A network of sex and competition: the promiscuous mating system of an invasive weevil.

Invasive alien pest insect species represent a major threat for agriculture and biodiversity. Because chemical treatments employed to contrast such pests elicit serious environmental and human health problems, a great effort is currently directed to develop long term and environmentally friendly biological control strategies. However, the successful application of some promising techniques, such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), requires a deep knowledge of the pest basic biology. Here, we argue that understanding pest sexual biology using a social network approach can significantly improve the performance of control strategies. For example, SIT may benefit from understanding how individuals interact and how males accede to reproduction, in order to target the most reproductively active and polygamic males. In this paper we studied the socio-sexual networks of the Asian red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, a worldwide invader which is causing heavy economic impacts on several palm species. We found that the RPW has a highly promiscuous mating system, characterized by forced interruptions of pair copulations by additional males. The social network is highly non-random nor regular: few males almost monopolize reproduction, behaving as key-players in the network of matings. Additionally, males have a stable pattern of sexual behaviour over time. We use RPW social network as a case study to direct the development of management techniques such as SIT strateg

When alien catfish meet—Resource overlap between the North American Ictalurus punctatus and immature European Silurus glanis in the Arno River (Italy)

n/

First report of Gonipterus scutellatus complex (Coleoptera Curculionidae) in Sicily (Italy).

During August 2015, the weevil Gonipterus scutellatus complex (Coleoptera Curculionidae), a pest of Eucalyptus spp., was found for the first time in Sicily. According to our surveys, Eucalyptus globulus was the only infested tree species

THE EFFECTS OF TWO DIFFERENT PRESERVATION METHODS ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ALIEN CHANNEL CATFISH Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818) IN EUROPEAN FRESHWATER

Različite metode koje se koriste za pohranu uzoraka, čak i u kraćim vremenskim razmacima, mogu uvelike utjecati na morfometrijske osobitosti kao što su boja, duljina i oblik uzorka. Kao posljedica, u slučaju da uzorci moraju biti analizirani morfometrijski, odabir odgovarajućemetode konzervacije/očuvanja uzorka je ključna. U ovom istraživanju su uspoređeni učinci, dvije podjednako lako primjenjive metode očuvanja, smrzavanja i umjereno svježeg skladištenja na morfološka obilježja sjevernoameričkog kanalskog soma Ictalurus punctatus, kao strane vrste prisutne u Europskim kopnenim vodama. Rezultati su ukazali da je smrzavanje, kao i konzervacija alkoholom ili formalinom, utjecalo na općenite karakteristike uzorka (boja, standardna, ukupna i duljina ribe do vilice te oblik), dok je umjereno svježe skladištenje indiciralo očuvanje većine osobina uzorka bez istaknutih promjena, što je važna razlika pri proučavanju potencijalno prilagodljivih stranih vrsta riba. U radu su razmatrane implikacije.Different methods used to store specimens, even for short periods, can notably affect morphometric characteristics such as colour, length and shape. As a consequence, in the case of samples that have to be analysed morphometrically, the right reservation method is crucial. In this study, two comparably easy applicable methods, the effects of freezing and moderate cool storage on morphological traits, were studied on specimens of the scaleless North American channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, an alien species to European freshwaters of increasing concern. Results revealedthat freezing, like preservation with alcohol or formalin, affected the generally considered characteristics (colour, standard length, fork length, total length, shape), while cool storage was shown to preserve most traits without notable alteration, an important difference when studying potentially adapting alien species. Implications are discussed

First interception of Acrossidius tasmaniae (Hope, 1847) (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Aphodiinae) in Europe

In April 2013, four adults of Acrossidius tasmaniae (Hope, 1847) (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Aphodiinae) were found during the inspection of the Phytosanitary Service of Tuscany Region in the port of Leghorn, in a container from New Zealand. This is the first interception of this minor pest for cultivated plants in Europe.

FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED RESEARCH ON FRESHWATER DECAPODS IN ITALY

The study group of freshwater decapods established within the Italian Association of Freshwater Ichthyologists aims at improving knowledge on the biology of both native and alien freshwater crayfish, shrimps, and crabs which currently inhabit Italian lentic and lotic waters, promoting at the same time the establishment of a network of experts that guarantees an adequate spread of correct useful and usable information, not only for management activities by the local and national competent authorities, but even by non-experts. The group deals with taxonomy, systematic, zoogeography, ecology, ethology, physiology, anatomy, genetics, conservation (of natives) and management (of aliens) of freshwater decapods in Italy. Our main aim is to update the status of freshwater decapods within the national territory, useful for monitoring programs on these species and the habitats where they inhabit. It is necessary to study all the aspects of this order because many species represent an ecological (as a keystone species), fauna (some taxa are interesting peninsular endemisms), biogeographical (the Whole order includes peculiar models of dispersion, migration and vicariance) and evolutionary (there are stimulating case studies of adaptive radiation phenomena linked to a specific ecological value) heritage. Also from an applied perspective, freshwater decapods have a peculiar double aspect linked to the conservation of aquatic environments: on the one side some species can be considered as valuable biological indicators, but on the other side many alien species are reported to be invasive and their management is mandatory, according to the new European and Italian legislations, and should be ecologically, economically and culturally examined to evaluate their effects on environment, human activities and health

The effects of two different preservation methods on morphological characteristics of the alien channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818) in European freshwater

Different methods used to store specimens, even for short periods, can notably affect morphometric characteristics such as colour, length and shape. As a consequence, in the case of samples that have to be analysed morphometrically, the right preservation method is crucial. In this study, two comparably easy applicable methods, the effects of freezing and moderate cool storage on morphological traits, were studied on specimens of the scaleless North American channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, an alien species to European freshwaters of increasing concern. Results revealed that freezing, like preservation with alcohol or formalin, affected the generally considered characteristics (colour, standard length, fork length, total length, shape), while cool storage was shown to preserve most traits without notable alteration, an important difference when studying potentially adapting alien species. Implications are discussed

Age determination in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus using pectoral spines: a technical report

The impacts of non-native species might be noticeable years after their initial introduction. Determining the age of a recently established non-native fish population can be important to identify the year of its introduction. Although well-established, the accuracy and reproducibility of age determination techniques are not often discussed. In this manuscript, we propose a standardised method for the determination of age in scale-less fishes. We use the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus as a model species and we highlight the importance of the pectoral spine section location to produce accurate age determinations. Our results show that decalcification is not neces-sarily needed and that cuts to the basal section of the spine shaft produce the clearest and most reliable results

La ricerca di base e applicata sui decapodi dulcicoli in Italia

Il gruppo di studio dei decapodi d’acqua dolce istituito all’interno dell’Associazione Italiana Ittiologi Acque Dolci ha il principale obiettivo di studiare e migliorare la conoscenza di tutti gli aspetti della biologia di gamberi, gamberetti e granchi d’acqua dolce nativi e alieni, che attualmente vivono negli ambienti lentici e lotici italiani, promuovendo allo stesso tempo la costituzione di una rete di esperti che garantisca un’adeguata diffusione di corrette informazioni utili e fruibili non solo per le attività gestionali dalle autorità competenti locali e nazionali, ma anche dai non addetti al settore. Il gruppo si occupa di tassonomia, sistematica, zoogeografia, ecologia, etologia, fisiologia, anatomia, genetica, conservazione (delle native) e gestione (delle aliene) dei decapodi dulciacquicoli presenti in Italia. Il principale obiettivo di questo contributo è di fornire un aggiornamento dello stato attuale dei decapodi d’acqua dolce sul territorio nazionale che possa rappresentare un untile strumento di monitoraggio per queste specie e per gli habitat dove vivono. L’esigenza di approfondire la conoscenza di questo ordine in ogni suo aspetto nasce dalla consapevolezza che molte specie rappresentano un patrimonio ecologico (in quanto specie chiave di habitat bentonici), faunistico (alcuni taxa sono interessanti casi di endemismo peninsulare), biogeografico (l’intero ordine presenta singolari modelli di dispersione, migrazione e vicarianza) ed evolutivo (sono presenti stimolanti casi-studio di fenomeni di radiazione adattativa legati ad una particolare valenza ecologica). I decapodi dulciacquicoli presentano un particolare doppio aspetto legato alla conservazione degli ambienti acquatici: se da un lato alcune specie possono essere considerate come valenti indicatori biologici, dall’altro possiamo annoverare molte specie aliene invasive, la cui gestione è obbligatoria secondo le recenti normative europee e nazionali e richiede un’attenta analisi ecologica, economica e culturale, per valutare gli effetti di queste specie su ambiente, attività economiche e salute umana