Spectacular song pattern from the Sicilian Mountains : the new cicada species Cicadetta anapaistica sp. n. (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

Acoustic investigations of Cicadetta montana s. l. have revealed the presence of morphologically cryptic species in thelast few years. This work describes the new cicada Cicadetta anapaistica sp. n. which was detected in the Madonie andNebrodi Mountains (Italy, Sicily). The characteristic and sophisticated song is composed of three phrases, modulated onfour typical power levels and three frequency ranges. The song pattern is compared with those of the closely related Cicadettacerdaniensis and Cicadetta cantilatrix. Quantitative and even qualitative intraspecific differences of the songstructure among individuals exist which appear to allow individual-specific recognition in many cases. As in other speciesof the complex, reliable morphological differences between the new species and others in the complex have not beenfound. The species is currently only known to be endemic to forest and ecotone habitats in a small mountain range. Becauseof this limited distribution the species is likely to be vulnerable to habitat and climate changes

Compensatory recruitment allows amphibian population persistence in anthropogenic habitats.

Habitat anthropization is a major driver of global biodiversity decline. Although most species are negatively affected, some benefit from anthropogenic habitat modifications by showing intriguing life-history responses. For instance, increased recruitment through higher allocation to reproduction or improved performance during early-life stages could compensate for reduced adult survival, corresponding to "compensatory recruitment". To date, evidence of compensatory recruitment in response to habitat modification is restricted to plants, limiting understanding of its importance as a response to global change. We used the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), an amphibian occupying a broad range of natural and anthropogenic habitats, as a model species to test for and to quantify compensatory recruitment. Using an exceptional capture-recapture dataset composed of 21,714 individuals from 67 populations across Europe, we showed that adult survival was lower, lifespan was shorter, and actuarial senescence was higher in anthropogenic habitats, especially those affected by intense human activities. Increased recruitment in anthropogenic habitats fully offset reductions in adult survival, with the consequence that population growth rate in both habitat types was similar. Our findings indicate that compensatory recruitment allows toad populations to remain viable in human-dominated habitats and might facilitate the persistence of other animal populations in such environments

Compensatory recruitment allows amphibian population persistence in anthropogenic habitats

: Habitat anthropization is a major driver of global biodiversity decline. Although most species are negatively affected, some benefit from anthropogenic habitat modifications by showing intriguing life-history responses. For instance, increased recruitment through higher allocation to reproduction or improved performance during early-life stages could compensate for reduced adult survival, corresponding to "compensatory recruitment". To date, evidence of compensatory recruitment in response to habitat modification is restricted to plants, limiting understanding of its importance as a response to global change. We used the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), an amphibian occupying a broad range of natural and anthropogenic habitats, as a model species to test for and to quantify compensatory recruitment. Using an exceptional capture-recapture dataset composed of 21,714 individuals from 67 populations across Europe, we showed that adult survival was lower, lifespan was shorter, and actuarial senescence was higher in anthropogenic habitats, especially those affected by intense human activities. Increased recruitment in anthropogenic habitats fully offset reductions in adult survival, with the consequence that population growth rate in both habitat types was similar. Our findings indicate that compensatory recruitment allows toad populations to remain viable in human-dominated habitats and might facilitate the persistence of other animal populations in such environments