the holotype. Nevertheless, four specimens are included in the collection of the National Museum of N atural History in Paris (Mike Wilson, pers. comm.). In the Turkish literature the species is treated as endemic (Lodos & Kalkan- delen, 1981; Onder et al., 2011). The species is as- signed to the subgenus Mycterodus s. str. (Dlabola, 1995; Gnezdilov et al., 2014). Two other species of Mycterodus are reported from Bulgaria - M. cuniceps Melichar, 1906 and M. immaculatus Fabricius, 1794. According to Gnezdilov et al. (2014) the records concerning M. immaculatus need a revision. Gruev (1970) de- scribed another species - M. longivertex - but 3 years later the author referred to the species as a junior synonym of M cuniceps (Gruev, 1973). Mycterodus usually live on bushes and small trees. M. cuniceps is frequently collected on oaks. This is the first record of M. arpadi for Europe. MATERIAL AND METHODS Examined material. Bulgaria, Strandzha Mt., Popovi slcali, N 42.1630 E 27.7373, 52 m a.s.l., 1 male 2 females, 10.V.2012, m = 20/12, leg. I. Gjonov (Figs. 1,2). 120 Ilia Gjonov Figure 1 . Mycterodus arpadi lateral view. Figure 2. Mycterodus arpadi dorsal view. The material was collected by entomological sweeping net in May 2012 in the Bulgarian part of the Strandzha Mountain. The location is not far from the Black sea coast in a limestone area with bushy slopes, close to a small river. The specimens were collected on oaks. Photographs of the living specimens were taken by Olympus E-500 DSLR camera with Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM APO Macro lens with Raynox DCR-250 macro lens and ring flash. After photographing the samples were stored. The specimens were pre- served dry; thei were identified by examining ex- ternal morphology and by carrying out a detailed examination of genitalia following the original description (Dlabola, 1977). RESULTS Photos of the genital structures made under microscope were sent to Andras Orosz in HNHM, Budapest, and he compared them with the genital of the holotype and confirmed the species identi- fication. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Till now M. arpadi was known as an Anatolian endemic species. Considering the lack of previous data, M. arpadi could be regarded as a rare species. With this record the knowledge on the distribution of M. arpadi is expanded and new data about the composition of the family Issidae in Bulgaria are added. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to Andras Orosz, HNHM, Bud- apest, for confirming species identification and to Mike Wilson, National Museum Cardiff who kindly provided essential information. REFERENCES Dlabola J., 1977. Neue Zikaden-Taxone von Mycterodus, Erythria, Selenocephalus und Goldeus (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 23: 279-292. Dlabola J., 1995. Mycterodus verwandte Taxone und sieben neue Zikadenarten (Homoptera, Auchenor- rhyncha). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 44: 301-319. Gnezdilov V.M., 2013. [Modern Classification and the Distribution of the Family Issidae Spinola (Ho- moptera, Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea)]. Entomo- logicheskoe Obozrenie, 92: 2013. (in Russian with English summary) Gnezdilov V.M., Holzinger W.E. & Wilson M.R., 2014. The Western Palaearctic Issidae (Hemiptera, Ful- goroidea). An illustrated checklist with keys to genera and subgenera. Proceedings of the Zoological Insti- tute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 1 8 (Sup- plement 1): 121. Mycterodus arpadi Dlabola, 1977 (Hemiptera lssidae):a new record from Europe 121 Graev B., 1970. Mycterodus longivertex sp. n. aus Bulgarien (Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Issidae). Reichenbachia, 13: 1-3. Graev B., 1973. Uber zwei Arten der Familie Issidae in Bulgarien (Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha). Folia Entomologica Hungarica, 26: 71-74. Lodos N. & Kalkandelen A., 1981. Preliminary list of Auchenorrhyncha with notes on distribution and importance of species in Turkey IV. Family Issidae Spinola. Tiirkiye Bitki Korama Dergisi, 5: 5-21. Onder F., Tezcan S., Karsavuran Y. & Zeybekoglu U., 2011. Tiirkiye Cicadomorpha, Fulgoromorpha ve Stemorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera) Katalogu, Meta Basim, Bornova, Izmir, 168 pp. 122 Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 123-144 Monograph Review of the observations of aggregates of Steninae repor- ted since 1 856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) Giulio Cuccodoro Museum d’histoire naturelle, C. P. 6434, CH-1211 Geneve 6, Switzerland; e-mail: gulio.cuccodoro@ville-ge.ch ABSTRACT The nine aggregates of Steninae documented since 1856 are reviewed, completed with seventeen new reports. All the pictures available on the topic are presented. Considering the ubiquity and megadiversity of the subfamily, this total of 26 observations reported over the last 150 years appears strikingly low, clearly indicating that the phenomenon! is exceptional. These observations were all made in the Palaearctic and Oriental realms, and refer to both the extant genera of Steninae Dianous and Stenus. Six observations refer to Dianous species, all from China, mainly D. banghaasi and D. freyi. Of the twenty observations referring to Stenus ten were made in the Mediterranean area, mainly on S. cordatus, S. elegans and S. turk. This collection of observations seems a composite of several kinds of behavioural patterns, such as hibernation, aestivation, reproductive swarming, and possibly hilltopping, with some most likely intermixed. Aggregation in compact multilayer masses of individuals as well as occasional recurrence of Stenus aggretates at precise locations over days or year are probably controlled by pheromone signals. The reasons driving these slender, one centi- meter long rove beetles to occasionally swarm in compact masses of well over hundred thou- sand individuals remain nevertheless as enygmatic as how such a spectacular phenomenon! performed by members of the second most diverse genus of animals on earth can remain so rarely observed. KEY WORDS Ethology; aggregation; behaviour; reproduction; hilltopping; Mediterranean Region. Received 16.01.2017; accepted 04.03.2017; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION Steninae are very distinctive slender rove beetles with broad globular compound eyes. The subfamily is distributed virtually worlwide except Antarctica and New Zealand. It consists of some 2750 extant species grouped in the genera Dianous Leach, 1819 and Stenus Latreille, 1779, the latter being the second most diverse genus of animals with approx- imately 2550 species (Herman, 2001; Thayer, 2005; Cai et al., 2014). Feeding essentially on collembola Stenus possess a chameleon-like protrusive prey- capture mouth apparatus unique within insects, which is probably the key innovation responsible for the impressive radiation of the group (Betz, 1996, 1998). Partly because of the marked attrac- tion of their favoured preys for humid microhabitas, Steninae are mainly found in moist forest leaf litter, near swamps, along river banks or lake shores, but also walking on the foliage of tropical rainforests. In Europe their greatest diversity is to find in moist environments such as reeds, where some species forage on humus or plants debris near the ground, while others prefer to climb on plants, or are surface 124 Giulio Cuccodoro runners on bare ground (Betz, 1999a, 1999b). Although they usually possess fully functional wings, they all are very reluctant to flight, and move almost only walking or running. Hence another of their evolutionary traits appears to be a trend towards significant widening of tarsi, resulting in the apparently repeated emergence of water-gliding and swimming habilities (Betz, 2002). In 2005 I was casually confronted to another striking pecularity of Steninae unique within rove- beetles, which is their ability to occasionally con- gregate in very large numbers and form dense multilayer masses of individuals (Cuccodoro, 2007; Puthz, 2008). Submitting my few pictures and field notes to the Stenus specialist Volker Puthz, I was very suprized to learn that such an impressive phen- onenom was still documented in the literature with only a handfull of short notes since first reported some 150 years ago from France (Dufour & Perez, 1857). Here I review the nine observations of aggreg- ates of Steninae recorded hitherto in the litterature (Dufour & Perez, 1857; Rougemont, 1980; Abdul- Nour&Kallab, 1989; Lecoq, 1991, 1993; Cooter, 1997; Puthz, 2000; Zhao & Li, 2004; Cuccodoro, 2007), as well as sixteen additional observations reported to me by colleagues, or gathered over the internet. All the pictures available to me are presented, with some pertaining to previous records published here for the first time. The struc- ture of these observations as well as possible causes and adaptative interests of the phenomenon! are briefly discussed. Hopefully this will stimulate in- vestigations on this phenonomenom, which is def- initely as spectacular as it remains enygmatic. MATERIAL AND METHODS Most unpublished observations were forwarded to me by Volker Puthz, Schlitz. He obtained them mainly in feedback to his repeated call for informa- tions on the topic “Stenus -Ansammlungen im Mit- telmeerraum: wer hat solche Massenvorkommen von Stenus (Staphylinidae) aufeiner kleine Fldche (unter Stein, o. d.) beobachtet? Mitteilung Dr. V. Puthz (....)” [Stenus - aggregations in the Mediter- ranean area: who observed such mass occurences of Stenus (Staphylinidae) on a small surface (under stone, or similar) ? Contact Dr. V. Puthz] published in the rubric Von Kollege zu Kollege on the recto of the backcover of volumes 73 (1977) to 77 (1981) of the journal Entomologishe Blatter. Several un- published observations were also forwarded to me by the other specialists of Steninae Guillaume de Rougemont, London, and Liang Tang, Shanghai. The rest was addressed to me in feedback to my presentation on the topic at the “22nd International Meeting on Biology and Systematics of Staphylin- idae” in Stuttgart (Cuccodoro, 2007) and to my call for informations addressed in June 2011 to all the email list of the announcement of 26th edition of the same meeting, or gathered by myself over the internet. When still possible I also contacted the au- thors of previously published reports for additional informations. RESULTS The observations of aggregates of Steninae are listed below organized chronologically, and con- sequently numbered. 1) September 1856, Saint Sever ( France ) The first observation of an aggregate of Sten- inae was made near Saint Sever (Landes France) in the beginning of September by a local teacher named Perez (first name unknown). He brought back to Leon Dufour for identification a sample containing two thousands and several hundreds of individuals of Stenus rusticus Erichson, 1840 (= Stenus picipes Stephens, 1833), which were only a fraction of those forming the aggregate he wit- nessed. Curious to see the phenomenon! by himself L. Dufour went there some days later with M. Perez, and they could observe it again exactly at the same place. It was on leaves of a chestnut stump cut at level with the ground located on the edge of a small, dry ravine. The leaves were com- pletely blackened by the beetles piled one on each other. He estimated that they were more that twenty thousands individuals within an area of 50 cm in diameter. Dufour shalced the leaves and heard “like a rain of sand”, so he put his hand underneath, which was readily filled with thousands of Stenus. These were etherized, put into a glass vial and given to his friend Joseph Alexandre Laboulbene, with charge to present that sample together with a Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 125 report of the observation at the Entomological So- ciety of France in Paris. It was finally Leon Fair- maire, in the name of Laboulbene, who read the note of Dufour at the 22 October 1956 meeting of the Entomological Society of France (Dufour & Perez, 1857). Note. The note is referred to as “Stenus rusticus rencontre en immense quantite (note sur le), L. Dufour et Perez ” in the table of contents (alpha- betical by taxa) at page CLXIV of tome IV of the Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France (3rd series), in the section containing the reports the meetings of this society in the last trimester of 1856; as the last meeting reported was on 24 December 1 856, it is very unlikely that the volume was published before the end of that year, hence my quotation of the reference not following Lecoq (1993), who credited the publication of the note to Fairmaire in 1856. 2) 12 June 1972, Rosas (Spain) - Figs. 1, 2 The aggregate was observed by Alfred Elbert in montains West of Rosas (Catalogna, Spain). It oc- curred under a large stone, and consisted of several thousands individuals of Stenus sp. massed in a few multilayer masses (Figs. 1, 2). Reported to V. Puthz by A. Elbert in January 1973 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 3) 12 July 1972, Tchirtchik (Uzbekistan) The aggregate was observed by Josef Krai some 1,000-1,300 m above sea level in the Aktesch Valley near Tchirtchik in the western part of the Mts. Tienshan (Tschaktall ridge), some 50 km West of Taschkent (Uzbekistan). The Aktesh Valley is North oriented, and the place was located at base of a rocky cliff, quite humid with many stones and plants, probably occasionally flooded. Turning a 25x15 cm stone was found a 6x4 cm mass affixed to it and consisting exclusively of Stenus facing the edge of the stone, organized in several layers with their abdomens oriented regu- larly, resembling roots. Some individuals were collected using an aspirator, but as the others star- ted to quit the mass and run away, the stone was put in a sifter in order to catch them all. No par- ticular smell, taste, or any other inconvenience was experienced during the process. This sample totalized 1,217 specimens of Stenus turk Puthz, 1972 with a sex ration of 36 females for 64 males in a random sample of 100 individuals (det. L. Hromadka). Additional masses were found under some other stones, thought only those located at a few steps of the first one, as well as in a few shad- owed and wet places at base of the cliff. Reported to V. Puthz by J. Krai in August 1976 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 4) 29 September 1972, Kreta (Greece) The aggregate was observed by Hans Malicky in the Yeropotamos river valley near the bridge below Phaistos palace (Kreta, Greece). It occurred in the late afternoon of a sunny day in a place already at shade, and consisted of more than 10,000 individuals of Stenus picipes (det. V. Puthz) ag- gregated in compact clusters hanging on a few blades of grasses near the river shore, from far look- ing like bee swarms. There were no stones in the area. Reported to V. Puthz by H. Malicky in August 1977 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 5) 3 July 1977, Trimiklini (Cyprus) The aggregate was observed by Stanislav Vit near the village of Trimiklini on the island of Cyprus. It occurred in the late morging of a sunny day on the bank of a stream in a small ravine shad- owed by a gallery forest, and consisted of several thousands of Stenus turbulentus Bondroit, 1912 running around on only a few square meters along the steam shore, but he didn’t noticed any dense multilayer masses of individuals. Reported to me by S. Vit in June 2011. 6) January 1979, Kathmandu (Nepal) The aggregate was observed by Guillaume de Rougemont near the Dakshinkali Temple (Kath- mandu, Nepal). The aggregate was estimated to consist of over 50 individuals of Stenus immsi Bernhauer, 1915 massed closely under a loose boulder on the bank of a stream. Frost prevailed at night. Individuals remained inactive when dis- turbed, apparently in state of hibernation, in sharp contrast with the activity of other specimens collec- 126 Giulio Cuccodoro ted few months before in October in litter at roots of plants near a small torrent. Reported in Rouge- mont (1980). 7) 1981, Aures (Algeria) The aggregate was observed by Jean-Michel Maldes and Serge Doguet on Djebel Mamel (Aures, Algeria). It occurred in a deep and shad- owed crack of a big rock, and was estimated to consist of several thousands individuals of Stenus cordatus Gravenhorst, 1802. Nearby was also ob- served an aggregate of Chalcoidea. Reported in Lecoq (1993). 8) 31 August 1981, Corfu ( Greece ) The aggregate was observed by Gerhard Katschak along the Ropa river on the island of Corfu (Greece). It occurred at around noon on a quite humid and 26 °C warm sunny day. In the bed of the river, which is reduced to puddled at this time of the year, were several thousands individuals of Stenus sp. gathered on only a few square meters close to some puddles, most quite active walking around on the ground. Sampled specimens per- tained to six species: S. hospes Erichson 1840, S. indijferens Puthz, 1967, S. pallitarsis Stephens, 1833, S. planifrons Rey, 1884, S. similis (Herbst 1784), and S. sinuatus Cameron, 1930, with approx- imately 70% of them being S. pallitarsis and S. planifrons ; sex ratio balanced. Reported to V. Puthz by G. Katschak in September and October 1981 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 9) 27 May 1983, Tilos ( Greece ) The aggregate was observed by Dieter Liebegott near the cloister of Agios Panteleimon on the island of Tilos (Greece), nearby the aggregate of Apion reported by Liebegott (1983). It occurred on a sunny day at noon along a small creek, and con- sisted of several thousands individuals of Stenus sp. densely grouped under some stones on a few square meters. The beetles were motionless, and massed to a depth of 2-3 bodies in the middle each group. Reported to V. Puthz by D. Liebegott in June 1983 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 10) 27 June 1987: San Pietro Island (Italy) - Pigs. 3, 4 The aggregate was observed by Maurizio Mai and Roberto Poggi at an elevation of 140 meters above see level on the westen slope of the Monte Guardia dei Mori (Pig. 3). It occurred under decay- ing leaves in the stony bed of a dry stream. The ag- gregate consisted of about 700 individuals of Stenus sp. intermixed with approximately an equal number of Apion sp., all forming one dense aggregate cov- ering only few squares centimeters. Individuals were motionless, apparently inactive. About half of the individuals were sampled (Pig. 4), totalizing 358 Apion (s. str.) gracilicolle (Gyllenhal, 1839) and 375 Stenus ( Parastenus ) elegans Rosenhauer, 1856. Reported in Lecoq (1993); additional inform- ations and pictures sent to me by R. Poggi in July 2011. 11) June 1988, Cave Mgharet el Qlanssiye (Lebanon) - Figs. 5, 6 The aggregate was observed by Hani Abdul- Nour, Nayla Abdul-Nour, Malake Assouad, Fadi VBaroudi, Antoine Ghaouche, Oussama Kallab, and Paul Khawaja in the cave Mgharet el Qlanssiye located at base of a small cliff close to a small trib- utary of the ouedi Qozha'fa, only few kilometres away from Kfar Sghab (Lebanon). It occurred on the ceiling of the cave at some five meters from its entrance (Fig. 5). On an area of ten square meters were some fifteen dense, black masses of Stenus, each several centimeters thick, with some isolated individuals walking between, for an estimated total of more than 100,000 individuals. The mass on fig- ure 6 covered an area of about 200 cm 2 and was estimated to contain between 10,000 and 30,000 in- dividuals. Amazingly some spiders were affixed with silk threads above some groups of Stenus sp., motionless, becoming suddenly very aggressive when approaching the hand, as if defending their larder. Specimens sampled were Stenus cyaneus Baudi, 1848. Reported in Abdul-Nour & Kallab (1989); original colour dia of Fig. 6 and specimens sent to me by H. Abdul-Nour in October 2007. 12) July 1988, Pyrenees orientates (France) The aggregate was observed by Jean-Claude Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 127 Lecoq at some 1200 m above sea level close to the top of Pic Neoulou (Pyrenees orientales, France). It occurred under a 30x40 isolated stone lying on wet grass close to the tree line, and con- sisted of several thousands individuals densily grouped on an area large as two hands. Individals were nearly motionless. Specimens sampled were Stenus cordatus; sex ration balanced. According to his experience the species is not very common in the area, and individuals were kilometers away of their nearest favorite habitat. Reported in Lecoq (1991). 13) 1994, Sichuan (China) The aggregate was observed by Fa-Ke Zheng on the Emeishan in Sichuan (China), and consisted of several thousands Dianous freyi Benick, 1940 gathered in dense multilayer masses on and under a large boulder near a stream. Reported in Puthz ( 2000 ). 14) May 1996, Zhejiang (China) The aggregate was observed by John Cooter in the Long Wang Shan Nature Reserve (Zheji- ang, China), and consisted of several thousands Dianous freyi in a deep horizontal crevice under a huge boulder resting on bare rock on the bank of a stream. They were near motionless in the deep shade, forming a continuous mass 1-2 cm deep and 3-5 cm across, and extending for well over one meter. Nearby specimens of D. banghaasi Berhnauer, 1916 were active at the sun on the bare rock, while individuals of D. freyi would actively seek shelter in shallow crevice or under dead leaves when disturbed. Reported in Cooter (1997). 15) 2 June 1999, Sardegna (Italy) The aggregate was observed by Roberto Poggi at some 1000 meters above sea level nearby Genna Silana at Fonte Esilai (Sardegna, Italy). It occurred near a stream, and consisted of several hundreds in- dividuals of Stenus sp. very densely grouped to- gether. Specimens sampled pertained to two spe- cies: S. cordatus and S. elegans. Reported to me by R. Poggi in July 2011. 16) 16 August 2000, Guangdong (China) - Figs. 7, 8 The aggregate was observed by Graham T. Reels in the Chebaling Nature Reserve (Guang- dong, China). It occurred by a stream in subtropical forest, and consisted of several thousands Dianous sp. densely massed in four separate groups near the base of a single veiy large boulder (Fig. 7). All the beetles were motionless, and massed to a depth of 4-5 bodies in each group (Fig. 8). A sample from two of the masses made by scooping an open tube through the beetles included about 250 individuals of D. banghaasi , and a single individual of an un- described species. Reported to G. de Rougemont by G.T. Reels in September 2000 (G. de Rougemont pers. comm.). 17) May 2003, Zhejiang (China) The aggregate was observed by Liang Tang and Li-Zhen Li some 300 meters above see level on Mt.Tianmushan (Zhejiang, China). It occurred dur- ing a cloudy day on the boulders of a big steam, and consisted of several hundreds D. banghaasi and D. freyi densely grouped on each other on a few square centimeters close to the water surface. Reported with a picture in Zhao & Li (2004); additional in- formations reported to me by L. Tang in June 2011. 18) 25 July 2003, Guizhou (China) The aggregate was observed by Liang Tang at 700 meters above see level on Mt. Fanjingshan (Guizhou, China). It occurred during a sunny day on a boulder in a big steam, and consisted of about hundred Dianous sp. pertaining to two dis- tinct species with red elytral spots, individuals densely grouped on each other on a few square centimeters. Reported to me by L. Tang in June 2011. 19) 2004, Nanchong (China) The aggregate was observed by Fa-Ke Zheng in Nanchong (China). It occurred on a boulder close to a stream, and consisted of large numbers of D. banghaasi (not D. freyi, G. de Rougemont pers. comm.) on a very small area. Reported in Zhao & Li (2004). 128 Giulio Cuccodoro 20) 17 and 19 October 2005, Mt Barail (India) - Figs. 9-15 The aggregate was observed by Alessandro Marietta and me near the town of Haflong (North Cachar Hills) in the cloud forest located at the top of the 1 800 m high Mt. Barail (Assam, India) (Fig. 10). It occurred at the edge of the summital clear- ing (Fig. 9), and consisted of more than five thou- sands individuals densely concentrated at base of a small tree. We discovered the aggregate in the early after- noon of a rather cloudy day. Individuals were al- most everywhere up to 1.5 m high on the mossy stem (Fig. 11), as well scattered at a few centi- meters from each other almost everywhere over the surrounding couple of square meters of vegetation (Fig. 13, 14). Density of individuals was partic- ularly high underneath some recurved dead broadleaves and in shallow cavities of thin dead branches, where they formed compact multilayer masses (Fig. 12). Most individuals appeared mod- erately active, with many couples in copula (Fig. 14). Specimens sampled were all Stenus stigmatias Puthz, 2008; sex ration balanced. The aggregate was still going on when we left the place at 3.30 PM. The following morning we returned there and settled our camp for further investigations, but couldn’t find even a single Stenus, and rain started pooring on us from 3 PM until late in the night. The day after was sunny until clouds obscured the sun from late morning throughout the afternoon. At about 1 PM we suddenly noticed again some Stenus near the same particular tree. As if they were oosing out of its trunk and basal branches (Fig. 12), their number increased dramatically and within half an hour the aggregate had resumed with the same intensity as two days before. At around 4 PM, the attendants at the aggregate appeared to have significantly decreased in number, and they were all gone before sunset a 4h30 PM. I returned and camped there at the same period of the year during two weeks in 2006 and one week in 2008, but couldn’t see again even one individual of S. stigmatias. Reported in Cuccodoro (2007) and Puthz (2008). 21) September-Nov ember 2005-2009, Mon- te fiascone (Italy) - Figs. 15-19 The aggregate was observed by Anonymous in the village of Montefiascone, located on a small rocky hill two kilometers away from the eastern shore of lake Bolsena (Latium, Italy) (Fig. 15). It occurred inside a refurnished part of a very ancient house and its underground cellar (Fig. 16, 17), both adjoining to the thousand years old castel erected on top of that 620 m high local summit. Consisting of more than hundred thousands individuals, the phenomenon! lasted several weeks typically from late September to late November, and reoccurred annually at least from 2005 to 2008. It was so in- trusive that the owner of the house and his family moved out during that period of the year. Despite intensive efforts to seal every possible entrance into the house (mosquito nets at windows, joining around the door and windows frames, etc.) the owner never succeeded to prevent the Stenus sp. from coming, and then going out. He never saw them flying. Amazingly individuals tended to con- centrate in dark places (angles of the rooms, under the furnitures, etc., Fig. 18), but they were moving rather toward the windows while aggregated. Dur- ing these seasonal invasions individuals were seen mating (Fig. 19), and only very few dead specimens were left behind after leaving. The phenomenon! never occurred elsewhere in the neighborhood, and stopped after heavy sanitation works were carried out in and around the house in Spring 2009. Repor- ted on the WEB (Forum Entomologi Italiani) by Anonymous in March 2009; further informations reported to me by Anonymous in March 2009. 22) June 2009, Hainan Island (China) The aggregate was observed by Anonymous in Yingeling Nature Reserve (Hainan Island China). It occurred on leaf litter in forest near the mountain summit, and consisted of several thousands Stenus sp. pertaining to at least two species (one black with red spots and the other bluish black) intermixed on a very small area. Reported to me by L. Tang in June 2011. 23) 9 September 2010, Komirshi river (Kaza- khstan) - Figs. 20-23 The aggregate was observed by Vitaly Kats- cheev in the gorge of river Komirshi (Kyrgiz Al- atau, Kazakhstan, Fig. 20), and consisted of more than four hundred individuals of Stenus turk form- Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 129 ing a continuous congestion on a 20x30 cm plat- form under a willow bush close to a stream (Figs. 21-23). Only individual specimens were found ne- arby, with an average density of 18.7 individuals per square meter on the 10 square meters around this bush. Reported to V. Puthz by V. Katscheev in January 2011 (V. Puthz pers. comm.). 24) 13 May 2011, Mt. San Angelo (Italy) The aggregate was observed by Pavel Krasensky at an elevation of 8 1 5 m above sea level on the North slope of Mt. Saint Angelo (Apulia, Italy) during a sunny day with about 15 °C at shadow, and no wind. It occurred near the entrance of a small cave located -41°42’36.1”N 15°56’33.8”E - in a sheltered depres- sion in oak forest, and consisted of about 200 to 300 Stenus cordatus scattered on the grass on an area of about ten square meters completely at shade. The specimens quickly ran on the grass, and about half of them flown. After about 15 minutes of observation the specimens slowly disappeared. Reported to me by P. Krasensky in February 2016. 25) 22 November 2014, Virajpet (India) - Figs. 24-28 The aggregate was observed by Vipin Baliga and A.K. Karthik near Virajpet (Karnataka, India). It occurred in a sheltered depression on the vertical face of a huge boulder adjacent to a stream, and consisted of several thousands of Stenus sp. grouped in two dense masses (Figs. 24, 25). As they were taking pictures, they noticed that individuals were slowly dispersing, moving away from the groups (Figs. 26-28). After a few pictures they went ahead and while returning found them scattered over a greater area. Despite my efforts I couldn’t spot a couple in copula in the close up pictures of the aggregate (Figs. 26, 27). Reported on the WEB (India Biodiversity Portal) by V. Balinga in Decem- ber 2014; further informations reported to me by V. Balinga in February 2017. 26) 5 February 2015, Agumbe (India) - Figs. 29-33 The aggregate was observed by Lukas Pod- loucky at some 1 00 meters above see level near the Onake Abbi falls at Agumbe (Karnataka, India). It occurred at around 2 PM of a 30-35 °C hot sunny day on the stem of tree shaded by branches close to a stream (Fig. 29). Estimated to consist of more than hundred thousand individuals densily grouped in one multilayer mass it is by far the largest Stenus aggregate ever photographed (Figs. 30-33). The mass did not change shape, nor moved during the quarter of an hour it was surveyed. Only after small disturbation (blow, touch, ...) some individuals tried to escape from the shape of the mass, and some of the tree. Despite my efforts I couldn’t spot a couple in copula in the close up pictures of the aggregate (Figs. 32, 33). Reported on the WEB (Friends of Coleoptera Entomology department Facebook page) by J. Kadlec in December 2015; further informations reported to me by L. Podloucky in December 2015. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This collection is very heterogeneous, and at first glance quite puzzling. It seems in fact that this assemblage deals with different kinds of phe- nomena, with some of them probably even mixed up. So at this level of knowledge (rather of ignor- ance) it would be certainly very hazardous to draw any definitive interpretation to most of them. However some considerations can never- theless be made. First both the genera Dianous and Stenus are in- volved. And some species are more frequently cited, notably S. cordatus (reports 1, 12, 15 and 24), S. elegans (reports 10 and 15), and S. turk (re- ports 3 and 23), and D. banghaasi (reports 16, 17 and 19 ) and D.freyi (reports 13, 14, 17). More fre- quent aggretative behaviour in these taxa might re- flect either a higher sensibilty to drought of these two Dianous species inhabiting in subtropical cli- mate, or in the contrary a better adaptation pre- cisely to long periods of draught of these three Ste- nus species inhabiting in the Mediterranean cli- mate. However considering the megadiversity and ubiquity of the subfamily, in particular of the genus Stenus, and in the light of the repeated calls for observations on the topic made since 1977 it is quite astonishing that the new total of reports since 1856 is of twenty six only. Many staphylinists who 130 Giulio Cuccodoro spent years of their life in cumulate fieldwork throughout the world never had the chance to wit- ness a Stenus aggregate. And for the few lucky ones it mostly remained a once in a lifetime exper- ience to which they were unprepared, hence the scarcity of the pictures made. Fortunately the phe- nomenon! is truly so impressive that it stroke the attention even of non-specialists, to whom we owe the best and most impressive pictures available (Figs. 24-33). This indicates clearly that even if possibly common in some stenine taxa, aggreg- ative behaviour certainly remains very exceptional within the subfamily. Generaly speaking it is not so uncommun to find Steninae concentrated in high population density in some peculiar suitable biotopes. For example sometimes hundreds, or even thousands individuals of Stenus may inhabit mossy spots over rocky slope, and assemblages of several spe- cies of Dianous can also rather frequently be seen by dozens feeding at base of some particular boulders in streams. Nevertheless those specimens are always separated one from another with some distance, doing their own business apparently without communicating with each other. This could well be the case for the reports 5 and 8, the later consisting of a congregation of six different species of Stenus. Several observations seem also to refer to indi- viduals grouped together in a common attempt at minimizing negative abiotic factors, such as high or low temperature, or low humidity. These groups would hence be formed by individuals gathering together in most suitable microhabitats of their environment, like under stones (for humidity, and heat or cold), or in caves (for humidity and cold), with individuals remaining rather inactive, not necessarily engaged in elaborate interactions between each other, like mating. Such behaviour would be expected to occur rather on circadian and/or seasonal basis. For example all the reports pertaining to Dianous sp. were consistently made in subtropical climate with individuals grouped on boulders close to streams (reports 13, 14, 16-19; Figs. 7, 8); insects could seek there fresh and humid during the hottest hours of the day, but still remaining close enough to their normal habitat in order to be able to readily return there once the am- bient conditions will be back to their liking. As already noted by Rougemont (1980) it is also very likely that the small group of S. immsi he found in January in Nepal massed together and inactive were individuals hibernating during excessive cold (report 6). Same could apply to the aggregate ob- served in January in Khazakstan (report 23). Sim- ilarly most observations from the Mediterranean area (reports 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 24) and that from Uzbekistan (report 3; Figs. 20-23) might refer to populations of Stenus in state aestivation trying to escape excessive drought under stones, or in caves. Particularly impressing is that aggregate observed in Lebanon inside the “rove beetles cave” (report 11), where the masses of Stenus were “guarded” by spiders (Fig. 6). Considering the rather individualistic normal behaviour of these insects, it seems obvious that pheromone signals drive them to form such dense masses consisting of several layer of bodies tightly piled onto each other. However the reasons which would trigger those pheromones signals remain very obscure. The most seducing hypothesis is that aggregative behaviour would facilitate reproduc- tion, and hence those signals would be triggered on seasonal basis. This would be particularly tempting to explain when Stenus are surprized in compact clusters grouped above the ground on leaves of a tree (report 1), hanging on a few blades of grasses (report 4), or forming very compact masses in full view on a boulder (report 25; Figs. 24-28) or a tree (report 26; Figs. 29-33). However at least for these last two reports (25 and 26), which were those doc- umented with the best pictures ever of the phe- nomenon!, it seems that there were no specimens mating (see Figs. 26, 27, 32, 33). So far the only evidences of specimens in copula during or after an aggregation pertain to observations made in India (report 20; Fig. 14) and in Italy (report 21; Fig. 19). The two latter reports (20 and 21) together with report 1 are amazingly also the only three aggreg- ates having reoccurred at least two times at the same place: on a particular tree at several days of interval for reports 1 and 20, and inside a house and its cellar over several years for report 21. Recur- rence of an aggregate on a very precise location is also very hard to explain without the implication of lasting pheromone signals. Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 131 Figures 1, 2. Aggregate n° 2 (12. VI. 1972: Rosas, Spain, credit A. Elbert). Views of the stone with dense multilayer masses of Stenus sp. (black masses), and isolated individuals walking away. 132 Giulio Cuccodoro Figures 3, 4. Aggregate n° 7 (27.VI.1987: San Pietro Island, Italy, credit R. Poggi). View of the biotope and sample of the ag- gregate, with sifter and sheet covered with many individuals of Stenus (red arrow showing one) and Apian (blue arrow showing one) running out of the sifter and on the sheet. Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 133 Figures 5, 6. Aggregate n°l 1 (June 1988: Cave Mgharet el Qlanssiye, Lebanon, credit H. Abdul-Nour). Entrance of the cave and dense multilayer masses of Stenus cyaneus, the main one covering about 200 cm 2 , with their « gardian spider » (red arrows). I 134 Giulio Cuccodoro Figures 7, 8. Aggregate n°16 (16.VIII.2000, Guangdong, China, credit G.T. Reels). Fig. 7: boulder with several thousands Dia- nous banghaasi (dark areas) densely massed in four separate groups near the base. Fig. 8: close up of upper group with indi- viduals massed in 4 to 5 layer. Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 135 Figures 9, 10. Aggregate n° 20 (17 and 19.X.2005: Mt Barail, India, credit G. Cuccodoro). Fig. 9: view of the biotope (red arrow showing the location of the aggregate). Fig. 10: view of the western slope of Mt Barail (red arrow showing the lo- cation of the aggregate) from Haflong (North Cachar Hills, Assam). 136 Giulio Cuccodoro Figures 11, 12. Aggregate n° 20 (17 and 19.X.2005: Mt Barail, India, credit G. Cuccodoro). Fig. 11: mossy stem of the tree where the aggregate was observed twice at two day of interval thousands (red arrow showing the branch photographed in figure 12). Fig. 12: densely massed Stems stigmatias as if oosing out of a dead branche. Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 137 Figures 13, 14. Aggregate n° 20 ( 17 and 19.X.2005: Mt Barail, India, credit G. Cuccodoro). Figs. 13, 14: Stenus stigmatias over the vegetation near the tree of figure 1 1 (red arrows showing couples in copula ). 138 Giulio Cuccodoro Figures 15-19. Aggregate n° 21 (September-November 2005-2008, Montefiascone, Italy, credit Anonymous, WEB (Forum Entomologi Italiani) in March 2009). Fig. 15: view of the Lake Bolsena from the site of the aggregate. Fig. 16: view of the biotope, with cellar. Fig. 17: entrance of the cellar inside which part of the aggregate occurred repeatedly in Autumn over several years 17 (red arrows showing area with Stenus). Fig. 18: multilayer mass of Stenus sp. in the comer of a room inside the house. Fig. 19: Stenus sp. walking out of the cellar shown in figure 17 (red arrows showing couples in copula). Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 139 Figures 20-23. Aggregate n° 23 (15.XII.2010, Komirshi river, Kazakhstan, credit V. Katscheev). Fig. 20: view of the biotope. Figs. 21, 22: views of the microhabitat (red arrow showing the location of the aggregate). Fig. 23: sifter with hundreds Stenus turk running away. 140 Giulio Cuccodoro Figures 24-28. Aggregate n° 25 (22.XI.2014, Virajpet, India, credit V. Baliga). Figs. 24, 25: Views of the entire Stenus sp. aggregate. Figs. 26, 27: details of the aggregate (note the apparent absence of couples in copula). Fig. 28: close up of three Stenus sp. walking away of the aggregate. Review of the observations of aggregates ofSteninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 141 Figures 29-33. Aggregate n° 26 (5. 11.2015, Agumbe, India, credit L. Podloucky). Fig. 29: view of the biotope (red arrow showing the location of the aggregate). Fig. 30: view of the main part of the aggregate. Fig. 3 1 : close up of the central part of the aggregate. Figs. 32, 33: close ups of the lower part of the aggregate (note the apparent absence of couples in copula). 142 Giulio Cuccodoro Aggregate Year Country Climate Month Species involved Exposure Multilayer Stream Hilltop Matings Pictures 1 1856 France Cool temperate September SteMtonfatos in full view yes no 2 1972 Spain Mediterranean January 5fews sp. ihidded yes Figs-1,2 3 1972 Uzbekistan Wam continental July Stenuj hidden yes yes 4 1972 Greece Mediterranean September Sfem/spicipes in full view yes yes 5 1977 Cyprus Mediterranean July 5t™ sp. in full view no yes 6 1979 Nepal Subtropical February Stems imms/ hidden no yes 7 1981 Algeria Coldsemiarid Stems sp, hidden yes 8 1981 Greece Mediterranean August Stems (6sp,) in full view no yes 9 1983 Greece Mediterranean May Stems sp. hidden yes yes 10 1987 Italy Mediterranean June 5fe/?us e/egons + Apion sp, hidded yes yes Figs.3,4 11 1988 Lebanon Mediterranean June Stems cpei/s hidden yes yes Figs. 5, 6 12 1988 France Cool temperate July SfeMtoflfotos hidden yes no yes 13 1994 China Subtropical D/onous/rey/ in full view yes yes Pufo.2000 14 1996 China Subtropical May Djanous/reyi hidden yes yes 13 1999 Italy Mediterranean June 5fe/?use/egans + SfenustoJita in full view yes 16 2000 China Subtropical August Dimmsbongtoi sp. in full view yes yes Figs, 1 , 8 17 2003 China Subtropical May Dlomi/sboflgtar + D/orrous freyi in full view yes yes Zhao & Li, 2004 18 2003 China Subtropical July Dims sp(2sp,| exposed yes yes 19 2004 China Subtropical Dims bontai exposed yes yes 20 2005 India Subtropical October 5te/?i/s sf/gmofros in full view yes no yes yes Figs. 9-14 21 2005- 2008 Italy Mediterranean September- November Stenus sp. hidden yes no yes yes Figs, 15-19 22 2009 China Subtropical June Stems sp. (2sp.) in full view no yes 23 2010 Kazakhstan Warm continental December Stems turfc hidden yes yes Figs, 20-23 24 2011 Italy Mediterranean May Stems rorcta in full view no 25 2014 India Tropical November Stems sp, in full view yes yes no Figs, 24- 28 26 2015 India Tropical February Stems sp. in full view yes yes no Figs. 29-33 Table 1. Summary of the 26 observations of aggregates of Steninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae). Review of the observations of aggregates of Steninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) 143 Together with the reports 12 (from France) and 22 (from China) these same two reports (20 and 21) belong even more amazingly to the four aggregates of Stenus found near or at the top of a local summit, with specimens over one kilometer away from their usual habitat, corroborating the suggestion by Lecoq (1991) of a possible hilltopping effect on the phenomenom. Although Steninae can fly (see report 24), they are basically very lasy flyers and prefer walking. On the top of Mt. Barail I have not seen even one specimen flying to or away of the two consecutive aggregates I watched there for over 6 cummulated hours (report 20). But the key advant- age for their survival these one centimeter long rove beetles would find in walking at least half a kilo- meter away of their habitat up to the top of this 1800 m high summit is quite obscure to me. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My colleagues and friends V. Puthz (Schlitz, Germany), G. de Rougemont (London, United Kingdom) A. Ryvkin (Moscow, Russia) and L. Tang (Shanghai, China) helped me in various ways, notably by forwarding me all the published and un- published informations they had gathered on the topic over decades dedicated to the study of Sten- inae, and I warmly thank them again here. For providing precious informations and/or pictures used in this paper my thanks are also extended to H. Abdul-Nour (Jdeit-el-Matn, Lebanon), V. Baliga (Bangalore, India), A. Elbert (Monheim, Germany), G. Gridelli (Italy), J. Kadlec (Strakonice, Czech Republic), S. Karimbumkara (Bangalore, India), G. Katschak (Kleve, Germany), V. Katscheev (Russia), J. Krai (Prague, Czech Republic), P. Krasensky (Chomutov, Czech Republic), D. Liebegott (Frank- furt, Germany), H. Malicky (Lunz, Germany), A. V Marietta (Catania, Italy), L. Podloucky (Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic), R. Poggi (Genoa, Italy), G.T. Reels (Yuen Long, Hong Kong), and S. Vit (Geneva, Switzerland). REFERENCES Abdul-Nour H. & Kallab O., 1989. Mgharet el-Qlanssiye, la grotte aux staphylins. Liban souterrain, Bulletin du GERSL, 2: 58-59. Betz O., 1996. Function and evolution of the adhesion- capture apparatus of Stenus species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Zoomorphology, 116: 15-34. Betz O., 1998. Comparative studies on the predatory be- haviour of Stenus spp. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): the significance of its specialized labial apparatus. Journal of Zoology, London, 244: 527-544. Betz O., 1999a. Life forms and hunting behaviour of some Central European Stenus species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Applied Soil Ecology, 9 (1998): 69- 74. Betz O., 1999b. A behavioural inventory of adult Stenus species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Journal of Nat- ural History, 33: 1691-1712. Betz O., 2002. Performance and adaptive value of tarsal morphology in rove beetles of the genus Stenus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) Journal of Experimental Biology, 205: 1097-1113. Cai C., Clarke D.J., Huang D. & Nel A., 2014. A new genus and species of Steninae from the late Eocene of France (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Alcheringa, 38: 557-562. Cooter J., 1997. Field observations on Dianous ban- ghaasi Bemhauer and Dianous freyi L. Benick (Col., Staphylinidae) in China. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, 133: 178. Cuccodoro G., 2007. About Stenus aggregates on top of Mt Barail (India: Assam), pp. 5-6. In: Wolf- Schwendinger K. & Schawaller W. (Eds.), 22nd International Meeting on Biology and Systematics of Staphylinidae 2007: abstracts. Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Stuttgart, 19 pp. Dufour L. & Perez M., 1857 (1856). Note sur le Stenus rusticus rencontree en immense quantite. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France (3eme serie), 4: XCI. Herman L.H., 2001. Catalog of the Staphylinidae (In- secta: Coleoptera). 1758 to the end of the second mil- lennium, Parts I-VII. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 264, 1-4218 (in 7 vols). Lecoq J.-C., 1991. Observation d'un comportement rare chez un staphylin: le gregarisme (Col. Staphylinidae). L’Entomologiste, 47: 173-174. Lecoq J.-C., 1993. Gregarisme des staphylins: suite. (Col. Staphylinidae). L’Entomologiste, 49: 38. Liebegott D., 1983: Massenansammlungen von Riis- selkafern der Gattung Apion auf agaischen Inseln. Mitteilungen des Internationalen Entomologischen Vereins, Frankfurt am Main, 8: 54-56. Puthz V., 2000. The genus Dianous Leach in China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). 261. Contribution to the knowledge of Steninae. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 107: 419-559. Puthz V., 2008. Stenus Latreille und die segensreiche Himmelst-ochter (Coleoptera Staphylinidae). Linzer biologishe Beitrage, 40: 137-230. 144 Giulio Cuccodoro Rougemont G. de, 1980. Stenine beetles from Nepal (Col. Staphylinidae). Entomologica Basiliensa, 5: 170-186. Thayer M.K., 2005. Staphylinidae. In: Handbook of Zo- ology, Coleoptera Morphology and Systematics (Archostemata, Adephaga, Myxophaga, Polyphaga partim). Beutel R.G. & Leschen R.A.B. (Eds.), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 296-344. Zhao M.-J. & Li L.-Z., 2004. Colorful insect world. Shanghai Science Puji Publishing House, 203 pp. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 145-150 Monograph The alien leafhopper Balclutha brevis Lindberg, 1 954 (Hemi- ptera Cicadellidae) and its hostplant, the invasive Poaceae Pennisetum setaceum (Forsskal) Chiov.: a real risk in the scen- ario of Mediterranean land biodiversity? Vera D’Urso*, Oscar Lisi & Giorgio Sabella Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences - Section of Animal Biology, University of Catania, via Androne 81 - 95124 Catania, Italy ‘Corresponding author: dursove@unict.it ABSTRACT The possible effects on Mediterranean biodiversity of the alien leafhopper Balclutha brevis Lindberg, 1954 (Hemiptera Cicadellidae) and its alien hostplant, Pennisetum setaceum (Forsskal) Chiov., are discussed; Pennisetum setaceum is a perennial grass of Poaceae spread worldwide and recently colonizing very quickly also Mediterranean countries, it being an in- vasive species that colonises several environments and is able to modify ecosystems replacing the herbaceous indigenous vegetation. Balclutha brevis, described from the Canary Islands, has been reported in Sicily and Malta Islands. In Sicily, conspicuous populations of this spe- cies, with specimens of different generations living together during the whole year, are present. A Wolbachia Hertig, 1936 strain and the Trichogrammatidae Oligosita balcluthae Viggiani et Laudonia, 2015, parasitoid of eggs, affect B. brevis. The aggressiveness of P. setaceum and the speed of colonization of B. brevis could cause a banalization of the flora and also the fauna with modification of the entomocoenosis and possible transmission of disease to wild and cultivated plants. KEY WORDS Alien species; Balclutha brevis; Oligosita balcluthae; Pennisetum setaceum; Sicily; Wolbachia. Received 04.07.2016; accepted 14.11.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The alien species of leafhopper Balclutha brevis Lindberg, 1954 (Hemiptera Cicadellidae), living on the alien Crimson Fountain Grass Pennisetum seta- ceum (Forsskal) Chiov., has been recently reported in Sicily (Bella & D’Urso, 2012). The Crimson Fountain Grass is a perennial Po- aceae with a thermo-cosmopolitan distribution. The areas of origin of this species are North and East Africa, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula; from these areas the species has spread worldwide, recently also to Mediterranean countries: the Canary Islands, Southern France, Southern Spain, Balearic Islands, Southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. Recently reported also from Malta Island (D’Urso & Mifsud, 2012). Its spread is linked especially to its use as an ornamental, it having an attractive appearance, low nutritional requirements and res- istance to soil aridity, also in its cultivar “ rubruni ” (Figs. 1, 2). According to Pasta et al. (2010), P. setaceum was reported for the first time in Sicily by Bruno (1939) (sub P. ruppelii) in the Botanical garden of 146 Vera D’Urso et alii Palermo, where seeds imported from Abyssinia were planted in 1938. Pennisetum setaceum was found in natural en- vironment in about 1959 on the slopes of Mount Pellegrino (Pignatti & Wikus, 1963) and Catania (Borruso & Furnari, 1960) (sub P. villosum R. Brown). Currently, this species is in rapid expansion along the coastal areas and the main roads of Sicily (D’Amico & Gianguzzi, 2006; Giardina et al., 2007; Pasta et al., 2010) where there are suitable environmental conditions. Outside of its native areas, P. setaceum is an in- vasive species that colonises several environments and is able to modify and to alter ecosystems repla- cing the herbaceous indigenous vegetation (Pasta et al., 2010). It also increases the risk of fire since it is highly flammable (Rahlao et al., 2009), resists after fire and indeed its vegetation is stimulated by fire (Smith & Tunison, 1992; Brooks & Pyke, 2001). As widely documented, it has escaped from cultivation as ornamental many times (e.g. in the USA) (Poulin et al., 2005) and it is a major threat to native vegetation in many areas (also natural re- serves) such as in the Hawaii, where it is subjected to control and eradication methods (Castillo et al., 2007). Balclutha brevis is a leafhopper 3.20-3.80 mm long, yellowish-green (Fig. 3). The species of the genus Balclutha Kirkaldy, 1900 live on various grass species by feeding sap; the genus has a cos- mopolitan diffusion with about seventy described species (McKamey, 2010); in the Mediterranean area 1/3 of those species are present with at least 6 species reported also in Italy. Balclutha brevis, de- scribed from the Canary Islands by Lindberg (1954), was subsequently reported from Cape Verde Islands. Recently, the species has been reported from Sicily (Bella & D’Urso, 2012) and Malta Is- lands (D’Urso & Mifsud, 2012). The presence in Sicily of this alien species could be due to introduction via North Africa, where it is supposed to be present though not yet reported due to the lack of fieldwork. In Malta, the species was probably introduced together with P. setaceum, used as ornamental plant and now spreading rapidly (Mifsud, personal communication). According to Aguin Pombo et al. (2005), B. brevis is probably a native species from the Cape Verde Islands. In our opinion, this species is likely native from the same native range of P. setaceum (the wide area compris- ing North and East Africa, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula) and the leafhopper should be considered as an established alien outside that area. MATERIAL AND METHODS The present paper takes into consideration part of the results of an investigation conducted in the ter- ritory of the town of Catania (on which a specific, detailed paper on the life cycle of B. brevis is in pre- paration): during the years 2012-13 two sites, one in the town and one in a suburban area, were mon- itored about every twenty days. Ten ears of P. seta- ceum were collected every time and all arthropods found on them were identified and counted. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In Sicily, conspicuous populations of adults and immature stages (Fig. 4) of B. brevis develop ex- clusively on P. setaceum ears (also on the cultivar “ rubrum ”), both on spontaneous and ornamental plants. The eggs are laid in groups inside the glumes. The observed life cycle of B. brevis lasted about 17 days and several generations follow one another throughout the year, with specimens of different generations living together; actually, all stages (immature stages, adults and eggs) can be found together in every period of the year. When these insects are very numerous, the ears contain many microdrops of honeydew that blur the plants heavily (Fig. 5). In addition, the honeydew can attract other feeders especially Formicidae; as a matter of facts, the highest number of ants found corresponded well to the peaks of B. brevis popula- tion. The honeydew could attract also several spe- cies of Apoidea, especially Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758. In our land, honeydew honey is produced when there are large populations of aphids or whiteflies. Up to now, little is known about the fauna asso- ciated to P. setaceum', a report concerns a new aphid (Homoptera Aphididae) from Saudi Arabia and Er- itrea (Aldryhim & Ilharco, 1997). In Sicily, the arth- ropod fauna associated to the Crimson Fountain Grass is not very rich. Ants are the most numerous in specimens (represented by 6 species) followed by the Trichogrammatidae (although present with a The alien Balclutha brevis and its hostplant, the invasive Pennisetum setaceum: a risk for Mediterranean biodiversity? 147 Figures 1, 2. Pennisetum setaceum as ornamental green near Catania (Fig. 1) and a clump living on an house wall in the city (Fig. 2). Figures 3, 4. Balclutha brevis adult (3) and fifth stage (4). Scale bar = 1 mm single species); rare araneids, beetles and bugs but with more species (Table 1). The Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera Chal- cidoidea) include parasitoid of insect eggs; the spe- cies found, Oligosita balcluthae Viggiani et Laudo- nia, 2015 was identified into the eggs of B. brevis. Oligosita balcluthae belongs to the collina-group and is very similar to O. biscrensis Nowicki, 1935 known only for a female collected on palm orchad in Biskra (Northern Sahara, Algeria) (Bella et al., 2015). The above mentioned similarity could con- firm our hypothesis of the provenience in our land of B. brevis from North Africa. The presence of the parasitoid indicates that there is a natural population control of the leafhopper; besides, from this it can be inferred that B. brevis is well established in Si- cily for a time long enough to allow the consol- idation of the relationship between parasitoid and host. In addition, recently a Wolbachia Hertig, 1936 strain, belonging to the taxonomic supergroup B, in males and females specimens of B. brevis from Si- cily, has been detected by molecular screening study (PCR) with three Wolbachia specific genes (16S rRNA, ftsZ, wsp) (Pappalardo et al., 2016). Wolbachia is the most widespread intracellular a-proteobacteria maternally inherited endosym- biont of insects and nematodes. The well known ef- 148 Vera D’Urso et alii FORMICIDAE 6 species TRICFLOGRAMMATIDAE Oligosita balcluthae APHIDOIDEA at least 1 species THYSANOPTERA at least 1 species ACARINA at least 1 species ARANEIDA at least 3 species COLEOPTERA at least 3 species HETEROPTERA at least 2 species Table 1 . Taxa of arthropods collected on P. setaceum. Figure 5. Ear of Pennisetum setaceum with drops of honeydew. clutha to other insects and vice versa. Moreover, it is not inconceivable that the infection could be tran- smitted either by predation (some injury, e.g. by wasp) or more probably by parasitoids, which may function as a vector for Wolbachia bacteria and transfer it to other arthropods (Lis et al., 2015). To date, there is no evidence for a vector role of B. brevis and, moreover, the species has not been found jet by us on any other grass species except for P. setaceum. However, some species belonging to the genus Balclutha are vectors of plant diseases. Ac- cording to Han (2012), B. punctata (Fabricius, 1775) is able to transmit mulberry dwarf phytoplasma to mulberry; according to Morgan et al. (2013), B. rubrostriata (Melichar, 1903) is known to be a vector of the phytoplasma that causes sugarcane white leaf disease to sugarcane and according to Dakhil et al. (2011), almond witches’ - broom phytoplasma in Le- banon was also detected in Balclutha sp., therefore considered potential phytoplasma earner. In addition, in Mississippi, P. setaceum resulted positive to Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus and Sugar- cane Mosaic Virus. These viruses are transmitted by sap and by several species of aphids (Rosen- kranz, 1980). In conclusion, it cannot be excluded a priori a possible extension of the diet for B. brevis in new habitats colonized, or its possible role in the transmission of plant pathogens. fects of Wolbachia on reproduction of its hosts (e.g., cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, male killing, feminizing of genetic males and modifying fecundity) considered, it can be hypothesized that these bacteria have influenced biology, ecology, di- versification and speciation of their hosts (Lis et al., 2015). In spite of Wolbachia infections in both males and females of B. brevis, no morphostmctural alteration commonly related to the presence of the bacterium, has been noticed in all the examined spe- cimens (Pappalardo et al., 2016). It is known that host plants can mediate Wolba- chia infection in phytophagous insect populations. The natural horizontal transmission of Wolbachia can take place by consumption of infected or con- taminated food, e.g. plant sap and/or from para- sitoids, e.g. parasitoidal wasps. The Crimson Fountain Grass could have medi- ated Wolbachia transmission from infected Bal- IMPACT ON MEDITERRANEAN BIOD- IVERSITY As already emphasised by Pasta et al. (2010), P. setaceum is a strongly invasive species in rapid ex- pansion which threatens to supplant the natural and ruderal vegetation of many Sicilian environments; this can happen even in the southern European countries where it is an alien species (as it happened for example in parts of Hawaii). The result will be a banalization of the flora and also of the fauna. Ac- cording to Litt & Steidl (2010) while invasions by normative plants alter the structure and composition of native plant communities, those invasions can also alter the function of ecosystems for animals that depend on plants for food and habitat. Con- sequently to the spread of P. setaceum, the presence of B. brevis will rapidly increase as well. As already stated, though there is no evidence for a role of vector of B. brevis in the transmission The alien Balclutha brevis and its hostplant, the invasive Pennisetum setaceum: a risk for Mediterranean biodiversity? 149 Scenarios of Mediterranean biodiversity • Aggressiveness of Crimson Fountain Grass Modification of the natural and semi-natural biotic communities with replacement of the indigenous grasses with R setaceum. Banalization of flora and fauna Possible modification of entomocoenosis and possible diseases in wild and cultivated plants Possible transmission of plant pathogens and Wolbachia Large populations honeydew Speed of colonization of Balclutha Figure 6. Actions of Pennisetum setaceum and Balclutha brevis on the Mediterranean biodiversity. of plant pathogens, it cannot be excluded a poten- tial transmission of phytoplasmas and viruses if B. brevis moves to other host plants (to be monitored) and/or if other insects feed on the sap of P. setaceum. One has to consider also the effect of Wolbachia and its possible transmission, vertical and hori- zontal, to other taxa, (e.g. the sap feeders Ho- moptera and Heteroptera) and to parasitoid wasps. The result could be a modification of entomo- coenosis and the possibility of diseases on wild and cultivated plants: the latter hypothesis appears at the moment quite unrealistic. In addition, a positive action of the massive presence of B. brevis could be the possible produc- tion of honeydew honey (Fig. 6). CONCLUSIONS In the light of the discussed framework, with the linked risks, some recommendations are necessary: - B. brevis is probably more widespread than it appears; it is necessary to check in other Mediter- ranean areas with Crimson Fountain Grass and, in addition, to check if the leafhopper can live on other herbaceous plants, especially Graminaceae. - The knowledge about the biology of the para- sitoid O. balcluthae should be improved. - According to Pasta et al. (2010) the spread of Crimson Fountain Grass should be monitored and the plant should be kept under control by means of eradicating new populations to avoid an eco-cata- strophe in Sicilian coasts. In Hawaii, containment and eradication programs of this alien plant have been implemented; the same protocols should be followed also in the European countries. -The use and sale of Pennisetum as ornamental plant should be strongly discouraged, if not forbid- den. REFERENCES Aguin Pombo D., Oromi P. & Martin E., 2005. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 151-184 Monograph Study on flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses (Insecta Hemiptera) in moist areas considered restricted relics of the ancient LacusVelinus in the provinces of Terni and Rieti (Um- bria and Latium, Italy) Adalgisa Guglielmino 1 *, Enrico Scarici 1 , Alessandro De Santis 2 & Christoph Buckle 3 'Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy 2 Via Colli San Silvestro 5, 1-02010 Santa Rufina, Cittaducale (Rieti), Italy 3 Neckarhalde 48, D-72070 Tubingen, Germany ’Corresponding author, e-mail: guglielm@unitus.it ABSTRACT A research on vascular plants and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in moist areas of the provinces of Terni (Umbria) and Rieti (Latium) was conducted from 1999 to 2015. Prevalently four areas were studied: Lago di Piediluco, Lago di Ventina, Lago Lungo and Lago Ripasottile. 267 taxa of vascular plants are recorded on the whole. Species of particular interest are But- omus umbellatus, Carex acutiformis, C. elata, C. pseudocyperus, C. paniculata, Cladium mariscus, Epipactis pal us tr is, Frangula alnus, Glyceria maxima, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, Nuphar lutea, Oenanthe aquatica. Orchis incarnata. Ranunculus lingua, Rorippa amphibia, Rumex hydrolap athum, Scutellaria galericulata and Viburnum opulus, all included in the Regional Red Lists of Italian Plants of Umbria and Latium. 162 Auchenorrhyncha species were collected. Four species ( Cixius remotus, Kelisia punctulum, Anakelisia fas data and Megamelodes lequesnei) are recorded for the first time for Italy, five {Kelisia praecox, Struebingianella lugubrina, Chloriona smaragdula, Hishimonus cf. hamatus and Metalimnus formosus) are new records for the Apennine Peninsula (“S” in the checklist of the Italian fauna). For some species of special interest, their ecology, life cycle and distribution are dis- cussed. 60 taxa are strictly correlated with moist habitats. The investigated areas are of high relevance for nature conservation as they constitute small relics of the ancient Lacus Velinus, where several stenotopic Auchenorrhyncha species occur, associated particularly with moist vegetation. KEY WORDS flora; faunistics; ecology; phenology; biogeography; environmental conservation. Received 25.03.2016; accepted 08.06.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The Lacus Velinus originated in the Pleistocene and occupied a great part of the present basin of Rieti (Fig. 1). This lake formed due to the depos- ition of material of the river Velino which developed first a strong difference in level between the plains of Rieti and Temi, originally situated on the same level. Subsequently, the sediments formed a barrier of calcarean rock at the point of the confluence of 152 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii the Velino and the river Nera (Fig. 2). This barrier blocked the passage of the water of the former, and caused the flooding of the whole valley creating a lake named by the Romans Lacus Velinus. In the Roman period, the consul Manius Curius Dentatus proceeded to a first act of reclamation of the territory and realized in 271 BC a drainage canal, called “Cavus Curianus” which allowed the water of the Velino to merge with the river Nera. It cut the barrier of calcarean rock near the locality “Marmore” and created in this way the homonym- ous waterfall. During the following centuries, the drainage of the lake and the reclamation of land went on in order to avoid floodings and to increase the agricultural surface. This produced a gradual fragmentation of the original lake basin. Nowadays, some separate water basins only are left: the Lago di Piediluco in the province of Terni (Umbria) and the Lago di Ventina, Lago Ripasottile and Lago Lungo in the province of Rieti (Latium). MATERIAL AND METHODS In spring and summer 2015 a floristic analysis was conducted with the aim to record the vascular plants present in the studied area (only for the local- ity “Fiume Velino”, a detailed floristic study was not conducted). The field data, in some cases un- edited, were integrated, where possible, with those gathered from former studies regarding the same sites or adjacent areas (Sorgi & Fanelli, 1993; Venanzoni & Gigante, 2000). The floristic study concerned only marginally the hydrophytes (for a closer examination see Sorgi & Fanelli, 1993; Venanzoni & Gigante, 2000). The Auchenorrhyncha samplings were carried out in several years (1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2009- 2012, 2015), from April to November, at 1 1 localit- ies (some of them sampled more times). We applied two collection methods: a) by entomological net and aspirator, b) directly by sight of single speci- mens by means of the aspirator. The distribution of Auchenorrhyncha species in Italy is cited preval- ently from Servadei (1967) and completed by data published later in the following papers: Alma et al. (2009a, 2009b); Carl (2008); D’Urso (1995); Guglielmino & Buckle (2007, 2008); Guglielmino et al. (2005); Mazzoni (2005); Mazzoni et al. (2001); Vidano & Arzone (1987). The present study includes also data gathered by a degree thesis (De Santis, 2010) conducted in 2009-2010 which aimed to study the Auchenor- rhyncha populations of the Natural Reserve “Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile” from a faunistic point of view. Investigated areas (Fig. 3, Table 1) The Lago di Ventina (Figs. 4-7), part of the comunity of Colli sul Velino, is a small lake of about 10 ha, surrounded by a continuous band of helo- phytes. Its flora is well preserved and very various with ca. 400 recorded species, some of which of elevated scientific interest as Ranunculus lingua and Glyceria maxima , known in Latium only in this area (Sorgi & Fanelli, 1993; Anzalone et al., 2010). The lake is bordered by pasture areas crossed by numerous ditches and surrounded by different species of willows (e.g. Salix alba, S. cinerea, S. purpurea) and poplars ( Populus alba and P. canadensis ). Presently, the lake basin and the moist areas sur- rounding it constitute a Site of Community Interest (pSIC) “Lago di Ventina - cod. Natura 2000 - IT6020010” because of the preserved high floristic and faunistic biodiversity. - The Lago di Piediluco (Figs. 8, 9), including a Site of Community Interest (pSIC) (Lago di Piedi- luco - Monte Caperno - cod. Natura 2000 - IT5220018) and a Special Protection Zone (SPZ) (Lago di Piediluco - Monte Maro - cod. Natura 2000 - IT5220026), forms together with the “Parco fluviale del Nera” and the “Cascate delle Mar- more”, a part of the system of protected areas of the region of Umbria which preserves habitats of community interest. It is the largest of the residual basins of the ancient Lacus Velinus, has an irregular shape with a perimeter of about 13 km and is surrounded by wooded areas and mountains. The area stands out for the diversity of habitats and for an interesting and rich flora and fauna. - East of the Lago di Piediluco, near the locality Madonna della Luce (Figs. 10, 11), we studied a further habitat consisting of ditches, moist mead- ows, shrubs of Salix cinerea and adjacent fields and hedges. - Presently, the Lago Lungo (Figs. 12, 13) and Lago Ripasottile (Figs. 14, 15) constitute the “Riserva Naturale dei Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile”. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 153 It was established in 1985 due to its exceptional avi- faunistic and geographic value, and represents one of the few moist habitats in good conservation stage in Italy. On the base of the presence of many species of community interest in according to the Birds Dir- ective 79/409 EEC and of priority habitats in ac- cording to the Habitats Directive 92/43 EEC, a part of the plain of Rieti was designated as pSIC and SPZ with the code Natura 2000 - IT602001 1 “Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile”. - In addition, we studied two areas near Montisola, a little village belonging to the community of Con- sigliano (province of Rieti): one of them (on the eastern side of the village) with ruderal vegetation near a little pond (Fig. 16), the other one (northwest of the village) consisting of a moist meadow with Bolboschoenus maritimus and Carex hirta (Fig. 17). - Finally, we investigated one area on the river Velino, north of Pie di Moggio, in the province of Temi (Figs. 18, 19) with riparian vegetation ( Popu - lus alba, Salix alba, Petasites hybridus, Poaceae species). Lago di Ventina Rieti province; Lago Ventina, southern side; N42°30’27.1” E12°45’05.0”; 375 m 26/06/2010 (loc. 543) Rieti province; Lago Ventina, northwestern side; N42°30’38.5” E12°44’57.5”; 378 m 26/06/2010 (loc. 544), 18/07/2011 (loc. 601), 27/04/2012 (loc. 632), 06/06/2015 (loc. 747) Rieti province; Lago Ventina, southwestern side; N42°30’23.0” E12°44’50.5”; 375 m 26/06/2010 (loc. 545), 30/10/2010 (loc. 549), 25/11/2011 (loc. 618), 27/04/2012 (loc. 631), 11/08/2012 (loc. 685), 06/06/2015 (loc. 746), 13/09/2015 (loc. 758) Rieti province; Lago Ventina, eastern side; N42°30’31.6” E12°45’39.3”; 369 m 19/09/2015 (loc. 762) Lago di Piediluco Temi province; Lago di Piediluco, between 20/08/1999 (loc. 32), 22/08/2000 (loc. 87), Piediluco and Madonna della Luce, west of road 10/06/2005 (loc. 131, 132), 11/06/2005 SS 79, Km28.6;N42 0 3r36.8”E12 0 46’ 10.9”; 372m (loc. 133), 13/06/2015 (loc. 748) Madonna della Luce Rieti province; East of Lago di Piediluco, Madonna della Luce, SS 79 near fork Labro, Km 29.5; N42°3 1 ’15.0” E12°46’38.2”; 372 m 21/08/2000 (loc. 86), 11/06/2005 (loc. 134), 13/06/2015 (loc. 749), 13/09/2015 (loc. 759) Lago Lungo Rieti province; Lago Lungo, N42°28’53.3” E12°51 ’10.1”; 376 m 25/05/2009, 15/06/2009 (loc. 452), 22/07/2009 (loc. 454), 18/08/2009, 4/09/2009, 6/11/2010 (loc. 550) Rieti province; Lago Lungo; N42°28’57.7” E12°51 ’10.9”; 372 m 19/06/2015 (loc. 750), 13/09/2015 (loc. 760) Lago Ripasottile Rieti province; Lago Ripasottile; N42°28’50.0” E12°49’08.0”; 371 m 25/05/2009, 15/06/2009 (loc. 451), 22/07/2009 (loc. 455), 03/08/2009, 04/09/2009 Rieti province; Lago Ripasottile; N42°28’57.9” E12°49’08.3”; 370 m 19/06/2015 (loc. 751), 13/09/2015 (loc. 761) Montisola Rieti province; Montisola, pond southeast of the 03/08/2009, 18/07/2011 (loc. 600), 27/04/2012 village; N42°28’36.8” E12°47’48.9”; 377 m (loc. 630), 19/09/2015 (loc. 764) Rieti province; Montisola, meadow southwest of 18/07/2011 (loc. 602), 19/09/2015 (loc. 763) the village; N42°28’29.7” E12°47’27.5”; 388 m Fiume Velino Temi province; SS 79 between Marmore and Rieti, river Velino near Pie di Moggio, km 23.9; N42°30’50.3” E12°44’27.0”; 371 m 06/08/2006 (loc. 281) Table 1. List of collecting sites. In order to facilitate the comparison of data in our different papers on the Italian Auchenorrhyncha fauna we maintain the number system of collecting localities applied already in other publications. 154 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Figure 1 . Outline map of Central Italy (the arrow indicates the investigated area). Figure 2. The Nera-Velino river system. Figure 3. Investigated areas, a = Lago di Ventina; b = Lago di Piediluco; c = Madonna della Luce; d = Lago Lungo; e = Lago Ripasottile; f = Montisola; g = Fiume Velino. Figures 4, 5. Lago di Ventina. Figure 4. Area east of the lake with tall sedges, willows and poplars. Figure 5. Area on the northwestern side with Glyceria maxima, Phragmites australis and Schoenoplectus lacustris. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 155 Figures 6, 7. Lago di Ventina. Fig. 6: meadow on the southwestern side with Carex hirta and C. distans. Fig. 7. reed and tall sedges on the southwestern side. Figures 8, 9. Lago di Piediluco. Fig. 8: small path with different Cyperaceae and Poaceae species between willow trees. Fig. 9: undergrowth among young Populus canadensis trees. Figures 10, 11. Madonna della Luce. Fig. 10: moist meadow with Carex spp. and Juncus sp. along a ditch. Fig. 1 1 : moist meadow with tall sedges, in the background Sal Lx cinerea. 156 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Figures 12, 13. Lago Lungo. Fig. 12: path along a ditch with tall sedges, Glyceria sp. and other Poaceae. Fig. 13: mown meadow with Cyperus longus and Carex hirta, in the background Salix alba. Figures 14, 15. Lago Ripasottile. Fig 14: moist meadows, ditches with sedges, reed, J uncus sp. and willows. Fig. 15: moist meadows with sedges, reed, Cyperus longus ; in the background Salix alba and S. cinerea. Figures 16, 17. Montisola. Fig. 16: little pond east of the village with Schoenoplectus lacustris and Phalaris arundinacea. Fig. 17: moist meadow northwest of the village with Carex hirta and Bolboschoenus maritimus. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 157 Figures 18, 19. Fiume Velino. Willows on the riverbanks. Figure 20. Ranunculus lingua. Figure 21. Butomus umbellatus. Figure 22. Glyceria maxima. Figure 23. Carex riparia. Photos 4-19: Christoph Buckle, 20-23 Enrico Scarici. 158 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii RESULTS A ) Flora (Table 2) 267 taxa of vascular plants have been identified belonging to 252 species, 181 genera and 57 fam- ilies. The botanic nomenclature applied is the one proposed by Conti et al., 2005. The list of taxa is given in Table 2. The florula is characterized by a significant number of remarkable taxa, characteristic of well structured and preserved moist environments, nowadays everywhere rarer and rarer. Some taxa are of particular interest as they are included in the Regional Red Lists of Italian Plants of Umbria and Latium (Conti et al., 1997). This is the case with Carex acutiformis, C. elata, Epipactis palus- tris, Orchis incarnata, endangered units in Um- bria or with Ranunculus lingua (Fig. 20), Butomus umbellatus (Fig. 21), Glyceria maxima (Fig. 22), considered vulnerable in Latium. Oenanthe aquat- ica is a veiy rare species in Umbria and in Latium, and is considered in these regions endangered and at lower risk, respectively. Some species are also rare or very rare. They are in progressive rarefac- tion due to changes of the terrestrial particularly fragile humid environments. In this context may be mentioned, among others, the extremely rare species Ranunculus lingua and Glyceria maxima , present in Latium exclusively in the “Lacus Velinus” area, furthermore Carex pseudocyperus, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, Rorippa amphibia and Scutellaria galericulata, uncommon or rare species in Latium, in addition considered at lower risk (Anzalone et al., 2010). Frangula alnus is regarded as rare and vulnerable in Umbria (Or- somando et al., 1998). Flowever, there are numerous synanthropic species as well, infesting cultures or bound to pasture and to other human activities conducted in the investigated area or in immediately adjacent zones. In addition, we record 10 alien and invasive spe- cies with vast distribution: Ailanthus altissima, Amaranthus deflexus, A. retroflexus, Artemisia verlotiorum, Datura stramonium , Erigeron canaden- sis, E. sumatrensis, Robinia pseudoacacia. Sorghum halepense and Xanthium orientate subsp. italicum (Celesti-Grapow et al., 2010). B) Auchenorrhyncha (Table 3) 162 species of Auchenorrhyncha have been identified belonging to 101 genera and 10 families. 60 species have host plants strictly connected with humid conditions. The list of species is given in Table 3. Auchenorrhyncha fauna of the individual in- vestigated areas 1) Lago di Ventina (83 species; months: IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI) Auchenorrhyncha species of particular interest are Kelisia punctulum (on Carex acutiformis ? ), Anakelisia fasciata (quite abundant, probably on Carex riparia. Fig. 23), Megamelus notula (on tall sedges), Megamelodes lequesnei (on Carex sp.?), Delphacodes mulsanti (on Cyperaceae species: Eleocharisl , Cyperus?), Struebingianella lugubrina (a rich population on Glyceria maxima ), Stroggylo- cephalus agrestis (on Carex spp.), Zygina lunaris (on Salix sp.), Cicadula placida (very abundant, on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima [and other Poaceae species ?]), and Metalimnus formosus (on Carex spp.). Many of the species (36) found in this area are bound to humid sites. This group includes (in addi- tion to all the taxa mentioned above) Cixius wagneri (on Salix spp.?), Kelisia ribauti (on Carex spp.), Flastena fumipennis (on Cyperus longus ), and Cicadula quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), which all occur in high abundance, furthermore Kelisia guttula (on Carex flacca), K melanops (on Carex sp.), Stenocranus major (on Phalaris arundinacea), Conomelus lorifer dehneli (on Juncus spp.), Florodelphax leptosoma (on Juncus spp.), Javesella dubia (on Agrostis sp.?), Macropsis albae (on Salix alba), M. cerea (on Salix sp.), M. marginata (on Salix purpurea), Idiocerus stigmaticalis (on Salix alba), I. vicinus (on Salix cinerea), Tremulicerus dis- tinguendus (on Populus alba), Viridicerus ustulatus (on Populus alba), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Notus italicus (on Carex paniculata), Edwardsiana prunicola (on Salix sp.), Eupteryx thoulessi (on Mentha aquatica), Zygina lunaris (on Salix sp.), Z. nivea (on Populus alba), Balclutha nicolasi (on Cyperus longus), Cicadula lineatopunctata (on Carex spp.?), and Conosanus obsoletus (on Juncus spp.). Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 159 Other taxa are rather euryecous and are gener- ally found on meadows or ruderal places without specific characteristics. We mention here only some particularly abundant species as Laodelphax stri- atella, Toya propinqua, Philaenus spumarius, Megophthalmus scanicus, Anaceratagallia laevis, A. ribauti, Aphrodes bicincta, Eupteiyx atro- punctata, E. melissae, Zyginidia gr. ribauti, Bal- clutha punctata, Macrosteles sexnotatus, M. viridi- griseus, Deltocephalus pulicaris, Euscelis incisus, Psammotettix alienus, P. confinis, Jassargus bisub- ulatus, and Arthaldeus striifrons. 2) Lago di Piediluco (89 species; months: VI, VIII) Kelisia punctulum and Cicadula placida (on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima [and other Poaceae species?]), can be mentioned as particu- larly interesting Auchenorrhyncha species. There is a high number (31) of taxa with host plants correlated with moist or wet conditions. In addition to Kelisia punctulum and Cicadula placida, we mention Cixius wagneri (on Salix spp.?), Kelisia brucki (on Juncus spp.), K. guttula (on Carex flacca), K. melanops (on Carex sp.), K ribauti (on Carex spp.), Conomelus lorifer dehneli (on Juncus spp.), Delphax ribautianus (on Phrag- mites australis ), Florodelphax leptosoma (on Jun- cus spp.), Javesella dubia (on Agrostis sp.?), Flastena fumipennis (on Cyperus longus ), Aphro- phora pectoralis (on Salix spp.), Macropsis albae (on Salix alba), M. marginata (on Salix purpurea ), M. najas (on Salix alba), M. notata (on Salix triandral), M. vicina (on Populus alba), Idiocerus stigmaticalis (on Salix alba), L vicinus (on Salix purpurea), Metidiocerus rutilans (on Salix sp.), Vi- ridicerus ustulatus (on Populus alba), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Kybos rufescens (on Salix purpurea), Edwardsiana prunicola (on Salix spp.), E. salicicola (on Salix spp.), Balclutha nicolasi (on Cyperus longus), Macrosteles frontalis (on Equis- etum sp.), Cicadula quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), Conosanus obsoletus (on Juncus spp.), and Paralimnus phragmitis (on Phragmites australis). Out of the group of taxa of meadows or ruderal places without close connexion to wet sites we mention only the most abundant ones: Laodelphax striatella, Toya propinqua, Dictyophara europaea, Trypetimorpha occidentalis, Cercopis vulnerata, Philaenus spumarius, Stictocephala bisonia, Ana- ceratagallia laevis, Austroagallia sinuata, Alebra wahlbergi, Empoasca decipiens, Zyginidia gr. rib- auti, Macrosteles laevis, Allygidius abbreviatus, Psammotettix alienus, P. confinis, Jassargus bisub- ulatus, and Arthaldeus striifrons. 3) Madonna della Luce (65 species; months: VI, VIII, IX) Interesting Auchenorrhyncha species are Cixius remotus, Kelisia punctulum (a rich population, on tall Carex (C. acutifonnisl), Anakelisia fas data (on Carex riparia), Delphacodes mulsanti (a rich popu- lation, possibly on Eleocharis), Cicadula frontalis (on tall sedges, probably Carex riparia), and C. placida (on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria max- ima [and other Poaceae species?]). 20 taxa have host plants correlated with moist or wet conditions. In addition to the species already mentioned before except for C. remotus, we record Kelisia ribauti (on Carex spp.), Florodelphax leptosoma (on Juncus spp.), Flastena fumipennis (on Cyperus longus), Macropsis prasina (on Salix cinerea), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Asym- metrasca decedens (on Salix spp.), Edwardsiana prunicola (on Salix spp.), E. salicicola (on Salix spp.), Linnavuoriana sexmaculata (on Salix spp.), Balclutha nicolasi (on Cyperus longus), Mac- rosteles ossiannilssoni (on Carex spp.), M. sardus (on Epilobium hirsutum), Cicadula lineato- punctata (on Carex spp.?), C. quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), and Paralimnus phragmitis (on Phragmites australis). Among the other taxa we mention here only some particularly abundant species as Laodelphax striatella, Dicranotropis remaniaca, Toya propin- qua, Philaenus spumarius, Megophthalmus scani- cus, Anaceratagallia laevis, A. ribauti, Aphrodes bicincta, Zyginidia gr. ribauti, Euscelis incisus, Psammotettix alienus, P. confinis, and Arthaldeus striifrons. 4) Lago Lungo (61 species; months: V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, XI) In this area several particularly interesting taxa were found: Kelisia punctulum (on tall Carex spe- cies [C. acutiformisl ]), Anakelisia fasciata (on Carex riparia?), Chloriona smaragdula (on Phrag- mites australis), Megamelodes lequesnei (on Carex 160 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii sp., probably C. hirta ), Delphacodes mulsanti (on Eleocharis? , Cyperus sp.?), Rib auto delphax al- bostriata (on Poa pratensis ), Zygina lunaris (on Salix spp.), Z. cf. ordinaria (on Salix spp.), and Cicadula placida (on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima [and other Poaceae species?]). 26 species display an ecological restriction to moist areas. Besides the species mentioned above (with the exception of Rib auto delphax al- bostriata ), the following taxa belong to this group: Kelisia ribauti (on Carex spp.), Stenocranus major (on Phalaris arundinacea ), Conomelus lorifer dehneli (on tall Juncus species), Delphax sp. (on Phragmites australis ), Javesella dubia (on Agrostis sp.?), Flastena fumipennis (on Cyperus longus ), Macropsis albae (on Salix alba), Idiocerus vicinus (on Salix purpurea), Stroggylocephalus agrestis (on Carex spp.), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Asymmetrasca decedens (on Salix spp.), Edwardsiana prunicola (on Salix spp.), Lin- navuoriana sexmaculata (on Salix spp.), Eupteryx thoulessi (on Mentha aquatica), Balclutha nicolasi (on Cyperus longus), Cicadula quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), Conosanus obsoletus (on Juncus spp.), and Paralimnus phragmitis (on Phragmites australis). The most common taxa among the ecological generalists at this site are Laodelphax striatella, Toya propinqua, Eupteryx atropunctata, Zyginidia gr. ribauti, Macrosteles laevis, Maiestas schmidtgeni, Psammotettix alienus, P confinis, and Arthaldeus striifrons. 5) Lago Ripasottile (76 species; months: V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Species of particular interest are Kelisia praecox (on Carex sp.), K. punctulum (on tall sedges), Ana- kelisia fas data (on tall sedges), Megamelus notula (on tall sedges), Delphacodes mulsanti (on Eleocharis sp.?, Cyperus sp.?), Kybos virgator (on Salix alba), Zygina cf. ordinaria (on Salix spp.), and Cicadula placida (on Phalaris arundinacea [and other Poaceae species?]). Including the species mentioned above, 32 taxa are correlated with moist areas: Cixius wagneri, Kelisia ribauti (on Carex spp.), Stenocranus major (on Phalaris arundinacea), Chloriona unicolor (on Phragmites australis), Flastena fumipennis (on Cyperus longus), Macropsis albae (on Salix alba), M. cerea (on Salix spp.), Idiocerus stigmat- icalis (on Salix alba), I. vicinus (on Salix pur- purea), Populicerus albicans (on Populus alba), Viridicerus ustulatus (on Populus alba), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Kybos rufescens (on Salix purpurea), Asymmetrasca decedens (on Salix spp.), Edwardsiana prunicola (on Salix spp.), Lin- navuoriana sexmaculata (on Salix spp.), Eupteryx thoulessi (on Mentha aquatica), Zygina nivea (on Populus alba), Balclutha nicolasi (on Cyperus longus), Macrosteles frontalis (on Equisetum sp.), M. sardus (on Epilobium hirsutum), Cicadula lineatopunctata (on Carex sp. ?), C. quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), and Conosanus obsoletus (on Juncus spp.). Laodelphax striatella, Toya propinqua, Lepyro- nia coleoptrata, Philaenus spumarius, Sticto- cephala bisonia, Anaceratagallia laevis, Maiestas schmidtgeni, Psammotettix alienus, P. confinis and others are generally found on meadows or ruderal places. 6) Montisola (47 species; months: IV, VII, VIII, IX) 1 3 taxa found in this area are typical for humid sites: Kelisia guttula (on Carex flacca ), Kelisia ribauti (on Carex spp.), Stenocranus major (on Phalaris arundinacea), Delphacodes mulsanti (on Eleocharis sp.?, Cyperus sp.?), Javesella dubia (on Agrostis sp.?), Idiocerus stigmaticalis (on Salix alba), Cicadella viridis (on Carex spp.), Eupteryx thoulessi (on Mentha aquatica), Macrosteles frontalis (on Equisetum sp.), M. sardus (on Epi- lobium hirsutum), Cicadula placida (on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima [and other Poaceae species?]), C. quadrinotata (on Carex spp.), and Paramesus obtusifrons (on Bolboschoenus mari- timus). Most species in this area, however, are colon- izers of ruderal biotopes. The most abundant ones among them are Laodelphax striatella, Agalma- tium flavescens, Philaenus spumarius, Anacerata- gallia laevis, Emelyanoviana mollicula, Eupteryx melissae, E. rostrata, Zyginidia gr. ribauti, Ar- boridia parvula, Neoaliturus fenestratus, Mac- rosteles laevis, M. sexnotatus, Ally gidius jure atus, Euscelis incisus, Psammotettix alienus, and P. confinis. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 161 7) Fiume Velino (14 species; months: VIII) Aphrophora salicina (on Salix spp.), Macropsis albae (on Salix alba), M. vicina (on Populus alba), Viridicerus ustulatus (on Populus alba), and Zygina nivea (on Populus alba) are generally found on the arboreal riverside flora. Eupteryx petasitidis (on Petasites hybridus) is often found on its host plant along rivers as well. Dicranotropis remaniaca, Anaceratagallia laevis and Eupteryx curtisii occur in more or less shadowy and not too dry meadows. C) Phenology (Table 4) Auchenorrhyncha hibernate in the egg, nymph or adult stage. The last condition is rather rare. It is recorded for Central Europe among others for the genera Asiraca Latreille, 1796, Stenocranus Fieber 1866 and Delphacodes Fieber 1866 in Delphacidae, for Tettigometridae, for some Agalliinae and Idiocer- inae, the genera Empoasca Walsh, 1862, Zygina Fieber, 1866 and Arboridia Zakhvatlcin, 1946 in Typhlocybinae, and for the genera Balclutha and Mocydiopsis Ribaut 1939 in Deltocephalinae. Taxa that hibernate in the adult stage should be present both in advanced autumn and in spring. The data that we can gather from our present research are from 6th and 25th of November and from 27th of April, respectively. Thus, there is a gap of about five months without samplings. Of course, the insects have a reduced metabolism under winter conditions or even pass this period in some type of quiescence. In comparison to Central Europe or to mountain areas, however, this period is to be expected rather short in southern Europe and at low altitude (< 400 m). In these areas, indeed, December, March and April may offer mild weather rather than snow and frost. This implies on the one side that the late sum- mer generation of egg overwinterers may extend until late autumn, and on the other side that nymph overwinterers reach the adult stage already in spring or early summer. If we study the results of the seasonal distribu- tion in our research, we find seven taxa that were collected both in late autumn and in spring: Kelisia ribauti, Anakelisia fasciata, Stenocranus major, Emelyanoviana mollicula, Psammotettix alienus, and Psammotettix confinis. For Kelisia ribauti and Anakelisia fas data, adult overwintering is possible, but perhaps only as females. For both species only females were observed in spring with a much re- duced abundance. The Psammotettix taxa, however, occur also in late April in rich populations including male specimens. Adult hibernation is therefore probable, in contrast to the conditions in Central Europe, where these taxa overwinter apparently in the egg stage. For Stenocranus major adult over- wintering is probable, as the species of this genus generally hibernate in the adult stage. For Cicadula quadrinotata and Emelyanoviana mollicula we suppose equally adult overwintering. The Cicadula specimens (males and females) in November have apparently grown under short day conditions (strong melanism), thus they are no old summer specimens, and both sexes were found in April as well. As to Emelyanoviana, we found in Sardinia populations with both males and females already at the beginning of April. Other adult overwinterers are surely among the taxa that were collected in November only, so for example the Agalliinae. Also some Eupteryx taxa ( E . rostrata, E. zelleri) possibly hibernate in the adult stage. Particular is the case of Megamelodes lequesnei. This species was found exclusively in November (brachypterous males and females). Thus, this taxon has in central Italy apparently a different phenology (hibernation as adults) in respect of the central European populations (egg hibernation with two generations), in addition to a different host plant (see below). Hibernation in the nymph stage is often ob- served among the Auchenorrhyncha, above all in Cixiidae, many Delphacidae, in Cercopidae and a few Deltocephalinae. Nymph overwinterers in our material are above all the taxa found in spring and early summer. Many species collected already in April ( Eury - bregma nigrolineata, Laodelphax striatella, Di- cranotropis remaniaca, Struebingianella lugubrina, Xanthodelphax straminea, Javesella dubia, Rib- autodelphax imitans, Flastena fumipennis, Cer- copis sanguinolenta) belong to this group, in addi- tion to many taxa collected in June. The third group comprises the egg overwinter- ers. Aphrophoridae, Macropsinae, Aphrodinae, Cicadellinae and most genera of Typhlocybinae and Deltocephalinae belong to this group. They occur generally from June to autumn. Most cicadellids in our material belong to this group. 162 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Acer campestre L. + + Achillea millefolium L. s.l. + + + Agrimonia eupatoria L. subsp. eupatoria + + Agrostis stolonifera L. + + + + Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle + Alisma plantago-aquatica L. + + Althaea officinalis L. + + + + + Amaranthus deflexus L. + Amaranthus retroflexus L. + Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. + + Anagallis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis + + + + Angelica sylvestris L. subsp. sylvestris + + Arctium lappa L. + + + + Arenaria serpyllifolia L. subsp. serpyllifolia + Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte + Artemisia vulgaris L. + Atriplex prostrata Boucher ex DC. + Avena barbata Pott, ex Link + Avenafatua L. + Avena sativa L. subsp. sativa + Avena sterilis L. + Ballota nigra L. subsp. meridionalis (Beg.) Beg. + Beilis perennis L. + Berula erecta (Huds.) Coville + Bidens tripartita L. s.l. + + + Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds. subsp. perfoliata + Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla + + Brachypodium rupestre (Host) Roem. et Schult. + + + Bromus cfr. commutatus Schrad. + + Bromus hordeaceus L. subsp. hordeaceus + + + Bromus sterilis L. + + + + Butomus umbellatus L. + Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br. subsp. sepium + + + + + + Campanula rapunculus L. + Carduus pycnocephalus L. subsp. pycnocephalus + Carex acutiformis Ehrh. + + + + Carex caryophyllea Latourr. + Carex depauperata Curtis ex With. + Carex distans L. + + + Carex elata All. subsp. elata * Carex flacca Schreb. subsp. serrulata (Biv.) Greuter + + Carex hirta L. + + + + + Carex otrubae Podp. + + Carex paniculata L. subsp. paniculata + * Table 2/1. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 163 Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Carex pseudocyperus L. + + Carex riparia Curtis + + + + + Carthamus lanatus L. subsp. lanatus + Centaurea calcitrapa L. + Centaurea soltitialis L. subsp. soltitialis + Cephalanthera rubra (L.) Rich. + Chenopodium album L. subsp. album + + Chenopodium polyspermum L. + Chenopodium urbicum L. + Cerastium sp. + + + Cichorium intybus L. + + + + Cirsium arx’ense (L.) Scop. + + + + + + Cirsium creticum (Lam.) d’Urv. subsp. triumfetii (Lacaita) Werner + Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. + + + Cladium mariscus (L.) Pohl * Clematis vitalba L. + + Conium maculatum L. subsp. maculatum + Convolvulus arvensis L. + + + Cornus sanguinea L. s.l. + + + + + + Corylus avellana L. + Cota tinctoria (L.) J. Gay subsp. tinctoria + Crataegus monogyna Jacq. + + Crepis vesicaria L. s.l. + Cruciata laevipes Opiz + + + Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. + + + + Cynoglossum creticum Mill. + Cyperus longus L. + + + + + Dactylis glomerata L. subsp. glomerata + + + Dasypyrum villosum (L.) P. Candargy, non Borbas + Datura stramonium L. subsp. stramonium + Daucus carota L. subsp. carota + + + + + + Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. s.l. + + Dipsacus fullonum L. + + Dorycnium herbaceus Vill. + Echinocloci crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. + + + + + Echium plantagineum L. + Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. et Schult. subsp. palustris + + + Elymus repens (L.) Gould, subsp. repens + + + + + Epilobium hirsutum L. + + + + + Epipactis palustris (L.) Crantz * * Equisetum arvense L. subsp. arvense + + + + + Equisetum palustre L. + + Equisetum telmateja Ehrh. + + + Erigeron annuus (L.) Desf. (= Aster annuus L.) + Table 2/2. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). 164 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Erigeron canadensis L. [= Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.] + + + Erigeron sumatrensis Retz. + + Euonymus europaeus L. + + + + Eupatorium cannabinum L. subsp. cannabinum + + + + + Euphorbia platyphyllos L. s.l. + + Festuca sp. + Festuca arundinacea Schreb. subsp. arundinacea + + + + + Festuca heterophylla Lam. + Ficus carica L. + Fragaria viridis Duchesne subsp. viridis + Frangula alnus L. + Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl subsp. oxycarpa (Willd.) Franco et Rocha + Galega officinalis L. + + + + + Galium aparine L. + + Galium mollugo L. subsp. erectum Syme (= G. album Mill.) + + + + Galium mollugo L. subsp. mollugo + Galium palustre L. s.l. + + + + Geranium dissectum L. + + + Geum urbanum L. + + Glyceria fluitans (L.) R. Br. + + Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. + Hedera helix L. subsp. helix + Heliotropium europaeum L. + Helleborus foetidus L. subsp. foetidus + Helminthotheca echioides (L.) Holub (= Picris echioides L.) + + + + Holcus lanatus L. + + + + Hordeum murinum L. subsp. leporinum (Link) Arcang. + Humulus lupulus L. + + + + + Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. * Hypericum perforatum L. + + + + Hypericum tetrapterum Fr. + + + Hypochcieris raclicata L. + Inula conyzae (Griess.) Meikle + Iris pseudacorus L. + + + + + Juncus articulatus L. + + + + Juncus effusus L. subsp. effusus + + + Juncus gerardii Loisel. + + Juncus inflexus L. + Juniperus communis L. + + Lactuca saligna L. + Lactuca serriola L. + + + Lamium maculatum L. + Leucanthemum sp. + + + Ligustrum vulgare L. + + Table 2/3. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 165 Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Linaria vulgaris Mill, subsp. vulgaris + Linum bienne Mill. + + Lolium multiflorum Lam. subsp. multiflorum + Lolium perenne L. + + + + Lonicera caprifolium L. + Lotus sp. + Lotus corniculatus L. subsp. corniculatus + + + Lycopus europaeus L. s.l. + + + + + Lysimachia vulgaris L. + + + + + Lythrum salicaria L. + + + + + Malva sylvestris (L.) Mill. + + Medicago lupulina L. + + + Me die ago minima (L.) L. + Medicago orbicularis (L.) Bartal. + Medicago sativa L. + + + Mentha aquatica L. subsp. aquatica + + + + + Mentha arvensis L. + + + Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. + + + + + + Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. subsp. suaveolens + + Mercurialis annua L. + Nigella damascena L. + Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. + Odonthites vulgaris Moench subsp. vulgaris + + Oenanthe aquatica (L.) Poir. * * Ophrys apifera Huds. + Orchis incarnata L. * * Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass, subsp. spinosa + Papaver rhoeas L. subsp. rhoeas + Paspalum distichum L. + Pastinaca sativa L. subsp. mens (Req. ex Godr.) Celak. + + + Persicaria maculosa (L.) Gray + + + + Petrorhagia prolifera (L.) P.W. Ball et Heywood + Phalaris aquatica L. + Phalaris arundinacea L. subsp. arundinacea [= Typhoides arundinacea (L.) Moench] + + + + + Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. subsp. australis + + + + + Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold et Zucc. + Picris hieracioides L. subsp. hieracioides + + + + + Plantago lanceolata L. + + + + + + Plantago major L. subsp. major + + + + + + Poa bulbosa L. + Poa trivialis L. subsp. trivialis + + + Polygonum arenastrum Boreau subsp. arenastrum + Polygonum aviculare L. s.l. + + + + Populus alba L. + + + Table 2/4. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). 166 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Populus canadensis Moench + + + + Populus tremula L. + Potentilla reptans L. + + + + + + Prunella vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris + + Prunella x intermedia Link + Prunus spinosa L. subsp. spinosa + + + Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn subsp. aquilinum + Pulicaria dysenterica (L.) Bernh. + + + + + Ranunculus lingua L. + Ranunculus repens L. + + + + + Ranunculus sardous Crantz s.l. + + Ranunculus trichophyllus Chaix subsp. trichophyllus + Raphanus raphanistrum L. subsp. landra (DC.) Bonnier et Layens + Rhincinthus sp. + Robinia pseudacacia L. + + Rorippa amphibia (L.) Besser + Rosa canina s.l. + + Rosa sempervirens L. + Rosa sp. + Rubia peregrina L. subsp. peregrina + Rubus caesius L. + + + + + Rubus sp. + Rubus ulmifolius Schott + + Rumex crispus L. + + + + Rumex hydrolapathum Huds. + + Rumex obtusifolius L. subsp. obtusifolius + + Rumex pulcher subsp. pulcher + Ruscus aculeatus L. + Sagittaria sagittifolia L. + Salix alba L. + + + + + + Salix cinerea L. + + + + + + Salix purpurea L. s.l. + + Salix triandra L. subsp. amygdalina (L.) Schiibl. et G. Martens + Sambucus ebulus L. + + Sambucus nigra L. + + + Sanguisorba minor Scop. subsp. balearica (Bourg. ex Nyman) Munoz Garm. et C. Navarro + + + + Schoenoplectus lacustris (L.) Palla + + + + Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Sojak + Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. subsp. umbrosa + * + Scutellaria galericulata L. + Securigera securidiana (L.) Degen et Dorfl. + Senecio erraticus Bertol. subsp. erraticus + + Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv. + Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. subsp. viridis + + Table 2/5. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 167 Taxon LV PL ML LL LR M Sherardia arvensis L. + Sideritis romana L. subsp. romana + Silene conica L. + Silene latifolia L. subsp. alba (Mill.) Greuter et Burdet + + + + + Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke s.l. + + Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. + Solatium dulcamara L. + + + + Solatium nigrum L. + Solidago gigantea Aiton + Sonchus asper (L.) Hill subsp. asper + + Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. + + + + Sparganium erectum L. subsp. erectum + St achy s palustris L. + + + + Stachys germanica L. subsp. salviifolia (Ten.) Gams. + Stellaria aquatica (L.) Scop. + Stellaria media Viv. subsp. media + Taraxacum officinale s.l. + + + + Teucrium scorclium L. subsp. scordioides (Schreb.) Arcang. + Thalictrum lucidum L. + + + + Torilis sp. + Trifolium campestre Schreb. + Trifolium echinatum M. Bieb. + Trifolium frag if e rum L. subsp. fragiferum + Trifolium pratense L. subsp. pratense + + + Trifolium repens L. subsp. repens + + Trifolium resupinatum L. + + Typha angustifolia L. + + + Typha latifolia L. + + Ulmus minor Mill, subsp. minor + Urtica dioica L. subsp. dioica + + + + + + Valeriana officinalis L. + Valerianella sp. + + + Verbascum blattaria L. + Verbascum densiflorum Bertol. + + Verbascum cf. pulverulentum Vill. + Verbascum sinuatum L. + Verbena officinalis L. + + + + + + Veronica anagallis- aquatica L. subsp. anagallis -aquatica + Veronica arvensis L. + Veronica montana L. + Viburnum opulus L. + Vicia hybrida L. + Vida sativa L. s.l. + + + Vicia sativa L. subsp. cordata (Hoppe) Batt. + Vicia sativa L. subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh. + + Viola arvensis Murray s.l. + Xanthium orientale L. subsp. italicum Moretti) Greuter (= X. italicum Moretti) + + + + Table 2/6. List of vascular plant species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola. Records from bibliographic data which were not confirmed by direct observations are marked by an asterisk (*). 168 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon Locality LV LP ML LL LR M FV Cixius nervosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (+) (+) Cixius remotus Edwards, 1888 1 ++ Cixius wagneri China, 1942 4 + (+) + Reptalus quinquecostatus (Dufour, 1833) + Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret, 1865 + Kelisia brucki Fieber, 1878 ++ Kelisia guttula (Germar, 1818) 3 4 (+) ++ + Kelisia melanops Fieber, 1878 3 4 + ++ Kelisia praecox Haupt, 1935 2 (+) Kelisia punctulum (Kirschbaum, 1868) 1 (+) + ++ + (+) Kelisia ribauti Wagner, 1 93 8 4 ++ + ++ ++ + + /\ nakelis ia fas data ( Ki rsc h baum , 1868) 1 ++ + (+) + Stenocranus major (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + (+) ++ Eurybregma nigrolineata Scott, 1875 + Conomelus lorifer dehneli Nast, 1966 4 + + + Delphax ribautianus Asche et Drosopoulos, 1982 4 + Delphax sp. + + Chloriona smaragdula (Stal, 1853) 2 ++ Chloriona unicolor (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) (+) Megamelus notula (Germar, , 1830) 3 + (+) Laodelphax striatella (Fallen, 1826) ++ ++ + ++ ++ + Megamelodes lequesnei Wagner, 1 963 1 (+) + Delphacodes mulsanti (Fieber, 1866) 3 + ++ (+) + (+) Muirodelphax aubei (Perris, 1857) 4 (+) + Dicranotropis remaniaca Guglielmino, D’Urso et Buckle, 2016 (+) ++ + + (+) + Florodelphax leptosoma (Flor, 1861) 4 ++ + + Struebingianella lugubrina (Boheman, 1 847) 2 ++ Xanthodelphax straminea (Stal, 1858) 4 + + Toya propinqua (Fieber, 1866) + ++ ++ ++ ++ (+) Javesella dubia (Kirschbaum, 1 868) 4 + + + (+) Rib auto delphax albostriata (Fieber, 1866) 3 + Rib auto delphax imitans (Ribaut, 1953) 4 + (+) + Flastena fumipennis (Fieber, 1866) 4 ++ + + + + Neomenocria advena (Spinola , 1839) 3 + Dictyophara europaea (Linnaeus, 1767) + (+) + (+) Trypetimorpha occidentalis Huang et + Bourgoin, 1993 Agalmatium flavescens (Olivier, 1791) + Issus coleoptratus (Fabricius, 1781) + (+) Cercopis arcuata (Fieber, 1 844) (+) (+) Cercopis sanguinolenta (Scopoli, 1763) (+) Cercopis vulnerata Rossi, 1807 + + (+) Table 3/1. List of collected Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola; FV = Fiume Velino; 1 = new for Italy; 2 = new for peninsular Italy; 3 = new for Latium; 4 = new for Umbria. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 169 Taxon Locality LY LP ML LL LR M FV Lepyronia coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + ++ (+) Neophilaenus campestris (Fallen, 1805) + Aphrophora alni (Fallen, 1805) + + Aphrophora pectoralis Matsumura, 1903 4 + Aphrophora salicina (Goeze, 1778) + Philaenus spumarius (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + + ++ + Centrotus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) (+) Stictocephala bisonia Kopp et Yonke, 1977 4 + + (+) + ++ (+) Megophthalmus scanicus (Fallen, 1806) ++ + + (+) (+) Macropsis albae Wagner, 1950 4 + + ++ + + Macropsis cerea (Germar, 1837) + (+) Macropsis glanclacea (Fieber, 1868) 4 (+) Macropsis marginata (Herrich-Schaffer, 1836) + + Macropsis najas Nast, 1981 4 + Macropsis notata (Prohaska, 1923) 4 + Macropsis prasina (Boheman, 1852) 3 + Macropsis vicina Horvath, 1 897 4 + + Hephathus nanus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) (+) Anaceratagallia laevis (Ribaut, 1935) + ++ + + ++ + + Anaceratagallia ribauti (Ossiannilsson, 1938) + + + + + + Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + + + Idiocerus stigmaticalis Lewis, 1 834 4 + (+) + (+) Idiocerus vicinus Melichar, 1898 4 (+) (+) + + Balcanocerus larvatus (Herrich- Schaffer, 1835) + Metidiocerus rutilans (Kirschbaum, 1868) 4 + Populicerus albicans (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Tremulicerus distinguendus (Kirschbaum, 1868) (+) Viridicerus ustulatus (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) (+) + + (+) lassus scutellaris (Fieber, 1868) + + Penthimia nigra (Goeze, 1778) (+) Eupelix cuspiclata (Fabricius, 1775) 4 (+) (+) (+) (+) Aphrodes bicincta (Schrank, 1776) + + + Aphrocles makarovi Zachvatkin, 1948 + + (+) Anoscopus albifrons mappus Guglielmino et Buckle, 20 1 5 (+) Anoscopus serratulae (Fabricius, 1775) (+) Stroggylocephalus agrestis (Fallen, 1 806) (+) (+) Evacanthus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1794) + Cicadella viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + ++ ++ + Alebra wahlbergi (Boheman, 1 845) (+) + ++ Emelyanoviana mollicula (Boheman, 1845) + + (+) + + + Table 3/2. List of collected Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola; FV = Fiume Velino; 1 = new for Italy; 2 = new for peninsular Italy; 3 = new for Latium; 4 = new for Umbria. 170 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon Locality LV LP ML LL LR M FV Dikraneura variata Hardy, 1850 (+) Wcigneriala sinuata (Then , 1 897) 4 (+) + Not us italicus Wagner, 1954 3 ++ Kybos rufes cens Melichar, 1896 4 + (+) Kybos virgator (Ribaut, 1933) 3 (+) Empoasca decipiens Paoli, 1930 ++ (+) + + + Empoasca pteridis (Dahlbom , 1850) + + Empoasca vitis (Gothe, 1875) (+) + Empoasca sp. (+) + + + (+) Asymmetrasca decedens Paoli, 1932 3 (+) + + Edwardsiana divers a (Edwards, 1914) (+) Edwards iana prunicola (Edwards, 1914) 4 + + + (+) + Edwardsiana salicicola (Edwards, 1885) 4 + + Edwardsiana sp. (+) + (+) + Linnavuoriana sexmaculata (Hardy, 1850) + + (+) Ribautiana cruciata Ribaut, 1931 + Ribautiana clebilis (Douglas, 1876) 3 (+) Ribautiana tenerrima (Herrich-Schaffer, 1834) 4 + Eupteryx atropunctata (Goeze, 1778) + ++ ++ + (+) Eupteryx curtisii (Flor, 1861) + + + + Eupteryx decemnotata Rey, 1891 3 (+) Eupteryx melissae Curtis, 1837 4 ++ + + (+) + Eupteryx notata Curtis, 1837 3 (+) (+) Eupteryx petasitidis Ferrari, 1882 4 ++ Eupteryx rostrata Ribaut, 1936 4 + + (+) (+) + Eupteryx thoulessi Edwards, 1926 + ++ + + Eupteryx urticae (Fabricius, 1803) (+) (+) Eupteryx zelleri (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + + (+) Zyginidia gr. ribaut i Dworakowska, 1970 + ++ + ++ + + Zygina discolor Horvath, 1897 4 (+) + Zygina lunaris (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) 3 (+) + (+) Zygina nivea (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) 3 4 (+) + + Zygina cf. ordinaria (Ribaut, 1936) 3 + + Arborklici parvula (Boheman, 1845) (+) + + Arboridia spathulata (Ribaut, 1931) (+) Arboridia sp. (+) (+) Fruticidia bisignata (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) (+) Goniagnathus brevis (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) + + Hishimonus cf. hamatus Kuoh, 1976 2 (+) (+) Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1834) + + + (+) Balclutha nicolasi (Lethierry, 1876) 4 + ++ ++ + ++ Balclutha punctata (Fabricius, 1775) ++ + Table 3/3. List of collected Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola; FV = Fiume Velino; 1 = new for Italy; 2 = new for peninsular Italy; 3 = new for Latium; 4 = new for Umbria. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 171 Taxon Locality LV LP ML LL LR M FV Balclutha rosea (Scott, 1876) + Balclutha saltuella (Kischbaum, 1868) (+) Macrosteles forficula (Ribaut, 1927) (+) Mcicrosteles frontalis (Scott, 1875) 4 ++ + + Macrosteles laevis (Ribaut, 1927) (+) ++ ++ + ++ (+) Macrosteles ossiannilssoni Lindberg, 1954 (+) Macrosteles quadripunctulatus (Kirschbaum, 1 868) 4 + Macrosteles sardus Ribaut, 1948 (+) + + Macrosteles sexnotatus (Fallen, 1806) + (+) (+) ++ Macrosteles viridigriseus (Edwards, 1924) 4 + + (+) + Macrosteles sp. + + + ++ (+) ++ Deltocephalus pulicaris (Fallen, 1806) + + + Maiestas schmidtgeni (Wagner, 1939) + + + ++ ++ Chiasmus conspurcatus (Perris, 1857) (+) + + + Doratura paludosa Melichar, 1 897 + Phlogotettix cyclops (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) 4 (+) Exitianus taeniaticeps (Kirschbaum, 1868) (+) Anoplotettix fuscovenosus (Ferrari, 1882) + Lamprotettix nitidulus (Fabricius, 1787) (+) Allygus modestus Scott, 1876 4 + Allygidius abbreviatus (Lethierry, 1878) + (+) Allygidius atomarius (Fabricius, 1794) + Allygidius furcatus (Ferrari, 1882) + Phlepsius sp. (+) Graphocraerus ventralis (Fallen, 1 806) + + + + Cicadulci frontalis (Herrich-S chaffer, 1835) 3 + Cicadula lineatopunctata (Matsumura, 1908) + + (+) Cicadula placida (Horvath, 1 897) 3 ’ 4 ++ ++ + + + ++ Cicadula quadrinotata (Fabricius, 1794) 4 ++ ++ + ++ + + Mocydia crocea (Herrich-S chaffer, 1837) (+) (+) (+) (+) Thamnotettix zelleri (Kirschbaum, 1868) 4 (+) + Conosanus obsoletus (Kirschbaum, 1858) + + + + + Euscelis incisus (Kirschbaum, 1858) + + + + + Euscelis lineolatus Brulle, 1 832 (+) Euscelis sp. (+) Artianus manderstjernii (Kirschbaum, 1868) (+) + (+) (+) Paramesus obtusifrons (Stal, 1853) + Paralimnus phragmitis (Boheman, 1 847) 4 + + + Metalimnus formosus (Boheman, 1845) 2 ++ Arocephalus longiceps (Kirschbaum, 1868) 4 (+) + (+) Psammotettix alienus (Dahlbom, 1850) + + ++ ++ ++ + Psammotettix confinis (Dahlbom, 1850) ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + Adarrus exornatus Ribaut, 1952 4 + Jassargus bisubulatus (Then, 1 896) + ++ Arthaldeus striifrons (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + ++ Table 3/4. List of collected Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting localities. LV = Lago di Ventina; LP = Lago di Piediluco; ML = Madonna della Luce; LL = Lago Lungo; LR = Lago Ripasottile; M = Montisola; FV = Fiume Velino; 1 = new for Italy; 2 = new for peninsular Italy; 3 = new for Latium; 4 = new for Umbria. 172 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon month IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI Cixius nervosus (Linnaeus, 1758) + + Cixius remotus Edwards, 1888 + Cixius wagneri China, 1942 + + + Reptalus quinquecostatus (Dufour , 1833) + + Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret, 1865 + Kelisia brucki Fieber, 1878 + Kelisia guttula (Germar, 1818) + + Kelisia melanops Fieber, 1878 + + Kelisia praecox Haupt, 1935 + Kelisia punctulum (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + Kelisia ribauti Wagner, 1938 + + + + + + + Anakelisia fas data (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + + + + Stenocranus major (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + + + + + Eurybregma nigrolineata Scott, 1875 + Conomelus lorifer dehneli Nast, 1966 + + + Delphax ribautianus Asche et Drosopoulos, 1982 + Chloriona smaragdula (Stal, 1853) + + + Chloriona unicolor (Herrich- Schaffer, 1835) + Megamelus notula (Germar, 1830) + + + + Laoclelphax striatella (Fallen, 1 826) + + + + + Megamelodes lequesnei Wagner, 1 963 + Delphacodes mulsanti (Fieber, 1866) + + + + Muiro delphax aubei (Perris, 1857) + + Dicranotropis remaniaca Guglielmino, D’Urso et Buckle, 20 1 6 + + + + Florodelphax leptosoma (Flor, 1861) + + + Struebingianella lugubrina (Boheman, 1 847) + + Xanthodelphax straminea (Stal, 1858) + + + Toy a propinqua (Fieber, 1866) + + + + + + Javesella dubia (Kirschbaum, 1 868) + + + + Rib auto delphax albostriata (Fieber, 1866) + + Rib auto delphax imitans (Ribaut, 1953) + + + Flastena fumipennis (Fieber, 1866) + + + + + Neomenocria advena (Spinola, 1 839) + Dictyophara europaea (Linnaeus, 1767) + + Trypetimorpha occidentalis Huang et Bourgoin, 1993 + Agalmatium flavescens (Olivier, 1791) + Issus coleoptratus (Fabricius, 1781) + + Cercopis arcuata (Fieber, 1844) + + Cercopis sanguinolenta (Scopoli, 1763) + Cercopis vulnerata Rossi, 1807 + Table 4/1. Table 4. List of Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting months. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 173 Taxon month IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI Lepyronia coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + + Neophilcienus campestris (Fallen, 1805) + Aphrophora alni (Fallen, 1805) + + Aphrophora pectorcilis Matsumura, 1903 + Aphrophora salicina (Goeze, 1778) + Philaenus spumarius (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + + + + + Centrotus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) + Stictocephala bisonia Kopp et Yonke, 1977 + + + Megophthalmus scanicus (Fallen, 1806) + + Macropsis albae Wagner, 1950 + + + Macropsis cerea (Germar, 1837) + Macropsis glanclacea (Fieber, 1868) + Macropsis marginata (Herrich-Schaffer, 1836) + Macropsis najas Nast, 1981 + Macropsis notata (Prohaska, 1923) + Macropsis prasina (Boheman, 1852) + Macropsis vicina Horvath, 1897 + + Hephathus nanus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) + Anaceratagallia laevis (Ribaut, 1935) + + + + + + Anaceratagallia ribauti (Ossiannilsson, 1938) + + + + + + Austroagallia sinuata (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + + Idiocerus stigmaticalis Lewis, 1834 + + + Idiocerus vicinus Melichar, 1898 + + + Balcanocerus larvatus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) + Metidiocerus rutilans (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Populicerus albicans (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Tremulicerus distinguendus (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Viridicerus ustulatus (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + + + + Iassus scutellaris (Fieber, 1868) + + Penthimia nigra (Goeze, 1778) + Eupelix cuspidata (Fabricius, 1775) + + + Aphrocles bicincta (Schrank, 1776) + Aphrodes makarovi Zachvatkin, 1948 + Anoscopus albifrons mappus Guglielmino et Buckle, 20 1 5 + Anoscopus serratulae (Fabricius, 1775) + Stroggylocephalus agrestis (Fallen, 1 806) + + Evacanthus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1794) + Cicadella viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) + + + + + Alebra wahlbergi (Boheman, 1845) + Emelyanoviana mollicula (Boheman, 1845) + + + + + + Table 4/2. Table 4. List of Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting months. 174 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Taxon month IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI Dikraneura variata Hardy, 1850 + Wagneriala sinuata (Then, 1 897) + Notus italicus Wagner, 1954 + + Kybos rufescens Melichar, 1896 + + Kybos virgator (Ribaut, 1933) + Empoasca decipiens Paoli, 1930 + + + + + Empoasca pteridis (Dahlbom, 1850) + + Empoasca vitis (Gothe, 1875) + Asymmetrasca decedens Paoli, 1932 + + + Edwardsiana divers a (Edwards, 1914) + Edwards iana prunicola (Edwards, 1914) + + + + Edwardsiana salicicola (Edwards, 1885) + + Linnavuoriana sexmaculata (Hardy, 1850) + + + Ribautiana cruciata Ribaut, 1931 + Ribautiana debilis (Douglas, 1876) + Ribautiana tenerrima (Herrich- Schaffer, 1 834) + Eupteryx atropunctata (Goeze, 1778) + + + + + Eupteryx curtisii (Flor, 1861) + + + + Eupteryx decemnotata Rey, 1891 + Eupteryx me lissae Curtis, 1837 + + + + + Eupteryx notata Curtis, 1837 + + + Eupteryx petasitidis Ferrari, 1882 + Eupteryx rostrata Ribaut, 1936 + + + + + Eupteryx thoulessi Edwards, 1926 + + + + Eupteryx urticae (Fabricius, 1803) + Eupteryx zelleri (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + Zyginidia gr. riband Dworakowska, 1970 + + + + + Zygina discolor Horvath, 1897 + Zygina lunaris (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + + + Zygina nivea (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + + + Zygina cf. ordinaria (Ribaut, 1936) + Arboriclia parvula (Boheman, 1845) + + Arboriclia spathulata (Ribaut, 1931) + + Fruticidia bisignata (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + Goniagnathus brevis (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) + + Hishimonus cf. hamatus Kuoh, 1976 + Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1 834) + + + + Balclutha nicolasi (Lethierry, 1876) + + + + + Balclutha punctata (Fabricius, 1775) + Balclutha rosea (Scott, 1876) + + Table 4/3. Table 4. List of Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting months. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 175 Taxon month IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI Balclutha saltuella (Kischbaum, 1868) + Macrosteles forficula (Ribaut, 1927) + Macrosteles frontalis (Scott, 1875) + + + + Macrosteles laevis (Ribaut, 1927) + + + Macrosteles ossiannilssoni Lindberg, 1954 + Macrosteles quadripunctulatus (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Macrosteles sardus Ribaut, 1948 + + + Macrosteles sexnotatus (Fallen, 1806) + + + Macrosteles viridigriseus (Edwards, 1924) + + + + Deltocephalus pulicaris (Fallen, 1806) + + + + + Maiestas schmidtgeni (Wagner, 1939) + + + + Chiasmus conspurcatus (Perris, 1857) + + + Doratura paludosa Melichar, 1 897 + Phlogotettix cyclops (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) + Exitianus taeniaticeps (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Anoplotettix fuscovenosus (Ferrari, 1882) + Lamprotettix nitidulus (Fabricius, 1787) + Allygus moclestus Scott, 1876 + Allygidius abbreviatus (Lethierry, 1878) + + Allygidius atomarius (Fabricius, 1794) + Allygidius furcatus (Ferrari, 1882) + Phlepsius sp. + + Graphocraerus ventralis (Fallen, 1 806) + + Cicadula lineatopunctata (Matsumura, 1908) + + Cicadula frontalis (Herrich-Schaffer, 1835) + + Cicadula placida (Horvath, 1 897) + + + + + + Cicadula quadrinotata (Fabricius, 1794) + + + + + + + + Mocyclia crocea (Herrich-Schaffer, 1837) + + Thamnotettix zelleri (Kirschbaum, 1868) + Conosanus obsoletus (Kirschbaum, 1858) + + + + + Euscelis incisus (Kirschbaum, 1858) + + + Euscelis lineolatus Brulle, 1 832 + Artianus manderstjernii (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + Paramesus obtusifrons (Stal, 1853) + Paralimnus phragmitis (Boheman, 1 847) + + Metalimnus formosus (Boheman, 1845) + + + + + Arocephalus longiceps (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + Psammotettix alienus (Dahlbom, 1850) + + + + + + Psammotettix confinis (Dahlbom, 1850) + + + + + + Adarrus exornatus Ribaut, 1952 + + Jassargus bisubulatus (Then, 1 896) + + + + Arthaldeus striifrons (Kirschbaum, 1868) + + + + + Table 4/4. Table 4. List of Auchenorrhyncha species and their collecting months. 176 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii OBSERVATIONS ON SOME TAXA OF SPECIAL INTEREST Cixius remotus Edwards, 1881 (Fig. 24) New record for Italy. A small population of this species was found near Madonna della Luce in June on herbaceous vegetation. The species is recorded from western Europe, UK and the Balkan Peninsula. Little is known about its biology. Kelisia praecox Haupt, 1935 (Fig. 25) New record for peninsular Italy. One male was found near the Lago Ripasottile in September. In Italy, the species is recorded from Piemonte (Alma et al., 2009b). Host plants are Carex brizoides and other Carex species (Nickel, 2003; Nickel et Remane, 2002). The host plant of the population in the Lago Ripasottile area is unknown. Kelisia punctulum (Kirschbaum, 1868) (Fig. 26) New record for Italy. This taxon is widely distributed in the studied area (Lago di Ventina, Lago di Piediluco, Madonna della Luce, Lago Lungo and Lago Ripasottile). It was collected in June on tall sedges. As host plant is recorded Carex acutiformis (Nickel, 2003). Kelisia punctulum is widely distributed and not rare in western, central, eastern and southeastern Europe, but apparently absent in most parts of the Mediterranean region. Anakelisia fas data (Kirschbaum, 1868) (Fig. 27) New record for Italy. The species is present in high abundance at the Lago di Ventina, but was found at the Lago Lungo, Lago Ripasottile and Madonna della Luce as well. Adults were collected from April to November. Anakelisia fasciata is recorded for Germany as univoltine. Hibernating takes place in the egg stage with some females hibernating as adults (Nickel, 2003). A similar condition is observed on the Lago di Ventina. Many specimens were found in autumn, with a percentage of males decreasing from October to November. In April only females were found. Only few specimens were collected in summer (end of June, mid- July), including one male. The species is monophagous on Carex riparia (Nickel, 2003), but possibly it uses also other tall sedges as host plants. It is widely distributed in most parts of Europe except for the northernmost regions and the Iberian Peninsula. Chloriona smaragdula (Stal, 1853) (Figs. 28, 29) New record for peninsular Italy. The species was collected on the Lago Lungo in July. It is monophagous on Phragmites australis and is recorded from most parts of Europe except for the Iberian Peninsula. In Italy there are records from Trentino Alto Adige (Carl, 2008), Veneto and Emilia Romagna (Servadei, 1967). Megamelus notula (Germar, 1830) (Figs. 30, 31) New record for Latium. The species was found on the Lago di Ventina in September and October and is apparently sedent- ary in this area as all collected specimens are bra- chypterous. One macropterous specimen was collected also on the Lago Ripasottile, in June. Megamelus notula lives on Carex spp. (Nickel, 2003). In northern Italia there are records from Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli- Venezia Giulia and Emilia (Servadei, 1967); in peninsular Italy, the spe- cies is recorded from Abruzzo (Guglielmino et al., 2005). Megamelodes lequesnei Wagner, 19631 (Fig. 32) New record for Italy. Brachypterous males were collected in Novem- ber both on the Lago di Ventina and the Lago Lungo. In Germany, the species is bivoltine and hibernates in the egg stage; host plants are J uncus effusus and J. inflexus (Buckle & Guglielmino, 2005), possibly also other tall Juncus species. In the investigated areas, however, it lives on Carex spp., probably Carex hirta. Apparently, it hibernates in the adult stage. The species is recorded from several European regions including Spain, the British Islands and the Balkan region. Delphacodes mulsanti (Fieber, 1866) (Fig. 33) New record for Latium. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 177 The taxon is widely distributed in the studied areas (Madonna della Luce, Lago Lungo, Lago Ripasottile and Montisola). The specimens were collected in June, September, October and Novem- ber, possibly on Eleocharis sp. Fieber (1866) described this taxon from south- ern France. As usual in those times, he did not consider the aedeagus morphology. Subsequent description of further Delphcicodes taxa based principally on the aedeagus shape, raised the question of their relationship or possible identity with D. mulsanti. Until 1983, four further taxa of this group had been described: (1) D. ornatipennis (Haupt, 1927), based on one female from Palestina, (2) D. audrasi Ribaut, 1954, from eastern France, (3) D. fascia (Lindberg, 1960), from Portugal, and (4) D. linnavuorii (Le Quesne, 1960), described from central Italy (Toscana) on a specimen figured by Linnavuori (1957) as D. mulsanti. Asche & Remane (1983) discussed this problem in a long article in which they described an additional spe- cies, (5) D. nastasi, from Greece. Out of these taxa, four are recorded by D’Urso (1995) from Italy: D. mulsanti, D. linnavuorii, D. audrasi and D. nastasi. In the meantime, Asche (pers. com.) had the opportunity to study the type of D. audrasi and material on which Fieber’s original description of Delphax mulsanti was based. In addition, he studied a rich Delphacodes material from Irak, collected by R. Linnavuori, which displays a surprisingly high variability in the aedeagus morphology. All the spe- cies of the mulsanti group mentioned above are represented in the variation spectre of these popu- lations. Our own material from Sardinia and penin- sular Italy comprises at least the aedeagus morphology of D. fascia, D. nastasi and transitional forms. A quite different aedeagus shape is represen- ted by the specimen figured by Linnavuori (1957) from Toscana as D. mulsanti, and later described by Le Quesne (1960) as D. linnavuorii. Nevertheless, the aedeagus shape of this specimen as well is within the spectre of variability of the material from Irak observed by Asche. These observations suggest clearly that the five species mentioned above are conspecific with D. mulsanti. We propose the following synonymies: Delphax mulsanti, Fieber, 1866 = Megamelus ornatipennis Haupt, 1927 = Delphacodes audrasi Ribaut, 1954 = Calligypona fascia Lindberg, 1960 = Megamelodes linnavuorii Le Quesne, 1960 = Delphacodes nastasi Asche et Remane, 1983 (syn. nov.) (see also Haupt, 1927; Lindberg, 1960; Ribaut, 1954). Struebingianella lugubrina (Boheman, 1847) (Figs. 34, 35) New record for peninsular Italy. A very rich population of this species was found on the Lago di Ventina, in April and September, on Glyceria maxima. As host plant is recorded also G. fluitans (Nickel, 2003). The species hibernates in the nymph stage, and has two generations (Nickel, 2003). It was recorded in Italy only from Friuli- Venezia Giulia (Servadei, 1967). Interestingly, a high number (about 30%) of the collected males have a mirror image symmetric aedeagus in respect of the aedeagus type generally observed in the populations from central Europe (as figured e.g. in Ossiannilsson, 1978, Figs. 510-512). Rib auto delphax albostriata (Fieber, 1866) (Fig. 36) New record for Latium. Brachypterous and macropterous adults were found on the Lago Lungo in July and September. The species is monophagous on Poa pratensis. In Italy there are records from Valle d’ Aosta (Alma et al., 2009a), Trentino Alto Adige (Remane & Hellrigl, 1996), Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria (Guglielmino & Buckle, 2007), Emilia Romagna (Guglielmino & Buckle, 2008), Toscana, Abruzzo (Guglielmino et al., 2005). The species hibernates in the nymph stage and has two generations (Nickel, 2003). It is widely distributed and rather common in central Italy. Macropsis prasina (Boheman, 1852) (Fig. 37) The species was found near Madonna della Luce in June. This taxon is mentioned in the Servadei cata- logue apparently as M. virescens (Fabricius, 1794) and recorded for Piemonte, Liguria and Trentino- Alto Adige. Generally, there was much confusion in the past about the taxonomy of this genus, and until today Macropsis is one of the most complic- ated Cicadellidae genera in Europe. Therefore, old records are unclear and may be interpreted in dif- ferent ways. Species discrimination, above all 178 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii among the green species, is sometimes impossible without the indication of the host plant; as material from old collections is normally devoid of such in- formation its identification is particularly difficult. We found no specimens in the Servadei collection that can be attributed surely to M. prasina (most of the specimens belonging to the label “ prasina ” display the ovipositor features of M. marginata). Notus italicus Wagner, 1954 (Fig. 38) New record for Latium. The species was found only on the Lago di Ventina, and is apparently restricted there to Carex paniculata as host plant. The species is described from Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, and there are records from sev- eral other regions in northern Italy (Servadei, 1967). On the Apennine Peninsula it is recorded from Abruzzo (Guglielmino et al., 2005) and Calabria (Servadei, 1967). Kybos virgator (Ribaut, 1933) (Fig. 39) During our research one male was collected on Salix alba near the Lago Ripasottile. In Italy there are records only from Veneto and Sardinia (Servadei, 1967). The species feeds primar- ily on S. alba and S. fragilis (Nickel, 2003). In 2011, a new Kybos species, K. albitalicus Guglielmino, Poggi, Buckle, 2011 was described (Guglielmino et al., 2011). This taxon feeds on S. alba as well (and on S. eleagnos ), is quite common in central Italy and is distinguishable from K. vir- gator mainly by the morphology of its tymbal organ. Therefore, records before 2011 are to be checked; they may refer possibly to K. albitalicus. The male collected in the Lago Ripasottile area displays long, well developed apodemes of the second abdominal sternum; thus, it belongs clearly to K. virgator. Zygina lunaris (Mulsant et Rey, 1855) (Fig. 40) New record for Latium. Adults were found on the Lago Lungo, Lago Ripasottile and Lago di Ventina, on Salix alba in July and September. The species lives prevalently on narrow-leaved Salix species (S. alba, S. fragilis, S. purpurea, etc.) (Nickel, 2003). In Italy there are records from Piemonte (Alma et al., 2009b) and Toscana (Mazzoni et al., 2001). Zygina cf. ordinaria (Ribaut, 1936) (Fig. 41) New record for Latium. Adults were collected on the Lago Lungo and Lago Ripasottile, on Salix alba, in July. The species lives on narrow-leaved Salix species ( S . alba, S. viminalis, S. fragilis, S. purpurea, etc.) (Nickel, 2003). This taxon is generically recorded from Italy by Vidano and Arzone (1987); recently, it was collec- ted in Trentino Alto Adige (Carl, 2008), Emilia Ro- magna (Guglielmino & Buckle, 2008) and Toscana (Mazzoni, 2005). Hishimonus cf. hamatus Kuoh, 1976 (Fig. 42) New record for peninsular Italy. One specimen was collected in September near Madonna della Luce and the Lago Ripasottile, respectively. This species was recently introduced in Europe and is present in Slovenia (Seljak, 2013) and northern Italy (Lombardy: Francesco Poggi, unpub- lished data). Cicadula frontalis (Herrich- Schaffer, 1835) (Fig. 43) New record for Latium. The species was found in June and September only in a restricted area near Madonna della Luce, on Carex acutiformis and/or C. riparia. The species is widely distributed in most parts of Europe. In Italy there are records from Emilia and Calabria (Servadei, 1967). In the Servadei collection of the museum of Verona there are no specimens of this taxon from Italy. Cicadula placida (Horvath, 1897) (Fig. 44) New record for Latium. The taxon is widely distributed and common in the studied area (Lago di Ventina, Lago di Piedi- luco, Madonna della Luce, Lago Lungo, Lago Ri- pasottile and Montisola). Adults were collected in June, July, October and November. The species feeds on Phalaris arundinacea, Glyceria maxima, and possibly also on other tall Poaceae species. Spe- Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the Lacus Velinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 179 cimens collected in June were light yellow-green, specimens collected in November brown. The species is recorded in Italy from Piemonte (Servadei, 1967) and Toscana (Mazzoni, 2005). Metalimnus formosus (Boheman, 1845) (Fig. 45) New record for peninsular Italy. Specimens of this taxon were collected on the Lago di Ventina from June to November. The spe- cies feeds on Carex spp. In Germany C. acuta and C. data are recorded as host plants (Nickel, 2003). In the Lago di Ventina area, the species feeds on Carex riparia, C. paniculata and possibly further Carex species. In Italy it is recorded from Piemonte, Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia (Servadei, 1967). CONCLUSIONS The number of vascular plants (267) and Auchen- orrhyncha species (162) emphasizes the high biod- iversity of the Lacus Velinus area. However, not only the quantity of species but also the particular interest of some of them is an important result. Among the vascular plants are to be recorded in this context Butomus umbellatus, Carex acutiformis, C. elata, C. pseudocyperus , C. paniculata , Cladium mariscus, Epipactis palustris, Frangula alnus, Glyceria maxima , Hydrocharis morsus-ranae , Nuphar lutea , Oenanthe aquatica. Orchis incarn- ata , Ranunculus lingua, Rorippa amphibia, Rumex hydrolapathum, Scutellaria galericulata and Vi- burnum opulus, all included in the Regional Red Lists of Italian Plants of Umbria and Latium. Among the Auchenorrhyncha we mention four species ( Cixius remotus, Kelisia punctulum, Ana- kelisia fas data and Megamelodes lequesnei ) as new for Italy and five ( Kelisia praecox, Struebingianella lugubrina, Chloriona smaragdula, Hishimonus cf. hamatus and Metalimnus formosus) as new for the Apennine Peninsula (“S” in the checklist of the Italian fauna). Besides, most of the collection sites even seen in isolation present impressively rich Auchenorrhyncha communities. 83 species were found at the Lago di Ventina, 89 at the Lago di Piediluco, 65 near Madonna della Luce, 61 at the Lago Lungo, 76 at the Lago Ripasottile, 47 near Montisola and 14 on the river Velino. The different numbers are in part due to a different sampling in- tensity and a different spatial, ecological and tem- poral extension of the collecting sites and periods. However, the low species number in the localities near Montisola and on the river Velino in respect of the other sites is in part correlated with a lower di- versity of plants in those distinctly disturbed habitats. In addition to the high number of taxa occurring in the investigated area, a very important result con- sists in the high number of 60 taxa that are strictly correlated with moist habitats. Most of the species recorded for the first time in Italy or peninsular Italy belong to this group. The present research emphasizes also the lack of data concerning the Auchenorrhyncha species in Latium and above all in Umbria. While 1 8 taxa of Auchenorrhyncha are new records for Latium (from six sampling localities), no less than 44 are new for Umbria (in spite of this region being represented by only two sampling localities). However, a subdivi- sion of our results in data from Latium and from Umbria makes little sense. The investigated area is a single ecological and geological unit, despite of its belonging to two different administrative entit- ies. The site of the Lago di Piediluco (in Umbria), for example, is only about 250 m distant from the border of Latium and about 1km distant from the site “Madonna della Luce” (in Latium). Nowadays humid habitats in central Italy are generally rare. Often they have been destroyed or at least severely compromised already in Roman times. Therefore, an area with such high number of hygrophilous plants and Auchenorrhyncha taxa as the “Lacus Velinus” region deserves particularly high attention and protection. This not only in view of the Flora and the Auchenorrhyncha fauna (and the Avifauna), but also in regard of other groups of animals which are unexplored until now, and may be expected to be represented by many further rare and interesting taxa. The uncontrolled diffusion of alien and invasive plant species may become a serious risk for the conservation of the biodiversity of this area, the remarkable naturalistic interest of which this research has confirmed. Even if the studied areas furnished very import- ant results, we are far from an approximately com- plete knowledge on their Auchenorrhyncha fauna. Additional investigations should include more loc- alities, biotopes and collecting seasons. 180 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Figures 24-3 1 . Auchenorrhyncha from study areas. Figure 24. Cixius remotus. Figure 25. Kelisia praecox. Figure 26. Kelisia punctulum. Figure 27. Anakelisia fas data. Figure 28. Chloriona smaragdula, macropterous male. Figure 29. Chloriona smaragdula, brachypterous female. Figure 30. Megamelus notula, male. Figure 3 I . Me game! us notula, female. Figures 25- 3 1 : Photos Gernot Kunz. Flora and Auchenorrhyncha biocenoses in restricted relics areas of the LacusVelinus (Umbria and Latium, Italy) 181 Figures 32-39. Auchenorrhyncha from study areas. Figure 32. Megamelocles lequesnei. Figure 33. Delphacodes mulsanti. Figure 34. Struebingianella lugubrina, male. Figure 35. Struebingianella lugubrina, female. Figure 36. Rib auto delphax albostriata. Figure 37. Macropsis prasina. Figure 38. Not us italicus. Figure 39. Kybos virgator. Figures 32, 34-37, 39: Photos Gernot Kunz; Figures 33, 38: Photos Massimo Vollaro. 182 Adalgisa Guglielmino etalii Figures 40-45. Auchenorrhyncha from study areas. Figure 40. Zygina lunaris. Figure 41 . Zygina ordinaria. Figure 42. Hishimonus cf. hamatus. Figure 43. Cicadula frontalis. Figure 44. Cicadula placida. Figure 45. Metalimnus formosus . Photos Gemot Kunz. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to Manfred Asche (Berlin, Ger- many) for important information about the Delphacodes mulsanti problem. 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Results from a short entomological expedition in April, 20 1 5 Giorgio Sabella 1 *, Rostislav Bekchiev 2 & Rumyana Kostova 3 'Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Animal Biology Section, via Androne 8 1, 95 124 Catania, Italy; e-mail: sabellag@ unict.it A1 ational M useum ofNaturalHistory, 1 TsarOsvoboditelBlvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: bekchiev@nmnhs.com Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Dragan Tsankov Bvld., Bulgaria; e-mail: rkostova@ biofac.uni-sofia.bg Corresponding author ABSTRACT The study presents the results from an entomological expedition in Southern Italy. Two rare species, BatrisodeS adnexus (C. Hampe, 1 863 ) and Chennium siculum Fiori, 19 14, were collected in Sicily and three species, PcinCiphcintllS CltOJTlUS K iesenw etter, 1 858, BiblopleCtUS pUSillllS (Denny, 1 825), and BiblopleCtUS dclhcri'lli (Guillebeau, 1 888 ), are recorded for the first time from Calabria. KEYWORDS Italy; Pselaphinae; faunistics; taxonomy; new record. Received 09.09.201 6; accepted 24.1 0.2016; printed 30.03.20 1 7 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION A short entomological expedition was conduc- ted in April 2015 as a result of the collaboration between Catania University (Italy), National Mu- seum of Natural History of Sofia (NMNHS) and Sofia University (Bulgaria).While the region of Si- cily is relatively well studied about Pselaphinae fauna (Sabella, 1998), in the contrary the coastal re- gion of Calabria is still poorly investigated. The aim of this expedition was to collect material from spe- cific habitats for Southern Italy with scarce inform- ation about the Pselaphinae species composition. MATERIAL AND METHODS The material was collected from 01 to 08. IV. 2015 in the region of Sicily and from 09 to 12. IV. 2015 in the region of Calabria. The main visited habitats were mountain and plane forests so as wet zones in Sicily and mainly coastal dunes in Calabria (Figs. 1-5). The following collection methods were used: 1. Sifting with litter reducer (mesh diameter6x6 mm). The beetles were sorted up manually directly from the sifted leaf litter or rotten wood orwere extracted using W inkler/M oczarski selectors from 2.5-3 kg soil samples; 2. Light trap with a 160W MBTF lamp and a F8T5 - 365 nm black light tube; 3. Sweeping on the vegetation with an entomological net and with a one-hand blower (Partner GB V 325 ). 4. Collection at sight under stones and among the roots of herbaceous vegetation. Determination of the species was made by dis- sections using standard techniques: genitalia and 186 Giorgio sabella etalii small parts were mounted in Euparal on acetate la- bels which were pinned with the specimens. The material used for this study is deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgaria (NMNHS) and in the Department ofBio- logical, Geological and Environmental of Catania University (DBUC). The general distribution of the species is given according to Poggi & Sabella (2 0 05) and Schulke & Smetana (2015). In references all authors of the mentioned species are listed. The map was pro- duced with SimpleMappr (Shorthouse, 2010). RESULTS In total, 186 specimens belonging to 23 Pselaph- inae species were collected during the study (12 species from Sicily and 12 species from Calabria), with one species, Brycixis itolicUS (B audi di S elve, 1 870), common for both regions. List of the identified Pselaphinae species from the studied regions SIC ILY Trimium zoufali Krauss, 1900 Examined material. NEBRODI - San Fratello (Messina), N 37. 94540 E 14. 62729, 05. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 1 male and 1 female (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Endemic of mainland Italy (from Emilia to Calabria) and Sicily.Widespread in S icily. Sylvicolous species that lives in litter and rotten wood. Batrisodes adnexus (c.Hampe, 1 8 6 3 ) Examined material. NEBRODI. San Teodoro (Cesaro, Messina), N 37. 87024 E 14. 67808, 05. IV. 2015, 1 male (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Figure 1 . M ap of the main points of the studied area in South Italy. Pselaphinae from Sicily and Calabria (Italy). Results from a short entomological expedition in April, 2015 187 Remarks. Widespread in Europe. Reported for main land Italy and Sicily. Not very common in Si- cily where is known only to the northern districts (Peloritani, Etna, Nebrodi, Madonie and Sicani). In literature it is mentioned as m yrm ecophilous spe- cies (generally hosted in nests of Lasius brwmeUS (Latreille, 1 798), but it was collected also with car net, entomological net and sifting of rotten wood. Bryaxis siculus Fiori, 1 9 1 3 Examined material. IBLEI. Villa Vela (Noto, Siracusa), N 3 6. 98767 E 1 5. 02672, sifting litter, 04. IV. 2015, 3 males and 1 female (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). IBLEI. Cassaro (Noto, Siracusa), N 37. 10304 E 14. 96445, 06. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 2 females (R. Bekchiev, G . Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Endemic to Sicily ( I b lei, Madonie and Sicani districts). Sylvicolous species living in litter and sometimes also under big stones in forest. Bryaxis italicus (B audi di Selve, 1870) Examined material. NEBRODI. San Fratello (Messina), N37. 94540 E 14. 62 7 29, 05. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 3 males (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NM NHS). Remarks. Reported from southern France (Var, Alpes Maritimes), Switzerland (Ticino), mainland Italy, Elba and Giglio islands, and Sicily. In Sicily it is known only to the northeastern regions (Pelorit- ani, Etna, Nebrodi and Erei districts). Very common in sifting of vegetal debris, litter and potting soil. Tychus opuntiae (Schmidt- Goebel, 1 836) Examined material. IBLEI. Villa Vela (Noto, Siracusa), N 36. 98767 E 1 5. 02672, 04. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 1 male (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Figures 2-5. Typical habitats: Vendicari, Sicilia (Fig. 2); Nebrodi, San Fratello, Sicilia (Fig. 3); Marina di Strongoli, C alabria (Fig. 4); Santa Severina, Calabria (Fig. 5). 188 Giorgio sabella etalii Kostova) (NMNHS). NEBRODI. San Teodoro (Cesaro, Messina), N 37. 87024 E 14. 67808, 05. IV. 2015, under stones, 2 females (R. Bekchiev, G . Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Endemic of Sicily and Malta. Wide- spread in Sicily. Very common under stones in wet and clay meadows, in sifting of litter and vegetal debris, among the roots of plants in swampy areas; collected also by net car, window traps and ento- mological net at sunset on herbaceous vegetation in w et m eadow s. Brachygluta aubei (Tournier, 1 868) Examined material. IBLEI. Granelli (Pachino, Siracusa), N3 6.7 0 844 E 15.00 5 19, 0 3.04.20 15, sift- ing and sweeping, 11 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). IBLEI. Vendicari (Noto, Siracusa), N 3 6. 7 8723 E 1 5. 09456, 0 1. IV. 2015, sifting and sweeping, 3 males (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Known of coasts of Portugal and Spain, atlantic coast of France, Sardinia and cir- cum Sardinians islands, Sicily, Malta, islands of Fav- ignana, Pantelleria and Galita, and Maghreb (Tunisia, A lgeria and Morocco). Widespread in all coasts of Sicily and also in the central regions along riversides of salty streams or rivers. Halophilous species, common in coastal marshes and also along the riversides of salty rivers among the roots of plants. It was collected also with net car and ento- mological net on the riparian vegetation. Brachyhluta dentiventris (Sauicy, 1 8 76) Examined material. IBLEI. Granelli (Pachino, Siracusa), N 36. 70844 E 1 5. 005 19, 03. IV. 2015, sweeping, 1 male (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Widespread in the western Mediter- ranean basin, mentioned ofPortugal, Spain, south- ern France, Corsica, islands of Elba and Giglio, Sardinia and circum Sardinians islands, Italy main- land (Liguria, Tuscany, Basilicata and Apulia) Sicily, Malta, islands of Pan telle ri a and Galita, and Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco). Not very common but widespread in Sicily. It is found under stones in wet and clay meadows and among the roots of plants in swampy areas. Brachygluta ragusae (Sauicy, 1 876) Examined material. NEBRODI. San Fratello (Messina), N37. 94540 E 14. 62 7 29, 05. IV. 2015, under stones, 10 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). San Teodoro (Cesaro, Mess- ina), N 37. 87024 E 14. 67808, 05. IV. 2015, under stones, 3 males and 2 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sa- bella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Reported of mainland Italy (from Tuscany to Calabria), Sicily and Pantelleria island and also mentioned by Gridelli (1950: 22) of Dal- matia. Very common and widespread in Sicily. Gen-erally under stones in wet and clay meadows, sometimes sifting vegetal debris along the river- sides of stream s. Trissemus antennatus antennatus (Aube, 1 833) Examined material. IBLEI. Villa Vela (Noto, S iracusa), N36. 98767 E15. 0 2672, 0 4. IV. 2015, sift- ing litter, 1 male and 4 females (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Subspecies reported of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Corsica, mainland Italy, Elba island, Sardinia and Sicily. Very com- mon and widespread in Sicily. It lives in many hab- itat: marshes, swampy areas, riversides of streams, under stones in wet meadows, in litter and vegetal debris and it is also cacthed by net car, window traps and entomological net. Pselaphogenius peloritanus (Hoidhaus, 1 9 1 o ) Examined material. IBLEI. Canicattini Bagni (Siracusa), N 37. 03649 E 15. 07537, 06. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 1 female (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). NEBRODI. San Fratello (Messina), N 37. 94540 E 14. 62729, 05. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 2 males and 2 females (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). San Fratello (Messina), N 37. 93 67 8 E 14. 63943, 05. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 2 males and 1 female (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Endemic of Sicily, where it is wide- spread in the forestal habitat. Generally in sifting of litter, sometimes under big stones in forest and in sifting of vegetal debris. Pselaphinae from Sicily and Calabria (Italy). Results from a short entomological expedition in April, 2015 189 Chennium siculum Fiori, 1 9 1 4 (Fig. 6) Examined material. NEBRODI. San Teodoro (Cesard, Messina), N 37. 87024 E 14. 67808, 05. IV. 2015, entomological net, 1 male (I. Gjonov) (NMNHS). Remarks. Endemic of northern Sicily (Sicani and Nebrodi districts). Myrmecophilous species, generally hosted in nests of TetrCUTlOriuifl CCieS- pitum (Linnaeus, 1758) and LasiuS brUMieUS (Latreille, 1 79 8), but also collected at sunset by entomological net on herbaceous vegetation in wet meadows. Ctenistes kiesenwetteri Sauicy, 1874 Examined material. NEBRODI. San Fratello (Messina), N 37. 94540 E 14. 62729, 05. IV. 2015, under stones, 11 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Rostov a) (NMNHS). Remarks. Reported of Algeria, Tunisia and Si- cily. Very common and widespread in Sicily. Gen- erally collected under stones in wet and clay Figure 6. Habitus of Chennium siculum Fiori, 1914. meadows but also among the roots of plants in swampy areas, rarely in sifting of litter and vegetal debris . CALABRIA Panaphantus atomus K iesenwetter, 185 8 Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of N eto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 17. 1 3858, 09-1 0. IV. 20 15 , sifting lit- ter, 2 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Rostova) (NM NH S). Remarks. Localised butwidespread in Mediter- ranean basin: Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria and Mo- rocco), southern France, Corsica, mainland Italy (Veneto, Liguria, Emilia, Tuscany, Umbria and La- tiu m ), S ardinia, S icily , C ro atia , B o snia-H erzego vina, Greece, islands of Corfu and Crete, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Israel and north w e stern Iran . New record from Calabria. It lives in marshes and swampy areas among the roots of plants or under vegetal debris. Euplectus bonvouloiri narentinus Reitter, 1882 Examined material. CROTONESE. Verzino (Crotone), N39. 3521 1 El 6. 8 02 82, 1 0. IV. 2015, sift- ing, 1 male and 1 female (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Rostova) (NMNHS); same data, 1 female (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Rostova) (DBUC). Remarks. This subspecies is widespread in central and southern Europe and it is mentioned for all mainland Italy. It lives in litter and rotten wood. Euplectus verticalis Reitter, 18 84 Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of N eto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 1 7. 1 3 85 8, 0 9 - 1 0 .1 V.2 0 1 5 , sweeping and sifting, 2 males (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Rostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Distributed in the regions of south- eastern o f M editerranean basin (Slovenia, Macedo- nia, Italy, Greece, islands of Corfu, Zante, Crete and Rodi, Israel and Turkey). In Italy is reported for Tuscany, Latium, Calabria and Sicily. Generally it is collected by sifting litter, vegetal debris and 190 Giorgio sabella etalii rotten wood, alongside the riversides of streams and rivers and in swampy areas. Bibloplectus delhermi Guiiiebeau, 1 8 8 8 Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 1 7. 1 3 85 8, 09-10.IV.2015, sifting lit- ter, 1 male and 1 female (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NM NHS). Remarks. Reported of Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, southern Austria, France, mainland Italy (Veneto, Emilia, Tuscany, Latium and Ba- silicata), Giglio island, Sicily, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary and Turkey. New record from Calabria.lt lives in marshes and swampy areas among the roots of plants or under vegetal debris. Bibloplectus pusillus (Denny, 1 825 ) Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 1 7. 1 3 85 8, 09- 1 0.IV.20 1 5 , sweeping and sifting, 10 males and 14 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Widespread in Europe and men- tioned also from Turkey. In Italy is mentioned of the mainland (Piemonte, Lombardia, Friuli Venezia-G iulia, Veneto, Emilia, Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Umbria and Basilicata), Sardinia and Si- cily. New record from Calabria. Same habitat of the previous species. Trimium paganettii Reitter, 1906 Examined material. CROTONESE. Santa Severina (Crotone), N39. 13331 E16.902 0 4, 10. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 2 males and 2 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS), same data, 1 male and 2 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (DBUC). Remarks. Endemic of southern Italy, until now known from Campania,Apulia,Basilicata,Calabria and Sicily. Sylvicolous species that lives in litter and rotten wood. Tychobythinus glabratus (Rye, 1 8 7 o ) Examined material. CROTONESE. Santa Severina (Crotone), N39. 13331 E16.9 0 2 04, 10. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 2 males and 2 females (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS); same data, 2 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (DBUC). Remarks. Reported of southern England, Ger- many, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slove- nia, and Croatia (Dalmatia). Known of mainland Italy, islands ofElba, Palmarola, Zannone and San Domino, and Sicily, where it seems confined only in the Peloritani district. In Italy the species was col- lected under very big stones or sifting litter and ve- getal debris, while in the northermost regions of its distribution area it is mentioned as m yrm ecophilou s species. Bryaxis italicus (BaudidiSelve, 187 0 ) Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 17. 13858, 09- 1 0 .IV. 20 1 5 , sifting lit- ter, 14 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NM NHS). Remarks. For information on this species, refer to the discussion made earlier. Tychus pullus Kiesenwetter, 1858 Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 17. 1 3858, 0 9- 1 0 .IV. 2 0 1 5 , sifting lit- ter, 1 male and 4 females (R . Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NMNHS). Remarks. Species distributed in eastern Medi- terranean basin, known for Italy, Slovenia, Croazia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegowina,Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary and Turkey. In Italy is reported for Veneto, Emilia, Tuscany, Umbria, Tuscany, Apulia, Basilicata and Calabria. It is found in marshes and swampy areas among the roots of plants, under vegetal debris and under stones. Rybaxis longicornis (Leach, 1 8 1 7 ) Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 El 7. 1 3 85 8, 09-10. IV. 2 015, sifting and swipping, 21 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NM NHS). Pselaphinae from Sicily and Calabria (Italy). Results from a short entomological expedition in April, 2015 191 Remarks. Species widespread in allEurope (in- cluding England and Ireland), Thyrrhenians islands, North Africa, Minor Asia and Central Asia. It is present throughout Italy mainland, Sardinia and c ire u m s ard in ian s islands and Sicily. It lives in marshes, swampy areas, riversides of streams and rivers and wet meadows, among the roots of plants, under vegetal debris and under stones. It seems to prefer salty soils. Pselaphus parvus K aram an, 1940 Examined material. CROTONESE. Mouth of Neto river (Marina di Strongoli, Crotone), N39. 19115 E 1 7. 1 3 85 8, 0 9- 1 0 .1 V .2 0 1 5 , sifting and swipping 22 ex. (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (NM NHS). Remarks. Known of Austria (Eastern Tirol); Switzerland, France (M aritime Alps), Corse, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia (Istria). In Italy only in the mainland. It is found in marshes, swampy areas, riversides of streams and rivers, among the roots of plants or under vegetal debris. Pselapho genius sp. gr fiorii Examined material. CROTONESE. Verzino (Crotone), N 39. 352 1 1 E 1 6. 802 82, 1 0. IV. 2015, sifting litter, 1 male and 1 female (R. Bekchiev, G. Sabella, R. Kostova) (DBUC). Remarks. The specimens are still being studied. Based on the exoskeletalmorphology and aedeagal features character, they are attributable with cer- tainty to the Pselapho genius fiorii group (Sabella, 1 992) and are closely related to Pselapho genius aspromontanus ( r e itte r, 1 9 1 o ) . CONCLUSIONS A first result of this entomological expedition in Sicily and Calabria, two rare Pselaphinae spe- cies, Chennium siculum and Batrisodes adnexus , were collected from Sicily, while three species, Panaphantus atomus, Bibloplectus pusillus, and BibloplectUS delhernti, are recorded for the first time from Calabria. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank prof. A. Petralia, Ente Fauna Siciliana (Noto, Italy) and F. La Manna (Crotone, Italy) for their kind assistance during the expedi- tio n . REFERENCES Aube C., 1833. Pselaphiorum monographia cum sy non y - mia extricata. Magasin de Zoologie, 3: 1-72, pis 7 8- 94. Baudi di Selve F., 1 870. C o leo p tero ru m messis in insula Cyprio etAsia min ore ab Eugenio Truqui congregatae recensitio: de Europaeis notis quibusdam additis. Pars altera. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, 13 [1 869]: 369-4 1 8. Denny H., 1825. Monographia Pselaphidarum et Scydm aenidarum Britanniae:An essay on the British species of the genera PselcipllUS, of Herbst, and ScydmaenUS , of Latreille: in which those genera are subdivided, and all the species hitherto discovered in Great Britain are accurately described and arranged, with an indication of the situation in which they are usually found. Norwich: S. Wilkin, vii + 74 pp.,14 p Is . FioriA., 1913. Pselafidi di Sicilia. Rivista Coleotterolo- gica Italiana, 11: 1-6. FioriA., 1914. Descrizione di alcune specie di Coleotteri m irm ecophili. Rivista C oleotterologica Italiana, 12: 105-120. Gridelli E., 1950. II problem a delle specie a diffusione transadriatica, con particolare riguardo ai Coleotteri. Memorie di BiogeografiaAdriatica, 1: 1-299. Guillebeau F., 1888. Notes pour servir a l'etude des Pselaphiens (suite). Revue d 'E n to m o lo g ie (Caen), 7: 368-380. H ampe C. 1863. Ein kleiner Beit rag zur gross-oster- reichischen Kaferfauna. Wiener Entomologische M onatschrift, 7: 28 5-29 0. Holdhaus K., 1910. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pselaph- iden- und Scydm aeniden - Faun a Italiens und der tyrrhenischen Inseln. Munchener Koleopterologis- che Zeitschrift, 4: 46-57. Karaman Z., 1940. Revision der Pselaphiden (Col.). 1. Tribus Pselaphini. Glasnik, Bulletin de la Societe Scientifique de Skopje, 22: 1 15-128. Kiesenwetter E.A.H. von, 1 85 8. In: Kraatz G.: Beitrag zur Kaferfauna Griechen lands. Zweites Stuck: Palpicornia, Silphales, S cy dm aenidae, Pselaphidae, S tap h y 1 in id ae . Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, 2: 37-67. Krauss H., 1900. Neue mediterrane Staphyli noidea (C o - leopt.) nebst Bemerkungen zu bekannten. Verhand- 192 Giorgio sabella etalii lunge n der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Zoologisch- Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 50: 289-293. Leach W.E., 1817. The Zoological Miscellany, being descriptions of new or interesting animals. Vol. III. London R. P. Nodder, v + [1]+ 151 pp ., p Is. 121-150. Poggi R. & Sabella G ., 2005. Coleoptera S taphylinidae Pselaphinae. In: Ruffo S. & Stoch F. (Eds.), Checklist e d is trib u z io n e della fauna italiana. Memorie del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona, 2 serie, Sezione Scienze della Vita, 16: 1 83-1 84. Reitter E., 1882. B estim m ungs-Tabellen der europais- chen Coleopteren. V. Paussidae, C lavigerid ae, Pselaph- idae und Scydm aenidae. Verhandlungen der Kais- erlich-Koniglichen Z o o lo g isc h -B o tan ische n Gesell- schaft in Wien. 31 [1881]: 443-593, pis VI-VII. Reitter E., 1 884. Resultate einer coleopterologischen Sammel-Campagne wahrend den M onaten Februar bis April 1883 auf den jo n ische n Inseln. 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De quelques nouveaux Coleopteres d'Europe etd'Algerie.Annales de la Societe Entomo- logique de France, 4e serie, 7 [1 867]: 56 1-570, pi. 13 . Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 193-204 Monograph Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy) Alberto Villari 1 & Danilo Scuderi 2 * 'Via Villa Contino 30, 98124 Messina, Italy; e-mail: villaria@tiscali.it 2 Via Mauro de Mauro 15b, 95032 Belpasso, Catania, Italy; e-mail: danscu@tin.it ^Corresponding author ABSTRACT The finding of some species of Mollusca interesting either for their distributional pattern, taxonomy or simply for the new iconography here presented are reported. Some species represent the first finding in Italian waters or the first record of living specimens. As a con- sequence, they furnished interesting data on habitat preferences and the external morphology of the living animal, which are hereafter reported. The taxonomy of some problematic taxa is here discussed, reporting new name combinations, while for others the question remains open. Discussions, comparisons and a new iconography are here reported and discussed. KEY WORDS Mollusca; poorly known species; Messina Strait; Mediterranean Sea. Received 26.08.2016; accepted 15.11.2016; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION Notwithstanding a lot of inedited papers on the biodiversity of the Messina’s Strait were produced in the past, from the XVIII century to recent time, numerous new notices are added every year. This richness of interesting findings is due to the par- ticular series of coincidences, from the peculiar currents to the very characteristics geo-morphology of the site, which play a fundamental role for a high hydrodynamism, already well known since Omer’s time, and its influence on maintaining a wide range of environmental conditions deeply connected to the large variety of ecological niches. From the deep bottoms to the lower water biocoenosis, the Messina's Strait had ever offered to researches a complete series of data in every possible field of marine biology, from Algae to jellyfish, to ichthy- ology and malacology. As an example, beyond data of his life as a researcher, the recent biography of A. Cocco includes even interesting romantic notices of the scientific activity in Europe (Ammendolia et al., 2014) and the Messina Strait in particular, as could be inferred by its definition as “the Para- dise of Zoologist” done by August David Krohn (Battaglia et al., 2012). In the XIX century numerous contributions re- garded the Messina’s Strait malacology, among which a complete checklist of the malacological taxa inhabiting the Strait (Granata-Grillo, 1876- 1 877), while a more recent and updated edition was compiled by Micali & Giovine (1983). Numerous records of peculiar or new species at all regarded the Calabrian side of the Strait of Mess- ina. Among all, the most recent important taxo- nomical studies led to the description of new taxa, i.e. Jujubinus curinii Bogi et Campani, 2006, Fu si- nus dimassai Buzzurro et Russo, 2007, Gibberula 194 Alberto Vi llari & Danilo Scuderi cristinae Tisselli, Agamennone et Giunchi, 2009. Further notes on new assessments of the malacolo- gical communities of the Strait of Messina regarded some new alien species, whose geographical distri- bution is expanded to this area (Crocetta et al., 2009). In recent times new additions to the malacology of the Sicilian side of the Strait of Messina were published. Among Gastropoda some taxonomical and biological notes regarded the rare species Melanochlamys seurati (Vayssiere, 1926), sub- sequently reported as M. algirae (Adams in Sowerby II, 1850), found at Villaggio Pace -7m, 2 liv. specimens under Condylactis aurantiaca (Delle Chiaje, 1825), Anthozoa Actiniaria Actinii- dae (Micali & Scuderi, 2006); the taxonomical position and distribution of the opistobranch incor- rectly known as Cylichnina multiquadrata Ober- ling, 1970 was re-discussed by Micali (2014), who assigned it the correct name Notodiaphana at- lantica Ortea, Moro et Espinosa, 2013; Skenea giemellorum Romani, Bogi et Bartolini, 2015 was described as new species and reported for some Italian localities, among which the Strait of Mess- ina (Romani et al., 2015). The bivalves Lucinoma spelaeum Palazzi et Vil- lari, 2001 for the first time after hits institution as a new species (Palazzi & Villari, 2001), was recorded outside Taormina’s caves, along the shores of the Strait (Micali, 2004), where an exceptional finding of the Cephalopoda Octopoteuthis sicula Riippell, 1 844 (Villari & Ammendolia, 2009), a problematic mesopelagic species, allowed new taxonomical considerations (Jereb et al., 2012; 2016). Since we always had been attracted by the bio- logical richness of the Messina’s harbor, whose peculiar hook shaped form contributes to maintain a well preserved environment, also due to a very vigorous hydrodynamism, we begun to sample malacological materials for new observations. Data on species hereafter reported and commented are based on records of the sole Messina province (Fig. 1). Some of these records represent just an expan- sion of the geographical distribution of some poorly known species, i.e. Jujubinus curinii, described only in recent time from Scilla (Reggio Calabria), and Pitar mediterrcineus (Aradas et Benoit, 1872), reported as a good species by Gofas et al. (2011), separated by the more common P. rudis (Poli, 1795). The habitat preference, the external appear- ance of the soft parts and the likely shell growth rate are here reported for the rare Mathilda gemmu- lata Semper, 1865. Some species with an Atlantic or W-Mediterranean preference, like Tricolia deschampsi Gofas, 1993, Setia slikorum (Verduin, 1984), Gregariella semigranata (Reeve, 1858) are here reported for the first time or confirmed to be present in Italian waters. The systematic position of some other debated taxa are here confirmed as good species, i.e. Alvania sororcula Granata-Grillo, 1877 and Setia sciutiana (Aradas et Benoit, 1874), whose locus typicus is the Messina’s Strait. While the validity of Alvania peloritana Aradas et Benoit, 1874 as a good species and the identity of a prob- able second species of Pinctada Roding, 1798 in the Mediterranean remain open questions. Chelidon- ura fulvipunctata Baba, 1938 is here reported as a recent new alien species for the Italian waters. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sampling was undertaken in June-September 2015 and materials were collected along the shores of Messina, in classic localities where Authors in the past had described their new taxa: a complete map of the sampling localities is reported (Fig. 1). Samples were conducted by SCUBA diving and materials were collected handily with a hand-towed net method (Russo et al., 1985), modified simultan- eously utilizing a brush on both shaphilic and well- lighted photophilic hard substrata, from the surface to -4/6m depth. Materials fallen into the net, with a 1 mm mesh size, were immediately stored in marine water and sorted for the identification under stereo- microscope after few minutes. Some specimens were drawn with gray and coloured pencils and then saved in 90° ethanol. Additional material derived from preceding col- lecting samples by fish-nets shell-grit in the collec- tions of both the Authors of the present paper. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS, h: height; liv.: living specimens; sh.: shell/shells; st.: station; AVC: Alberto Villari collection; PMC: Pasquale Micali collection; DSC: Danilo Scuderi collection; JC: Jeffreys Collection; RMNH: Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic (now NCB: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Nether- lands); USNM: United States National Museum. Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy) 195 Figure 1 . Study area and position of the six investigated sta- tions: 1. Harbor of Messina; 2. S. Raineri, Maddalena Lo Faro wreck; 3. S. Raineri, “Degassifica” station; 4. Marina del Nettuno; 5. Contrada Paradiso; 6. Ganzirri. RESULTS Conclusions on the most interesting malacolo- gical material collected here follow. Results are grouped according to the systematic order of taxa. They vary from enlargements of geographical ran- ges of distribution of some species recorded to re- evaluations of the taxonomical status of some problematic taxa. Jujubinus curinii Bogi et Campani, 2006 (Figs. 29, 30) Examined material, st. 6, fishing nets, -100/120 m depth, one single sh., DSC; Taormina, -20 m, 12 sh., PMC. Remarks. This species was known only for the locus typicus, the Calabrian coast of the Strait, where it was supposed to be an endemism (Bogi & Campani, 2006). According to our own data, the range of geographic distribution should be enlarged, though only inside the restricted area around the Sicilian coasts of the Strait, from Ganzirri Southern to Taormina. Tricolia deschampsi Gofas, 1993 (Fig. 31-34) Examined material, st. 2, 3, 5, 6, -2/4 m depth, among algae and under stones, 56 liv. and 32 sh. Remarks. Among the “small Tricolia species” living in Sicily, T. deschampsi has never been re- corded before. The exam of the external anatomy of the living animal (Fig. 34) had confirmed the taxonomical identification made after shell morpho- logy. The species was described for the South Mediterranean part of Spain, where it was believed to be endemic, like other congeners. In recent time T. deschampsi has been recorded in Aegean Sea (Manousis & Galinou-Mitsoudi, 2014), although the species figured seems better to correspond to young specimens of T. tenuis on the basis of the col- our pattern of the shell and the protoconch outline (see sketches in figures 2, 3 for comparisons). Our findings are the first for Italian waters and allowed comparisons with T. landinii (Fig. 35). Differences based on shell morphology, underlined by Scuderi & Reitano (2014), and on colour and anatomy of the living animal (almost entirely green in T. land- inii and reddish-brown in T. deschampsi ) allowed the easy distinction of the two sympatric species. Gofas (1993) reported the very similar T. punctura Gofas, 1993 in the Strait of Messina, which differs in colour pattern and some details of the shell. Tricolia landinii Bogi et Campani, 2007 (Fig. 35) Examined material, st. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, -2/4 m depth, among algae, 49 liv. and 37 sh. Remarks. The original material on which the species was described resulted constituted by young specimens, making the identification of the species problematic: only the re-description of adult speci- mens and the description of the external anatomical parts discriminated it rather sufficiently from all other “small Tricolia'''’ and from the close similar T. tingitana (Scuderi & Reitano, 2014). Specimens here collected furnished useful additional informa- tions on the shell colour pattern (Figs. 35, 36), which is almost paler and reddish than those usually found around the volcanic coasts of Catania. The colour of the living animals, paler brown in T. deshampsi and greenish in T. landinii , allows a good and quick discrimination of these two similar species. Setia sciutiana (Aradas et Benoit, 1874) (Figs. 23-27) Cingula kuiperi Verduin, 1984 Examined material, st. 4, -2/4 m depth, among 196 Alberto Villari & Danilo Scuderi Figures 2-9. Sketches of young shells and protoconchs of some species of Tricolia. Figs. 2,3:1 tenuis , Linosa Island. Figs. 4, 5: T. miniata, Linosa Island. Figs. 6,1: T. pullus, Linosa Island. Figs. 8, 9: T. speciosa, Portopalo di Menfi. algae and under stones, 25 liv. and 22 sh. Cingula kuiperi, holotype (RMNH.MOL.55641), El Djem- ila, Algeria, h: 1.6 mm (Fig. 27). Remarks. This species is similar to Setia am- bigua (Brugnone, 1873) but the former could be re- cognised by: whorls more rounded, spire shorter, less turriculated, protoconch dome-shaped, smooth, with a dark stain umbilicus reduced to a narrow chink dark spots of the body-whorl arranged in three rows, but the lower two usually merge into one. Judging from Mediterranean checklists (Clemam, 2016; WoRMS, 2017), the taxonomical position of this species is still uncertain. In fact it is placed among incertae sedis of Rissoidae. Probably the uncertainty which charac- terises the taxonomical status of the species is due to Verduin (1984), who, notwithstanding the good original diagnosis, stated the impossibility to identify this taxon without the help of the type ma- terial, which he was not able to find among the col- lections of several Museums. In the same paper Cingula kuiperi Verduin, 1984 was described from Algeria. One year after the description of this taxon, it was reported from Antibes (van der Linden & Wag- ner, 1985), extending its geographical distribution to France. Ten years later Gaglini (1994) reported the finding of the type material of “ Rissoa ” sciutiana Aradas et Benoit, 1874, which she figured and reported as valid species and possible synonym of Setia kuiperi (Verduin, 1984). But, one more time, the name S. sciutiana was not recognised as valid. We have found numerous living specimens of this species, sympatric with the abundant congen- eric S. ambigua from which could be separated by the almost orange-brown colour of the hepatopan- creas, instead of blackish as in S. ambigua (Figs. 25, 26 and 28). We have found a perfect corres- pondence with the type material figured by Gaglini (1994). Moreover, after the comparison of the material collected with the type of S. kuiperi (Fig. 27), we agree with Gaglini in considering this latter species as a junior synonym of S. sciutiana. Setia slikorum (Verduin, 1984) (Fig. 7) Examined material, st. 6, -3 m, on Caulerpa taxifolia, 1 liv. spec. Remarks. This is a species of atlantic affinity usually recorded in Western-Mediterranean coasts, Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy) 197 Figures 10-15. Alvania sororcula, S. Raineri, “Degassifica” station; Figs. 1 1-13: variability, same data, h 2.3; 2.2 and 1.8 mm respectively. Fig. 11: shell, lateral view. Fig. 14: drawing of the shell outline and colour pattern. Fig. 15: drawing of the living animal. Figures 16-19. Alvania scabra, shell, same data of A. sororcula , h 1.8 mm. Fig. 17: lateral view. Fig. 18: drawing of the shell outline and colour pattern. Fig. 19: drawing of the living animal. Fig. 20. Alvania lineata. Harbor of Messina, h 3.3 mm. Fig. 21. Alvania peloritana, same data of A. lineata, h 3.2 mm. Fig. 22. Setia slikorum, Ganzirri, h 1.8 mm. 198 Alberto Vi llari & Danilo Scuderi regularly found, but not common, in S-Spain. Few scattered records along Italian coasts are reported, which justify its presence in the Italian check-list (Oliverio, 2006), but reportedly none is really offi- cially published. Its finding in the Sicilian waters is relevant because of its peculiarity as for environ- mental condition of finding and because it enlarges its geographical distribution to more Eastern local- ities of the Mediterranean and represents the first record for «zone 4» (the Messina’s Strait) of italian checlist. Alvania peloritana Aradas et Benoit, 1874 (Fig. 21) Examined material, st. 1 to 6, -2/4 m depth, among algae, 36 liv. and 41 sh. Remarks. Numerous living specimens and shells of what we interpreted as the problematic A. peloritana have been found along the Messina coast sympatric with the congener Alvania lineata (Risso, 1826) (Fig. 20). Reported as synonym of Alvania discors (Allan, 1818), of which A. peloritana recall the general shell outline, the straight and large axial ribs and the tendency of spiral chords to become faint at the top of the whorl (Scuderi & Terlizzi, 2012), it shows sufficiently marked morphological differences to be separated (Fig. 6). But the proto- conch is not smooth like in A. discors. Alvania peloritana shares with A. lineata the general colour of the shell, the protoconch sculpture and the colour pattern of the living animal. The taxonomical prob- lem on the correct interpretation of this species from the original diagnosis and its validity as a good separated species should be remanded to more ac- curate specific studies which should take in con- sideration the comparison with the type material. Alvania sororcula Granata-Grillo, 1877 (Figs. 10-15) Examined material, st. 3, -2/4 m depth, among algae, 27 liv. and 1 1 sh. Remarks. The A. scabra (Philippi, 1844) “group” comprises several Mediterranean and Atlantic species, whose differences are question- able; the real status of single species is still debated. Alvania sororcula is one of them, even if we feel that among malacologists the idea of this taxon is different from the real one. Good SEM pictures of shell and protoconch of a specimen sent to Jeffreys by Granata-Grillo (USNM) and some brief com- ments were published by Gofas & Waren (1982: p. 4, see remarks under A. jeffreysi Waller, 1 864), who considered it as valid. Our findings fit rather sat- isfactory with this latter and we agree with him in considering A. sororcula as a good species, which could be distinguished from A. scabra (Figs, lb- 19), by the following differences, summarized in the sketches of figures 14 and 18: shell higher (2.4 mm vs. 1.8 mm). Different teleoconch proportions: h 0.83 vs. 0.61, with wider base. Different teleo- conch sculpture: three main spirals per whorl except for the first, which bears only two; spirals are pre- dominant over the axial ribs, with faint or no knobs at the intersection; wide smooth subsutural zone. Protoconch bigger, but with similar sculpture. Col- our pattern of the shell similar, but different in some ways, being markedly bi-coloured in every whorl, with chestnut brown lower half and a grayish upper part, with characteristic dark brown subsutural alternating and prosocline stains, instead of few bigger and not inclined almost brown stains, even if almost entirely brown shells are known of both species. A wide dark band is present at the internal side of the base, instead of some rows of little points. A wider dark stain could be seen on the external lip, below the suture, just near the outer edge of the aperture. The external soft body parts are similar, but in A. sororcula the colour pattern is constantly less shiny, with only grayish bands, which are almost black in A. scabra (Fig. 19). Comparative notes. The numerous shells and living specimens collected allowed us to confirm the above mentioned taxonomical status of the spe- cies and to compare it to close similar species. Starting by saying that all these considerations are based on morphological characters only and that the taxonomy of this complicated group of Alvania needs a more accurate revision with molecular ap- proach, according to our observations A. sororcula could be easily separated from typical A. scabra s.s., from A. lucinae Oberling, 1970 and from A. oranica (Pallary, 1900) by the absence of the fourth spiral chord in the whorls preceding the last, which leaves a wide abapical steep zone and shapes the whorls characteristically pagoda-shaped and not almost rounded (see for instance figures 14 and 18). In the Mediterranean only A. sculptilis (Monterosato, 1877) resembles A. sororcula. Speak- ing about A. sculptilis, Tringali (2001) described Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy) 199 Figures 23-26. Setia sciutiana, Marina del Nettuno, h 1.55 mm; Fig. 24: shell, lateral view; Fig. 25: detail of the protoconch shape and colour of hepatopancreas; Fig. 26: drawing of the living animal. Fig. 27. “ Cingula ” kuiperi, holotype (RMNH.MOL.55641), 1 .6 mm. Fig. 28. Setia ambigua, Marina del Nettuno, h 1 .75 mm, detail of the protoconch and colour of hepatopancreas. Figs. 29, 30. Jujubinus curinii, Ganzirri, h 3.8 mm; Fig. 30: Taormina, h 1.4 mm (PMC). Figs. 31-34. Tricolia deschampsi, S. Raineri, Maddalena Lo Faro wreck, h 1.2 mm; Fig. 32: upper view; Fig. 33: detail of the outer lip and operculum. Fig. 34: drawing of the living animal. Figs. 35, 36. Tricolia landinii, S. Raineri, Maddalena Lo Faro wreck, h 1.3 mm; Fig. 36: upper view. 200 Alberto Vi llari & Danilo Scuderi and figured very well the shell and protoconch, di- stinguishing it from A. s cobra. Of this latter he showed good figures too of the shell and proto- conch (a specimen from a submarine cave from Capo Palinuro, Italy), which however does not per- fectly match with our own idea and figures of A. scabra. Tringali (2001) concludes its note to A. sculptilis hypothesizing that the Western Mediter- ranean form, corresponding to A. sculptilis, is sep- arable by the Central Mediterranean one, which corresponds to A. scabra s.s. if it will be proved the lack of intermediate forms. He never mentions nor compares A. sculptilis to A. sororcula. Concerning A. oranica, therefore, Tringali (2001) seems con- vinced that this latter species, which should bear a spiral chord more on the penultimate whorl in some specimens, should be the same of A. sculptilis too, being the presence of the fourth spiral chord a rather variable character on account of his experience. Ac- cording to us A. sculptilis could be the same as A. sororcula, even if some little differences could be detected (see Gofas et al., 2011: 183). Alvania or- anica should be a different species, which could re- present at least a Western Mediterranean cline of A. scabra, being intermediates maybe constituted by a third still undescribed species. If the identity between A. sororcula and A. sculptilis will be demonstrated, the former should be considered junior synonym, the description of the taxon being published on August 1877 (see Bertolaso & Palazzi, 1997), while that of A. sculp- tilis was publicated on genuary of the same year (Clemam, 2016). But this latter is a secondary hom- onym of A. sculptilis (May, 1920), an Australian species for which seem more useful to be employed (see Criscione & Ponder, 2011 and comments on Worms, 2017). Biology and distribution. Shallow water, among algae. The deeper findings of some collect- ors are probably due to dead specimens falling down from shallow waters by the strong sea cur- rents or to misidentifications of the species. Mathilda gemmulata Semper, 1865 (Figs. 37-40) Examined material, st. 1, -2/4 m depth, among algae and under stones, 14 liv. and 2 sh. Remarks. This rather infrequent species was taxonomically treated by Oliverio & Nofroni (1986), who listed and critically commented a series of synonyms. We agree with actual point of view of modern checklists (see WoRMS, 2017) in consid- ering M. barbadensis Dali, 1889 as a distinct spe- cies, being more conical in general outline, with a different proportion between the height of the last whorl and that of the spire, more pointed, having a proportionally smaller protoconch, and with a more marked central chord, which excels over the others. Specimens of M. gemmulata Semper, 1865 collec- ted in the present paper have been recorded in shal- low waters, on the shaphilic side of the harbor’s piers, which lie on sandy bottom, where some sea anemones of different species were present and upon which it probably feeds. As additional data on this species, here we present two photographs of the living animal (Figs. 39, 40) since, at our knowledge, no pictures of this species are present in literature Chelidonura fulvipunctata Baba, 1938 (Figs. 41-43) Examined material, st. 3, under small rocks, -2m depth, one single specimen. Remarks. A single specimen of an undeter- mined Aglajdae was collected alive. The general shape of the living specimen suggested that it be- longs to the genus Chelidonura A. Adams, 1850. But none of the known Mediterranean species seemed to correspond to the characteristics of the specimen found, for the higher dimensions, the brown colour, mottled of small orange stains, ex- cept for the head, which bears a marked whitish “W” on the anterior part of the shield. Further stud- ies allowed us to name it as C. fulvipunctata, an alien species which entered into the Mediterranean only in recent times and was recorded for the first time in Turkey and reported as Chelidonura medi- terranea (Swennen, 1961) new species. The internal very small and fragile shell is wider and bigger in dimension compared to that of the other Mediterranean species, which are thinner and very reduced. In particular it is different in colour pattern, dimensions and internal shell from C. it- alica Sordi, 1980, which name is to be used instead of C. africana Pmvot-Fol, 1953 as stated in Perrone & Sammut (1997), with whom we agree and which we found sympatrically in the same site (Fig. 44). Mediterranean records of this species are scanty and regard mainly Eastern regions: see Tsiakkiros Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy) 201 Figures 37-40. Mathilda gemmulata, Harbor of Messina, h 5.0 mm; Fig. 38: younger specimen, h 3.5 mm; Figs. 39, 40: living animal, h 5.3 mm. Figures 41-43. Chelidonura fulvipunctata, S. Raineri, “Degassifica” station, living animal, h 26 mm; Figs. 42, 43, upper and lower view of the internal shell, h 6 mm. Fig. 44. Chelidonura italica, S. Raineri, “Degassifica” station, lower view of the internal shell, h 0.46 mm. Fig. 45. Gregariella semigranata, Harbor of Messina, h 2. 1x3.4 mm. Figures 46-48. Pinctada sp. aff. radiata ; Figs. 46, 47: Playa di Catania, h 28 and 21 mm; Fig. 48: Contrada Paradiso, h 40 mm. Figure 49. Pitar mediterraneus, Ganzirri, h 13.5x15 mm. 202 Alberto Villari & Danilo Scuderi & Zenetos (2011), who collected it at Cyprus, for a more complete list of collecting localities. In recent time it was found at Malta (Perrone & Sammut, 1997). Gregariella semigranata (Reeve, 1858) (Fig. 45) Examined material, st. 1 , on algae of break waves, -l/2m depth, one single specimen. Remarks. This species too is usually recorded in Western-Mediterranean coasts. Its scattered records into the Mediterranean could be linked to anthropic activities, since findings are accompanied with other Atlantic species in localities often inter- ested by a very busy naval traffic (personal obser- vations). Pinctada sp. aff. radiata (Figs. 46-48) Examined material, st. 5, Posidonia mattes, -7 m, 15 sh. Remarks. Pinctada radiata is one of the earli- est introduced Indo-Pacific species in the Mediter- ranean sea thRought the Red sea, being the first record reported by Monterosato as Meleagrina sav- ignyi Monterosato, 1884 from Egypt (Monterosato, 1878). Subsequently this species was regularly found along all the Mediterranean sea and the Italian coasts (Parenzan, 1961; Bombace, 1967; Pac- cagnella, 1967; Spada, 1969). Nowadays the dis- tribution of the species in this basin is rather wide but inconsistent as for number of specimens col- lected in single localities. Only in some North- African sites it seems abundant. In Lampedusa Island (Pelagie Islands) it is well established in shallow rocky shores till today. Young specimens of this species were found attached on the cara- pace of the sea turtles (Oliverio et al., 1992), though its distribution in the Mediterranean is not proved to be linked to the movements of these marine reptiles. In recent times a new massive invasion of this species seems to proceed along the Ionian coasts of Sicily. Two years ago several thousands of living specimens (Figs. 46-47) were beached at Playa of Catania after a storm, where, judging by the liter- ature data, the species was never found before since Aradas & Benoit (1872-74) till today (personal data), with the exception of a single record for the external wall of the harbor of Catania (Di Geron- imo, 1971: based on material of Priolo collection). Specimens found in Catania are identical to those found inside the lake of Ganzirri and just out of there, along the Messina’s shores (Fig. 48). All this materials is constituted by specimens, which mor- phologically seem to differ from specimens of typ- ical P. radiata from Southern Mediterranean localities. In particular specimens here reported differ for: valves more convex; less flattened profile seen from the umbo; shell colour tending from yellowish- green to deep green; only 5, 6 main ribs on the right valve, with a series of 4-6 more minute ribs on the posterior margin of the same valve; spiny process less numerous and more robust, even on the left valve (Fig. 48). One additional character could be detected ob- serving some small differences of the hinge tooth of both the valves, less robust and better defined in P. radiata s.s. But these last observations need more accurate studies to be confirmed. On the other hand, a more accurate anatomical exam has revealed the presence of a speare-shaped anal funnel typical of the P imbricata Roding, 1798 group (Gervis & Sims, 1992), to which some geographically dif- ferent clines seem to merge. In fact P. imbricata radiata (Leach, 1814) is the name nowadays used for this alien species, though it is not clear whether a single cline from a specific geographic area could be considered a separated species or not (Temkin, 2010). Molecular data support the validity of some groups only (Temkin, 2010), even if large reshuff- ling of clines (or species?) happens in single geographic regions, due to actual very intensive ship traffic, which renders more complicated every further investigations. Pitar mediterraneus (Aradas & Benoit, 1872) (Fig. 49) Examined material, st. 4, on sandy bottom, -7 m depth, 2 liv. Remarks. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 205-210 Monograph Description of a new species of the genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1 847 from the Mediterranean Sea (Mollusca Neogastropoda Conoidea Raphitomidae) Francesco Pusateri 1 , Riccardo Giannuzzi Savelli 2 & Peter Stahl schmidt 3 'via Castellana 64, 90135 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: francesco@pusateri.it 2 via Mater Dolorosa 54, 90146 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: malakos@tin.it 3 University of Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, FortstraBe 7 - 76829 Landau, Germany; e-mail: stahlschmidt@uni-landau.de ’Corresponding author ABSTRACT The family of Raphitomidae is currently considered a well supported clade of the Conoidea. The type genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1 847 is well known in the mediterranen Seas with about 40 species, some of which are still undescribed. Morphological analyses carried out on the genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847 (Mollusca Neogastropoda Conoidea Raphitomidae) from Mediterranean Sea allowed to identify a new species which is described in the present paper. KEY WORDS Raphitoma', Conoidea; new species; Mediterranean Sea. Received 12.01.2016; accepted 28.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The Raphitomidae Bellardi, 1875 are currently considered a well supported clade of the Conoidea (Bouchet et al., 201 1). The superfamily Conoidea, with over 300 gen- era and 4,000 recognised species, but probably over 12,000 extant species (Bouchet, 1990; Tucker, 2004), represents the largest radiation of the entire phylum Mollusca. In a work on the phylogeny of the group based on a cladistic analysis of foregut morphology, Taylor et al. (1993) have highlighted the rampant homoplasy in the characters of shell and radula in conoideans. Accordingly, they have rearranged most of the conoideans into two families: Conidae, comprising Coninae and 4 subfamilies traditionally considered as “tun-ids”, and Turridae s.s. including some of the traditional “turrids”. More recently, Puillandre et al. (2008) and Bouchet et al. (2011), based on DNA phylogeny, have provided a major update of con- oidean classification. Although a larger taxonomic coverage would be desirable to further stabilize the molecular phylogeny, however, the position of the Raphitomidae as a clade of the Conoidea is suffi- ciently supported. The taxon Raphitomidae is based on the genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847 which was introduced as comprising 30 fossil and Recent species (Bellardi, 1847: 85), previously classified in various genera (such as Pleurotoma Lamarck, 1799 and Cla- thurella Carpenter, 1857). Among the modern authors, Nordsieck (1977) listed 30 european species of Raphitomidae plus sev- 206 Francesco Pusateri etalii eral subspecies and varieties. In the revision of the mediterranean Raphitomidae that we are currently carrying out, we estimated about 40 mediterranean species, some of which are still to be described (see Pusateri et al., 2016). ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS. CAH: Andre Hoarau collection (Frejus, Francia); CFP: Francesco Pusateri collection (Palermo, Italy); CGN: Giuseppe Notaristefano collection (Messina, Italy); CJD: Jean Fouis Delemarre collection (Saint Nazaire, France); CMM: Max Marrow collection (Melbourne, Australia); CPO: Panayotis Ovalis col- lection (Athens, Greece); CPS: Peter Stahlschmidt collection (Fandau, Germany); CAR: Alessandro Raveggi collection (Firenze, Italy); CRA: Roberto Ardovini collection (Rome, Italy); CRO: Rosario Occhipinti collection (Ragusa, Italy); MBMPRC: Museo di Biologia Marina e Paleontologia di Reggio Calabria; MCZR: Museo Civico Zoologia Roma (Rome, Italy); MNHN: Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France); h: height; sh: shell/s; Std: standard deviation; D: diameter. RESULTS Systematics Citation of unpublished names is not intended for taxonomic purposes. Classis GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1795 Subclassis CAENOGASTROPODA Cox, 1960 Ordo NEOGASTROPODA Wenz, 1938 Superfamilia CONOIDEA Fleming, 1822 Familia RAPHITOMIDAE Bellardi, 1875 Genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1 847 Type species: Pleurotoma hystrix Cristofori et Jan, 1832 ( nomen nudum , validated by Bellardi, 1847 as “ Pleurotoma histrix Jan.”) by subsequent des- ignation (Monterosato, 1872: 54). Raphitoma ephesina n. sp. = Raphitoma rugosissima Monterosato ms. Examined material. Type material: Holotype (Bozcaada Island, Turkey) -95 m, mm 5.7 x 2.7 (MNHN); paratype A (Saronic Bay, Aegean Sea, Greece), mm 5.8 x 2.9 (CFP); paratype B (Bozcaada Island), mm 7.2 x 3.5 (MNHN); para- type C (Veli Rat, Dugi Otok Island, Croatia), mm 7.1 x 3.6 (CFP); paratype D (Scilla, Reggio Ca- labria, Italy), -52 m “ alia base del Secondo Dente di Skylla ” (38°15’25,05”N - 15°42’46,11”E), mm 5.3 x 2.7 (MBMPRC, legit A. Vazzana). Other material examined. France. St. Raphael, 2 sh (CAH). Italy. Porto Venere (Fa Spezia), 3 sh (CMM); Sardegna, 1 sh (CRA); Scilla, Reggio Calabria, -52 m “ alia base del Secondo Dente di Skylla ”, 38°15’25.05”N - 15 0 42’46.11”E, 3 sh. (MBMPRC, legit A. Vazzana); Milazzo, 1 sh (CGN); Trapani, 1 sh (CRA) Croatia. Veli Rat - Dugi Otok Island, 6 sh (CFP), 1 sh. coll. Monterosato lot 16468 sub nomine R. rugosissima ms. (MCZR), sine loco, 1 sh (CJD). Greece. Evia Island (Aegean Sea), 1 sh (CPO); Saronic Bay, 1 sh (CPO); Kolovri Islet, Corfu, 3 sh (CAR). Turkey. Bozcaada Island, 1 sh (CPS); 3 sh (CRO). Description of holotype. Shell of small size for the genus, height 5.7 mm, width 2.7 mm, biconical with slender upper part, H/D 2.11. Pro- toconch multispiral of 3.6 convex whorls, height 520 pm, width 430 pm; protoconch I of 1 whorl, width 175 pm, with cancellate sculpture of ortho- cline axials and spirals of equal strength; proto- conch II of 2.6 whorls, with diagonally cancellate sculpture on the lower two thirds, and sub sutural orthocline axials on the upper third. Teleoconch of 4.5 sligthly convex whorls. Suture not incised, evident. Axial sculpture of 10 slightly prosocline elevated and strong ribs, and interspaces broad as the ribs. Spiral sculture of 5 prominent cordlets on the penultimate whorl, (the first, subsutural, weak) thinner that axial ribs and interspaces four times as broad as the cordlets. Cancellation horizontally rectangular, deep with semitransparent back wall. The second cordlet at the intersection with the ribs form tubercles more acute than others with a mam- millary appearance. Subsutural ramp very short. Columella simple, slightly sinuous anteriorly and gently angled posteriorly. Outer lip thickened and crenulated externally with 7 strong inner denticles, the most anterior larger. Anal sinus evident but not deep, Siphonal canal long, wide, funnel like. Si- phonal fasciole of 7 nodulose strong cordlets. Background and cordlets color usually soft cherry Description of a new species of the genus Raphitoma from Mediterranean Sea (Neogastropoda Raphitomidae) 207 Figures 1-7. Shells of Raphitoma ephesina n. sp. Fig. 1: holotype, Bozcaada Island, Turkey (MNHN, h: 5.7 mm); Fig. 2: paratype A, Saronic Bay, Greece (CFP, h: 5.8 mm); Fig. 3: Saronic Bay (Greece (CPO, h: 6.7 mm); Fig. 4: paratype C, Velirat IsL, Croatia (CFP, h: 7.1 mm); Fig. 5: paratype D, Scilla, Reggio Calabria, Italy (MBMPRC, h: 5.3 mm); Fig. 6: Trapani, Italy (CRA, h: 6 mm); Fig. 7: St. Raphael, France (CAH, h: 7.5 mm). 208 Francesco Pusateri etalii Figures 8-11. Particulars of cordlets of Raphitoma. Fig. 8: R. ephesina n. sp.; Fig. 9: Raphitoma linearis (Montagu, 1803); Fig. 10: Raphitoma aequalis (Jeffreys, 1867); Fig. 11: Raphitoma bicolor ( Risso, 1826). except the over sutural cordlet which is white. The summit of the cordlets resumes the background color. Many ribs are white or withish. The lower part of the last whorl is evenly soft cherry. Soft parts are unknown. Variability. Height 5-7.5 mm (mean 6.2, std 0.62), width 2. 5-3. 7 mm (mean 3.06, std 0.36), H/D 1.86-2.14 (mean 2.02, std 0.08); axial sculpture of 9-12 ribs (mean 11, std 1.27); outer lip with 7 denticles, siphonal fasciole with 7 nodulose cordlets (exceptionally 6). The colour range from light to dark cherry. Etymology. Dedicated to goddess Artemis of Ephesus, called “the polimastic” because of the four rows of breasts that cover the bust which recall the sculpture of this new species. Distribution. The new species is widely dis- tributed in the Mediterrean Sea (so far known form France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey). Remarks. For some of its conchological featu- res R. ephesina n. sp. is akin to the group of R. lin- earis (Montagu, 1803 )-R. aequalis (Jeffreys, 1867). It shares a similar shell size, profile, the prominent cords with the colored top, the same number of pro- toconch whorls (3.6), and the almost equal proto- conch dimensions. In particular it differs from R. linearis by the lack of microgranules in sculpture, by the number of cordlets on the penultimate whorl (5 vs. 4). The top of the cordlets of R. linearis is colored, some- times strongly, only in the first two subsutural and fourth. It also differs in the background color which in R. linearis is generally cream or whithish with the first whorls slightly purple and in the color of protoconch which is white. The denticles of R. lin- earis are barely noticeable only in gerontic speci- mens while they are clearly visible in R. ephesina n. sp. It differs from R. aequalis , by the lack of micro- granules in sculpture and by the number of cords on the penultimate whorl (5 vs 6-7). In R. aequalis cordlets are always brown colored except those next to the suture which are white coloured. Also it differs for the background color and that of the protoconch that in R. aequalis are generally whitish. Raphitoma ephesina n. sp. could eventually be confused with juveniles of R. bicolor but their pro- toconchs are quite different (see figures 12 and 15). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere thanks are due to Roberto Ardovini (Rome, Italy), Andre Hoarau (France), Max Mar- row (Melbourne, Australia), Andrea Nappo Description of a new species of the genus Raphitoma from Mediterranean Sea (Neogastropoda Raphitomidae) 209 Figures 12-15. Protoconchs: 12: Raphitoma ephesina n. sp.; 13: Raphitoma linearis ; 14: Raphitoma aequalis ; 15: Raphitoma bicolor. Figures 16-17: Particulars showing lacking (Fig. 16: R. ephesina n. sp.) and presence (Fig. 17: R. linearis) of micro- granules on the shell surfaces 210 Francesco Pusateri etalii (Cagliari, Italy); Rosario Occhipinti (Ragusa, Italy), Panayotis Ovalis (Athens, Greece), Angelo Vazzana (Reggio Calabria, Italy) for having placed materials or photos at our disposal. We would like to express our gratitude to Stefano Bartolini (Firenze, Italy) for the light photographs, SEM photograph were done by Andrea Di Giulio (Department of Biology, “Roma Tre” University, Rome, Italy) at the “LIME” (Interdepartmental Laboratory of Electron Micro- scopy) and by Bruno Sabelli at Bologna University, Giuseppe Bagnera (Palermo, Italy) for the draw- ings, Floriana Giannuzzi Savelli (Palermo, Italy) for computer consulting, Paolo Mariottini (Rome, Italy), Carlo Smriglio (Rome, Italy), Danilo Scuderi (Catania, Italy) and Marco Oliverio (Rome, Italy) for their valuable help. REFERENCES Bouchet P., 1990. Turrid genera and mode of de- velopment: the use and abuse of protoconch morphology. Malacologia, 32: 69-77 Bouchet P., Kantor Y.I., Sysoev A. & Puillandre N., 2011. A new operational classification of the Conoidea. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 77: 273-308. Bellardi L., 1847. Monografia delle Pleurotome fossili del Piemonte. Memorie della Reale Ac- cademia delle Scienze di Torino, serie 2, 9: 531-650, 4 pis. [R. Janssen, 1993, said that the journal issue was published in 1848 but that a separate was distributed in 1847; the title and pagination for the separate is: Monografia delle Pleurotome fossili del Piemonte. Torino. 119 pp., 4 pis.] Janssen, R. 1993. Taxonomy, evolution and spread- ing of the turrid genus Spirotropis (Gastropoda: Turridae). Scripta Geologica, Special Issue 2:237-261, 2 figs., 5 pis. Monterosato T.A. di Maria di, 1872. Notizie Intomo alle Conchiglie Mediterranee. Michele Amenta, Palermo, 61 pp. Nordsieck F., 1977. The Turridae of the European Seas. Roma, Ed. La Piramide, 131 pp., pis. 1- 26. Puillandre N., Samadi S., Boisselier M.C., Sysoev A.V., Kantor Y.I., Cruaud C., Couloux A. & Bouchet P., 2008. Starting to unravel the toxo- glossan knot: molecular phylogeny of the “tur- rids” (Neogastropoda: Conoidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 47: 1122-1134. Pusateri F., Giannuzzi-Savelli G. & Bartolini S., 2016. A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae, 3: on the Raphitoma pupoides (Monterosato, 1884) complex, with the descrip- tion of a new species (Mollusca Gastropoda). Biodiversity Journal, 7: 103-115. Taylor J.D., Kantor Y.I. & Sysoev A.V., 1993. Foregut anatomy, feedings mechanisms and classification of the Conoidea (Toxoglossa) (Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Natural Flistory Museum of London (Zoology), 59: 125-170. Tucker J.K., 2004. Catalog of Recent and fossil tur- rids (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Zootaxa, 682: 1- 1295. Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 211-238 Monograph Land mollusks of Chalki and Alimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) Fabio Liberto 1 *, Mauro Grano 2 , Cristina Cattaneo 3 & Salvo Giglio 4 'Via del Giubileo Magno 93, 90015 Cefalu, Italy; email: fabioliberto@yahoo.it 2 Via Val Cenischia 24, 00141 Rome, Italy; email: elaphe58@yahoo.it 3 Via Eleonora d’Arborea 12, 00162 Rome, Italy; email: cristina.cattaneo76@libero.it 4 Contrada Settefrati, 90015 Cefalu, Italy; email: hallucigenia@tiscali.it ’Corresponding author ABSTRACT A check list of land snails of the island of Chalki and the nearby islet of Alimia (South Aegean Greece, Dodecanese Archipelago) is given. The literature concerning the non-marine mollusks living on the two islands is critically reviewed. New data on morphology of some snails spe- cies are presented, with particular account to the genus Rhabdoena Kobelt et Mollendorff, 1902, Zebrinci Held, 1838 and Albinaria Vest, 1864. KEY WORDS Land snails; endemism; Dodecanese Islands; Chalki; Alimia. Received 16.12.2016; accepted 10.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION The malacological researches on Chalki Island and Alimia Islet began in 1887 with the naturalistic surveys of Eberhard Von Ortzen, carried out in the Aegean Islands and in the southwest comer of Asia Minor with the support of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences. The Von Ortzen’s collections of terrestrial mollusks were later studied by the Ger- man malacologists Oscar Boettger and Eberh Von Martens. Boettger (1889) published a monograph on Clausiliidae describing several new species, includ- ing a new subspecies of Albinaria brevicollis (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) endemic to Chalki A. brevicollis chalcidensis (O. Boettger, 1889). In the same year Von Martens (1889) published the first comprehensive survey of the mollusks of the Aegean Islands and Asia Minor, reporting for the island of Chalki nine species of terrestrial mol- lusks: Hyalina aequata Mouss., Helix ( Pseudocam - pylaea ) pellita Fer., Helix ( Iberus ) spiriplana Oliv., Helix ( Pomatia ) aperta Bom, Helix ( Xerophila ) cretica Pfr., Bulimus ( Mastus ) turgidus Kobelt, Pupa ( Orcula ) scyphus Pfr., Clausilia ( Albinaria ) brevicollis Pf., Clausilia ( Albinaria ) teres (Oliv.) var. extensa Pfr. Gude (1902) published a list of the Helicoid land snails of Asia, listing for the island of Chalki the Von Martens ’s data for this group: Retinella aequata Mouss., Helicella ( Heliomanes ) cretica Pfr., Hygromia ( Metafruticicola ) pellita Fer., Helix ( Levantina ) spiriplana Oliv., Helix (Helicogena) aperta Born. Of particular significance is the work of Gam- betta (1929), as this was the first comprehensive study of the mollusks of the Dodecanese Islands as a whole. Her research was based on material result- 212 Fabio Liberto et alii ing from extensive samples carried out by Festa (1913), Desio (1922-1924), Ghigi-Issel (1928— 1929). Part of the specimens collected by Ghigi were complete with soft parts, and this material al- lowed Gambetta to study for the first time the ana- tomy of some species. Gambetta reviewed most of the previous literature on the Dodecanese non-mar- ine mollusks and listed 106 species for the Do- decanese Islands and 1 1 species for Chalki Island: Hyalinia (Eopolitd) aequata Mousson, Metafru- ticicola (. Metafruticicola ) pellita Fer., Eobania ver- miculata Mull., Levantina spiriplana var. carinata Bgt., Helix ( Cantareus ) aperta Bom, Helicella (Xer- ocrassa) cretica Fer. Let., Rumina decollata gracilis Pfr. Let., Ena (Mastus) turgida Parr., Claus ilia (Alb inaria) brevicollis Pfr., Claus ilia ( Albinaria ) unicolor Bttg. Let., Clausilia (Albinaria) extensa Pfr. Other two faunistic and taxonomic works on land and freshwater mollusks of Aegean Islands were those of Fuchs & Kaufel (1934, 1936) based on the material collected by Franz Wemer in the year 1932. In these works special emphasis was re- served to the genital morphology and geographical distribution of species. Fuchs & Kaufel (1934) reported for Chalki Is- land only two species: Helicella ( Xerocrassa ) cret- ica-cauta Westerlund, and Metafruticicola (. M .) pellita- graphicotera Bourguignat. Fuchs & Kaufel (1936) report other three species Mastus (M.) pupa turgidus, Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis chal- cidensis and Retinella (Eopolita) protensa protensa. Frank (1997) in his work on land mollusks of Rhodes recorded Xerocrassa cretica (A. Ferussac, 1821) and Metafruticicola (M.) pellita (A. Ferussac, 1 8 1 9) on Chalki and Levantina spiriplana malziana (L. Pfeiffer, 1861) on Alimia and Chalki. Other data on land mollusks of Chalki and Al- imia were published in papers concerning a single genus or species: Pfeiffer (1949) on Levantina Kobelt, 1871; Zilch (1977) and Nordsieck (2007) on Albinaria ; Gittenberger & Hausdorf (2004) on Orculella Steenberg, 1925; Bank et al. (2013) on Metafruticicola Ihering, 1892; Neubert (2014) on Helix Linnaeus, 1758. Until recently a total of 14 species was reported from Chalki and 2 from Alimia. In this paper we present the results of a land snail survey of Chalki and Alimia carried out in July- August 2014 and April 2015 by M. Grano and C. Cattaneo. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The Dodecanese Archipelago is a group of 12 large islands plus 150 islets. The island of Chalki is located 13 km west of the island of Rhodes (Fig. 1), its approximate geographical coordinates are: lat- itude 36°13’51”N, longitude 27°34’35”E. It has an area of 28 square km and its maximum height is Maistros (593 m a.s.l.). The most interesting aspect of the island is given by vertical cliffs of massive limestone and deep gorges along the coastline (Fig. 3). These vertical cliffs allowed the presence of a rare and highly spe- cialized chasmophytic flora. Several species are en- demic with a distribution area limited to the island and to the SE Aegean, including W Turkey (Cat- taneo & Grano, 2015a, b). Recently was discovered a new species for science that seems to be restricted to Chalki and the nearby island of Tilos: Seseli halkensis Cattaneo, Tan et Biel (Cattaneo et al., 2016). Chalki is mostly constituted by rocky hills characterized almost exclusively by a phryganic vegetation with prevalence of chamaephytes and nano-phanerophytes, as Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach, Salvia fruticos a Mill., Origanum onites L., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Teucrium capitatum L. A steppic vegetation is also present on exploited lands and the most representative species are Hy- parrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf), Andropogon distachyos L., Carlina corymbosa L., Picnomon acarna (L.) Cass., Echinops spinosissimum Turra, Asphodelus fistulosus L. and A. ramosus L. On the hilly slopes of the valleys of Kania, Zies, Pondamos and Ghiali a characteristic floristic composition with Anagyris foetida L., Euphorbia dendroides L. and E. chara- cias L. is developed. The site of Limenari (north- west of Chalki) is characterized by a low maquis whose distinctive elements are Juniperus phoenicea L. and Pistacia lentiscus L. The tree vegetation is almost exclusively represented by Olea europaea L. and Pistacia terebinthus L. subsp. palestina (Boiss.) Engl., the latter restricted to Pondamos and Ghiali bay. Pinus brutia Ten. grows in a small area near Kania. In Chalki there are also several alien species like Anagyris foetida (widespread), Agave americana L., Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill, and Oxalis pes- caprae L. (Cattaneo & Grano, 2015a, b). Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 213 The study area belongs to the Thermo-Mediter- ranean zone, with a long dry period from end of April to early October. Alimia is an uninhabited islet located 6 km east of Chalki (Fig. 1). It has an area of 7.42 square km and a maximum height of 274 m a.s.l. Its ap- proximated geographical coordinates are: latitude 36°16’26”N, longitude 27°42’24”E. It consists of limestone rock with steep cliffs on the northern side, lacks superficial hydrography; there’s only a small retrodunal pond of brackish water in the bay of Aghios Georgios. The islet vegetation is characterized by wide low shrubs with Juniperus phoenicea and Pistacia lentiscus (Fig. 2). Where shrubs become more thin and open, thrives a phrygana almost exclusively characterized by Thymbra capitata, to which some- times is associated Teucrium capitatum and more sporadically Salvia fruticos a, Origanum onites and Sarcopoterium spinosum. Clusters of Finns brutia are scarce and localized. Alimia together with Chalki and the surrounding small islands, is included in the European Network “Natura 2000” as SPA, Special Protection Area, with GR42 10026 code. Sampling methods The samples examined for this paper were col- lected by M. Grano and C. Cattaneo, from 30th July to 12th August 2014 and 23rd April 2015. The names of local places mentioned in the text and in the map (Fig. 1) follow the map of Chalki produ- ced by Anavasi Ed. (2008). Specimens were col- lected chronologically from the following localities: Chalki, Imborios, 36°13’23”N -27°36’45”E, 22 m a.s.l., 30.VII.2014 Chalki, Kania, 36°14’02”N - 27°37’05”E, 48 m a.s.l., 31. VIII.2014 Chalki, Chorio, 36°13’13”N - 27°35’07”E, 268 m a.s.l., 01. VIII.2014 Figure 1. Map of Chalki Island and Alimia Islet. 214 Fabio Liberto et alii Chalki, Pefkia, 36°14’15”N - 27°36 , 53”E, 125 m a.s.l., 02.VIII.2014 Chalki, Ag. Ghiorgos, 36 0 14 , 21”N-27°34’43 ,, E, 108 m a.s.l., 03.VIII.2014 Chalki, Plaghia, 36°13 , 38”N- 27 0 34’45”E, 423 m a.s.l., 03.VIII.2014 Chalki, Areta, 36°14 , 43”N-27°35 , 58 ,, E, 95 m a.s.l., 04.VIII.2014 Chalki, Zies, 36°13 , 39 ,, N-27°36 , 57 ,, E, 54 m a.s.l., 05.VIII.2014 Chalki, Xipei, 36°13 , 11 ,, N-27°35 , 37 ,, E, 153 m a.s.l., 06.VIII.2014 Chalki, Xerokambos, 36°13 , 23 ,, N-27°32 , 30”E, 401 m a.s.l., 07.VIII.2014 Chalki, Adramasos, 36°13 , 32 ,, N-27°34 , 48 ,, E, 32 m a.s.l., 12.VIII.2014 Alimia, 36°16 , 5 ,, N-27°42 , 12 ,, E, 31 m a.s.l., 09.VIII.2014 Alimia, 36°16 , 5”N-27°42 , 12 ,, E, 31 m a.s.l., 12.VIII.2014 The land snails were collected by hand on the soil and under the rocks. Dry shells have been stud- ied as regards size, colour, morphology, sculpture, aperture, plicae and lamellae, lunella and clausil- ium. Photographs were taken with a digital camera. The living snails were bred from September 2014 to March 2015. In the laboratory they were nor- mally kept in plastic boxes containing damp tissue paper, lettuce or carrot. The contents were changed twice a week. In order to study and illustrate gen- ital organs, the specimens were drowned in water and fixed in 75% ethanol. Reproductive apparatus was extracted by means of scalpel, scissors and needles. Height and maximum diameter of the shell along with some parts of genitalia were measured (in millimeters) with a digital gauge. Identification of the slug species was based on the photos, since no live slugs were sampled. All the shell lots and anatomical preparations are kept in the collection of the first author. Taxonomical references are based on the checklist of the land and freshwater Gastropoda of Greece (Bank, 2011). ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS. D = dia- meter; H = height; moll. = mollusk; End = En- demic: species exclusive of Chalki Island; Dod = Dodecanese: species distributed only on the Do- decanese Islands; Aeg = Aegean: species which are also present on other Aegean islands or/and nearby coastal mainland areas of Greece and Turkey; Grek = Greek: species distributed within the Greek main- land or/and islands; E Med = East Mediterranean: species which are found in the eastern part of Mediterranean region; Med = Mediterranean: spe- cies which are found around the Mediterranean; Eur = European: species found in various countries of Europe. Anatomical acronyms: AG = albumen gland, AR = appendicular retractor muscle, BC = bursa cop- ulatrix, BCD = diverticulum of bursa copulatrix, CD = copulatory duct, DBC = duct of bursa cop- ulatrix, DE = distal epiphallus, E = epiphallus, F = flagellum, FO = free oviduct, G = penial papilla, GA = genital atrium, HD = hermaphrodite duct, O = ovotestis, OV = ovispermiduct, P = penis, PA = penial appendix, PC = penial caecum, PD = penial diverticulum, PDP = penial diverticulum pleat, PE = proximal epiphallus, PR = penial retractor muscle, T = talon, V = vagina, VD = vas deferens, VP = V-shaped pleat. Conchological acronyms: CL = columellar lamella, L = lunella, LPP = lower palatal plica (basal plica), PL = parietal lamella, PP = principal plica, PUPP = posterior upper palatal plica, SCL = subcolumellar lamella, SL = spiral lamella. RESULTS The catalog lists the bibliographical references, including incorrect determinations; notes on distri- bution, biology, morphology and taxonomy are also given. SYSTEMATICS Phylum MOLLUSCA Cuvier, 1795 Classis GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1795 Infraclassis PULMONATA Cuvier in Blainville, 1814 Ordo STYLOMMATOPHORA A. Schmidt, 1855 Familia ORCULIDAE Pilsbry, 1918 Genus Orculella Steenberg, 1983 Orculella critica (L. Pfeiffer, 1856) Pupa ( Orcula ) scyphus - Von Martens, 1889: 200 - Chalki Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 215 Orculella critica - Gittenberger & Hausdorf, 2004: 119-120 -Chalki islet Distribution and Biology. Greek and Aegean distribution, reported by Hausdorf (1996) also for two west coast localities in Turkey. Orculella crit- ica occurs in plant litter at the base of stones and rocks in rocky limestone habitats. Remarks. Orculella critica was reported by Von Martens (1889, sub O. scypus) and Gittenberger & Hausdorf (2004) on Chalki Island, while we were unable to find specimens and shells. The popula- tions of Chalki are characterized by comparatively large, especially broad, shells (height 6.2-7. 6 mm; width 2. 6-2. 9 mm) than those from Peloponnese, with a parietalis still high at the ventral side, a prom- inent subangularis and a columellaris very high in left lateral position inside the body-whorl (Gitten- berger & Hausdorf, 2004). Familia PLEURODISCIDAE Wenz, 1923 Genus Pleurodiscus Wen z, 1923 Pleurodiscus balmei (Potiez et Michaud, 1835) Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 01.VIII.20 14, 36°13 , 13 ,, N-27°35 , 07 ,, E, 268 m a.s.l., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. Species with frag- mentary East Mediterranean distribution, perhaps, partly due to passive dispersal. This xeroresistant species inhabits open environments, but it is fre- quent also in ruderal habitats. Remarks. Pleurodiscus balmei is known for Rhodes (Paget, 1976; Maassen, 1981) and we have found a shell on Chalki, among the ruins of the uninhabited houses of Chorio (Fig. 5). Familia ENIDAE B.B. Woodward, 1903 (1880) Genus Mastus Beck, 1837 Mastus emarginatus turgidus (Kobelt, 1877) Bulimus {Mastus) carneolus - Von Martens, 1889: 199 - Chalki Mastus {Mastus) pupa turgidus - Fuchs & Kaufel, 1936: 561 - Charki Examined material. Alimia, 09. VIII. 20 14, 36°16 , 5 ,, N-27°42 , 12 ,, E, 31 a.s.l., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. Endemic species of the southern islands of the Dodecanese: Rhodes, Chalki, Karpathos, Saria, Kasos, Armathia (Fuks & Kaufel, 1936; Gambetta, 1929). It occurs in open shrubland habitats, under stones. Remarks. We have sampled only a shell on the islet of Alimia (Fig. 6). Mastus turgidus is a species recognizable for its small shell with globular aspect, mouth square-shaped with reflexed peristome, weak parietal callus and a tubercle in the upper, right corner. Mastus sp. Examined material. Chalki, Xerokambos, 07.VIII.2014, 36 o 13 , 23”N-27°32 , 30 ,, E, 401 a.s.l., 2 shells. Remarks. Two shells of a second species of Mastus were sampled by us at Xerokambos, Chalki (Fig. 7). They are elongate-ovoid, with a spire of 7 whorls, apical whorls convex, the lower ones more flattened; the surface is covered with irregular fine growth lines; sutures shallow; umbilicus open, small; thick palatal callus; a conspicuous angular denticle present; peristome slightly reflected. Dimensions: height 14.7 and 16.6 mm, diameter 6.5 and 6.6 mm. It is similar to M. cretesis (L. Pfeiffer, 1846) from the island of Crete, having slender shell, with 7 whorls and irregular growth lines, but a definitive specific identification is impossible, due to the lack of specimens for genital dissection. Genus Rhabdoena Kobelt et Mollendorff, 1 902 Rhabdoena cosensis (Reeve, 1849) Zebrina {Rhabdoena) cosensis (Reeve, 1849) - Bank & Menkhorst, 1992: 127-133, Fig. 37 - Insel Chalchi Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 01.VIII.20 14, 36°13’13 ,, N-27°35 , 07 ,, E, 268 a.s.l., 1 moll., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. Aegean distribu- tion: West Turkey and East Aegean Islands from Lesvos to Rhodes. Rhabdoena cosensis occurs on shaded, limestone walls with low vegetation. It seems to be obligate rock dwellers snail. Remarks. The shells (Fig. 8) and the examined 216 Fabio Liberto et alii genital apparatus correspond fairly well to the de- scription and drawings of Bank & Menkhorst (1992). The genitalia show only one retractor, which inserts in the branching point of the appendix from the penis, the caecum rises from the central part of the epiphallus and the central part of the penial appendix is relatively short (Fig. 9). The examination of the inner structure of the penis shows the walls with very low folds and a very short and slightly conical penial papilla (Fig. 10). Genus Zebrina Held, 1837 Zebrina fasciolata (Olivier, 1801) Examined material. Chalki, Kania, 31.VIII.2014, 36°14’02”N-27°37 , 05 ,, E, 48 a.s.l., 4 moll. Description. Shell (Figs. 11,12) dextral, ovoidal- oblong; spire with 7 slightly convex whorls; sutures shallow; umbilicus closed; blunt apex, white-yel- lowish in colour; teleoconch white or white yellow- ish, with longitudinal brown bands (one specimen without bands), on external surface microsculpture of fine longitudinal lines which disappear at the in- tersection with spiral lines; aperture oblique, semi- ovate with brown palatus; peristome interrupted, whitish, basal and palatal margin not or just reflec- ted. Dimensions: height 18.4 mm (15.8-24.2), dia- meter 8.1 mm (6.3-12.7). Genitalia (Figs. 13-17) (four specimens ex- amined), characterized by: short vagina (2.27 mm); slightly longer copulatory duct (2.64 mm), ending in a branched bursa copulatrix complex: one branch consists of a long diverticulum of bursa copulatrix (7.2 mm), the other of a thin duct of the bursa copulatrix (2.55 mm) and oval bursa copulatrix (1.6 mm); penial complex consists of penis, penial appendix, epiphallus, and flagellum; penis cylindrical (2.8 mm); the penial appendix very long, it branches off from the proximal end of the penis and consists of three sections: first section short (2 mm), wide, cylindrical with a slightly constriction in its distal end; second sec- tion (1.9 mm) thinner, it widens slightly in its distal end; third section veiy long (7.7 mm), slender, slightly wider in its distal end; epiphallus cyl- indrical (3.83 mm), in its apex there are a rounded penial caecum and a short, conical flagellum; vas deferens enters laterally on the apex of epiphallus; there are two retractor muscles: a penial retractor and an appendicular- retractor, which join shortly before the attach to the diaphragm. Spermatophore (Fig. 16) glossy, golden, with conical and amply curved anterior portion, central portion regularly tubular, posterior portion double S-shaped with a hook and some spiral ridges, posterior apex con- ical. The spermatophore was found with the an- terior portion inside the diverticulum of the bursa copulatrix, the hook at the branch of the duct of the bursa copulatrix and the posterior portion in- side the copulatory duct. Distribution and Biology. Zebrina fasciolata has NE-Mediterranean chorotype and it is wide- spread from Greece (Rhodes, Megalo Zafrano), Cy- prus, S-Turkey (from Izmir eastwards) to Syria and Palestine. This species lives usually in dry shrub- lands, and it is met under stones. Remarks. In this paper, we report for the first time the presence of Zebrina on Chalki Island and this allowed us to make some taxonomic observa- tions. Zebrina fasciolata varies in shape, size and coloration of the shell and are known different taxo- nomic interpretations also for the structure of the genitalia. The genital apparatus was studied by Gambetta (1929, 96-98, figs. 21) after specimens from Rhodes, Hesse (1933, 183-185, figs. 22 A, D) after specimens from Rhodes and Aleppo, Fuchs & Kaufel (1936, 573-576, figs. 13-15) after speci- mens from Rhodes and Tartus, Maassen (1981, 28, PI. 14, fig. 61) and Bank & Menkhorst (1992, 122- 126, figs. 30, 31, 34, 35) after specimens from Rho- des. From their descriptions Z. fasciolata from Rhodes includes two well characterized forms. In the typical form the penial appendix branches off from the proximal end of the penis; there are two retractor muscles: a penial retractor and an appen- dicular-retractor, which join shortly before the at- tach to the diaphragm. In the second form the appendix stems from the distal end of the penis; there is only the penial-retractor and the proximal part of the appendix is very short. Gambetta (1929) was the first author to identify the second form as a distinct taxon and she names it Z. fasciolata Candida (L. Pfeiffer, 1848), although the description and the illustration are unclear. Hesse (1933) and Fuchs & Kaufel (1936) note that the variation in the reproductive system of the two forms is not related to the variation in shell pattern and all others the above-mentioned authors consider Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 217 fasciolata a species with extremely variable gen- italia structure (see also Heller, 1976; Maassen, 1981). However Paget (1976) considered Candida a valid subspecies. Four of the five specimens of Zebrina we had the opportunity to examine, belong to the typical Z. fasciolata, the fifth one, without bands on the shell, with the genital structure like that of Candida. We have examined for the first time the internal structure of the penis and epiphallus. Both forms have the inner walls of the penis covered with large papillae and those of epiphallus with small papil- lae, plus some short folds originating from the apex of epiphallus (Figs. 14, 17, 21). However, Z. fas- ciolata has at the point of transition from epiphal- lus into the penis a conical penial papilla covered with very small tubercles (Figs. 14, 17), while our specimen of Z. Candida has no penial papilla (Fig. 21 ). Despite the few specimens observed, these new data, combined with the already known literature and the presence of two different sympatric popu- lations in the same locality allow us to consider Z. fasciolata and Z. Candida two distinct species. Zebrina Candida (Westerlund, 1887) Examined material. Chalki, Kania, 3 1 .VIII.2014, 36°14 , 02”N-27°37 , 05”E, 48 ma.s.l., 1 moll. Description. Shell (Fig. 18) very similar to that of the previous species, but white in colour, without bands. Genitalia (Figs. 19, 21) (Gambetta (1929, 96- 98), Hesse (1933, 183-185, figs. 22 B, C), Fuchs & Kaufel (1936, 573-576, figs. 16, 17), Maassen (1981, 28, PI. 14, fig. 62), Bank & Menkhorst (1992, 122-126, figs. 32, 33), characterized by: a penial appendix which stems from the distal end of the penis; the proximal part of the appendix very short (0.47 mm) and only a penial-retractor (appendicular retractor absent); penial papilla ab- sent. Spermatophore (Fig. 20) very similar to that of the previous species, only slightly smaller. Distribution and Biology. At present Z. Can - dida is known from Rhodes Island and Chalki Is- land, where it lives in sympatry with Z. fasciolata. Remarks. Many names were published by past authors for Z. fasciolata: Bulimus fas ciolatus var. maior Charpentier, 1847, locus typicus “In Syrein, zumal zwischen Latakieh und Tripolis ”; Bulimus hebraicus L. Pfeiffer, 1854, without locus typicus, later used by Forcart (1940) for populations of Z. fasciolata of Turkey; Bulimus fasciolatus var. piochardi Heynemann, 1870; locus typicus “Cy- pern ” [= Cyprus]; Bulimus calverti Bourguignat, 1876, locus typicus “lie de Rhodes ”; Bulimus fasciolatus forma gracilis Westerlund, 1887, locus typicus: Insel Rhodos (see Bank & Menkhorst, 1992); Bulimus fasciolatus forma candidus Wester- lund, 1887, without locus typicus. Gambetta (1929) was the first author to attribute the name Candida Pfeiffer, 1 848 to a Zebrina from Rhodes with white shell, characterized by a struc- ture of the genitalia different from that of the typical Z. fasciolata . Subsequent authors have always used the name Candida in the sense attributed by Gam- betta (1929), both those who considered it a valid species (Paget, 1976) and the authors who have considered Candida a synonym of fasciolata (Hesse, 1933; Fuchs & Kaufel, 1936; Maassen, 1981; Bank & Menkhorst, 1992; Heller, 1976). However it must be specified that Pfeiffer (1848) did not published a valid description of Candida, since he used the word “candidus” as an adjective in the description of a variety “fi unicolor candidus ”. Westerlund (1887) was the first author to publish a valid description of Candida: “can- didus Pfr., Einfarben weiss”. From the context of the work of Westerlund (1887) it is also clear that the name hasn’t infrasubspecific rank, because the author uses the word “form” (Art. 45.6.4. ICZN,1999). Familia SUBULINIDAE P. Fischer & Crosse, 1877 Subfamilia RUMININAE Wenz, 1923 Genus Rumina Risso, 1826 Rumina cf. saharica Pallary, 1901 Rumina decollata gracilis - Gambetta, 1929: 94 - Calchi Examined material. Alimia, 12. VIII. 20 14, 36 0 16’5”N-27 0 42’12”E, 31 ma.s.l., 3 shells. Chalki, Kania, 31.VIII.2014, 36°14’02”N- 27°37’05”E, 48 m a.s.l., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. East Mediterranean distribution. It often occurs in dry and open habitats 218 Fabio Liberto et alii under stones or hidden in the soil, but also in shady habitats between plants and plant debris, and cul- tivated areas. Remarks. Rumina saharica is characterized by a shell decollate (in adult specimens), slender, sub- cylindrical (Fig. 22); animal whitish; genitalia with vagina internally decorated with longitudinal, not crenulate pleats (crenulate pleats in R. decollata) and penis internally with some sparsely distributed papillae towards the proximal end (abundant, prom- inent papillae in R. decollata ). Prevot et al. (2013) based on a phylogenetic study of mtDNA and ITS sequence data, support the species level status of R. saharica and suggest that at least six clades in R. decollata s.l. are putative species: the dark (clade A) and light (clade E) color phenotypes from France and Spain, three North African species (clades B, C and D), and an Italian- Croatian species (Clade F). These putative species need further cor- roboration by an integrative taxonomic approach, combined with a more comprehensive geographic sampling. Clades A and E are also present in north- ern Africa, so this region shows a high degree of genetic and also morphological differentiation (Bourguignat, 1864). Prevot et al. (2013) use the name “ saharica ” for the species widespread in the Eastern Mediter- ranean, but “ saharica ” was described by Pallary (1901) for populations form Algeria (locus typicus: Dans les alluvions del’oued Keroua, pres d’El Abiod Sidi cheikh et del’oued Sefra. Dans celles de I’oued Djelfa et del’O. Seguen ), therefore further molecular and morphological analysis are necessary to ascertain the conspecificity of the populations from eastern mediterranean region with the topo- typical R. saharica from Algeria. For these reasons we prefer to name the Rumina from Chalki and Al- imia R. cf. saharica. Familia CLAUSILIIDAE J.E. Gray, 1855 Subfamilia ALOPIINAE A.J. Wagner, 1913 Tribus MEDORINII H. Nordsieck, 1997 Genus Albinaria Vest, 1867 Subgenus Albinaria Vest, 1867 Albinaria (. Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis (O. Boettger, 1889) Clausilia ( Albinaria ) brevicollis - Von Martens, 1889: 200 - Chalki Clausilia brevicollis var. chalcidensis - O. Boettger, 1889: 38 - insel Chalki Clausilia brevicollis var. chalcidensis - Westerlund, 1890: 61 - ins. Chalki Clausilia brevicollis var. chalcidensis - Westerlund, 1901:43 -1. Chalki Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis - Fuchs & Kaufel, 1936: 591 - Charki Albinaria {Albinaria) brevicollis chalcidensis - K.L. Pfeiffer, 1955: 127-128, PI 9, fig. 16 - Chalchi an dem aus Kreidekalkfels Albinaria brevicollis chalcidensis - Zilch, 1977: 326 - Insel Calchi Albinaria brevicollis chalcidensis - Nordsieck, 2007: 45 Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 01.VT1I.20 14, 36°13 , 13 ,, N-27°35 , 07 ,, E, 268 m a.s.l., 14 shells, 5 moll.; Chalki, Ag. Ghiorgos, 03.VIII.2014, 36 0 14 , 21 ,, N-27°34 , 43 ,, E, 108 m a.s.l., 8 shells; Chalki, Plaghia, 03.VIII.2014, 36°13 , 38”N- 27°34’45”E, 423 m a.s.l., 3 moll., 8 shells; Chalki, Areta, 04.VIII.2014, 36°14 , 43”N-27°35 , 58 ,, E, 95 m a.s.l., 3 moll., 11 shells; Chalki, Imborios, 30.VII.2014, 36°13 , 23”N-27°36 , 45”E, 22 m a.s.l., 2 shells; Chalki, Xerokambos, 07.VIII.20 14, 36°13 , 23”N-27 o 32 , 30”E, 401 m a.s.l., 8 shells; Chalki, Pefkia, 02.VIII.2014, 36°14’15”N- 27°36 , 53”E, 125 m a.s.l., 6 shells. Type series. Lectotypus SMF 58307; Paratypes: SMF 58308/4, 58309/4 Slg. Moellendorff, 58310/6 Slf. Naegel, 93464/5 Slf. O. Boettger. Type locality. Greece: Chalki Islands, west of Rhodes Island. Description. Shell (Figs. 23, 24) sinistral, fusi- form, slender; spire with 10-1 1 .5 whorls, last whorl tapering downwards; apex usually black, the others whorls white-bluish with dark spots; sutures mod- erately deep; umbilicus closed; apical whorls (1.5) smooth, the following striated or smooth, last whorl ribbed, but in its first half the ribs start from the base and do not reach the suture, then gradually lengthen until reaching the suture; cervix with short basal and dorsal keels, dorsal as high as basal keel or slightly higher; aperture oval, inside brown-orange, peristome continous, detached, thickened, slightly reflected. Inside aperture there are 3 plicae and lunella (on palatum) and 4 lamellae (on parietum and columellar side). On palatum starting from suture there are: a long and raised principal plica, slightly wider in its posterior portion; short posterior Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 219 upper palatal plica fused to lunella apex; lunella dor- solateral, wider to its base; a rudiment basal plica present and fused to the base of lunella (Figs. 25, 26). On parietum starting from suture there are: non emerged spiral lamella in the centre of parietum, more raised in its posterior portion; (upper) parietal lamella reaching spiral lamella; low columellar lamella; non emergent subcolumellar lamella (Figs. 27, 28). Clausilium plugh-like, basal plate entire, subrectangular, sutural angle slightly bent up (Figs. 29, 30). Dimensions (16 shells measured): height 16.2 mm (14-18.1), diameter 3.83 mm (3.7-4.07). Body. Animal narrow, posteriorly pointed, white grayish in color with darker tubercles, sole white grayish. Genitalia. (Fig. 31) (4 specimens examined) are characterized by: variably long vagina (2^4. 1 mm); short free oviduct and copulatory duct (1.6 mm), the last ending in a branched bursa copulatrix com- plex: one branch consists of a long diverticulum of bursa copulatrix (4.4 mm), the other of a very short duct of bursa copulatrix (1.3 mm) and oval bursa copulatrix. Penial complex consists of epiphallus, penial diverticulum and penis; epiphallus (3.4 mm) divided, by point insertion of penial retractor muscle, into proximal portion and very short distal portion; penis cylindrical (2.4 mm) and wider than epiphallus, large penial diverticulum (long and wide as much as the penis) arising on border between distal epiphallus and penis. Internal walls of penis with a V-shaped pleat; internal walls of penial diverticulum with some longitudinal pleats, one of which surrounds the opening of the epiphallus into the penis (Figs. 32, 33); penial retractor muscle simple, only a specimen has penial retractor divided into two branches shortly before the attachment on epiphallus. Distribution and Biology. Albinaria brevicol- lis clialcidensis is endemic of Chalki Islands. It lives on rocky limestone outcrops and it is wide- spread and common all over Chalki. Remarks. Albinaria brevicollis s.l. is spreading in the Dodecanese Islands (Greece) and Resadiye peninsula (Turkey), with sixteen subspecies (Bank, 2011; Nordsieck, 2013). For Chalki Island Boettger (1889) described the subspecies clialcidensis based only on exterior shell characters. Westerlund (1890, 1901) redescribes the shell. Fuchs & Kaufel (1936) describe and illustrate the genitalia of four subspe- cies: brevicollis (sub rhodia Pollonera, 1916), astro- palia (O. Boettger, 1883), casia (O. Boettger, 1883), and superba (O. Boettger, 1889) (sub atavirensis Pollonera, 1916). They show a substantial uniformity in the genital structure of these subspecies, but also a differentiation in the form of penial diverticulm. Pfeiffer (1955) revises the whole brevicollis group and describes the variability of the genitalia of Al- binaria brevicollis unia (O. Boettger, 1883). The structure of the genitalia of Albinaria brevicol-lis clialcidensis is similar to those of the other subspecies illustrated by Fuchs & Kaufel (1936) and by Pfeiffer (1955). Albinaria brevicollis clialcidensis appears different for the larger size of the penial diverticulum with cylindrical shape and rounded apex. The subspecies astropalia, casia and unio have a diverticulum significantly smaller, while Albinaria brevicollis brevicollis and the sub- species superba have the diverticulum proportion- ately shorter compared to the penis, in addition Albinaria brevicollis superba also differs for the pointed tip. Also the recent molecular data of Douris et al. (2007) confirm a substantial genetic differentiation between the Albinaria of Chalki and other subspecies of A. brevicollis. Gambetta (1929) reports for Chalki only Clausilia {Albinaria) unicolor Boettger, but this species later has not been confirmed on the island. Albinaria {Albinaria) brevicollis superba (O. Boettger, 1889) Albinaria {Albinaria) brevicollis superba - K.L. Pfeiffer, 1955: 117-120, PL 8, f. 8. - insel Alinnia Albinaria brevicollis superba - Paget, 1976: 761, 762 - Insel Alinnia Examined material. Alimia, 09.VIII.2014, 36°16 , 5”N-27°42 , 12”E, 31 m a.s.l., 12 shells. Distribution and Biology. Albinaria brevicol- lis superba is endemic of Rhodes Island and the islet of Alimia. It lives on rocky limestone outcrops. Remarks. Boettger (1889) describes C. brevicollis var. superba for Rhodes near Kastello village, char- acterized by shell larger than typical brevicollis , lower lamella more developed and weaker or obsolete ribs on the median whorls. Pfeiffer (1955) examines both the type series of superba , and other specimens col- lected by himself on the Mountain Prophet Elias near Kastello (Rhodes). He considers superba a subspecies with larger dimensions, with lower lamella more per- pendicular to the edge of the opening, but with vari- 220 Fabio Liberto et alii able keel and rib. Pfeiffer (1955) reports superba for the first time on the islet of Alinnia (Alimia) with shells entirely ribbed, with dorsal keel and without black spots on the surface. Paget (1976) also con- siders superba a valid subspecies and he proposes the taxon atavirensis as synonym. The shells examined in this study well corres- pond to Pfeiffer’s description in size, ribs, keels, and lamellae (Figs. 34-36). Dimensions (7 shells measured): height 16.2 mm (17.2-14.5), diameter 3.4 mm (3.25-3.65); 1 1 ribs per 2 mm of the penul- timate whorl. Whorls with some dark spots on the surface of shell. Clausilium plugh-like, basal plate entire, subrectangular, with rounded distal edge (Fig. 37). Pfeiffer (1955) reports a population of Albinaria brevicollis brevicollis on the ruins of the small castle of Alimia, but we have not sampled this population. Subgenus Mirabellina O. Boettger, 1878 Albinaria {Mirabellina) teres nordsiecki Zilch, 1977 Clausilia teres var. extensa - O. Boettger, 1889: 46- 47 - insel Challci Clausilia teres var. extensa - Von Martens, 1889: 200 - Chalki Clausilia teres - Kobelt, 1898: 313 - insel Chalki Clausilia ( Albinaria ) teres var. extensa - Gambetta 1929: 101, 113 - Calchi Albinaria teres nordsiecki - Nordsieck, 2013: 5 - Chalki Island Examined material. Chalki, Zies, near the church Aghias Kiriakis, 05 .VIII. 20 14, 36°13’39”N -27°36’57”E, 54 m a.s.l., 3 shells, 6 moll. Description. Shell (Figs. 38, 39) sinistral, fusi- form, spire with 11 whorls, last whorl tapering downwards, apex black and smooth, the other whorls whitish, ribbed, 6/7 ribs per 2 mm of the penultimate whorl, with fine lines between the ribs; cervix more coarsely ribbed than the upper whorls, basal keel visible, dorsal keel obsolete; umbilicus closed; aperture oval, peristome contin- ous, detached, slightly reflected. Inside aperture there are 2 plicae and lunella (on palatum) and 4 lamellae (on parietum and columellar side). On platum starting from suture there are a long and raised pincipal plica, slightly wider in its posterior portion; short posterior upper palatal plica fused to lunella apex; lunella obsolete in its apical por- tion, absent in its basal portion (Figs. 40, 41); on parietum starting from suture there are: non emerged spiral lamella in the centre of parietum; (upper) parietal lamella very short and toothlike, low columellar lamella; non emerged subcolumel- lar lamella (Figs. 42, 43). Clausilium plugh-like, basal plate entire with slightly curved palatal edge (Figs. 44, 45). Dimensions (7 shells measured): height 17.4 mm (17-18.1), diameter 3.9 mm (3.86-4). Genitalia (Fig. 46), 3 specimens examined, con- sisting of large ovotestis with many close acini; long convoluted hermaphrodite duct, entering base of small talon (Fig. 49); large albumen gland; well developed ovispermiduct, copulatory duct and free oviduct of the same lenght (2.4-2. 6 mm); copulat- ory duct ending in a branched bursa copulatrix complex: one branch consists of a long divertic- ulum of bursa copulatrix (5.7-4. 1 mm), the other of a very short copulatrix duct (1.1-1. 9 mm) and oval bursa copulatrix (1.2-1. 9); medium long va- gina (2.6-4 mm). Penial complex consists of epi- phallus, penial diverticulum and penis; epiphallus (2. 6-3. 8 mm) divided, by point insertion of penial retractor muscle, into proximal portion and very short distal portion; penis (2.5-2.85 mm) cyl- indrical and wider than epiphallus, short and con- ical penial diverticulum (0.8-1. 3 mm), arising on border between distal epiphallus and penis. Internal walls of penis with a V-shaped pleat; internal walls of penial diverticulum with a pleat, which sur- rounds the opening of the epiphallus into the penis (Figs. 47, 48); in two specimens the penial retractor muscle is divided into two branches shortly before the attachment on epiphallus (Figs. 46-47), in the third specimen it is undivided with large at- tachment on epiphallus. Distribution and Biology. Albinaria teres nord- siecki is native of Crete Island, where it is distrib- uted from west of Sitia to south eastern Dikti mountains and east of Ierapetra, with region of Goudouras and Koufonisi Island. It is a rock dwell- ing snail, usually limestone rocks. Remarks. The presence of A. teres nordsiecki on Chalki Island only nearby the church of Aghias Kiriakis (Chalki), and nowhere else in the survey area, strongly suggests that it was introduced by man from the island of Crete (O. Boettger, 1889; Nordsieck, 2013). Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 221 Familia OXYCHILIDAE P. Hesse 1927 (1879) Subfamilia OXYCHILINAE P. Hesse, 1927 (1879) Genus Eopolita Pollonera, 1916 Eopolita protensa protensa (A. Ferussac, 1832) Hyalina aequata - Von Martens, 1889: 190 - Chalki Retinella aequata - Gude, 1902: 124 - Kharki (Chalki) Retinella ( Eopolita ) protensa protensa - Fuchs & Kaufel, 1936: 614 - Charki Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 01.VHI.20 14, 36 o 13 , 13”N-27 o 35 , 07”E, 268 m a.s.l., 3 shells. Distribution and Biology. Eopolita protensa has an East Mediterranean distribution, from Aegean region to South-East Turkey, North-West Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Libya and Cyprus. It lives under stones and in rock crevices. Eopolita protensa is a carnivorous snail, and feeds on earth worms and snails. Familia MILACIDAE Ellis, 1926 Genus Tandonia Lessona et Pollonera, 1882 Tandonia cf. pageti (Forcart, 1972) Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 23.IV.2015, 36°13’13”N, 27°35 , 07”E, 268 m a.s.l. Distribution and Biology. Tandonia pageti is known from Rhodes Island and SW Turkey. Remarks. In external appearance it resembles a limacide for the large dimensions, the poorly arched short keel and small skin sculpture. Through the photos the color appears brownish gray with dense small yellow and brown spots. Only two photos, and size (length approxim- ately 8 cm) were taken of this mollusk (Fig. 50). Further researches are needed for a definitive spe- cific identification of T. pageti and the following species D. cf. samium on the island of Chalki. Familia AGRIOLIMACIDAE H. Wagner, 1935 Subfamilia AGRIOLIMACINAE H. Wagner, 1935 Genus Deroceras Rafinesque, 1820 Subgenus Deroceras Rafinesque, 1 820 Deroceras {. Deroceras ) cf. samium Rahle, 1983 Examined material. Chalki, Imborios, 23.IV.20 15, 36°13 , 23 ,, N-27°36’45 ,, E. 22 m a.s.l.. Remarks. For this slug, as for the previous spe- cies, were taken by us just a picture (Fig. 51) and the dimensions. The dark-gray color and the size (length approximately 40 mm) allow us to tentat- ively classify this slug as D. cf. samium, a species with wide distribution in the Dodecanese. Familia COCHLICELLIDAE Schileyko, 1972 Genus Cochlicella A. Ferussac, 1821 Subgenus Cochlicella A. Ferussac, 1821 Cochlicella { Cochlicella ) acuta (O.F. Muller, 1774) Examined material. Chalki, Imborios, 30.VII.2014, 36°13 , 23”N-27°36’45”E. 22 m a.s.l., 13 shells. Distribution and Biology. This Holomediter- ranean- Atlantic species lives on retro dune habitats and internal drier biotopes. It is a very common spe- cies, which often occurs in large aggregations on plants and in crevices of trees. Our specimens were found on the walls of old abandoned houses in Imborios. Remarks. The population of Chalki has small dimensions like those of Rhodes (Frank, 1997): H: 9.1 mm, D: 4 mm (Fig. 52). Familia HYGROMIIDAE Tryon, 1866 Subfamilia GEOMITRINAE C. Boettger, 1909 Tribus TROCHOIDEINI H. NORDSIECK, 1987 Genus Xerocrassa Monterosato, 1892 Subgenus Xerocrassa Monterosato, 1892 Xerocrassa {Xerocrassa) cretica (L. Pfeiffer, 1841) Helix ( Xerophila ) cretica - Von Martens, 1889: 196 - Insel Chalki Helicella {Heliomanes) cretica - Gude, 1902: 124 - Kharki (Chalki) Helicella {Xerocrassa) cretica - Gambetta, 1929: 92 - isola di Calchi Helicella {Xerocrassa) cretica cauta - Fuchs & Kaufel, 1934: 84 - Chalki Examined material. Chalki, Xipei, 06.VIII.20 14, 36°13’ 11”N-27°35 , 37”E, 153 m a.s.l., 16 moll, juv.; Alimia, on limestone, 12. VIII. 2014, 36°16 , 5 ,, N-27°42’12 ,, E, 31 m a.s.l., 4 shells. Distribution and Biology. Species with East Mediterannean distribution: East Greece, Ae- 222 Fabio Liberto et alii gean Islands, West coast of Asia Minor, Cyprus, African coast from Egypt to Libya. It lives in every kind of habitats, from beaches to high mountains, but mainly on dry vegetation in coa- stal habitats. Remarks. A common species on Chalki Island. Subgenus Xeroclausa Monterosato, 1892 Xerocrassa ( Xeroclausa ) meda (Porro, 1840) Examined material. Chalki, Ag. Ghiorgos, 03.VIII.2014, 36°14 , 21”N-27 0 34 , 43”E, 108 m a.s.l., 2 shells. Distribution and Biology. It is known for Malta, Sicily, southern Italy, Sardinia (Sassari) and Aegean Islands: Kos and Lesvos. It is common in anthropogenic habitat: gardens, on walls, under stones. These habitats suggest passive introduction by man. Remarks. Perhaps a native species of Sicily and Malta, where it lives in seminatural habitats, and probably introduced in southern Italy, Sardegna (Sassari) and Aegean Islands: Kos, Lesvos (Haus- dorf & Sauer, 2009). In Chalki only two fresh death shells were sampled in seminatural habitats on the north side of the island (Fig. 53). Subfamilia HYGROMIINAE Tryon, 1866 Tribus HYGROMIINI Tryon, 1866 Genus Metafruticicola Ihering, 1892 Metafruticicola ( Metafruticicola ) pellitus pellitus (A. Ferussac, 1832) Helix (Pseudocampylaed) pellita - Von Martens, 1889: 194 - insel Chalki Hygromia (. Metafruticicola ) pellita - Gude, 1902: 124 - Kharki (Chalki) Metafruticicola ( Metafruticicola ) pellita graph- icotera - Fuchs & Kaufel, 1934: 87 - Chalki Metafruticicola ( Metafruticicola ) pellita - Bank et al., 2013: 70-76 - Island Chalki, surroundings Chorion; monastery Agios Johannis N W Chalki town. Examined material. Chalki, Ag. Ghiorgos, 03.VIII.2014, 36 0 14 , 21 ,, N-27°34 , 43 ,, E. 108 m a.s.l., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. Aegean Distribu- tion: East Crete, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Northern Sporades, Limnos and the Turkish Island of Gok- ceada (Bank et al., 2013). Metafruticicola pellitus lives in limestone hab- itats. Familia HELICIDAE Rafmesque, 1815 Subfamilia HELICINAE Rafmesque, 1815 Tribus HELICINI Rafmesque, 1815 Genus Levantina Kobelt, 1871 Subgenus Levantina Kobelt, 1871 Levantina ( Levantina ) spiriplana malziana (L. Pfeiffer, 1861) Helix ( Iberus ) spiriplana - Von Martens, 1889: 195 - insel Chalki Helix ( Levantina ) spiriplata - Gude, 1902: 124 - Kharki (Chalki) Levantina ( Levantina ) spiriplana var. carinata - Gambetta, 1929: 64-72 - Chalchi Levantina spiriplana malziana - K.L.Pfeiffer, 1949: 12-23 - Chalki, Alimia Levantina spiriplana malziana - Frank, 1997: 113 - Alimia, Chalki Examined material. Chalki, Chorio, 01.VIII.2014, 9 36°13 , 13 ,, N-27°35 , 07 ,, E, 268 m a.s.l., 2 shells juv; Chalki, Adramasos, VIII. 2014, 36°13’32”N- 27°34 , 48”E, 32 m a.s.l., 2 shells; Chalki, Pefkia, 02.VIII.2014, 36 0 14 , 15”N-27°36 , 53 ,, E, 125 m a.s.l., 4 shells (3 juvenes). Distribution and Biology. Levantina spiri- plana s.l. has an Eastern Mediterranean distribu- tion: Dodecanese (from Kalimnos to Rhodes and Karpathos), South-West Turkey, from Syria to Palestine and Cyprus, probably dispersed also by man. It lives mainly on rocks, but also in other habitats. Remarks. All the adult shells of Levantina col- lected on Chalki had closed umbilicus, therefore we classify them as subspecies malziana (Fig. 54), in the nominotipycal subspecies the umbilicus is par- tially covered. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 223 Genus Eobania P. Hesse, 1913 Eobania vermiculata (O.F. Muller, 1774) Eobania vermiculata - Gambetta, 1929: 57-64 - Calchi Eobania vermiculata - Frank, 1997: 103 - Halki Examined material. Alimia, Vin.2014, 36° 1 6’ 5 ”N- 27°42 , 12”E, 31 ma.s.l., 3 shells; Chalki, Adramasos, VIII.2014, 36°13 , 32 ,, N-27°34’48 ,, E, 32 m a.s.l., 3 shells. Distribution and Biology. Eobania vermicu- lata has Mediterranean distribution, and lives on every island in the South Aegean (Gambetta, 1929). It occurs in a broad variety of habitats, also anthrop- ized sites. Remarks. It is common on Chalki and Alimia, on the ground among the rocks, with shells cara- ctherized by thick and well reflected peristome. Genus Cantareus Risso, 1 826 Cantareus apertus (Bom, 1778) Helix ( Pomatia ) aperta - Von Martens, 1889: 196 - insel Chalki Helix ( Helicogena ) aperta - Gude, 1902: 124 - Kharki (Chalki) Examined material. Chalki, Pefkia, 02.VIII.2014, 36°14’15 ,, N-27°36 , 53 ,, E, 125 ma.s.l., 1 shell. Distribution and Biology. Cantareus apertus has a Mediterranean distribution, from France in the west to Greece and Aegean islands in the east, and from Italy in the north to the Mediterranean Africa in the south. It is a thermophilic species more com- mon in argillaceous and marly soils, where it estiv- ates buried in the soil. Remarks. A shell was sampled up by us at Pefkia (Fig. 55) and few living specimens were observed at Imborios. Genus Cornu Bom, 1778 Cornu aspersum (O.F. Muller, 1774) Examined material. Chalki, Adramasos, VIII.2014, 36°13 , 32 ,, N-27°34 , 48 ,, E, 32 m a.s.l., 2 shells. Distribution and Biology. West European- Holomediterranean distribution, dispersed by man all over the world. Cornu aspersum occurs in many different kinds of biotopes, coastal retrodune, open grasslands, woods, rocky ground, anthropized sites. Remarks. This species is probably native of the south-western Mediterranean regions (Algeria, Tu- nisia, Sicily). In this area populations of C. asper- sum from different locality show differences among the relative dimensions of some parts of the genita- lia and also substantial genetic differences (Guiller & Madec, 2010; Colomba et al., 2015). Such diffe- rences point out the necessity of further taxonomic studies. The past authors have not reported this big He- licidae for Chalki, therefore it is probably a recent introduction (Fig. 56). Few living specimens were observed at Imborios. Genus Helix Linnaeus, 1758 Subgenus Helix Linnaeus, 1758 Helix {Helix) pronuba Westerlund et Blanc, 1879 Helix {Helix) pronuba -Neubert, 2014: 120-126 - Chalki Island ( SMF/8, NMBE 528722/3) Distribution and Biology. This species is known from Crete, Karpathos, Chalki Island, and Northern African coast, from Egypt to Tunisia (see Neubert, 2014). Subgenus Pelasga Hesse, 1908 Helix {Pelasga) nucula Mousson, 1854 Helix (Pelasga) nucula - Neubert 2014: 151-160 - Chalki, 36.2234, 27.6114, 02.06.1996 Distribution and Biology. East Mediterranean distribution: South-Eastern Aegean Islands, Medi- terranean Turkish coast from Izmir to Manavgat, and Cyprus (Neubert, 2014). Helix nucula is wide- spread on the Aegean Islands, and Triantis et al. (2004) report it also as fossil. It is report for Chalki only by Bank (2011). 224 Fabio Liberto et alii Figure 2. Coastal vegetation of the islet of Alimia. Figures 3, 4. limestone outcrops of Chalki Island. Figure 5. Pleurodiscus balmei, Chalki Island, Chorio, H: 4.76 mm, D: 7.9 mm. Figure 6. Mastus emarginatus turgidus, Alimia Islet, H: 11.33 mm, D: 5.9 mm. Figure 7. Mastus sp., Chalki Island, Xerokambos, H: 16.6 mm, D: 6.6 mm. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 225 Figures 8-10. Rhabcloena cosensis, Greece, Dodecanese, island of Chalki, Chorio. Fig. 8: shell, H: 17.3 mm, D: 7.25 mm, Fig. 9: genitalia, Fig. 10: internal structure of penis. Figures 11,12. Zebrinafasciolata, Greece, Dodecanese, island of Chalki, Kania: Fig. 11: shell, H: 15.8 mm, D: 6.32 mm. Fig. 12: shell, H: 24.2 mm, D: 12.7 mm. 226 Fabio Liberto et alii Figures 13, 14. Zebrina fasciolata, (same specimen of figure 12), Fig. 13: genitalia, Fig. 14: internal structure of penis. Fi- gures 15-17. Zebrina fasciolata, Greece, Dodecanese, island of Chalki, Kania. Fig. 15: genitalia. Fig. 16: spermatophore. Fig. 17: internal structure of penis. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 227 Figures 18-21. Zebrina Candida, island of Chalki, Kania. Fig. 18: shell. H: 18.6 mm. D: 12.3 mm. Fig. 19: genitalia. Fig. 20: spermatophore. Fig. 21: internal structure of penis. Figure 22. Rumina cf. saharica, Greece, Dodecanese, Alimia Islet, H: 24.8 mm, D: 7.7 mm. 228 Fabio Liberto et alii Figures 23, 24. Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis, island of Chalki, Chorio. Fig. 23: shell, H: 17 mm, D: 4 mm. Fig. 24: shell, H: 16 mm, D: 3.8 mm. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 229 Figure 25-30. Albinaria (. Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis, island of Chalki, Chorio. Figs. 25-26: palatum. Figs. 27, 28: parietum. Figs. 29, 30: clausilium. 230 Fabio Liberto et alii Figures 31-33 .Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis, island of Chalki, Fig. 31: Chorio, genitalia. Fig. 32: Plaghia, internal structure of penis. Fig. 33: Chorio, internal structure of penis. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 231 Figure 34-37. Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis superba, Alimia Islet. Fig. 34: shell, H: 17 mm, D: 3.4 mm. Fig. 35: palatum. Fig. 36: parietum, Fig. 37: clausilium. 232 Fabio Liberto et alii Figures 38, 39. Albinaria ( Mirabellina ) teres nordsiecki, island of Chalki, Zies, Fig. 38: shell, H: 17.03 mm, D: 3.9 mm. Fig. 39: shell, H: 17 mm, D: 3.9 mm. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 233 Figures 40-45. Albinaria ( Mirabellina ) teres nordsiecki, island of Chalki, Zies, Figs. 40, 41 : palatum, Figs. 42, 43: parietum, Figs. 44, 45: clausilium. 234 Fabio Liberto et alii Figures 46-49. Albinaria ( Mirabellina ) teres nordsiecki, island of Chalki, Zies, Fig. 46: genitalia. Fig. 47: internal structure of penis (same specimen of figure 46), Fig. 48: internal structure of penis. Fig. 49: proximal female genitalia. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 235 Figure 50. Tandonia cf. paged, island of Chalki, Chorio, length: 8 cm. Figure 51. Deroceras (D. ) cf. samium, island of Chalki, Imborios, length: 40 mm. Figure 52. Cochlicella (C.) acuta, island of Chalki, Imborios, H: 8.5 mm, D: 3.8 mm. Fi- gure 53. Xerocrassa (X.) meda (Porro, 1 840), island of Chalki, Ag. Ghiorgos, H: 5. 1 mm, D: 8.3 mm. Figure 54. Levantina ( L .) spiriplana malziana, island of Chalki, Pefkia, H: 27.5, D: 16.5 mm. Figure 55. Cantareus apertus, island of Chalki, Pefkia, H: 25.5 mm, D: 26.3 mm. Figure. 56. Cornu aspersum, island of Chalki, Adramasos, H: 32 mm, D: 39 mm. 236 Fabio Liberto et alii CONCLUSIONS Based on our own findings and the results from previous molluscan studies, the malacofauna of Chalki comprises 23 extant taxa and that one of Al- imia 6. Twenty-one species of land snails were collec- ted during our surveys in the two islands, however three species recorded by past authors have not been found by us ( Orculella cretica, Helix nucula and H. pronub a). venile shell, therefore further researches are needed to confirm the presence of a living population. Two shells of an unidentified Mastus are reported as Mastus sp. From all localities sampled in Chalki, the richest was Chorio with five species, followed by Ad- ramasos, Ag. Ghiorgos and Kania with three species. As far as endemic species are concerned there’s only a strict endemic species, Albinaria (A.) brevicol- lis chalcidensis . Two species are endemic of Rhodes and respectively also of Chalki: Zebrina Candida and of Alimia Albinaria (A.) brevicollis superba. Ten species are new records for Chalki and four for Alimia (Table 1). Among the new records Pleur- odiscus balmei is represented only as an empty ju- An endemic species of the Dodecanese, Mastus emarginatus turgidus is present both on Chalki and Alimia. Five species are endemic for the Aegean SPECIES CHOROTYPE CHALKI ALIMIA Orculella critica Aeg-Grek L Pleurodiscus balmei E-Med NR Mastus emarginatus turgidus Dod X NR Mastus sp. — NR Rhabdoena cosens is Aeg X Zebrina fas cio lata E-Med NR Zebrina Candida Dod NR Rumina cf. saharica E-Med X NR Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis chalcidensis End X Albinaria ( Albinaria ) brevicollis superba Dod X Albinaria ( Mirabellina ) teres nordsiecki Aeg X Eopolita protensa protensa Aeg X Tandonia cf. paged Aeg NR Deroceras ( Deroceras ) cf. samium Aeg NR Cochlicella ( Cochlicella ) acuta Eur NR Xerocrassa ( Xerocrassa ) cretica E-Med X NR Xerocrassa ( Xeroclausa ) me da Med NR Metafruticicola ( Metafruticicola ) pellitus pellitus Aeg X Levantina (Levant ina) spiriplana malziana E-Med X L Eobania vermiculata Med X NR Cantareus apertus Med X Cornu aspersum Eur-Med NR Helix (Helix) pronub a E-Med L Helix (Pelasga) nucula E-Med L TOTAL 14 9 2 4 Table 1 . List of species of Chalki and Alimia and their chorotype. L = data of literature, NR = new record, X = our findings. Land mollusks of Chalki andAlimia (Dodecanese Archipelago, Greece) 237 region, and Orculella critica for the Greek- Aegean regions. Moreover, eight species present a wide eastern Mediterranean distribution, either Mediter- ranean (three species), or Mediterranean European (two species) (Table 1). Therefore the Eastern Mediterranean elements is the most represented chorotype in Chalki (34.8 %). We consider Cornu aspersum to be of recent in- troduction for Chalki, since this large Helicidae was not sampled by past authors and it has on Chalki limited ranges restricted to stations near present or past human dwellings. To the list of non-native spe- cies we tentatively added also Xerocrassa meda, which is known in Aegean region only for Kos and Lesvos as an introduced species. These findings show a close relationship of the molluscan fauna between Chalki, Alimia and that of the nearby island of Rhodes. All sampled species in Alimia are also present in Rhodes, while of the twenty-three species listed for Chalki only four are not present in Rhodes: A. brevicollis chalcidensis endemic species of Chalki, A. teres nordsiecki spe- cies native to the island of Crete, X. meda perhaps introduced in Chalki, and Mastus sp. whose status remains uncertain. We have redescribed the shell of A. brevicollis chalcidensis and for the first time we have described and illustrated its genitalia. For the first time we have also described in detail the in- ternal genitalia of R. cosensis, Z. fasciolata, Z. Can- dida and A. (M) teres nordsiecki. Further invest- igations are nevertheless necessary to ascertain the specific status both of the slugs and of O. critica. 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Biodiversity Journal, 2017, 8 (1): 239-248 Benthos communities of Vendicari and Capo Passero,two po- tential MPA’s in South Eastern Sicily (Italy) Vincenzo Di Martino 1 * & Bessy Stancanelli 2 'CNR / I.S.A.Fo.M. - U.O.S. di Catania, via Empedocle 58, 95128 Catania, Italy 2 AQUA STORIES - via Vampolieri 25/31, 95022 Aci Catena, Catania, Italy ‘Corresponding author, e-mail: vincenzo.dimartino@cnr.it ABSTRACT In the present paper a bionomic study and cartography of the benthos of two potential MPAs in South Eastern Sicily, S.C.I. ITA 090027 “Fondali di Vendicari” and the S.C.I. ITA 090028 “Fondali dell’Isola di Capo Passero”, and surrounding areas are presented. The goals of this particular survey can be summarized as follows: 1) to chart the benthic communities (and the area of each one); 2) to evaluate the benthic diversity of the areas; 3) to produce visual documentation of the distributions of the benthic organisms; 4) to identify human-induced pressures on the benthic environment; 5) to make recommendations for future management based on the visual assessment; and 6) to set up a new methodology for making large bio- cenosis maps that would help to manage marine protected and non-protected areas. The fauna and flora of the meso- and macrobenthos were studied by a triple sampling procedure: standard, visual and photographic samples were simultaneously taken along underwater tran- sects. These, together with the floristic and faunistic study of each algal and invertebrate group, served as the basis for the bionomic survey of the Vendicari and Capo Passero Island sea bottoms. In a first approach, the supra- and mediolittoral communities were studied. Fur- ther work were focused on the infralittoral stages and their communities along representative transects. The survey was conducted from surface (+0.50 m) to 40 metres of depth that is the limit of the study site. During this study were found, also, 41 benthic species and many biocoenoses of high naturalistic value protected by many international law agreements. The study led to a comprehensive review of the main biotope systems of this coastal area, as well as their environmental condition, and this will be an essential element for their future management. KEY WORDS marine protected areas; benthos communities; biocenotic map; SE Sicily; endangered species. Received 09.12.2016; accepted 02.02.2017; printed 30.03.2017 Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress “Biodiversity, Mediterranean, Society”, September 4th-6th 2015, Noto- Vendicari (Italy) INTRODUCTION Natural ecosystems and landscapes that provide benefits to human society are of great ecological, socio-cultural and economic value (Costanza et al., 1997; de Groot et al., 2002). All these benefits, together with their support structure, constitute an ecosystem’s natural capital. However, the benefits of natural capital have been ignored in land-use and marine planning and in decision-making processes. Vendicari and Capo Passero are two high nat- uralistic values areas along south eastern Sicilian shoreline. 240 Vincenzo Di Martino & Bessy Stancanelli Vendicari area falls within the territory of the municipality of Noto and includes a vast wetland separated from the sea by coastal dunes and a coast- line characterized by sandy beaches that form rocky shores; little off there is a small island. Throughout this area in 1978 was declared a protected area by the Sicilian Region Law and was called “Riserva Naturale Orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari”. The bottom facing the coastal stretch of the protec- ted area to a depth of 40 meters is the S.C.I. “ITA090027”. The Capo Passero Island is a small island loc- ated few hundred meters from the coast in front of the town of Porto Palo di Capo Passero (South of Siracusa) in the extreme south east of Sicily. The environment emerged of the Capo Passero Island is extremely rich in botanical species endemic and/or rarities such as the Italian Botanical Society has placed the island in the list of botanical habitats of particular value in Sicily. As a further demonstra- tion of the importance of the environment emerged of the island it must be said that the entire emerged part of the island is the S.C.I. ITA090001. Are no exceptions the bottoms around the island, i.e. S.C.I. “FTA090028” characterized by the presence of large stands of Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Posidonia beds. These two sites are among those set out in Italian Law 394/91, which contains the list of Italian areas that could become protected areas, marine and / or land, or national parks. MATERIALS AND METHODS Previous studies The literature data on the marine surrounding areas near the natural riserve of S.C.I. ITA 090027 “Fondali di Vendicari” and the S.C.I. ITA 090028 “Fondali dell’Isola di Capo Passero” are very poor and incomplete. In the past decades many studies were carried out on marine environment of nearby areas but no study was carried out, in particular, for the areas. The first paper on the Hyblaean coast was pub- lished by Battiato et al. (1980). In this study were examined only the floristic aspects on this marine environment. They founded 340 algal taxa. Later, Giaccone et al. (1985a, 1985b; 1992) con- ducted studies on the marine vegetation present along coastline between Gela (South Sicily - Medi- terranean Sea) and Capo Passero Island and between Capo Passero Island and Ognina di Siracusa (near Siracusa, southeastern Sicily - Ionian Sea). While Buia et al. (1985) published a study on epiphyte ve- getation of Posidonia leaves present in the seabed of Capo Passero. In the first ‘90th Scammacca et al. (1996 - in- ternal report) conducted a research aimed at study- ing the effects of human activities related to land use and their effects on the coastal environments as part of the “P.O.P. - Sicilia 1990-93” research project. Giaccone &Di Martino (1996) published the results of their research as updating of knowledge on the marine flora and vegetation along the Hyblean coast line. Only in the 1999, Blundo et al. (1999 a, b) and Di Martino & Blundo (1999) published the results of their research aimed at the knowledge of the mar- ine flora and vegetation of the marine sea bottoms of Vendicari. Cantone (1997) published the first study on mar- ine biocoenosis of the Vendicari marine sea bottoms with the grant by Sicilian Region and two year after Cantone et al. (1999) published the biocoenotic map of the Gulf of Noto (S-E Sicily - Ionian Sea). But in this map only two transects were carried out within the Vendicari marine area. The same data were analyzed by Cantone et al. (2000) with par- ticular attention on muddy bottoms benthos. Sampling methods and mapping The benthic cartography of the two S.C.I. ITA090027 (Fig. 1) and ITA090028 (Fig. 2) was obtained by combining classical grabbing methods with more recent imaging methods (Bianchi et al., 2004). The grabbing methods were also used to col- lect biological material that was studied thoroughly in the laboratory to identify its components. Ima- ging methods allowed a much larger amount of information to be processed in the time available, and also permitted the quantification of some key landscape species (epibenthic organisms). The benthic cartography presented in this paper includes information starting with supralittoral environments (30 cm above the mean sea level) down to a depth of 40 m in the circalittoral environ- ment, and provides data for the distribution of the main benthic habitats found in the area. Additional Benthos communities of Vendicari and Capo Passero, two potential MPA’s in South Eastern Sicily (Italy) 241 information on species composition for these com- munities can be obtained from the cited literature. The study of the benthos of Vendicari and of Capo Passero Island sea bottoms was carried out by underwater surveys. According to Tunesi & Vacchi (1993), Tunesi et al. (2001), Tunesi & Salvati (2002) and considering the type of coastal develop- ment of the two sites studied, it was decided to op- erate following the methodological approach commonly applied in similar studies to increase the knowledge of the sites for which it is proposed the establishment of a marine protected area. To characterize the benthos of “Fondali di Ven- dicari” (S.I.C. ITA090027) were studied 20 tran- sects orthogonal to the coastline. The spatial distribution of transects in the the coastline-sea dir- ection was made in accordance with the homo- geneity of benthic site as well as in consideration of the homogeneity of the coastline that has no major structural eminences if not in its portion to the north. In fact, in the most northern portion of this site transects were nearest to one another to bet- ter characterize the greater variety of biological sub- merged environments falling in this portion of the study area. Finally, to interpolate and enrich the data obtained was earned out the study of the biological communities present in a further 5 transects with orientation parallel to the coastline and long enough to intersect the largest possible number of the 20 transects orthogonal to the coast. In total for the seabed of Vendicari 100 surveys were carried out during the dive. 40 of these were made with the technique of “snorkeling” to study supralittoral, mediolittoral and fringe assemblages. The remain- ing 60 surveys were conducted by diving. For the S.C.I. ITA090028 (“Fondali dell’Isola di Capo Passero”) characterization were performed 12 transects orthogonal to the Island coastline and 1 5 transects with orientation parallel to the Island coastline to intersect the orthogonal transects. In total were performed 95 surveys of which 15 with the technique of “snorkeling” aimed at the study of the supralittoral and mediolittoral, the remaining 80 surveys have been conducted by diving with air breathing apparatus (SCUBA). During all dives were carried out video and pho- tographic surveys through the use of underwater digital and / or analog cameras and videocameras. The information collected allowed to obtain the biocenotic map of the two S.C.I. ITA090027 and ITA090028 based on the IGM (Istituto Geografico Militare - Italian Army Geographical Institute) maps, at the 1:25,000 scale, suitably modified (Fig. 1). Similarly, it is made use of toponymy re- ported in the same maps. Each unit was represen- ted by a bionomic campiture that, using different color layers defined by a code, refers to the RGB color scale graphics as proposed by Meinesz et al. (1983), implemented by Vaugelas et al. (1998) and, recently, enhanced by Tunesi et al. (2002) with those bionomic units that at the time of the realization of the two previous papers were not present. The positioning of each transect in the two study areas was obtained through a GPS and using the geographic coordinate datum WGS 84. RESULTS Over the visual surveys were collected data on the presence of protected marine species and/or as- semblages in the studied areas. The species con- sidered were those receiving strict protection status according to Directive 79/409/CEE; Law 503, 5.10.81, Directive 92/43 CEE, 21.05.92, Presiden- tial Decree 357, 8.09.1997, Law 157, 11.02.1992, and Law 175, 27.05.99. The marine habitats con- sidered were those identified as “ determinant ” by UNEP (1999), which defines them as “ habitats for which conservation is considered indispensable ” (Amore et al., 1992; Relini, 2002; Fumari et al., 2003; Tunesi et al., 2008). The census of protected species present in the studied areas was conducted by recording the pres- ence of these species during the dives for the study of benthos integrated with the bibliographic data. It was also verified the presence of the species and/or marine benthic assemblages worthy of protection already reported in previous research (Cantone et al., 1993; Cantone, 1996, 2001; Blundo et al., 1999a, b; Di Martino & Blundo, 1999). S.C.I. ITA090027 - Fondali di Vendicari Due to the tipology of the coastal development of this site was made a division into three sectors (A, B and C) of the entire coastline. The section “A” includes the northernmost por- tion of the site where the coastline is characterized 242 Vincenzo Di Martino & Bessy Stancanelli Biocenotic map of the S.C.I. ITA 090027 “Fondali di Vendicari” ISPRA Ibitutn Supcr>«pc prr b c la Hkv'. j AmfacnUle Eit d. FVxna 2° J7 '.»« 2