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Claudio Di Russo

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (4): 951-956

    Claudio Di Russo, Claudio Chimenti, Chiara Calcari, Daniele Druella, Mauro Rampini, Valerio Cenni & Arianna Martini
    The allochthonous crayfish Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852 (Crustacea Cambaridae) from the subterranean stream of the Ausi cave (Latium, Italy): the second documented case of cave invasion

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper, data on the second case in Europe of hypogean environment invasion by the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea Cambaridae) are reported. Sixteen specimens were collected and measured during spring and late summer 2017 and other numerous specimens were observed from the entrance until 500 meters inside the cave. The presence of at least two shelter tunnels dug on the clayey stream bank suggests a stable colonization of the cave. Many individuals collected were characterized by bluish chaele indicating sexual activity. The omnivorous diet of this crayfish, its resistance to adverse environmental conditions, its high reproduction rate and dispersal capability allow us to predict that this species could have a strong and negative impact on the aquatic and terrestrial cave communities.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (3): 397-420

    Claudio Di Russo, Mauro Rampini & Marina Cobolli
    The cave crickets of Greece: a contribution to the study of Southern Balkan Rhaphidophoridae diversity (Orthoptera), with the description of a new species of Troglophilus Krauss, 1879

    ABSTRACT
    The taxonomy, geographic distribution and ecology of Rhaphidophoridae of Greece are updated herein. At present, 28 species of Dolichopoda Bolívar, 1880 and five species of Troglophilus Krauss, 1879 are known to colonize Greek caves and, in a few circumstances, epigean habitats. Dolichopoda includes a high number of species and shows a wide geographic distribution, including most of Greece. The genus diversity peaks in the Hellenic region, which hosts 28 of the 51 species described thus far. Most of the Dolichopoda species show a high degree of endemism, being recorded from only one or a few caves in restricted geographic areas. The thermo-xerophilic climate characterizing most of the southern Balkan Peninsula and the high fragmentation of the Greek karstic areas could have played an important role in the reduction of gene flow among cave cricket populations, leading to strong isolation and multiple speciation events. All the Dolichopoda species found in the area are highly dependent on caves and show clear adaptations to the subterranean ecosystems. Of the five Troglophilus species known for the area, only two occur in continental Greece, with a very scattered geographic distribution including a few mountain localities in northern and central Greece. The remaining three species are widespread throughout Crete and some Aegean islands. Finally the newly discovered Troglophilus zoiai n. sp. from a cave on the western slope of Mount Parnassos (central Greece) is described.