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Agatino Reitano

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (1): 279-310 - MONOGRAPH

    Ignazio Sparacio, Tommaso La Mantia, Maria Stella Colomba, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano & Salvo Giglio
    Qanat, Gebbie and water source: the last refuge for the malacologica freshwater fauna in Palermo (Sicily, Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    The surroundings of Palermo were characterized, over the centuries, by the presence of many natural environments of great ecological and faunal importance. These environments were placed in a context characterized by minimal and sustainable urban development and large agriculture areas, dedicated to the development of tree crops such as citrus and orchards. These crops were supported by an imposing irrigation system that, using natural resources such as watercourses, wells and springs, collected and distributed water in soils through tanks, gebbie, qanat, irrigation channels (saje), etc. Fresh water mollusks, like many other animal and vegetable organisms, spread from the natural freshwater environments in this artificial water system, thus creating a unique and varied ecosystem. The subsequent urban development of the city of Palermo and the destruction of many of those natural environments has further enhanced the ecological role of the artificial freshwater systems as an important refuge for the native fauna and flora. In the present study, we report on freshwater molluscs observed in the territory of Micciulla, a large relict area occupied almost entirely by an old citrus, now located inside the city of Palermo. In this area there are some springs, an extensive array of artificial freshwater to irrigate the crops, and the qanat Savagnone located in the “Camera dello Scirocco”. The results obtained by census of different populations of freshwater mollusks confirm the importance of these environments and the growing role they play as the last refuges for fauna and flora originally linked to natural humid environments.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (3): 365-384

    Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Salvatore Giglio, Maria Stella Colomba & Ignazio Sparacio
    Two new Clausiliidae (Gastropoda Pulmonata) of Sicily (Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper the Authors describe two new Clausiliidae (Gastropoda Pulmonata) of Sicily (Italy): Muticaria cyclopica n. sp. from SE-Sicily and Siciliaria calcarae orlandoi n. ssp. from W-Sicily. The two new species are described by virtue of their distinctive conchological and anatomical features. Additional biological and taxonomic notes are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 6 (1): 481-490 - MONOGRAPH

    Fabio Liberto, Maria Stella Colomba, Agatino Reitano, Salvatore Giglio & Ignazio Sparacio
    The endemic door snail of Marettimo (Egadi Islands, Sicily, Italy): Siciliaria (Siciliaria) scarificata (Pfeiffer, 1857) (Pulmonata, Clausiliidae)
    Proceedings of the Eighth Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 4th-5th, 2014 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    The door snail Siciliaria (Siciliaria) scarificata (L. Pfeiffer, 1856) (Pulmonata Clausiliidae) is redescribed. The species is endemic to Marettimo (Egadi Islands, Sicily, Italy) and it is the only one of the genus Siciliaria Vest, 1867 living in this island. Siciliaria scarificata can be morphologically identified by the presence of a high columellar lamella, ascending in a double “S” curve, a wide anterior upper palatal plica, long basal plica, sulcalis present; clausilium plate distally less narrowed; genitalia are characterized by very short bursa copulatrix duct; short diverticulum of bursa copulatrix; penial papilla conic and short. Notes about its taxonomy, biology and conservation status are also provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 6 (1): 401-411 - MONOGRAPH

    Maria Stella Colomba, Armando Gregorini, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Salvatore Giglio & Ignazio Sparacio
    The genus Erctella Monterosato, 1894: new molecular evidence
    Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress “Speciation and Taxonomy”, May 16th-18th 2014, Cefalù-Castelbuono (Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper we report on new molecular data (COI sequences) of different and representative populations of Erctella mazzullii (De Cristofori et Jan, 1832), E. cephalaeditana Giannuzzi-Savelli, Oliva et Sparacio, 2012 and E. insolida (Monterosato, 1892) (Pulmonata, Stylommatophora, Helicidae). Present results are compared with those from recent literature and the current knowledge on phylogenetic relationships among Helicidae pulmonate gastropods is reviewed. Obtained results suggest that: i) Cornu Born, 1778 and Cantareus Risso, 1826 are separate and well distinct from Helix Linnaeus, 1758; ii) Erctella Monterosato, 1894 is a valid and independent genus rather than a subgenus of Cornu; iii) Cornu aspersum (O.F. Müller, 1774) is a group of species (i.e. "aspersum" group) whose taxonomic status needs to be defin further studies; iv) Cornu, Cantareus and Erctella might belong to the same tribe that, still, remains to be defined.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (4): 571-580

    Maria Stella Colomba, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Rosario Grasso, Davide Di Franco & Ignazio Sparacio
    On the presence of Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) and Sinanodonta woodiana woodiana (Lea, 1834) in Sicily (Mollusca Bivalvia)

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper we report on the presence of two non-native and invasive species of bivalve mollusks in Sicily: Sinanodonta woodiana woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia Unionidae) native to East Asia and Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) (Bivalvia Dreissenidae) native to the Ponto-Caspian area, with a particular focus on how the presence of these alien species can lead to imbalances in the delicate equilibrium of Sicilian freshwater invertebrates and, above all, does threaten the existence of Unio elongatus gargottae Philippi, 1836 an island's native bivalve suffering from strong rarefaction.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 571-582

    Maria Stella Colomba, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Walter Renda, Giuseppe Pocaterra, Armando Gregorini & Ignazio Sparacio
    Molecular studies on the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 from Italy (Gastropoda Pulmonata Clausiliidae)

    ABSTRACT
    In Italy, the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 includes two species: M. italiana (Küster, 1847) and M. dalmatina (Rossmässler, 1835). In particular, populations ascribed to M. italiana were, and still are, the focus of several works aiming at better understanding the real taxonomic value of these entities and defining their presence on the Italian territory. In order to contribute to the improvement of the current knowledge on the organization of the genus at different taxonomic levels, several populations were investigated by analysing 16S rDNA, COI and ITS2 gene partial sequences. Phylogenetic reconstructions were obtained by the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Although further studies are needed, preliminary data suggest that the genus Medora shows a much more complex and articulate differentiation than hypothesized so far.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 555-570

    Agatino Reitano, Fabio Liberto, Salvatore Giglio, Rosario Grasso & Maria Teresa Spena
    Terrestrial molluscs from the R.N.I. “Grotta Conza” (Palermo, Sicily) (Gastropoda Architaenioglossa Pulmonata)

    ABSTRACT
    The results of a study on the fauna of terrestrial molluscs from the R.N.I. "Grotta Conza" (Palermo, North-Western Sicily) are here described. Research has allowed us to compile a checklist of 41 species, 18 of which are endemic to Sicily. For each species ecological and distributional data are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 521- 526

    Agatino Reitano & Danilo Scuderi
    New observations on the taxonomy, biology and distribution of Tricolia landinii Bogi et Campani, 2007 (Gastropoda Vetigastropoda)

    ABSTRACT
    Tricolia landinii Bogi et Campani, 2007, is here reviewed on the basis of both shell morphology and observations of the living animals. This taxon, is here ascertained, it was described on the basis of only shell characters of young specimens, without the study of external soft parts. New data about adult shell morphology, living animal and distribution of this minute species are here furnished, together with a detailed iconography. On the basis of these characters T. landinii appears more similar to the T. tingitana group, rather than to T. nordsiecki, as underlined in the original description. In the light of the adult shell morphology here reported and of the living animal’s features, a complete analysis of the entire group of this “small Tricolia”, with comparisons to the close resembling species, is here furnished.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (3): 251-258

    Maria Stella Colomba, Agatino Reitano, Fabio Liberto, Salvatore Giglio, Armando Gregorini & Ignazio Sparacio
    Additional data on the genus Muticaria Lindholm, 1925 with description of a new species (Gastropoda Pulmonata Clausiliidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Morphological analysis and molecular genetic studies conducted on the genus Muticaria Lindholm, 1925 (Pulmonata Clausiliidae) in Sicily allowed to identify a new species which is described in the present paper.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 1: 007-014

    Maria Stella Colomba, Armando Gregorini, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Salvatore Giglio & Ignazio Sparacio
    Molecular analysis of Muticaria syracusana and M. neuteboomi from Southeastern Sicily, Italy (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Clausiliidae)

    ABSTRACT
    The genus Muticaria Lindholm, 1925, is currently distributed either in Southeastern Sicily or in the Maltese islands and comprises the species M. syracusana (Philippi, 1836), M. neuteboomi Beckmann, 1990 and M. macrostoma (Cantraine, 1835). For the first time, we report a molecular study on the topotypicous populations of M. syracusana and M. neuteboomi carried out on fragments of the ribosomal 16S rDNA subunit and the cytochrome oxydase I (COI) mitochondrial genes by Neighbour Joining, Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference algorithms. Our results revealed the existence of nucleotide-sequence divergence (Dxy: 5% for 16S rDNA and 12% for COI sequences) between the two taxa.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 585-595

    Agatino Reitano, Davide Di Franco & Danilo Scuderi
    Three new species of Discopsis De Folin, 1870 from the Plio-Pleistocene of Sicily (Gastropoda Tornidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.585.595
    https://www.zoobank.org/FD07B593-54D2-4195-B53E-B650BF78ACDA

    ABSTRACT
    Three new species, placed in the genus Discopsis de Folin, 1870 (Gastropoda Tornidae) are here described as new from the Plio-Pleistocene of Sicily on the basis of morphological characters. The first two, D. destefanii n. sp. and D. vivianorum n. sp., derived from sandy clayey silt outcropping along the shore of the left side of the mouth of Nocella river (Castellammare Gulf, North-western Sicily). Discopsis destefanii n. sp has been tentatively assigned to Imperator europaeum De Stefani, 1888 at first attempt. After deeper researches, discrepancies between the original description and its relative drawing emerged, which rendered questionable the correct interpretation of the De Stefani’s species and the possible institution of a neotype to stabilize taxonomy of this controversial species. But the lack of type materials to ascertain characters typical of this species induced us to consider it as unaccepted. As a consequence, comparisons between D. destefanii n. sp. and I. europaeum become superfluous on account of the above reported reasons. The other one, D. philippii n. sp., has been collected from the Pleistocene marly sand/calcarenite succession outcropping along the left shore of the Ossena river (Francofonte, Syracuse, Sicily).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 319-326 - MONOGRAPH

    Agatino Reitano, Davide Di Franco & Danilo Scuderi
    Further new taxonomical and paleontological notes on Haliotis stomatiaeformis Reeve, 1846 (Gastropoda Haliotidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.319.326

    ABSTRACT
    The finding of new both recent and fossil materials of the Mediterranean small abalone Haliotis stomatiaeformis Reeve, 1846 (Gastropoda Haliotiidae) allowed a more detailed study of this rare species. Analogies between the paleo-environment in which the fossil material is contextualized and the peculiar environment where nowadays it still lives are made on account of the faunal assemblage comparisons. Data on the morphology of the protoconch and the external soft parts chromatism and a new iconography complete the information set on this “neglected” species.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (1): 063-070

    Agatino Reitano
    Rediscovery of “Stylotrochus” gemmula Seguenza, 1876 from the Early Pleistocene of Italy with notes on the genus Calliotropis Seguenza, 1902 (Gastropoda Seguenzioidea)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.1.63.70

    ABSTRACT
    Recent field research in the Pleistocene marine sedimentary layers, exposed near Forte dei Centri, Salice (Messina, Sicily), has allowed to identify six shells, wich could be attribuited to “Stylotrochus” gemmula Seguenza, 1876 due to their peculiar morphological features. This species is here placed in the genus Calliotropis Seguenza L., 1902 (Gastropoda Seguenzioidea) and re-described according to a modern taxonomical approach. A specimen previously reported as Turcicula distincta Seguenza, 1879 for the Gelasian of Emilia-Romagna is here attributed to Calliotropis gemmula comb. nov., thus extending its distribution through the Early Pleistocene of the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the distribution of Calliotropis species in the Mediterranean Plio-Pleistocene is here briefly discussed.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (3): 0505-0512

    Danilo Scuderi, Alberto Villari & Agatino Reitano
    Another new eulimid (Gastropoda Eulimidae) from the Mediterranean Sea: Vitreolina micalii n. sp.
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.3.505.512
    https://www.zoobank.org/E82BBB63-BF8B-4B25-B6B3-27C4DACBF0E8

    ABSTRACT
    Vitreolina micalii n. sp. (Gastropoda Eulimidae) is here described on materials found in shallow waters along the Northern coast of Catania (Eastern Sicily, Ionian Sea). Findings include both live-taken and empty specimens, whose shell and soft parts have been observed and documented. Further specimens have been found in few other localities of Sicily and Corsica. The new species is morphologically distinguishable by a spiny, smooth shell, similar to some other congeners except for some details, and a sculptured protoconch. The different external chromatism of the soft parts is similar only to V. perminima, but it is different in some aspect hereafter discussed. Differences from similar species from Eastern Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are useful to discard the alien origin of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (1): 0255-0270

    Ignazio Sparacio, Roberto Viviano, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano & Salvatore Surdo
    New data on Siciliaria septemplicata (Philippi, 1836) complex (Gastropoda Clausiliidae) from the surroundings of Palermo (NW-Sicily, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.1.255.270
    https://www.zoobank.org/3335582E-E41B-431D-9A2A-CCED32CC2370

    ABSTRACT
    Siciliaria septemplicata (R.A. Philippi, 1836) (Gastropoda Clausiliidae) endemic from northwestern Sicily (Italy) is revised, using shell and genital characters. The diversity of the species complex, the taxonomic history, faunal data and distributional relationships are examined. Siciliaria septemplicata vincentii n. ssp. and S. septemplicata mariastellae n. ssp. from the surroundings of Palermo are here described.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (1): 0241-0254

    Fabio Liberto, Maria Stella Colomba, Agatino Reitano, Roberto Viviano & Ignazio Sparacio
    On the taxonomy of Siciliaria grohmanniana (Rossmässler, 1836) (Gastropoda Clausiliidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.1.241.254

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper the taxonomy of Siciliaria grohmanniana (Rossmässler, 1836) (Gastropoda Clausiliidae) is revised through the study of literature data and type series. Clausilia decollata Potiez et Michaud, 1838, C. grohmanniana var. minor Schmidt, 1868, C. grohmanniana var. crassilabris Monterosato, 1894, C. grohmanniana var. densa Monterosato, 1894, C. grohmanniana panormitana Paulucci, 1878 and C. subdiaphana Benoit, 1882 are confirmed synonyms of S. grohmanniana grohmanniana. A neotype is selected for C. panormitana. A lectotype is selected for Clausilia rubra Benoit, 1882 and S. grohmanniana addaurae De Mattia, Reier et Haring, 2021 is considered its junior synonym.