New unexpected species of Acheta (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) from the Italian volcanic Island of Pantelleria

In late April 2022, while listening to audio files from an unsupervised bioacoustic assessment of the shearwater populations (Aves, Procellariiformes) on the coast of Pantelleria island (Sicily, Italy), a cricket song of unknown attribution was heard. The first bioacoustic analyses, including FFT-based spectrograms and sound pressure envelopes, confirmed that it could not be attributed to the known sound of any Italian nor Mediterranean species of cricket. In the ensuing weeks, field research at the original station and further localities on the southern coast of Pantelleria provided photographs, living specimens, and further audio records. As soon as the photos were shared among the authors, it became clear the species belonged to the genus Acheta. Further bioacoustic analyses and morphological comparison with type specimens of Mediterranean and North-African congenerics in relevant collections and the scientific literature were conducted: they confirmed that the findings could only be attributed to a still undescribed species that escaped detection due to its impervious and unfrequented habitat. Acheta pantescus n. sp. is apparently restricted to the effusive coastal cliffs of the island of Pantelleria, a habitat whose scant extension and vulnerability require environmental protection actions such as the inclusion in a special Red List by the IUCN Italian Committe

OZOGNATHUS CORNUTUS (LECONTE, 1859) (Coleoptera Anobiidae), NEW RECORD FOR ITALY

Prima segnalazione di Ozognathus cornutus (LeConte, 1859) (Coleoptera Anobiidae) in Itali

New data on the expansion of the Eurasian Thick-knee <i>Burhinus oedicnemus</i> in Sicily. A consideration of citizen science

In this work, we collected records of Eurasian Thick-knee observations in Sicily by using scientific literature, citizen science programs, and social networks as data sources. The aims of this work is creating a complete and up-to-date dataset, which also includes the authors’ targeted research in the field. As compared with records previously reported in literature, the data collected here, which cover the last fifteen years, show a clear expansion trend for the Eurasian Thick-knee in Sicily. About one third of these new records come from Facebook groups dedicated to biodiversity, thus underlining the usefulness of unconventional sources to gather data on species with poorly known distributions. [Article in Italian

Bird populations most exposed to climate change are less sensitive to climatic variation

The phenology of many species shows strong sensitivity to climate change; however, with few large scale intra-specific studies it is unclear how such sensitivity varies over a species' range. We document large intra-specific variation in phenological sensitivity to temperature using laying date information from 67 populations of two co-familial European songbirds, the great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), covering a large part of their breeding range. Populations inhabiting deciduous habitats showed stronger phenological sensitivity than those in evergreen and mixed habitats. However, populations with higher sensitivity tended to have experienced less rapid change in climate over the past decades, such that populations with high phenological sensitivity will not necessarily exhibit the strongest phenological advancement. Our results show that to effectively assess the impact of climate change on phenology across a species' range it will be necessary to account for intra-specific variation in phenological sensitivity, climate change exposure, and the ecological characteristics of a population. Intra-specific variations may contribute to heterogeneous responses to climate change across a species' range. Here, the authors investigate the phenology of two bird species across their breeding ranges, and find that their sensitivity to temperature is uncoupled from exposure to climate change.Peer reviewe

Temperature synchronizes temporal variation in laying dates across European hole-nesting passerines

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.Identifying the environmental drivers of variation in fitness-related traits is a central objective in ecology and evolutionary biology. Temporal fluctuations of these environmental drivers are often synchronized at large spatial scales. Yet, whether synchronous environmental conditions can generate spatial synchrony in fitness-related trait values (i.e., correlated temporal trait fluctuations across populations) is poorly understood. Using data from long-term monitored populations of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus, n = 31), great tits (Parus major, n = 35), and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca, n = 20) across Europe, we assessed the influence of two local climatic variables (mean temperature and mean precipitation in February–May) on spatial synchrony in three fitness-related traits: laying date, clutch size, and fledgling number. We found a high degree of spatial synchrony in laying date but a lower degree in clutch size and fledgling number for each species. Temperature strongly influenced spatial synchrony in laying date for resident blue tits and great tits but not for migratory pied flycatchers. This is a relevant finding in the context of environmental impacts on populations because spatial synchrony in fitness-related trait values among populations may influence fluctuations in vital rates or population abundances. If environmentally induced spatial synchrony in fitness-related traits increases the spatial synchrony in vital rates or population abundances, this will ultimately increase the risk of extinction for populations and species. Assessing how environmental conditions influence spatiotemporal variation in trait values improves our mechanistic understanding of environmental impacts on populations.Peer reviewe

Interaction of climate change with effects of conspecific and heterospecific density on reproduction

We studied the relationship between temperature and the coexistence of great titParus majorand blue titCyanistes caeruleus, breeding in 75 study plots across Europe and North Africa. We expected an advance in laying date and a reduction in clutch size during warmer springs as a general response to climate warming and a delay in laying date and a reduction in clutch size during warmer winters due to density-dependent effects. As expected, as spring temperature increases laying date advances and as winter temperature increases clutch size is reduced in both species. Density of great tit affected the relationship between winter temperature and laying date in great and blue tit. Specifically, as density of great tit increased and temperature in winter increased both species started to reproduce later. Density of blue tit affected the relationship between spring temperature and blue and great tit laying date. Thus, both species start to reproduce earlier with increasing spring temperature as density of blue tit increases, which was not an expected outcome, since we expected that increasing spring temperature should advance laying date, while increasing density should delay it cancelling each other out. Climate warming and its interaction with density affects clutch size of great tits but not of blue tits. As predicted, great tit clutch size is reduced more with density of blue tits as temperature in winter increases. The relationship between spring temperature and density on clutch size of great tits depends on whether the increase is in density of great tit or blue tit. Therefore, an increase in temperature negatively affected the coexistence of blue and great tits differently in both species. Thus, blue tit clutch size was unaffected by the interaction effect of density with temperature, while great tit clutch size was affected in multiple ways by these interactions terms.Peer reviewe

Variation in clutch size in relation to nest size in birds

Peer reviewe

Reproductive characteristics and differential response to seasonal temperatures of Blue and Great Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus et Parus major) in three neighbouring Mediterranean habitats

The breeding ecology of the Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Parus major) was studied for 18 years in three different neighbouring habitats in Sicily, comprising oakwoods, reforested pine and a reforested mix of pine and broad-leaved trees. Both Blue and Great Tits laid eggs up to two weeks earlier in oakwoods than in the reforested areas. Our results indicate a statistically greater breeding success for both species in the oakwoods compared to reforested habitats, with the mixed reforested habitat having a greater success than that of reforested pine habitat. We also correlated reproductive characteristics with local air temperature to verify if the laying date of tits advanced over a long period of years. Even though a variable egg-laying trend was recorded in the three habitats, an overall negative trendline was obtained indicating that the onset of nesting advanced through the 18-year study period. On the other hand, the air temperature trend was positive over the same period of time. The model of covariance analysis showed the relationship between egg-laying and March air temperatures remained consistent for both tit species, it was statistically different for each of the three habitats. Nestlings in the oak habitat fledged one day earlier than in reforested habitats and nestlings in the mixed habitat grew faster than nestlings in the pine habitat. Finally, clutch-size and number of fledglings remained consistent over the 18-year period in all three habitats, suggesting that prey availability may not have changed. Caterpillars comprised the primary prey in the oak and mixed habitats, less in the pine, where tits fed chicks with a more diverse food. The findings of this study indicate the importance of broad-leaved forests, whether natural or regenerated, for insectivorous species, and hence the potential conservation role of forestry management planning.Caractéristiques de la reproduction et réponse différentielle aux températures saisonnières des Mésanges bleue et charbonnière (Cyanistes caeruleus & Parus major) dans trois habitats méditerranéens voisins. L’écologie de la reproduction de la Mésange bleue (Cyanistes caeruleus) et de la Mésange charbonnière (Parus major) a été étudiée en Sicile durant 18 années dans trois différents habitats voisins, à savoir des chênaies, des plantations de pins et des plantations mixtes pins et feuillus. Les Mésanges tant bleues que charbonnières ont, en chênaie, pondu jusqu’à deux semaines plus tôt que dans les plantations. Nos résultats indiquent que les deux espèces ont eu un succès reproducteur statistiquement plus grand en chênaie que dans les plantations avec, dans ces dernières, un meilleur succès dans les formations mixtes que dans les pinèdes. Nous avons également confronté les caractéristiques de la reproduction aux températures de l’air locales afin de voir si l’avancement de la date de ponte s’étalait sur une longue période d’années. Bien qu’une variabilité de l’époque de la ponte ait été observée dans les trois habitats, une relation négative a été obtenue, indiquant que le début de la nidification avait progressivement été avancé tout au long des 18 années d’étude. De son côté, la température de l’air a progressivement augmenté durant la même période. Le modèle d’analyse de covariance utilisé a montré que la relation entre la ponte et les températures de l’air en mars restait marquée pour les deux espèces, mais différait statistiquement dans les trois habitats. En chênaie, les poussins se sont envolés un jour plus tôt que dans les plantations et ceux des formations mixtes ont grandi plus vite que ceux des pinèdes. Finalement, dans les trois habitats, la taille des pontes et le nombre de poussins à l’envol n’ont pas varié durant les 18 années d’étude, suggérant que les disponibilités alimentaires n’auraient pas changé. Les chenilles représentaient les principales proies dans les chênaies et les formations mixtes, moins en pinède où les mésanges nourrissaient leurs poussins avec des aliments plus divers. La présente étude souligne l’importance pour les insectivores des forêts de feuillus, naturelles ou régénérées, ainsi que le rôle potentiel en matière de conservation d’une gestion forestière planifiée.Massa Bruno, Cusimano Camillo A., Margagliotta Beniamino, Galici Roberto. Reproductive characteristics and differential response to seasonal temperatures of Blue and Great Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus et Parus major) in three neighbouring Mediterranean habitats. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 66, n°2, 2011. pp. 157-172

Citizen science project to monitor wildlife: a first census of wintering Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus in Sicily

Citizen science can represent an effective tool for large- scale data collection and can be used to improve scientific knowledge and define species distribution ranges before proper planning of related conservation strategies. A regional census of wintering Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus in Sicily, never achieved before, was organized by GAM (Gruppo Aquila Minore - Booted Eagle Group) on 12 Janu- ary 2020, involving 90 people from several organizations. A total of 112 wintering individuals have been recorded for the whole region, col- lecting related data about their colour morph, habitat preference and altitude. A regional estimate of 180-220 wintering individuals was cal- culated, also considering previous data collected during counts carried out in some selected sample areas during December 2019 and January 2020