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Giulio Cuccodoro

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (1): 123-144 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulio Cuccodoro
    Review of the observations of aggregates of Steninae reported since 1856 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae)

    ABSTRACT
    The nine aggregates of Steninae documented since 1856 are reviewed, completed with seventeen new reports. All the pictures available on the topic are presented. Considering the ubiquity and megadiversity of the subfamily, this total of 26 observations reported over the last 150 years appears strikingly low, clearly indicating that the phenomenom is exceptional. These observations were all made in the Palaearctic and Oriental realms, and refer to both the extant genera of Steninae Dianous and Stenus. Six observations refer to Dianous species, all from China, mainly D. banghaasi and D. freyi. Of the twenty observations referring to Stenus ten were made in the Mediterranean area, mainly on S. cordatus, S. elegans and S. turk. This collection of observations seems a composite of several kinds of behavioural patterns, such as hibernation, aestivation, reproductive swarming, and possibly hilltopping, with some most likely intermixed. Aggregation in compact multilayer masses of individuals as well as occasional recurrence of Stenus aggretates at precise locations over days or year are probably controlled by pheromone signals. The reasons driving these slender, one centimeter long rove beetles to occasionally swarm in compact masses of well over hundred thousand individuals remain nevertheless as enygmatic as how such a spectacular phenomenom performed by members of the second most diverse genus of animals on earth can remain so rarely observed.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 6 (1): 161-164 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulio Cuccodoro & Mickael Blanc
    Implantation of Stagg beetles hostels in the city of Geneva, Switzerland
    Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress “Speciation and Taxonomy”, May 16th-18th 2014, Cefalù-Castelbuono (Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    Brief presentation of our ongoing project of implementation of a network of “Stagg beetles hostels” in the city of Geneva (Switzerland) aiming at consolidating the last large populations of big woodboring beetles Cerambyx cerdo Linnaues, 1758 (Coleoptera Cerambycidae) and Lucanus cervus Linnaues, 1758 (Coleoptera Lucanidae) in Switzerland.