Aldrovandia. Volume 1, 2005

New data on the distribution and ecology of some italian species of Eilema and reappraisal of Eilema Marcida new rank (insecta, lepidoptera: Arctiidae) (555.6 kB)

AUTORI: Andrea Grassi, Alberto Zilli
ABSTRACT: The geographical and ecological distribution of some species of Eilema occurring in Italy is revised and updated. Eilema depressa and E. pseudocomplana were found to be much commoner than literature records were suggesting, the former with several coastal populations discovered along the Tyrrhenian coast and in Sardinia, the latter having been probably overlooked not just because of its well-known superficial similarity with E. complana but also with E. palliatella. Another taxon, E. marcida (Mann, 1859) new rank, is reappreciated as a valid species with respect to E. pygmaeola (Doubleday, 1847) by virtue of constant differences in the genitalia and the discovery of areas of sympatry between the two species. A record of E. griseola for Central Italy further corroborates a quotation of the species from Southern Italy (Calabria, Aspromonte), as it establishes a geographical link with the populations from North Italy.

An overview of the genus Speiredonia with description of seven new species (insecta, lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (947.1 kB)

AUTORI: Alberto Zilli, Jeremy D. Holloway, Willem Hogenes
ABSTRACT: Revisionary work on the genus Speiredonia Hübner, [1823] led to the following nomenclatural acts: seven species new to science are described, namely Speiredonia cthulhui Zilli & Holloway sp. n. (New Guinea), S. martabanica Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Burma), S. sandokana Zilli & Holloway sp. n. (Sundaland), S. ibanorum Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Borneo), S. gowa Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Wallacea) and S. levis Holloway & Zilli sp. n. ([Timor?] Oinainisa), all well characterised on basis of male and female genitalia and, to a variable extent, of habitus and pattern, and Speiredonia celebensis Hogenes & Zilli sp. n. (Sulawesi; Sulabesi), principally distinct from S. alix (Guenée, 1852) by the short and blunt labial palpus segment 3 of male; Sericia calamistrata Moore, 1883 is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of Spiredonia [sic] alix Guenée, 1852 (syn. n.); Phalaena Noctua obscura Cramer, 1780 is transferred from Spirama Guenée, 1852 to Speiredonia (new assignment) and shown to be a senior subjective synonym of Phalaena Noctua zamis Stoll, 1790 (syn. rev.); Phalaena Noctua feducia Stoll, 1790 (type species of Speiredonia) is shown to be nomen dubium and removed from synonymy with Noctua itynx Fabricius, 1787, but the fixation of a new type species for the genus is considered as unnecessary. Furthermore, the habitus and genitalia of two little-known species, viz. Speiredonia substruens (Walker, 1858) and S. cymosema (Hampson, 1926), and other species that have never been studied genitalically before, are briefly characterised and illustrated. An annotated checklist with distribution and iconographic references to all nominal taxa involved is provided.

I Macrolepidotteri della val di Farma (Toscana) (171.1 kB)

AUTORI: Leonardo Dapporto, Filippo Fabiano, Felice Balderi
ABSTRACT: Following a survey of the macrolepidoptera of Val di Farma (Tuscany), 524 species as a whole were scored, including 77 Rhopalocera. The relationships between species composition and different habitat types were analysed following standardised sampling in three representative sites of the main environments occurring in the study area. Statistical comparisons between the sites on both quantitative and qualitative data were performed and the role of lowland mesophilic woods as ecological refuges in the mediterranean area is discussed.

Un nuovo Neobacanius anoftalmo del Lazio (insecta, coleoptera: Histeridae) (681.6 kB)

AUTORI: Paolo Magrini
ABSTRACT: Within the tribe Bacaniini of Histeridae, the subgenus Neobacanius G. Müller, 1925 of Bacanius Leconte, 1853 is raised to generic level (new rank), as also Cyclobacanius G. Muller, 1925 (new rank), and studied in comparison with the only other genus of Bacaniini with anophthalmic species occurring in Italy, namely Sardulus, endemic to Sardinia and monotypic with the species S. spelaeus. Neobacanius laurentii n. sp. from Latium, Monti Lepini (Central Italy) is described. The only closely related species present in Italy is N. solarii (G. Müller, 1925) (comb. nov.) known only from a single female specimen collected at San Biase in Campania (province of Salerno, Vallo della Lucania). The new species differs from N. solarii at least by the structure of the female genitalia, and this circumstance is particularly striking because the stili and spiculum in Histeridae are normally very similar in appearance and of little diagnosting help in separating species.

Description of Sphegoclytus new genus of clytini from Caucasus (insecta, coleoptera: Cerambycidae) (169.7 kB)

AUTORI: Gianfranco Sama
ABSTRACT: The author describes Sphegoclytus n. gen., a new genus of Clytini from the Caucasus (type species: Clytus stepanovi Danilevsky & Miroshnikov, 1985, new assignment), similar to Pseudosphegesthes, from which it differs by the lack of a distinct apophysis on the posterior part of the head (occurring in Pseudosphegesthes as well as in Perissus). The new genus is apparently closer to Clytus, from which it may be recognized by the shape of pronotum and the reduced sclerites of the internal sac of the aedeagus.

Osservazioni su alcuni longicorni della fauna italiana (insecta, coleoptera: Cerambycidae) (381.3 kB)

AUTORI: Alessandro B. Biscaccianti
ABSTRACT: The occurrence of Stictoleptura erythroptera and Exocentrus lusitanus in peninsular Italy is recorded for the first time; the former is confirmed to Italy while the latter was previously known only from a few localities of northern regions. Moreover, the occurrence of Leiopus femoratus in southern Italy is also confirmed with new data. Taxonomic remarks on L. femoratus and a key to the identification of the Italian species of Leiopus are also provided. The lectotype of Leiopus nebulosus v. siculus Pic, 1924, is designated. Details on distribution of the treated species are given, together with some information concerning their biology and ecology.

Quattro nuove specie di Otiorhynchus (s. Str.) dell'appennino centro-meridionale (insecta, coleoptera: Curculionidae) (265.6 kB)

AUTORI: Roberto Casalini, Luigi Magnano
ABSTRACT: Four species of Otiorhynchus (s.str.) from the Central and Southern Appennines are described. Otiorhynchus praenestinus n. sp. is similar to O. scaberrimus but differs by the more elongate antennae, the wider interocular distance, and the wider and broader scales. Otiorhynchus latinus n. sp. resembles O. praenestinus n. sp., from which it can be separated by the more elongate and narrower elytrae, the shorter and stouter rostrum. Otiorhynchus salinellensis n. sp. resembles O. sibillinicus from which it is distinguished by the shape of the scales, which are oval on the punctures of striae and elliptical on intervals of elytrae. Otiorhynchus aequus n. sp. is similar to both O. minutesquamosus from which it is distinguished by the more flattened and wider elytrae in males, and O. rhacusensis, from which it can be separated by the longer and more flat granules of pronotum and elytrae and the smooth humeral callus.

New species of Ceutorhynchinae from western palaearctic (insecta, coleoptera: Curculionidae) (440.1 kB)

AUTORI: Enzo Colonnelli
ABSTRACT: Ten new species of Curculionidae Ceutorhynchinae are described: Ceutorhynchus lacteonotatus n. sp. from Algeria and Morocco, very like to C. fallax from the Caucasus and the Mediterranean; C. satanas n. sp. From southern Italy, Sicily and Algeria, related to the Holarctic C. obstrictus; C. borisi n. sp. from Turkey, very close to C. behnei from eastern Turkey; C. elidis n. sp. and C. libertorum n. sp. both from Greece, also somewhat similar to C. behnei; C. pravus n. sp. from Greece, very close to the Euromediterranean C. striatellus; C. thlaspivorus n. sp. From Turkey, resembling C. testudinella from Armenia; C. perpusillus n. sp. from central-eastern Turkey, related to C. nairicus from Armenia and northeastern Turkey; Mogulones rheophilus n. sp. from southeastern Turkey and M. humicola n. sp. from northeastern Turkey, both allied to the Caucasian M. fatidicus.

Amphibians of Italy: a revised checklist (179.1 kB)

AUTORI: Massimo Capula, Arianna Ceccarelli, Luca Luiselli
ABSTRACT: The present paper provides a complete and updated checklist of all valid species and subspecies of amphibians reported for the Italian political territory. The species considered are 40, including 17 Urodela and 23 Anura, and the subspecies are 23, including 15 Urodela and 8 Anura. Nine species of Urodela and 5 species of Anura are endemic to Italy. The endemic subspecies are 9 (8 Urodela, 1 Anura). Two out of the 40 species occurring in Italy, i.e. Rana catesbeiana and R. kurtmuelleri, are allochthonous, and are to be considered naturalized in the Italian territory. The IUCN categories and the conservation status of each species and subspecies were assessed following the IUCN categorization.

Reproductive seasonality and clutch size of sympatric hinge-back tortoises (Kinixys Erosa and Kinixys Homeana) in southern nigeria (reptilia, testudines: Testudinidae) (135.6 kB)

AUTORI: Godfrey C. Akani, Francesco M. Angelici, Sunday M. Wariboko, Edoardo Politano, Ernesto Filippi, Luca Luiselli
ABSTRACT: Tortoise specimens offered for food in local bush-meat markets were used to assess the reproductive seasonality and clutch size of sympatric Kinixys erosa and K. homeana from southern Nigeria (West Africa). Most females with oviductal eggs were found from November to March, with peaks in January-February (dry season). Very few females with oviductal eggs were found in the late wet season (August and September). For K. homeana at least, there was anatomical evidence of multiple clutches in a single year. However, regression statistics of rainfall against monthly frequency of occurrence of reproductive females demonstrate that females with oviductal eggs are associated to periods with low numbers of rain days per month. Females with eggs of K. erosa were significantly larger than those of K. homeana, and also produced a significantly higher number of eggs (x = 6.1 ± 1 eggs [N = 27] versus 5.4 ± 1.1 eggs [N = 41]). There was a significant positive relationship between female plastron length and number of oviductaleggs in either species, and the regression lines were not significantly different.

Dati sulla presenza dello sparviere (Accipiter Nisus) a Napoli (aves, accipitriformes: Accipitridae) (109.8 kB)

AUTORI: Roberto Guglielmi, Rosario Balestrieri, Marcello Giannotti, Armando Nappi
ABSTRACT: From a review of both bibliographic and original data on the presence of the Sparrowhawk in the city of Naples a total of 15 records was reached. Since 2001 some of the sightings revealed active territorial behaviour by the species, which was considered as accidental in this city. Our observations suggest therefore the likely nest-building by the species in the area.

Aggiornamento sull'avifauna dell'Umbria (aves) (104.8 kB)

AUTORI: Stefano Laurenti, Andrea Maria Paci
ABSTRACT: The authors update the checklist of birds in Umbria adding data collected between 1996 and 2002. Thirteen species are added to a previous list (six of them corresponding with unsuccessful introductions and escapes from captivity) and 26 phenological stati are modified. The following observations are particularly interesting: sighting of the Spur-winged Plover (Hoplopterus spinosus) and Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola), the second and the eleventh one in Italy, respectively, continuous colonization by the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), ascertained nesting of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) and Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), likely nesting of the Little Crake (Porzana parva) and Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) and overwintering of the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor).

Recent data on the brown rat Rattus Norvegicus in Nigeria: range expansion, and some ecological traits in the Niger delta region (mammalia, rodentia: Muridae) (146.5 kB)

AUTORI: Francesco M. Angelici, Ochoma P. Wenikama, Luca Luiselli
ABSTRACT: Recent data on distribution and ecology of brown rats Rattus norvegicus in southern Nigeria are presented in this paper. 446 specimens were captured during the various trapping sessions, all coming from urban habitats. More precisely, we found 193 (43.3%) specimens in rubbish dumps, 181 (40.6%) in food markets, 41 (9.2%) in dirty waters with muddy banks, 31 (6.9%) in ports. On the other hand, no specimens were captured in natural or semi-natural habitats of altered forests. Although our data demonstrate that brown rats are more widespread than previously supposed, until now this species was not observed in cultivated lands, rainforests and muddy banks of large rivers outside urban settlements.

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