cave hygropetric beetles and their feeding behaviour a comparative study of cansiliella servadeii and hadesia asamo coleoptera leiodidae cholevinae leptodirini

Several Leptodirini beetles (Leiodidae) are known to dwell in hygropetric habitats where films of water run down the cave walls, but observations of their behaviour are lacking. The ultra- specialised hygropetricolous beetles belonging to the genera Cansiliella and Hadesia are biogeographically and phylogenetically unrelated leptodirines. As the species of the former genus are known to be associated with the moonmilk deposits our study aimed to obtain data on their foraging behaviour, as well as to compare the feeding strategies of both genera. In situ monitoring of C. servadeii from the cave Grotta della Foos (Italy) and H. asamo from Bravenik Cave (Bosnia and Herzegovina), was complemented by video recordings to ensure accurate results. Mouthparts and tarsi of both species were examined using scanning electron microscopy and compared with H. weiratheri from Montenegro to evaluate potential morphological adaptations to the hygropetricolous ecological niches. The three species had significantly different mouthpart morphologies, likely due to differences in semi-aquatic feeding strategies and overall ecology. A series of new observations on site movement and feeding behaviour are presented, compared and discussed. Key words: Coleoptera, ecology, behaviour, moonmilk, cave hygropetric. Primerjava jamskih higropetricnih hroscev in njihovegaprehranjevanja; Cansiliella servadeii in Hadesia asamo (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae, Leptodirini) Stevilni hrosci iz poddružine Leptodirinae (Leiodidae) so prilagojeni na življenje v posebnem habitatu »jamskem higropetriku «, t.j. tankem sloju tekoce vode, ki tece po sigi. Zaenkrat je njihovo vedenje se precejsnja neznanka. Visoko specializirani higropetricni vrsti Cansiliella servadeii in Hadesia asamo sta geografsko loceni in filogenetsko nesorodni. Ker je prva ocitno vezana na depozite mehke sige (t.i. jamsko mleko), smo želeli raziskati iskanje hrane pri tej vrsti ter primerjati strategijo hranjenja obeh vrst. Da bi povecali zanesljivost rezultatov, smo poleg in situ opazovanja C. servadeii iz jame Grotta della Foos (Italija) in H. asamo iz jame Bravenik (Bosna in Hercegovina), njuno vedenje tudi posneli. Z vrsticnim elektronskim mikroskopom smo raziskali obustne okoncine in stopalca obeh vrst in jih primerjali s H. weiratheri iz Crne gore, da bi preverili potencialne morfoloske prilagoditve na specificno ekolosko niso. Bistvene razlike v zgradbi ustnega aparata so najverjetneje posledica razlik v strategiji hranjenja, kot tudi razlicne splosne ekologije omenjenih vrst. V prispevku predstavljamo, primerjamo in razpravljamo o novih opažanjih povezanih z gibanjem in prehranjevanjem higropetricnih hroscev. Kljucne besede: Coleoptera, ekologija, vedenje, jamsko mleko, jamski higropetrik

Farmland biodiversity and agricultural management on 237 farms in 13 European and two African regions

Farmland is a major land cover type in Europe and Africa and provides habitat for numerous species. The severe decline in farmland biodiversity of the last decades has been attributed to changes in farming practices, and organic and low-input farming are assumed to mitigate detrimental effects of agricultural intensification on biodiversity. Since the farm enterprise is the primary unit of agricultural decision making, management-related effects at the field scale need to be assessed at the farm level. Therefore, in this study, data were collected on habitat characteristics, vascular plant, earthworm, spider, and bee communities and on the corresponding agricultural management in 237 farms in 13 European and two African regions. In 15 environmental and agricultural homogeneous regions, 6–20 farms with the same farm type (e.g., arable crops, grassland, or specific permanent crops) were selected. If available, an equal number of organic and non-organic farms were randomly selected. Alternatively, farms were sampled along a gradient of management intensity. For all selected farms, the entire farmed area was mapped, which resulted in total in the mapping of 11 338 units attributed to 194 standardized habitat types, provided together with additional descriptors. On each farm, one site per available habitat type was randomly selected for species diversity investigations. Species were sampled on 2115 sites and identified to the species level by expert taxonomists. Species lists and abundance estimates are provided for each site and sampling date (one date for plants and earthworms, three dates for spiders and bees). In addition, farmers provided information about their management practices in face-to-face interviews following a standardized questionnaire. Farm management indicators for each farm are available (e.g., nitrogen input, pesticide applications, or energy input). Analyses revealed a positive effect of unproductive areas and a negative effect of intensive management on biodiversity. Communities of the four taxonomic groups strongly differed in their response to habitat characteristics, agricultural management, and regional circumstances. The data has potential for further insights into interactions of farmland biodiversity and agricultural management at site, farm, and regional scale

La biodiversità, l’UNESCO, il prosecco e la qualità ambientale

L’entrata del territorio delle Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene nell’elenco dei Patrimoni mondiali UNESCO risulta un’occasione per consacrare, confermare e preservare nel tempo un territorio che viene gestito da anni come estesa area di produzione tra le più redditizie nell’ambito vitivinicolo veneto ed italiano garantendone la tipicità e il terroir stesso. Si ritiene però necessario porre ulteriore attenzione alle caratteristiche naturalistiche e ambientali necessarie per una viticoltura più sostenibile relazionandosi a queste tematiche in modo più approfondito ed oculato, riconoscendo il valore e la potenzialità della biodiversità e del paesaggio come fattori attivi della produzione. Una conduzione agronomica più sostenibile è possibile tramite l’utilizzo di metodi innovativi su questo territorio al fi ne di ridurre gli eventi di erosione del suolo e la perdita di biodiversità e dei servizi ecosistemici. Lo studio continuo degli ecosistemi, anche utilizzando bioindicatori, e la conoscenza e possibile scoperta di sempre nuovi endemiti possono accrescere e caratterizzare in modo più diretto il valore del terroir ed il valore intrinseco del prodotto stesso

Comportamento ed efficienza di Aporrectodea caliginosa, comune lombrico di ambienti agrari, in presenza di compost e biochar in fitotrone

I lombrichi svolgono un ruolo ecologico fondamentale nel miglioramento della struttura del suolo, del drenaggio e della fertilità. La loro azione di scavo favorisce l'accesso dell'acqua e dell'ossigeno alle radici delle piante, migliorando complessivamente la qualità del suolo. Contribuiscono inoltre alla decomposizione, mineralizzazione della sostanza organica e sequestro dei gas serra. Due esperimenti sono stati condotti utilizzando lombrichi della specie Aporrectodea caliginosa per valutare il loro comportamento in presenza di diverse quantità di compost organico e biochar, anche in condizioni di stress. I lombrichi sono stati posti in repliche biologiche di suolo essiccato, setacciato e riportato alla capacità idrica di campo. Successivamente, sono state aggiunte dosi di compost e biochar sia separatamente che combinati. Nel primo esperimento, i vasi sono stati idratati periodicamente e sono state seminate piantine di pomodoro. Al termine dell'esperimento, sono stati conteggiati i lombrichi sopravvissuti e prelevati campioni di suolo per ulteriori analisi del microbioma e del suolo. Nel secondo esperimento, il suolo è stato separato dagli input (compost e biochar) e sia il suolo che gli input sono stati pesati ed essiccati per valutare la capacità di ritenzione idrica del suolo in relazione alla presenza degli input. I lombrichi sono stati prelevati e pesati per determinare il tasso di sopravvivenza e la biomassa. Il primo esperimento ha dimostrato che dosi più elevate di compost hanno favorito un miglior sviluppo delle piante di pomodoro, con una copertura vegetale positiva e una sopravvivenza dei lombrichi senza mortalità significativa. Nel secondo esperimento, l'evapotraspirazione ha mostrato variazioni, ma l'umidità degli input alla fine non è risultata significativamente diversa. Tuttavia, dosi più elevate di compost e biochar hanno aumentato il tasso di sopravvivenza e la biomassa dei lombrichi, con un ulteriore incremento quando i due input erano combinati. È stata osservata una presenza significativa di lombrichi in diapausa, indicando condizioni di stress ambientale. Inoltre, le repliche con lombrichi hanno registrato temperature più basse al centro dei vasi rispetto alle repliche senza lombrichi. Questi esperimenti evidenziano la maggiore sopravvivenza dei lombrichi con compost e biochar, soprattutto in combinazione, suggerendo la necessità di ulteriori studi sul loro comportamento agricolo per aumentare la sostanza organica e il carbonio nel suolo. La differenza di temperatura osservata potrebbe anche aprire nuove direzioni di ricerca per comprendere come i lombrichi, attraverso le loro gallerie, influenzino la traspirazione del suolo e la riduzione della temperatura in un contesto di riscaldamento globale

QBS-e Index, a tool based on earthworms for assessing the soil quality in agroecosystems and recent applications

The QBS-e index (Paoletti et al., 2013; Fusaro et al., 2018) is a recently proposed tool that is effective in investigating and communicating the influence of land use, evaluating ecosystem services, and protecting the integrity of the ecosystem through. This tool exploits the application of earthworms, a key actor in soil fertility, sensitive to mechanical processing, chemical inputs and sewage, simplification of ecosystems, salinization, and soil compaction or erosion. Modelled according to the QBS-ar (Parisi, 2001), The QBS-e index evaluates the number of earthworm specimens collected related to An Eco-Morphological Index score attributed concerning the composition patterns of the cenosis in conserved environments and the variability of biomass to each ecological category and stage of development of the earthworms collected. It was conceived for the academic but also for the farmer or operator without taxonomic skills but curious to independently monitor the level of soil quality in the rural context. The final QBS-e value is directly proportional to the degree of conservation of the considered site, and to the consequently soil quality class. With this index, it is possible to discriminate even the differences in management or concerning the levels detected in the surrounding landscape. Recently it has been possible to investigate the conditions between the abundances in specimens within the field and those in semi-natural environments in the immediate vicinity in Italian agroecosystems. In fact, concerning different agronomic interventions and landscape composition, a higher QBS-e value is observed in wooded or hedged areas and proximity to marginal vegetation. The differences between crops with and without cover crop could be detected more immediately, showing the presence of a tendency to maintain a higher level of soil quality between the external environment, with the presence of hedges and headlands, and the internal environment subject to cover crops

Unpredicted ecological and ecosystem services of biodiversity. Spontaneous vegetation, hedgerows, and maple trees as useful landscape components to increase predatory mite population in agroecosystems

Rural landscapes have been dramatically simplified and reduced. Large mechanical machinery was adopted and most of the natural helps such as living tutors in the vineyards disappeared or were replaced by cement or steel pillars. In the same way, field margins and hedgerows have also become restricted and simplified. The vegetation in the rural landscape mosaic provides alternative food and overwintering places, maintaining the inestimable importance of biodiversity in providing unexpected ecological services in agroecosystems. An important example could be predatory mites both as species and population density, providing ecological service for biological control such as the two-spotted spider mite attacks. Maple and grape leaf domatia can be hosted by a large number of small invertebrates, including predatory mites such as Phytoseiidae, Laelapidae, and Stigmaeidae. The present study would document the ecological service offered by the presence of predatory mites, especially Phytoseiidae, on wild herbal vegetation and tree species associated with hedgerows in agricultural sites across the Veneto Region (Italy). 25 confirmed species of phytoseiids were revealed. Neoseiulus barkeri results the common species in all plant species habitats studied and with Amblyseius andersoni, Amblyseius rademacheri, Euseius finlandicus, Neoseiulella tiliarum is recorded in most of the study sites. Other species are notable for the preferences of plant species: Neoseiulus cucumeris and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) verrucosus results associated for elm, meanwhile Neoseiulus aurescens, Paraseiulus soleiger and Phytoseiulus persimilis for maple tree. A positive relationship between the increasing leaf hairiness and the mean number of Phytoseiidae is revealed. The movement of predatory mites from one plant to another could be a necessary condition to support an effective biological control. The reintroduction of the living tutor for vine such as maple and elm and increasing the field margins diversity could improve and maintain the inestimable importance of biodiversity in providing unexpected ecological services in agroecosystems

DNA barcoding of the Italian anecic Octodrilus species in rural (vineyard) and forested areas with description of Octodrilus zicsiniello sp. nov. (Clitellata, Megadrili)

Csuzdi, Csaba, Szederjesi, Tímea, Marchán, Daniel Fernández, Sosa, Irene De, Gavinelli, Federico, Dorigo, Luca, Pamio, Alberto, Dreon, Angelo Leandro, Fusaro, Silvia, Moretto, Enzo, Paoletti, Maurizio Guido (2018): DNA barcoding of the Italian anecic Octodrilus species in rural (vineyard) and forested areas with description of Octodrilus zicsiniello sp. nov. (Clitellata, Megadrili). Zootaxa 4496 (1): 43-64, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4496.1.

Barcoding Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. (Annelida, Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae), a large stripy earthworm from alpine foothills of northeastern Italy similar to Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888)

none16A new Italian earthworm morphologically close to the similarly large and anecic Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888) is described. Distribution of Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. extends over 750 km2 from East to West on the Asiago Plateau and Vittorio Veneto Hills, from North to South on mounts Belluno Prealps (Praderadego and Cesen), Asiago, Grappa and onto the Montello foothills. This range abuts that of Eophila tellinii in northern Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Known localities of both E. tellinii and E.crodabepis sp. nov. are mapped. mtDNA barcoding definitively separates the new western species from classical Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888).nonePaoletti, Maurizio G.; Blakemore, Robert J.; Csuzdi, Csaba; Dorigo, Luca; Dreon, Angelo Leandro; Gavinelli, Federico; Lazzarini, Francesca; Manno, Nicola; Moretto, Enzo; Porco, David; Ruzzier, Enrico; Toniello, Vladimiro; Squartini, Andrea; Concheri, Giuseppe; Zanardo, Marina; Alba-Tercedor, JavierPaoletti, Maurizio G.; Blakemore, Robert J.; Csuzdi, Csaba; Dorigo, Luca; Dreon, ANGELO LEANDRO; Gavinelli, Federico; Lazzarini, Francesca; Manno, Nicola; Moretto, Enzo; Porco, David; Ruzzier, Enrico; Toniello, Vladimiro; Squartini, Andrea; Concheri, Giuseppe; Zanardo, Marina; Alba Tercedor, Javie