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Michael Sammut

  • 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 (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.