WBA - World Biodiversity Association onlus

This study aimed to investigate the ecology of the Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) and Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) in the Po basin in northern Italy, where both species have faced significant population declines. Using data collected from three LIFE projects, we investigated movement behaviour and habitat selection of the species following restocking, reintroduction and river defragmentation actions implemented during the LIFE projects. The two species showed a distinct movement behaviour and habitat selection. A. naccarii preferred to stay in pool, and it showed a tendency to have a landlocked behaviour, whereas H. huso did not show a clear habitat selection, and it always moved downstream, supporting the typical anadromous behaviour of this species. Both species benefited from river defragmentation interventions. These findings underscore the importance of habitat conservation/restoration and defragmentation measures for the long-term survival of sturgeon species.

BACKGROUND A major impact of invasive Myocastor coypus in their introduction range is the collapse of riverbanks and nearby infrastructure, such as railway lines, due to the species’ burrowing activities. Because widespread implementation of preventive measures along watercourses is unfeasible, identifying susceptible areas is key to guide targeted management actions. This study used species–habitat models to: (i) identify local environmental features of the railway line/watercourse intersections (RLWIs) that make them particularly susceptible to coypu damage, and (ii) predict species occurrence probability over a wide lowland–hilly area of northern Italy (Lombardy) to identify priority areas for monitoring. RESULTS Local‐scale models identified that the RLWIs most susceptible to burrowing were those surrounded by arable land with interspersed hedgerows locally characterized by high herbaceous vegetation and clay soil. In urbanized areas and areas of intensive agriculture, coypu dens were generally located significantly closer to the railway, increasing the risk of collapse. A landscape‐scale species distribution model showed that lowland areas along major rivers and lake shores, and also agricultural areas with a dense minor hydrographic network, particularly in the southeast of the study area, are more likely to be occupied by coypu. CONCLUSION Local‐scale models showed that specific environmental characteristics increase the risk of burrowing near RLWIs. The landscape‐scale model allowed us to predict which areas require thorough monitoring of RLWIs to search for such local characteristics to implement preventive management measures. The proposed model‐based framework can be applied to any geographical context to predict and prevent coypu damage. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background Buprestidae is a group of beetles of important conservation and phytosanitary value that is poorly studied in the Tuscan Archipelago and the limited faunistic knowledge available refers to a few scant historical records. New information The present contribution increments the species documented in the Archipelago from 27 to 51, providing more than 300 georeferenced occurrence records, derived from both direct field research and citizen science via iNaturalist. Of particular importance is the discovery of Eurythyrea quercus on Isola d'Elba, an uncommon and localised species currently critically endangered.

Europe has a long history of non-native species introductions given its central role in global trade in recent centuries. Currently, approximately two hundred cerambycid species have been found in Europe, as the result of introductions between and within biogeographical regions; still, despite better monitoring and stronger restrictions, the arrivals and spread of non-native Cerambycidae continue. The aim of this contribution is to report and discuss the first European records of the non-native longhorn beetle Olenecamptus bilobus (Fabricius, 1801) on the basis of three specimens recorded almost simultaneously in Spain and Greece, respectively.

Given their sensitivity to environmental alterations, odonates act as reliable bioindicators to assess the effects of changes in freshwater ecosystems and associated terrestrial habitats. The region comprised between Lario and Brianza (Provinces of Como, Lecco and Monza and Brianza - Lombardy, N Italy) is one of the most urbanised of the Italian peninsula and large parts of its territory have been heavily altered, especially at low elevation. Despite this pervasive anthropogenisation, the area is still characterised by a considerable variety of freshwater habitats, possibly harbouring rich odonate communities, which, however, have been never thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to produce the first commented checklist of the Odonata of this region, accompanied by distribution maps. The work is based on 12,093 records spanning from 1981 and 2022, derived from literature (289), revision of collections (42), citizen-science projects (1249) and unpublished data from the authors and their collaborators (10,513). Overall, fifty-five species occur - or occurred in the past - in the study area (20 Zygoptera and 35 Anisoptera). One species, Erythromma najas , was confirmed exclusively before 1978, while seven species ( Lestes barbarus , Coenagrion scitulum , Aeshna affinis , Anax ephippiger , Somatochlora arctica , Sympetrum meridionale and Trithemis annulata ) have been recorded only after 2000. Records referring to Chalcolestes parvidens and Sympetrum flaveolum were considered questionable and excluded from the checklist. A list of species for each protected site is additionally provided. This work highlighted the importance for odonates of Lario and Brianza Regions from a national perspective, in particular for species of conservation priority/interest, such as Sympecma paedisca , Oxygastra curtisii and Sympetrum depressiusculum .

In the last decades, climate change and globalisation have been exacerbating the introduction of non-native beetles worldwide. Due toits peculiar territory, climate and geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin, Italy is one of the European countries with the highest number of intercepted, adventive and established non- native beetles, some of which are invasive. In this perspective, producing new faunistic records and continuously updating reliable and easily accessible distributional data is a fundamental step in investigating and potentially preventing further species introduction. The aim of this contribution is to report and discuss new faunistic records of non-native Coleoptera in Italy. For some species, new records enlarge the previously-known distribution (e.g. the ambrosia beetles Anisandrus maiche (Kurentzov, 1941) and Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford, 1894) or the click beetle Monocrepidius posticus (Eschscholtz, 1829)), while for others (e.g. the scarab beetle Archophileurus spinosus Dechambre, 2006), data confirm their establishment and highlight a possible expansion phase. The false powderpost beetles Ptilineurus marmoratus (Reitter, 1877) and the longhorn beetle Xylotrechus chinensis (Chevrolat, 1852) are two new additions to the Italian fauna, while the establishment of the monotomid beetle Monotoma americana Aubé 1837 is confirmed.

In the W Italian Alps, an area characterized by considerable environmental complexity, the widespread Platynus were studied by focusing on their species composition. The ecological niche realized by the genus in this area encompasses a preference for humid and cold environments, sometimes associated with altitude. Several specimens from private and public collections were investigated by geometric morphometrics, a powerful technique capable of detecting even minor morphological variation. The quantitative analysis was paired to a qualitative survey of anatomical traits. To classify and discriminate species, external traits (head, pronotum, right elytron) and internal structures (male and female genitalia, mouthparts) were evaluated by direct examination and dissection. The results supported the presence of the five species already known from the study area and also helped to identify four new cryptic taxa to which the specific rank was assigned. They are herein described as Platynus maritimus n. sp., Platynus occitanus n. sp., Platynus simonisi n. sp., and Platynus vignai n. sp.

To date, there is a substantial lack of information about gastropods from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine in the north of Italy, notwithstanding the availability of detailed and comprehensive literature on this molluscan class. We present a gastropod fauna from the Natural Reserve of the Pliocene Mountain Spur: to our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the extant gastropod fauna in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine and one of the few in the Apennine's mountain chain as a whole. We describe a gastropod fauna comprised by 25 species, belonging to 18 genera and 10 families: the general figure which is emerging is an assemblage of European and Mediterranean-European species, with a single Asian contribution. Several shells were collected as embedded in sandy-clayey soils and showed fossilisation traces: therefore, we regard these shells as subfossil samples. Namely, subfossil shells are from the species Pomatias elegans , Granaria frumentum , Retinella olivetorum , Xerolenta obvia obvia , Oxychilus cf. draparnaudi, Monacha cartusiana and Monacha cantiana . The present checklist is the first report in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine and Emilia-Romagna areas for six taxa: Morlina glabra glabra , Oxychilius alliarius , Xerosecta cespitum , Fruticicola fruticum , Xerogyra spadae and Xerolenta obvia obvia .

Animal populations are increasingly forced to live in small residual natural or semi-natural areas due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, the viability of populations is often compromised by intrinsic threat factors typical of small and isolated populations, such as inbreeding depression, genetic drift and environmental and demographic stochasticity. Under these circumstances, organisms may have low fitness due to inadequate physiological responses needed to face environmental challenges. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between habitat fragmentation and stress defences. In this study, we aimed to test whether an increase in the level of individual inbreeding produced an increase in the antioxidant system response. To this purpose, we genotyped 151 individuals of fire salamander Salamandra salamandra (Amphibia: Urodela) within five sampling populations, located in forest landscapes with different degree of fragmentation in northern Italy. For 113 individuals we also measured the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activity. Results showed a significant increase in individual GST activity for increasing levels of inbreeding, whereas no relationship was found for CAT. We also measured acetylcholinesterase to test the possible confounding effects of pesticides that might have occurred in fragmented landscapes with forests interspersed with agricultural areas. However, no difference in this enzyme activity was found among sampling populations. We argue that high levels of GST activity may be symptomatic of oxidative stress derived from inbreeding. An increased frequency of homozygous deleterious alleles due to inbreeding may cause homeostatic alterations and trigger the expression of GST for protection against hydrogen peroxide reactive oxygen species. We suggest using GST as a bio-marker for environmental stressors with great caution and not to underestimate that the sources of stress deriving from habitat fragmentation could lead to an unbalance in the oxidative status, possibly increasing population susceptibility to infectious diseases and, potentially, spillover events and zoonoses.

Context Nestedness is a common pattern of species assemblages in fragmented landscapes. The spatial pattern and ecological drivers of nested communities have been widely explored, but few studies investigated their long-term variability. Objectives To investigate the variability of nestedness and species-specific fragment occupancy of forest birds in a fragmented landscape affected by environmental changes over 16 years. Methods Data were obtained from the Monitoring Program of Breeding Birds in Lombardy (northern Italy). For two study periods (1997–2001, 2013–2017), we tested for overall nestedness and for sites and species nestedness independently using the NODF metric. We tested for nestedness drivers (variable selection on multiple linear regression models) and evaluated the effect of species ecological traits on fragment occupancy changes (variable selection on multiple linear regression model). Results The community showed a significant nestedness driven by both selective extinction and selective colonization in both study periods. Sites nestedness was significant in the second study period only. Over 16 years the effect of distance from source areas was completely lost and only local isolation conditions drove selective colonization in the second study period. Between the two study periods, we discovered a general occupancy decrease of interior species and a significant occupancy increase of generalist species characterized by large size and large minimum area requirement. Conclusions Nestedness drivers of the investigated community significantly varied over time probably because of both environmental and demographic changes. Long-term studies are crucial to explore spatial pattern changes and to address management strategies for species conservation in fragmented landscapes.

Praying mantises have recently gained popularity as domestic pets. Moreover, they are increasingly being bred and sold in fairs and pet markets or collected in the wild and reared by amateurs or professional marketers for the hobbyist community. This market is not well known, and its implications on the biology and conservation of these insects are complex and difficult to predict. For this study, a comprehensive survey was submitted to various hobbyists within this community to evaluate their knowledge of these insects and to assess their preferences for certain species characteristics (such as shape, color, behaviors, dimensions, ease of breeding, and rarity) over others. The aggregation of this data allowed for the generation of a formula that is herein proposed to predict targets and developments within the market in order to help identify conservation issues for vulnerable species. Both problems and opportunities of the pet mantis market are discussed, such as the absence of specific regulations or the potential for a stronger collaboration between the market community and scientists.

Eudyasmus Pascoe, 1885 (Curculionidae: Molytinae, Eudyasmini), an endemic weevil genus from New Guinea, is reviewed. The genus is redescribed, all previously described species are diagnosed, and lectotypes are designated for three species. Prior to this study, Eudyasmus was only known from Papua New Guinea but is reported here for the first time from the Indonesian part of New Guinea based on the description of Eudyasmus basalis Pancini & Bramanti sp. nov. from Waigeo Island, West Papua Province. A new genus, Protrachyasmus Setliff gen. nov., is described to accommodate Eudyasmus planidorsis Heller, 1908, which is non-congeneric with the four remaining Eudyasmus species. A species level identification key, distribution map, and illustrations are provided for all species of these two closely related genera.

European Pesticide Registration requires a risk assessment (RA) for nontarget organisms according to EU Regulation. European Authorities have developed Guidance Documents (GDs) for RA considering exposure scenarios for the required organisms typical for terrestrial crops. The “Birds and Mammals EFSA GD” allows using multiple sources of information to extract information on species frequency needed in identifying focal species for higher-tier RA. We developed an analytical framework to calculate species frequency according to availability of species and habitat quantitative data. Since the exposure scenarios reported in the EFSA GD are inconsistent for rice, we tested the method on birds and mammals in a portion of the largest rice-cultivated area of Europe, the Italian Po floodplain. We derived three lists of focal species: (a) an expert-based list based on land-use data only, which can be useful for a preliminary exploration of potential candidate species; (b) a list derived from the interpolation of species data only, which reflects actual species frequency in rice fields; and (c) a list obtained by a species distribution model based on species monitoring and land-use data, which account for species selectivity for rice crops and are transferable to other contexts. Focal species were identified for crop-specific diet-foraging guilds, to build specific exposure scenarios to assess the risk from pesticides application in rice fields. The partial differences between our lists and those previously proposed highlight the need for identifying national lists, which can vary according to study area, biogeographic region and exposure scenarios. The application of the proposed method in European rice-producing countries should lead to crop-specific lists, which could then be integrated to obtain a flexible European list applicable to higher-tier RA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1020–1034. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). KEY POINTS We provided an analytical framework for improving selection of focal species for higher-tier risk assessment of pesticides in rice-cultivations and any other crop. Expert-based models should be used for preliminary exploration of focal species, spatial interpolation of species occurrences should be used for local assessment, while species distribution modelling provides information transferable to other contexts. We identified the Black-winged Stilt and the Northern Lapwing as focal species for water insectivores, the Little Egret for water carnivores, the Moorhen for water herbivorous birds and the Barn swallow and the Northern House-martin for aerial insectivorous birds. We identified the Eurasian harvest mouse as focal species for water insectivorous and herbivorous mammals, the Eurasian water shrew for water carnivorous and piscivorous mammals, and the Lesser horseshoe bat for aerial insectivorous mammals.

Globally, the great majority of Anillini species are endogean, adapted to live in the interstices of soil and leaf litter, while the extremely low vagility of these minute ground beetles gives rise to numerous shortrange endemic species. Until recently the Australian Anillini fauna was known only from leaf litter in rain forests and eucalypt forests in the wetter, forested regions of eastern and south eastern Australia, as well as Lord Howe and Norfolk islands. The first hypogean Anillini in Australia (17 species in six genera) were described in 2016 from mineral exploration drill holes in iron-ore bearing rocks of the Pilbara region in Western Australia, representing the first finding of the tribe deep underground in a semi-arid climate region. A further eight new genera and 20 new species are described herein, mostly from the Pilbara region as well as the semi-arid Kimberley and Goldfields regions; all were collected in mineral exploration drill holes. The following new genera are described: Erwinanillus gen. nov. , Gregorydytes gen. nov. , Pilbaraphanus gen. nov. , Neoillaphanus gen. nov. , Kimberleytyphlus gen. nov. , Gilesdytes gen. nov. , Pilbaradytes gen. nov. , and Bylibaraphanus gen. nov. The following new species are described: Erwinanillus baehri sp. nov. ; Gracilanillus hirsutus sp. nov. , G. pannawonicanus sp. nov. ; Gregorydytes ophthalmianus sp. nov. ; Pilbaraphanus chichesterianus sp. nov. , P. bilybarianus sp. nov. ; Magnanillus firetalianus sp. nov. , M. sabae sp. nov. , M. salomonis sp. nov. , M. regalis sp. nov. , M. serenitatis sp. nov. ; Neoillaphanus callawanus sp. nov. ; Kimberleytyphlus carrboydianus sp. nov. ; Austranillus jinayrianus sp. nov. ; Gilesdytes pardooanus sp. nov. , G. ethelianus sp. nov. ; Pilbaradytes abydosianus sp. nov. , P. webberianus sp. nov. ; Bylibaraphanus cundalinianus sp. nov. ; and Angustanillus armatus sp. nov. Identification keys are provided for all Australian anilline genera, and Western Australian species. All the described species are known from a single locality and qualify as short-range endemics. The Anillini are recognised as a significant and diverse element making up part of Western Australia’s remarkable subterranean fauna, and whose conservation may potentially be impacted by mining developments.

Simple Summary Detecting and monitoring exotic and invasive beetles is a complex activity, and multiple species still manage to evade controls. Citizen science can be an important adjunct in alien species monitoring programs, but to have a greater chance of success, it must employ traps and attractants that are easy to gather and use. Bottle traps baited with food products are successfully used during long term faunistic surveys, and the same methodology can be adapted to alien species detection and monitoring. In this article, we tested the use of bottles baited with apple cider vinegar, red wine, and 80% ethyl alcohol in capturing exotic and invasive beetles in the surroundings of Malpensa Airport (Italy). The traps proved effective, and in the traps with vinegar as an attractant, they captured four out of five invasive Nitidulidae, as well as the only invasive Scarabaeidae present in the area. Popillia japonica’s response to apple cider vinegar is documented for the first time and suggests the use of this attractant in monitoring surveys for this species, especially if supported by citizen science programs. The substantial reduction in the activity time of the traps seems to have considerably reduced collateral catches of native fauna. Abstract Detecting and monitoring exotic and invasive Coleoptera is a complex activity to implement, and citizen science projects can provide significant contributions to such plans. Bottle traps are successfully used in wildlife surveys and can also be adapted for monitoring alien species; however, a sustainable, large scale trapping plan must take into account the collateral catches of native species and thus minimize its impact on local fauna. In the present paper, we tested the use of bottles baited with standard food products that can be purchased in every supermarket and immediately used (apple cider vinegar, red wine, and 80% ethyl alcohol) in capturing exotic and invasive beetles in the area surrounding Malpensa Airport (Italy). In particular, we reduced the exposition type of the traps in each sampling round to three days in order to minimize native species collecting. We found a significant effect of the environmental covariates (trap placement, temperature, humidity, and forest type) in affecting the efficiency in catching target beetles. Nearly all invasive Nitidulidae and Scarabaeidae known to be present in the area were captured in the traps, with apple cider vinegar usually being the most effective attractant, especially for the invasive Popillia japonica.

Investigating the drivers that support species richness (S) in insular contexts can give insights for the conservation of insular biodiversity. Our aim was to decouple the effect of drivers (island area, distance from mainland and habitat diversity) accounted in three hypotheses or a combination of them in explaining S in seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago: Area (species–area relationship, SAR), area and distance from mainland (equilibrium hypothesis, EQH) and habitat (habitat diversity hypothesis, HDH). We used published and original datasets to assess S (except aliens) for 42 taxa (14 animal and 28 plant taxa) in each island, and we used S as the dependent variable and the drivers as covariates in regression models. In 31 taxa, the data supported one of the tested hypotheses or a combination of them, and the most commonly supported hypotheses were SAR (12 taxa) and EQH (10 taxa). The effect of the area was also evident in SAR + HDH (five taxa) and EQH + HDH (one taxon), making it the prevailing driver in explaining S. Since distances are relatively short, and three out of four islands are land-bridge islands, the effect of distance was significant for 12 taxa. The effects of habitat diversity were evident for just nine taxa. The multi-taxon approach allowed us to understand the differential effect of drivers among taxa in influencing S in a single archipelago. Moreover, the multi-taxonomic rank approach highlighted how the information contained within higher taxonomic ranks (e.g., Division) can be substantially different from that derived from lower ranks (e.g., Family). These insights are of particular importance from a conservation perspective of the archipelago’s biodiversity, and this approach can be transferred to mainland fragmented systems.

After more than a decade of regular occurrence, the first confirmed breeding of the Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus in the lagoon of Venice (Italy) was observed in 2020, in three sites. The ibises nested in colonies with of one or more species of Ardeidae and Phalacrocoracidae. The colonies were on islets < 2 ha in size, covered with thick vegetation. Nests were placed on the top of bushes or trees, at a height of 1.5-5 m. The colony sites seemed not occupied by adults until the end of February - half of March; laying took place from early May, with hatchings occurring from the end of that month until July. Overall, 22-24 pairs nested in 2020. Birds were observed feeding at saltmarshes, freshwater wetlands and arable fields; a public garbage collection site was also used regularly. Given the high number of suitable nesting and feeding sites, a rapid growth of the Sacred Ibis population is expected in the next years.

Megachile sculpturalis (Smith, 1853) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is an invasive solitary bee that is rapidly spreading all over Europe. The present study aims to update the distribution of this species in Italy. The research led to the collection of 177 records, obtained through bibliographic research and data-mining from websites, blogs and social networks. We here present the first record of M. sculpturalis on a Mediterranean island and discuss its possible effect on the native ecosystem. Given the particular discovery of M. sculpturalis on Elba Island (Tuscany), we suggest possible monitoring, containment and possible eradication measures of the species.

In the present work, new faunal reports for northeastern Italy and Slovenia are provided: Stomis philospelaeus Monzini, 2018 (Carabidae) is recorded in a new locality; Anthaxia senicula (Schrank, 1789) (Buprestidae) and Hoshihananomia gacognei (Mulsant, 1852) (Mordellidae) are recorded in the Veneto region for the first time. Acallocrates colonnellii Bahr, 2003 (Curculionidae) is newly recorded from Italy while Sphaerosoma pilosum (Panzer, 1793) (Alexiidae) and Mordellistena michalki Ermisch, 1956 (Mordellidae) are new additions to the Slovenian fauna. Furthermore, new or additional data on the exotic Cis chinensis Lawrence, 1991 (Ciidae), Chydarteres striatus (Fabricius, 1787), Cordylomera spinicornis (Fabricius, 1775), Neoplocaederus viridescens (Atkinson, 1953) (Cerambycidae) and Telephanus atricapillus Erichson, 1846 (Silvanidae) are given.

1. Although caves are generally perceived as isolated habitats, at the local scale, they are often interconnected via a network of fissures in the bedrock. Accordingly, caves in close proximity are expected to host the same, or very similar, animal communities. 2. We explored the extent to which subterranean arthropod communities are homogenous at a local spatial scale of less than 1 km², along with which cave‐specific environmental features result in a departure from the expected homogeneous pattern. We approached this question by studying richness and turnover in terrestrial invertebrate communities of 27 caves in a small karst massif in the Western Italian Alps. 3. Specialised subterranean species were homogeneously distributed among caves and were not influenced by seasonality. The only factor driving their distribution was the distance from the cave entrance, with deeper caves yielding a greater diversity of species. 4. Significant spatio‐temporal turnover in species not specialised to subterranean life was observed. In summer, there was a significant homogenisation of the community and a more even distribution of species among sites; in winter, these species were missing or found exclusively at greater depths, where environmental conditions were more stable. Furthermore, caves at lower elevations yielded, on average, a greater diversity and abundance of these species. 5. This study demonstrated that the theoretical expectation of no turnover in community composition in caves in close proximity is not always met. Turnover can be mostly attributed to seasonal patterns and sampling depth; thus, our findings have implications for planning sampling and monitoring activities in caves.