Marco A. Bologna

• MS
• Professor (Full) at Roma Tre University

Amphibian populations are experiencing a global significant decline due to habitat loss, climate change, disease outbreaks and last but not least, interaction with alien species and/or their parasites. The Apennine yellow-bellied toad ( Bombina variegata pachypus (Bonaparte, 1838)) is endemic to the Italian Peninsula. This subspecies, like many oth...

The grasshopper genus Italopodisma is strictly endemic to the central Appennines and includes nine species and five subspecies with scattered populations distributed from Sibillini Mountains to the Matese Massif. All populations are mainly present in ecosystems at high elevation (1600-2800 m-asl), such as grasslands, alpine meadows and rocky areas....

Mylabris obsoleta Nowicki, 1872 is a species of blister beetle (Coleoptera: Meloidae) belonging to the subgenus Micrabris, and is endemic to the Italian Peninsula (Fig. 1). This beetle inhabits steppe-like ecosystems and xeric riverbeds, which are characterized by scattered vegetation and arid conditions. This study has two main objectives: (i) to...

In 2000, Cleide Costa published a paper presenting the state of knowledge of the Neotropical Coleopte ra, with a focus on the Brazilian fauna. Twenty-four years later, thanks to the development of the Coleoptera section of the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB - Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil) through the collaboration of 100 c...

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classification. In this context, the B Brazilian meg...

Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) are currently subdivided into three subfamilies: Eleticinae (a basal group), Nemognathinae, and Meloinae. These are all characterized by the endogenous production of the defensive terpene cantharidin (CA), whereas the two most derived subfamilies show a hypermetamorphic larval development. Here, we provide nov...

The Italian geographic region is characterized by complex and diversified biogeographic patterns and is represented by a high number of endemic species. Endemic species characterized by a limited distribution range should be a primary concern in conservation. This article aimed to investigate the phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships of 2 It...

Some Pyrochroidae species are known as "canthariphilous" for their attraction to cantharidin (CTD), a toxic terpene with anti-predatory effects, produced in nature by only two beetle families (Meloidae and Oedemeridae). It has been demonstrated that males of Neopyrochroa flabellata ingesting CTD are positively selected by females. Indeed, the compo...

The Brazilian fauna of Meloidae is poorly studied, even though it includes more than 160 species. In this paper, we aimed at widening the knowledge on four species of blister beetles from this country. Specifically, we defined the uncertain range of Tetraonyx angulicollis, as extended in south-eastern Brazil rather than in Mexico, and implemented t...

Recent findings rearranged the taxonomy of the European species of the genus Pyrochroa Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae), and to date three species are recognized: P. bifoveata Molfini et al., 2022 and P. coccinea (Linnaeus, 1761) with cryptic adults and distinctive larvae, and the polytypic P. serraticornis (Scopoli, 1763), including the subspec...

The false blister beetle tribe Stenostomatini includes only the genus Stenostoma, with four species showing an intriguing distribution: Stenostoma lowei (Madeira), Stenostoma cossyrense (Pantelleria), Stenostoma melitense (Malta and southern Sicily) and Stenostoma rostratum, widely distributed along the Mediterranean and North Atlantic coasts. The...

Meloetyphlus Waterhouse is a monotypic genus of Meloidae ascribed to the tribe Tetraonycini, subfamily Meloinae. As for most blister beetles, its first-instar larvae (or triungulins) are parasites of bees, but M. fuscatus Waterhouse is the only species known to parasitize members of the tribe Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae). Despite being...

Canthariphilous species are those arthropods attracted to cantharidin (CTD), a defensive compound produced by two beetle families (Meloidae and Oedemeridae). Although several species are known to be attracted to CTD, canthariphily was recently discovered in new species, suggesting that the list of canthariphilous species is still far from being com...

Stenostoma rostratum is a beetle of the family Oedemeridae, whose genus includes three other species: S. cossyrense, S. lowei, S. melitense. While the latter are all generalist, S. rostratum is a specialist, halophile species and strictly related to dunal ecosystems. At the same time, it has a wide and naturally fragmented range, including almost a...

Anthophora is a genus of Hymenoptera Apoidea that counts about 400 species all over the world. In the region of interest for this study, Latium, have been recorded 25 of the 42 species registered in Italy. Most species emerge between March and April, but they are active also during summer, and in some cases until October. These bees are very common...

Collana dell'Accademia Nazionale Italiana di Entomologia

Nemognathinae is the most widespread subfamily of Meloidae, with ~600 species, and includes the only blister beetles distributed in Australia and on islands of the western Pacific. Four tribes are recognised based on morphology: Stenoderini, Palaestrini, Horiini and Nemognathini. Using two mitochondrial (16S, COI) and three nuclear markers (CAD, 28...

Only three saproxylic species of Pyrochroinae (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) are distributed in Europe, two of which belonging to Pyrochroa: P. coccinea and P. serraticornis. However, P. serraticornis is polytypic, for the presence of the endemic subspecies P. s. kiesenwetteri in southern Italy. Using both molecular and morphological data, we explored...

We reply to the comments made by Benvenuti et al. (2022) about our paper on the Italian natural history museums and scientific collections and the need of a centralized hub and repository. While agreeing that digitization is a useful tool to valorize each museum and collection, we still believe that the suggestion of a centralized hub is valid and...

Protease inhibitors are widely studied since the unrestricted activity of proteases can cause extensive organ lesions. In particular, elastase activity is involved in the pathophysiology of acute lung injury, for example during SARS-CoV-2 infection, while serine proteases and thrombin-like proteases are involved in the development and/or pathology...

In Italy, differently from other countries, a national museum of natural history is not present. This absence is due, among the other reasons, to its historical political fragmentation up to 1870, which led to the establishment of medium-sized museums, mostly managed by local administrations or universities. Moreover, a change of paradigm in biolog...

Introduction: Meloidae are distributed in temperate and arid regions but are also common in subtropical and tropical savannahs. These insects contain cantharidin, a vesicant substance that can cause poisoning by ingestion and dermatitis by direct contact. Material and methods: We describe recurrent Meloidae-related dermatitis outbreaks and their...

The new species Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) tolfensis n. sp. from Tolfa Mountains (Italy, Latium, and Rome) is described and illustrated. Both sexes of the species were collected using cantharidin-baited traps from June 2020 to January 2021. The new species is an atypical member of the genus Atrichopogon. https://urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3A012331-5...

Cantharidin (CTD) is a defensive compound autogenously and exclusively produced by two phylogenetically related beetle families: Meloidae and Oedemeridae. Although this molecule usually acts as a strong deterrent against potential predators and parasites, some arthropod species, collectively named ‘canthariphilous species’, are attracted to CTD. So...

Anurans are generalist opportunistic consumers, but many species show some degree of diet specialization. Within populations, individuals may specialize in specific dietary resources (individual specialization). Indeed, generalist populations may be composed of individuals using the whole range of available resources or of diverse individuals explo...

Meloidae is a beetle family with about 3000 species divided into three subfamilies and 16 tribes. Included is the tribe Lyttini containing 33 genera and about 400 species. However , the boundaries of Lyttini have proved hard to define since the systematics of this tribe have repeatedly changed. In this study, we investigated the phylogeny of Lyttin...

Members of the family Meloidae are known to produce cantharidin, a highly toxic monoterpene found in their hemolymph and exuded as droplets capable of deterring many predators. As a nuptial gift, males transfer large amounts of cantharidin to females via a spermatophore, which is formed by specific accessory glands containing high concentrations of...

Background Meloidae (blister beetles) are known to synthetize cantharidin (CA), a toxic and defensive terpene mainly stored in male accessory glands (MAG) and emitted outward through reflex-bleeding. Recent progresses in understanding CA biosynthesis and production organ(s) in Meloidae have been made, but the way in which self-protection is achieve...

Artificial habitats are useful study systems for testing ecological processes due to natural seriality (i.e., they shared a same physical structure) and the relatively low number of environmental parameters compared to natural habitats. In the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano, there are several drinking troughs dispersed in a system of natural...

The Afrotropical genus Zonitodema is recorded for the first time from Madagascar, and the species Zonitodema madagascarensis sp. nov. is described. Some taxonomic remarks are presented, including the new synonymy Zonitis nigricollis Beauregard, 1890 = Zonitodema collaris (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840), and the possible new synonymy Zonitis abyssinica...

A morphological revision of the Meloe (Meloe) species from the Palaearctic Region, including the Transitional Chinese area is published. Groups and subgroups of species from the Palaearctic Region are defined for the first time and relationships with Afrotropical and Nearctic groups of species are discussed. Twenty-five species are considered, most...

Larvae of the two European species of the genus Pyrochroa (P. coccinea and P. serraticornis) are redescribed, for the first time based on Italian samples, and new relevant and distinctive characters have emerged from P. serraticornis. Particularly, the presence of a single urogomphal pit between urogomphi (representing a new condition for the entir...

Natural aquatic sites are disappearing worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean region where amphibians are frequently forced to move for reproduction to artificial sites designed for irrigation and cattle watering (i.e., wells, tanks and drinking troughs). In artificial aquatic sites, where resources (space and food) are usually limited, trophic...

Blister beetles owe their name to their ability to release cantharidin, a blistering terpene, the highest concentration of which is retained in male accessory glands. The anatomy and ultrastructure of the three pairs of male reproductive accessory glands and the glandular region of the two vasa deferentia of Meloe proscarabaeus were investigated us...

Invasive alien species (IAS) are considered one of the largest drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide and the negative impacts of IAS can also affect human health and economy. More than 12,000 alien species occur in Europe. Terrestrial invertebrate species are the largest proportion of alien animal species and represents one of the most impacting g...

Many continental species distributed in the Eurasian steppe occur as relict populations in the mountains of Western Europe. Their biogeographical responses to Quaternary climate changes have been poorly studied; however, they could have responded as cold-adapted species. We investigated the biogeographic history of a steppe beetle, Hycleus polymorp...

In this study, the blister beetles belonging to the Hycleus sexmaculatus species group are revised. Morphological characters are described and figured for each species and keys to both male and female are provided. Hycleus hayki new species from Southwest Iran is described and the following new synonymies are proposed: Mylabris triangulifera ab. re...

Nestedness patterns including both artificial and natural habitat may represent evidence of such habitats’ importance in community assembly and conservation of animals inhabiting those sites. Odonata often colonize drinking troughs (artificial water reservoirs) and thus they are good study models as umbrella species. We investigated if a network of...

Many continental species distributed in the Eurasian steppe occur as relict populations in the mountains of Western Europe. Their biogeographical responses to Quaternary climate changes have been poorly studied; however, they could have responded as cold-adapted species. We investigated the biogeographic history of a steppe beetle, Hycleus polymorp...

Intraspecific trait variation in generalist animals is widespread in nature, yet its effects on community ecology are not well understood. Newts are considered opportunistic feeders that may co-occur in different syntopic conditions and represent an excellent model for studying the role of individual feeding specialization in shaping the population...

In this paper is reported for the first time with certainty the presence in Italy of the genus Xanthochroina, exhibiting a Holarctic discontinuous distribution. The Mediterranean species X. auberti is recorded from western Liguria and information on the range of the species is updated.

Hycleus is a hyper-diverse genus of blister beetles including ∼500 species widely distributed in the Old World, currently divided into three "sections" and into 45 "phenetic" species groups according to morphological characters. Recently the monophyly of Hycleus was questioned pointing out its paraphyly with respect to the genera Ceroctis and Parac...

Monospecific and bispecific genera are of particular interest in studies of taxonomic diversity and speciation evolution. Here, the distribution patterns of mono- and bispecific amphibians worldwide are investigated, with some discussion of on the conservation implications also presented. Based on an online database search (available from the Ameri...

The genus Hycleus is the largest genus of the family of Meloidae with more than 500 species widely distributed in the Old World. In particular in the Palaearctic region occur almost 50 species, the Saharo Sindian Transitional region and the Oriental region comprises around 40 species each, whereas the highest number of species (~380) occurs in the...

On the evening of June 7th, 2019, Augusto Vigna Taglianti died in Rome at the age of almost 76 years, after a long illness, tenderly assisted by his wife Giuliana. Formerly a Professor of Entomology at the Sapienza University of Rome, he was a Full Member of the Italian National Academy of Entomology and of the National Academy of Sciences (the “Ac...

Mesocestoides spp. are cyclophyllidean tapeworms (Cestoda, Mesocestoididae) with an indirect life cycle probably requiring two intermediate hosts and a definitive one. Although their complete life cycle is not still clear, the first intermediate host is generally thought to be an arthropod, the second ones are commonly reptiles, amphibians, birds a...

The genus Hycleus is a hyper-diverse genus of blister beetles including ~500 species with a wide geographic distribution in different biogeographic regions in the Old World, and with the highest diversity occurring in the Afrotropical Region. The phylogenetic relationships among the species and the biogeographic processes related to their diversifi...

Nemognathinae is one of the three recognized subfamilies of blister beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae) with a cosmopolitan distribution and including the only Meloidae in Australia and Pacific islands. According to morphological characters it was divided into four tribes: Stenoderini (one genus), Horiini (three genera), Nemognathini (27 genera) and Pal...

A new Ischnomera from northern Sicily is described. Besides this species, in the western Mediterranean I. xanthoderes complex were distinct one species from the Iberian peninsula and southern France (I. xanthoderes), and one from northwestern Africa (I. tenietensis). All species are figured and a key to the species is published.

Focusing conservation efforts on priority areas is crucial for maximizing the effects of the limited available resources. Unfortunately , there is often a conflict between the optimal spatial scale for conservation measures and data available for planning. We tested the potential contribution of LiDAR data in providing high-resolution environmental...

Several factors act on community structure, so determining species composition and abundance patterns. Core processes operating at local scales, such as species-environment matching and species interactions, shape observed assemblages. Artificial habitats (simplified structure) are useful systems for assessing the main factors affecting community c...

Cantharidin (CA), a toxic terpene produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae), attracts the interest of many researchers for its renowned medical properties. The CA content in blister beetles has been mainly quantified in some Oriental species, due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine, or in few other species of toxicological importa...

Mylabris is a diverse genus of Meloidae and includes over 170 species throughout the Palearctic region, classified into 14 distinct subgenera. Current classification is largely built on taxonomic works predating the application of cladistic methods and based on a few morphological characters. In this study, we use molecular data from mitochondrial...

In this paper we describe a new species of Cerambycidae of the Genus Brachyta, Subgenus Fasciobrachyta, close to Brachyta balcanica (Hampe, 1870). The new species, very likely associated as larvae with roots of Paeonia officinalis, was collected in the Majella National Park (Abruzzo, Italy) and its phylogenetic position clearly reveals a Transadria...

Teratolytta capillata sp. n., the southernmost representative of the section I of this genus, is described, figured and the diagnostic characters within T. carlae group are listed. An updated identification key to the males of Teratolytta species is also provided.

A preliminary checklist of blister beetles from Pakistan and Kashmir is carried out, with the inclusion of 79 species. Stenoria osellai sp. nov. from northern Pakistan, Hycleus pakistanus sp. nov. from Baluchistan, and Meloe (Micromeloe) pintoi sp. nov. from Indian Kashmir are described. Three genera, namely Stenoria, Psalydolytta, and Rhampholyssa...

The new Afrotropical nemognathine genus Zoltanzonitis is described. Species herein assigned have until now been placed in the Palaeotropical genus Zonitoschema based on their elongate, filiform antennae and greatly enlarged eyes, but are distinguished by the distinctly shorter antennomere II (0.5 or less the length of III), the absence of sclerotis...

The book is a collection of scientific articles written by many authors and edited by Carpaneto GM, Audisio PA, Bologna MB, Roversi FP and Mason F. Published by Pensoft (Sofia), the volume contents are the main results of the Life Project MIPP (Monitoring Insects with Public Participation). It includes single articles on the most important saproxy...

Edizione italiana del libro intitolato "Guidelines for the monitoring of the saproxylic beetles protected in Europe", curato da GM Carpaneto, PA Audisio, MA Bologna, PF Roversi e F Mason. Il volume è una sintesi dei risultati scientifici del Progetto Life MIPP (Monitoring Insects with Public Participation) e consiste in una raccolta di articoli scr...

DISCUSSION ➢ We hypothesized that interspecific interactions are the major forces driving to the observed segregation pattern. ➢ Focusing on larval life stage, the presence of structured assemblages (B) can be expected due to the very simplified habitat of the drinking troughs (limited water volume, simple vegetation structure and diversity) that f...

Molecular phylogenetic studies involving mega-diverse genera represent a major challenge in systematics. In this context, Hycleus, the most speciose genus of the beetle family Meloidae, with at least 430 species, represents an interesting model to explore the phylogeny of a mega-diverse taxon. The systematic of this genus has never been investigate...

The new blister beetle genus Longizonitis Pan and Bologna is described. The genus is referred to the tribe Nemognathini, subfamily Nemognathinae, and its relationships are briefly discussed. It is distributed in southern China (Yunnan, SE Xizang, and probably Fujian) and India (Uttarakhand), in a transitional area between the Palaearctic and Orient...

Saproxylic beetles are insects that depend on dead and decaying wood for at least part of their lifecycle, and play important ecological roles in European habitats (Speight 1989, Alexander 2008, Stokland et al. 2012). Together with fungi, they contribute to the break-down of deadwood and are involved in decomposition processes and the recycling of...

Diaphoroceraneglectasp. n. from Morocco is described. Photos of the new species are provided and male features are figured. The new species has intermediate characters between the groups of D.hemprichi and D.promelaena as defined in the literature. These groups are discussed and a new key to the species is presented.

This document provides the Red List Category and Criteria for all the saproxylic beetle species assessed on the IUCN European Red List, as part of the LIFE funded project ‘Establishing a European Red List of Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Saproxylic Beetles, Terrestrial Molluscs and Vascular Plants (LIFE European Red Lists; LIFE14 PRE/BE/000001)

The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is a strictly protected saproxylic beetle, widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe and mainly associated with ancient beech forests. To improve knowledge about the conservation status of R. alpina in Italy, available molecular markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I(COI)) we...

The blister beetle (Coleoptera: Meloidae) fauna of Namibia is studied. The species are arranged within a catalogue containing information on their general distribution, including a list of localities and brief taxonomic remarks. Zoogeographic and ecological analyses were carried out and a photographic appendix, with images and maps of almost all Na...

A case of copulation between two mimic and repellent beetle species (a male of Timarcha fracassii, and a female of Meloe autumnalis), belonging to distinct families (Chrysomelidae, Meloidae), is recorded.

Hycleus is the most speciose genus of the beetle family Meloidae, with almost 430 species widespread in Africa and Eurasia. It belongs to the tribe Mylabrini, subfamily Meloinae. The systematics of the genus Hycleus has never been investigated but, according to the mesosternal morphology, it has been divided by Pardo Alcaide into three main “sectio...