Ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) and the food industry: observations in factory premises in central Italy

Research on ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in a food factory in the province of Latina (Lazio, central Italy) was carried out over several years up to 2013. The investigation started during the 1990s, and was conducted principally by examining specimens caught in light traps placed indoors on the factory premises. A smaller number of ants was collected directly during periodical inspections. The present work focuses on the observations made on specimens collected during 2007 and 2008 using light traps. Besides some ant genera and species which are well known as being typical pests of the food industry, some other more unusual and sporadic species were found. Among these latter, females of the ponerine ant Hypoponera punctatissima were sometimes collected in dozens or hundreds during single weeks of sampling using light traps. Many specimens of Pheidole pallidula (males, females, workers and soldiers) and Lasius spp. (males) were also collected using traps. H. eduardi, Cremastogaster scutellaris, Solenopsis fugax and Linepithema humile were scarce or extremely scarce in the traps, as were species of Myrmica, Aphaenogaster, Messor, Tetramorium, and Camponotus. The causes of their presence in the food factory may differ according to genera and species, and deserve to be studied in depth

Notes on the carpet beetle Attagenus lobatus in Italy

Morphological, distributional and eco-ethological data on the carpet beetle Attagenus lobatus Rosenhauer (Coleoptera Dermestidae) are reported, based on original observations. A. lobatus is a household and stored product species with a primarily Palaearctic distribution, secondarily Holarctic due to passive dispersion by man. This species is not very common in temperate climates and is here recorded for the first time in northern Italy

State of the art on Neuropterida of Sicily and Malta

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is surrounded by many small islands (Aeolian Islands, Ustica, Aegadian Islands, Pantelleria, Linosa, Lampedusa, Maltese Islands), some of which forming archipelagoes. The authors, after a historical sketch of the research on Neuropterida in Sicily (sensu lato), analyze the biodiversity of the area, highlighting the species richness and providing an up-to-date check-list. The lack of knowledge on some of the most paradigmatic communities of Neuropterida is discussed in relation to their various habitats. The distributional patterns of Sicilian Neuropterida are interpreted in order to obtain a biogeographical characterization of the area. It is confirmed that the location of Sicily and its surrounding islands forms a bridge between north and south and a door from the W Mediterranean region to the oriental Mediterranean basi

Morphological and physiological adaptations of wood-boring beetle larvae in timber

Beetles which develop boring tunnels inside and feed on seasoned wood present morphological and physiological adaptations related to the specific activities of their larvae in such a peculiar substrate. As far as protection of antiquarian goods made of wood is concerned, we are dealing mainly with three Coleoptera families, namely Lyctidae, Anobiidae, and Cerambycidae, which include species with wood-boring larvae. The adaptation to wood-boring and wood-feeding activities in beetle larvae was reached independently by phyletic lines not closely related, as a convergent evolution due to feeding behaviour. Among these adaptations, the following are examined with reference to the three families mentioned above. The conformation and activity of the larval mandibles and their possible correlations with the characteristics of the wood attacked are considered together with the presence of body structures for anchoring the larvae to the wood substrate inside the tunnel during the gnawing action. Intracellular endosymbiosis (endocytobiosis) with yeasts or bacteria, capable of supplementing larval diets lacking in some essential nutrients, and its main features are summarized. Last, structural and functional characteristics are discussed as regards tracheal spiracles, provided with filter devices important for preventing intrusion of wood powder into tracheae from larval tunnels as well as useful for avoiding dehydration

The demonstration of the Sense Organs in the waxes of the Bologna school between XVIII and XIX century

In the field of the morphological disciplines the name of Filippo Pacini (1812-1883) is mostly related to the discovery of the sensitive Pacinian Corpuscles of the skin, but also to studies about the eye, particularly in the microscopical structure of the retina. Because this important respect of his scientific work, it seems appropriate to investigate the contribution of anatomical wax modelling to the representation of the sense organs between XVIII end XIX century. Considering the school of Ercole Lelli (1702-1766) in Bologna, of particular interest are the models made by Anna Morandi Manzolini (1716-1775). The approach in demonstrating the sense of tact is exquisitely functional, not only anatomical, by a wax reproducing two hands, one of them in the action of touching, the other withdrawing from a wounding object, thus giving a lively scene of a function, the tact, that at time science could not yet explain in their inner mechanisms. In the set of waxes about the vision, besides the general conformation of the eye and of the extrinsic muscles, is well presented the structure of the eyeball with the three tunics and vessels. Quite different in the artistic feature are the models of the eye and lachrymal apparatus performed by Cesare Bettini (1814-1885) about a century later. These waxes are of great dimensions, to be more useful for their educational purposes. The waxes of the school of Bologna not show the microscopic appearance of the organs: it was still too early for this kind of knowledge at the time of Anna Morandi Manzolini, but also the preparations of the wax modelers of the XIX century, at the epoch of the anatomists Francesco Mondini (1786-1844) and Luigi Calori (1807-1896), are not devoted to these fine aspects, that instead we can find in other collections, as those of the Anatomy Museum of the University of Florence

The role of detraining in tendon mechanobiology

INTRODUCTION: Several conditions such as training, aging, estrogen deficiency and drugs could affect the biological and anatomo-physiological characteristics of the tendon. Additionally, recent preclinical and clinical studies examined the effect of detraining on tendon, showing alterations in its structure and morphology and in tenocyte mechanobiology. However, few data evaluated the importance that cessation of training might have on tendon. Basically, we do not fully understand how tendons react to a phase of training followed by sudden detraining. Therefore, within this review, we summarize the studies where tendon detraining was examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive systematic literature review was carried out by searching three databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Knowledge) on tendon detraining. Original articles in English from 2000 to 2015 were included. In addition, the search was extended to the reference lists of the selected articles. A public reference manager (www.mendeley.com) was adopted to remove duplicate articles. RESULTS: An initial literature search yielded 134 references (www.pubmed.org: 53; www.scopus.com: 11; www.webofknowledge.com: 70). Fifteen publications were extracted based on the title for further analysis by two independent reviewers. Abstracts and complete articles were after that reviewed to evaluate if they met inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The revised literature comprised four clinical studies and an in vitro and three in vivo reports. Overall, the results showed that tendon structure and properties after detraining are compromised, with an alteration in the tissue structural organization and mechanical properties. Clinical studies usually showed a lesser extent of tendon alterations, probably because preclinical studies permit an in-depth evaluation of tendon modifications, which is hard to perform in human subjects. In conclusion, after a period of sudden detraining (e.g., after an injury), physical activity should be taken with caution, following a targeted rehabilitation program. However, further research should be performed to fully understand the effect of sudden detraining on tendons

Auchenorrhyncha collected in the Canavese district (Northwest Italy): (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha)

Die Ergebnisse von Zikaden-Sammelexkursionen im Distrikt Canavese (Italien, Piemont) werden präsentiert, die im Rahmen des 14. Auchenorrhyncha-Tagung (07.-09. – 09.09.2007) und des 4. Europäischen Hemipteren-Kongresses (10.09. – 14.09.2007) in Ivrea durchgeführt wurden. Zwei neue Arten für Italien und zahlreiche neue Zikadenarten für Piemont wurden festgestellt.The results of Auchenorrhyncha collection excursions in the Canavese district (Italy, Piedmont) are presented, that were held during the 14th Central European Auchenorrhyncha Meeting (07.09. – 09.09.2007) and the 4th European Hemiptera Congress (10.09.–14.09.2007) in Ivrea are given. Two new species for Italy, and several new species for Piedmont were found

The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands (Coleoptera)

The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Ten species are recorded with certainty from this Archipelago, of which 6 namely, Trogoxylon impressum (Comolli, 1837), Amphicerus bimaculatus (A.G. Olivier, 1790), Heterobostrychus aequalis (Waterhouse, 1884), Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius, 1801), Xyloperthella picea (A.G. Olivier, 1790) and Apate monachus Fabricius, 1775 are recorded for the first time. Two of the mentioned species (H. aequalis and S. unidentatum) are alien and recorded only on the basis of single captures and the possible establishment of these species is discussed. Earlier records of Scobicia pustulata (Fabricius, 1801) from Malta are incorrect and should be attributed to S. chevrieri (A. Villa & J.B. Villa, 1835). A zoogeographical analysis and an updated checklist of the 12 species of Bostrichidae recorded from the Maltese Islands and neighbouring Sicilian islands (Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa) are also provided. Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 from Uttarakhand (northern India) was overlooked by almost all subsequent authors. Its history is summarized and the following new synonymy is established: Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 = Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792), syn. n. Finally, records of Amphicerus bimaculatus from Azerbaijan, of Bostrichus capucinus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan and Syria, of Scobicia chevrieri from Jordan and Italy, of Xyloperthella picea from Italy, and of Apate monachus from Corsica (France) and Italy, are also provided.peer-reviewe