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Arnold Sciberras

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (4): 505–508

    Csaba Csuzdi & Arnold Sciberras
    The first earthworm records from Malta (Oligochaeta Lumbricidae)

    ABSTRACT
    The first earthworm report from Malta lists seven species; six species from the Holarctic family Lumbricidae and one species from the Mediterranean family Hormogastridae. Apart from the Circum-Mediterranean Octodrilus complanatus (Dugès, 1828) and the Trans-Aegean Octodrilus transpadanus (Rosa, 1884) the other four lumbricid species recorded are widely distributed peregrine. The unidentified hormogastrid specimen might represent an autochthonous species in Malta.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (1): 039-054

    Salvatore Pasta, Arnold Sciberras, Jeffrey Sciberras & Leonardo Scuderi
    Analysis of the vascular flora of four satellite islets of the Egadi Archipelago (W Sicily), with some notes on their vegetation and fauna

    ABSTRACT
    This paper represents the first contribution on the vascular flora of the stack named Faraglione di Levanzo and of three satellite islets of Favignana, i.e. Prèveto, Galeotta and a stack located at Cala Rotonda. A sketch of their vegetation pattern is also provided, as well as a list of all the terrestrial fauna, with some more detailed information on the vertebrates. The finding of some bones of Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1758 is the first record for the whole archipelago and deserves further investigations. The floristic data have been used in order to analyze life-form and chorological spectra and to assess species-area relationship, the peculiarity of local plant assemblages, the occurrence of islet specialists, the risk of alien plants invasion and the refugium role played by the islets. The significant differences among the check-lists compiled by the two different couples of authors during their own visits to Prèveto and Galeotta underline the need of planning regular and standardized field investigations in order to avoid an overestimation of local species turnover rates.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 543-554

    David P. Cilia, Arnold Sciberras, Jeffrey Sciberras & Luca Pisani
    Terrestrial gastropods of the minor islets of the Maltese Archipelago (Mollusca Gastropoda)

    ABSTRACT
    For this study, the terrestrial malacofauna of minor islets of the Maltese archipelago was investigated. A number of new records were found and synthesized with previous records to produce a comprehensive list of species. A brief commentary on the population, environment, habitat, and morphology for most species is given.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 459-478

    Andrea Corso, Ottavio Janni, Maurizio Pavesi, Michael Sammut, Arnold Sciberras & Michele Viganò
    Annotated checklist of the dragonflies (Insecta Odonata) of the islands of the Sicilian Channel, including the first records of Sympetrum sinaiticum Dumont, 1977 and Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) for Italy

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper we report data on the historical and recent status of all dragonfly species (Insecta, Odonata) recorded for the Sicilian Channel islands: the Pelagie islands and Pantelleria, politically belonging to Italy, and Maltese Archipelago islands. The number of species known for the former group of islands raises from 7 to 20. Of these, 2 are new for the Italian fauna, namely the Desert Darter Sympetrum sinaiticum, noticed through likely sightings starting from 2010 on Lampedusa, and confirmed through voucher specimens collected in April 2012, and the Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens, first noticed in October 2012 on Lampedusa and Linosa; while Calopteryx sp. cf. haemorrhoidalis, Ischnura genei, Aeshna mixta, Orthetrum nitidinerve, Orthetrum coerulescens anceps, Crocothemis erythraea, Sympetrum striolatum, S. meridionale, Brachythemis impartita, Trithemis annulata and T. kirbyi, already known for Italy, are new for the Italian islands of the Sicilian channel. The Maltese fauna includes at present 18 recorded species; the previously reported Trithemis arteriosa is to be deleted from the list, since the concerned specimen upon re-examination proved to be T. annulata.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 397-399

    Arnold Sciberras & Jeffrey Sciberras
    Flora of “U Briantinu”, a satellite stack of Panarea Island, Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily, Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    This present study provides a list of flora species encountered during a visit to “U Briantinu” one of the satellite stacks of Panarea Island in the Aeolian archipelago (Sicily, Italy).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 385-396

    Jeffrey Sciberras, Arnold Sciberras & Luca Pisani
    Updated checklist of flora of the satellite islets surrounding the Maltese Archipelago

    ABSTRACT
    The present study provides an updated list of flora species encountered in multiple visits carried out during 2010-2012 to the satellite islets surrounding the Maltese Archipelago.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (3): 191-200

    Arnold Sciberras, Jeffrey Sciberras, Michael Sammut & Gaetano Aloise
    A contribution to the knowledge of the terrestrial Mammalian fauna of Comino and its satellite islets (Maltese Archipelago)

    ABSTRACT
    The present work aims to contribute to existing knowledge on Mammalia species occurring on Comino and its satellite islets and to provide additional records collected between the years 1998-2012. At the present state of knowledge, on the islands of the Maltese Archipelago there are 19 different species of terrestrial mammals (Erinaceomorpha: Atelerix algirus. Soricomorpha: Suncus etruscus, Crocidura sicula. Chiroptera: Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum, R. hipposideros, Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis punicus, Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, P. kulii, Plecotus austriacus, Tadarida teniotis. Lagomorpha: Orictolagus cuniculus. Rodentia: Apodemus sylvaticus, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Mus musculus. Carnivora: Mustela nivalis), more than half of which are bats. Out of 13 species listed here, 8 species are represented as new to the islands while 3 species are confirmed and 2 species are listed as unlikely occurring.