Simona Bonelli

University of Turin | UNITO · Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi

Choosing the most efficient sampling methods is the basis of surveys aimed at detecting and monitoring species for conservation purposes. In the context of the current biodiversity crisis, reported in many parts of the world, the need to identify new areas of occurrence due to anthropogenic changes (including changes due to global warming) and to f...

Insects and plants share a close relationship; plants provide feeding opportunities, ecological niches, and shelters for insects, while insects, in turn, facilitate pollination for plants. Management actions might positively or negatively affect insect species richness and/or abundance, in particular, forest practices can significantly influence in...

We briefly analyse the history of Queen Ulrika’s and of Linnaeus’ butterfly collections. We show that the type materials of some species were likely moved from Queen Ulrika’s to Linnaeus’ collection before 1803. We provide evidence that Honey and Scoble (2001) correctly designated the lectotypes of 101 of the 159 species listed in Linnaeus’ (1764)...

The number of studies in functional ecology grew exponentially in the last decades. Whether and how ecologists changed how they conduct these studies, however, remains poorly understood. Using butterflies as a model taxon, we assessed forty years of research asking whether and how functional analyses have changed. We found that how authors contextu...

The detection of local extinctions is often hindered by the lack of long-term monitoring schemes, and thus relies on time series of presence data. Recently, citizen science has repeatedly shown its value in documenting species occurrences. We investigated the effectiveness of unstructured citizen science records in reducing the perception of local...

Beetles are one of the most diverse and often highly specialized groups among saproxylic organisms and play a key role in forest dynamics. To develop conservation plans in forests threatened by human activities, such as construction sites, it is crucial to identify key parameters characterizing forest structure in turn influencing saproxylic beetle...

The detection of extinctions at local and regional scales in many biodiversity hotspots is often hindered by the lack of long-term monitoring data, and thus relies on time series of occurrence data. Citizen science has repeatedly shown its value in documenting species occurrences, mostly in very recent years. This study investigates the effectivene...

Biodiversity is currently declining worldwide. Several threats have been identified such as habitat loss and climate change. It is unknown if and how air pollution can work in addition or in synergy to these threats, contributing to the decline of current species and/or local extinction. Few studies have investigated the effects of particulate matt...

Atmospheric pollution poses a serious threat to environment and human health, and particulate matter (PM) is one of the major contributors. Biological effects induced by PM are investigated through in vitro assays using cells and by in vivo tests with laboratory model animals. However, also the estimation of adverse effects of pollutants, including...

In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered, as in the case of moths. In this work, we investi...

Understanding how species respond to human activities is paramount to ecology and conservation science, one outstanding question being how large-scale patterns in land use affect biodiversity. To facilitate answering this question, we propose a novel analytical framework that combines Environmental Niche Models, multi-grain analyses, and species tr...

Climate change represents a threat to narrow-ranged mountain species living in low-altitude massifs. We studied the disjunct Apennine population of Lasiommata petropolitana (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. We quantifed the altitudinal shifts undergone in the last decades (1964–2021) in the Alps and Ap...

Rattus norvegicus is a social animal and holds a significant economic value, considering its use in scientific research. Here, we use the Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to study the social interactions of a group of rats held in a post-laboratory animal care facility. We collected interaction data during four study periods, for a total of 6...

Alien species introduction is a global phenomenon involving different invasion patterns and is characterized by niche conservatism or shift. We describe the spatial distribution of Cacyreus marshalli Butler, [1898] (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in its native (southern Africa) and invaded (Europe) ranges. C. marshalli is the only alien butterfly in Euro...

Our main goal was to investigate the phylogeography of the butterfly Phengaris arion to reveal the evolutionary origin of its 'spring' and 'summer' forms. Molecular analyses based on highly variable microsatellites, together with Wolbachia screening, were carried out on 34 populations in Europe. We found three well-defined genetic lineages of diffe...

Our main goal was to investigate the phylogeography of the butterfly Phengaris arion to reveal the evolutionary origin of its ‘spring’ and ‘summer’ forms. Molecular analyses based on highly variable microsatellites, together with Wolbachia screening, were carried out on 34 populations in Europe. We found three well-defined genetic lineages of diffe...

Widespread declines in insects will threaten ecosystem functioning and services. Nevertheless, a lack of data hinders assessments of population and biodiversity trends for many insect groups and thus effective conservation actions. Implementing cost‐effective, unbiased, and accurate monitoring programmes targeting different groups across a larger g...

Since climate change impacts are already occurring, urgent adaptive actions are necessary to avoid the worst damages. Regional authorities play an important role in adaptation, but they have few binding guidelines to carry out strategies and plans. Sectoral impacts and adaptive measures strongly differ between regions; therefore, specific results f...

Climate change represents a threat to narrow-ranged mountain species living in low-altitude massifs. We studied the disjunct Apennine population of Lasiommata petropolitana (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. We quantified the altitudinal shifts undergone in the last decades (1964-2021) in the Alps and A...

Abstract In mountain ecosystems, it is crucial to identify conservation strategies to avoid local extinctions mainly due to agropastoral abandonment. For this purpose, identifying appropriate system indicators is required, for example, butterflies, which respond precisely and quickly to environmental changes. Zerynthia polyxena is an ecotonal speci...

Table S1: Summary of the explanatory variables used for MaxEnt and Nmixture analysis, Table S2: Details on the occurrence data used for Maxent analysis, Table S3: Model selection of the selected N-mixture model with different distributions for the � parameter, Figure S1: Cacyreus Marshalli presence points, Figure S2: Model residual diagnostics for...

Simple Summary Cacyreus marshalli is strictly dependent on its host plant (Pelargonium spp.), which is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in mountain areas. An experiment demonstrated that the butterfly is able to develop on some wild geraniums, too, making mountain areas highly at risk for a potential expansion to natural habitats. We theref...

The box tree moth (BTM), Cydalima perspectalis Walker, represents one of the recent examples of exotic insect pests native to Asia accidentally introduced in Europe by the nursery trade. In Europe, BTM develops on Buxus sempervirens L., causing significant damage to ornamental and natural plants. (2) Basic aspects of BTM biology were investigated a...

Our work aims to assess how butterfly communities in the Italian Maritime Alps changed over the past 40 years, in parallel with altitudinal shifts occurring in plant communities. In 2019, we sampled butterflies at 7 grassland sites, between 1300–1900 m, previously investigated in 2009 and 1978, by semi-quantitative linear transects. Fine-scale temp...

The accomplishment of a Favourable Conservation Status (FCS) for habitats and species is the Habitats Directive's primary goal (HD, 92/43/EEC). As tools for assessing the measurable parameters of conservation status, the European Commission identified Favourable Reference Values (FRVs), and it described the methodology to set them. However, example...

First Technical Report of the activities developed within the Italian Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (ITBMS). The ITBMS has been developed within the European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme network, thanks to ABLE (Assessing Butterflies in Europe) project. Our National scheme has been active since 2019.

• Climate change is causing shifts in the distribution of many species and populations inhabiting mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to these threats because they are constrained in altitudinal shifts. Apennines are a relatively narrow and low mountain chain located in Southern Europe, which hosts many isolated populations of mountain specie...

Polyommatus exuberans is an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of the lycaenid butterfly Polyommatus ripartii . This ESU is known to survive at only two sites in the Susa Valley (NW Italy). Lack of correct management, reforestation and frequent wildfires severely threaten this ESU (listed as endangered species in the most recent IUCN Italian Red...

In insect-plant biology, oviposition choices and larval development on different host plants are crucial factors to be investigated. To design conservation strategies for protected Lepidoptera, which are overall oligophagous but locally monophagous, it is important to understand which host plant species is locally preferred. We thus investigated ov...

Selecting appropriate indicators of NBS performance and impact can be challenging, and is context-dependent. In this chapter, we present case studies from a variety of NBS demonstrations across Europe and Asia that illustrate the application of the NBS indicators and methods presented in Chapter 4 and thoroughly described in Evaluating the Impact o...

Gerandryus aetnensis (Rottenberg, 1871) is a rare and localized beetle, previously known only for Maritime Alps and Sicily. In this paper we provide a revision of geonemy, ecology and status of conservation, including a proposal for a new assessment of its extinction risk in the framework of the European saproxylic beetles, based upon several new r...

Endemics co‐occur because they evolved in situ and persist regionally or because they evolved ex situ and later dispersed to shared habitats, generating evolutionary or ecological endemicity centres, respectively. We investigate whether different endemicity centres can intertwine in the region ranging from Alps to Sicily, by studying their butterfl...

Il rapporto ISPRA 330/2020 riporta i risultati della sperimentazione dell’efficacia delle misure previste dal Piano di Azione Nazionale per l’uso sostenibile dei prodotti fitosanitari (PAN - DM 22/1/2014 – punto A.5.8 – che attua la Dir. 2009/128/CE e il D.Lgs. 150/2012) volte alla tutela della biodiversità, da applicare in particolare in Siti Natu...

1. Intraspecific variation plays important roles in ecology and evolution. Yet, information on how species and populations vary remains scarce, particularly for insects and regarding functional traits. This lack of knowledge can be problematic in trait‐based ecology because traditional approaches assume negligible intraspecific variation, even for...

1. Intraspecific variation plays important roles in ecology and evolution. Yet, information on how species and populations vary remains scarce, particularly for insects and regarding functional traits. This lack of knowledge can be problematic in trait-based ecology because traditional approaches assume negligible intraspecific variation, even for...

Lycaena dispar Hawort (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), a protected butterfly, is declining in Europe, but it thrives in rice fields in northern Italy. Here, agrochemical usage could threaten its long-term survival. We investigated, by micronucleus (MN) assay, the genotoxic effect of glyphosate, a common herbicide, on L. dispar larvae. Micronuclei (MNi) a...

Trait-based analyses explaining the different responses of species and communities to environmental changes are increasing in frequency. European butterflies are an indicator group that responds rapidly to environmental changes with extensive citizen science contributions to documenting changes of abundance and distribution. Species traits have bee...

In this report, we update the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, present new butterfly indicators for widespread species, woodland butterflies, as well as butterflies in urban environments, in Natura 2000 areas and as climate change indicators. The indicators use field data up to and including the 2018 field season. The method for calculating...

Farfalle in ToUr is an innovative Citizen Science project that promotes social inclusion through butterfly conservation in Turin urban areas (NW Italy). The project was born in 2014 thanks to the proposal of doctors of Mental Health Centres, who immediately involved scientists. Farfalle in ToUr involves fragile people, in all the project activities...

To stabilise nomenclature in its prevailing usage, the authors designate three lectotypes, respectively for the nominal taxa Pontia daplidice race nitida Verity, 1908 (Museo di Storia naturale della Università di Firenze, sezione di Zoologia, ‘La Specola’ MZUF), for Euchloe crameri Butler, 1869 (Natural History Museum UK, NHMUK) and for Euchloe aus...

Here we report the strong decline of a population of the endangered species Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in the National Park of Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna (Italy). We compared historical presence data (before 1969) with current data from two years of monitoring (2018–2019) and provided ev...

Estimating distribution and abundance of species depends on the probability at which individuals are detected. Butterflies are of conservation interest worldwide, but data collected with Pollard walks - the standard for national monitoring schemes - are often analyzed assuming that changes in detectability are negligible within recommended sampling...

Populations inhabiting Mediterranean islands often show contrasting genetic lineages, even on islands that were connected to the mainland during glacial maxima. This pattern is generated by forces acting in historical and contemporary times. Understanding these phenomena requires comparative studies integrating genetic structure, functional traits...

D’Antoni S., Bellucci V., Bianco P., Rivella E., Bonelli S., Vercelli M., Ferri V., 2020. LE MISURE DEL PIANO D’AZIONE NAZIONALE (PAN) PER L’USO SOSTENIBILE DEI PRODOTTI FITOSANITARI PER LA TUTELA DEGLI IMPOLLINATORI: BUONE PRATICHE E SPERIMENTAZIONE DELLA LORO EFFICACIA. Comunicazione. Giornata formativa per il monitoraggio e la tutela degli impol...

The project, funded by the Ministry of the Environment from 2015, is coordinated by ISPRA and carried out in collaboration with the Piedmont Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) and the Universities of Turin (DBIOS and DISAFA) and Rome Tor Vergata (DIBIO). According to the 2009/128/EC Directive the Member States have to define and implem...

Plant-lepidopteran interactions involve complex processes encompassing molecules and regulators to counteract defense responses they develop against each other. Lepidoptera identify plants for oviposition and exploit them as larval food sources to complete their development. In turn, plants adopt different strategies to overcome and limit herbivoro...

The globalization of food markets and the recent upgrade of the European regulation on novel foods open up new possibilities for the introduction of edible jellyfish in the diet of Europeans. In spite of no tradition of eating jellyfish in Italy and, more generally, in Western countries, several Mediterranean jellyfish species have biological and n...

Ant nests and their surrounding territories represent a hoard of trophic resources, as well as of stable and protected environments for many arthropods involved in commensal, mutualistic, or parasitic associations. Among these organisms, called myrmecophiles, several are butterflies. Here, we explore the amazing diversity of strategies developed by...

The multi-locus phylogenetic tree for all European butterfly species. Families and subfamilies are indicated, as well as supports for nodes (BS support, see legend).

Understanding the dynamics of biodiversity, including the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, is critical for predicting responses to environmental changes, as well as for effective conservation measures. This task requires tracking changes in biodiversity at large spatial scales and correlating with species functional traits. We provide thr...

Mountain ecosystems are particularly sensitive to changes in climate and land cover, but at the same time, they can offer important refuges for species on the opposite of the more altered lowlands. To explore the potential role of mountain ecosystems in butterfly conservation and to assess the vulnerability of the alpine species, we analyzed the sh...

• Eusocial insects exhibit different kinds of collective behaviours which are the outcomes of interactions among several individuals without central control. Ant societies are ideal models to study group behaviours performed by cooperative individuals at caste or at the colony level. In addition to the ecological constraints, such as the costs of m...

Cacyreus marshalli (Butler, 1898) is the only alien butterfly species in Italy, introduced from Southern Africa via the trade of ornamental Pelargonium plants (family Geraniaceae). In 2008, Quacchia and colleagues demonstrated that if Pelargonium plants are not available, females can lay eggs on Geranium spp., developing fertile offspring. C. marsh...

Cacyreus marshalli (Butler, 1898) is the only alien butterfly species in Italy, introduced from Southern Africa via the trade of ornamental Pelargonium plants (family Geraniaceae). In 2008, Quacchia and colleagues demonstrated that if Pelargonium plants are not available, females can lay eggs on Geranium spp., developing fertile offspring. C. marsh...

Red Lists are very valuable tools in nature conservation at global, continental and (sub-) national scales. In an attempt to prioritise conservation actions for European butterflies, we compiled a database with species lists and Red Lists of all European countries, including the Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). In tot...

The project entitled “productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration (proGIreg)” aims at implementing eight distinct types of nature-based solutions (NBS) in specific post-industrial sites of four different cities (called front runner cities - FRC). One of the main goals of the project is to assess the benefits produced by t...

The project entitled “productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration (proGIreg)” aims at implementing eight different types of nature-based solutions (NBS) in specific post-industrial sites of four different cities (called front runner cities - FRC). One of the main goals of the project is to assess the benefits produced by...

The original publication of this article unfortunately contained an error. The surnames and forenames of the author group were swapped. The correct author group is given in this correction. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10841-019-00138-w

The range of hosts exploited by a parasite is determined by several factors, including host availability, infectivity and exploitability. Each of these can be the target of natural selection on both host and parasite, which will determine the local outcome of interactions, and potentially lead to coevolution. However, geographical variation in host...

In natural ecosystems, relationships between organisms are often characterised by high levels of complexity, where vulnerabilities in multi-trophic systems are difficult to identify, yet variation in specific community modules can be traceable. Within the complex community interactions, we can shed new light on dynamics by which co-evolutionary out...