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Paolo Galasso

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 051-054

    Paolo Galasso, Nadia Curcuraci & Alessandro Marletta
    First record of Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764) in Sicily (Odonata Aeshnidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764) is a small Odonata Aeshnidae widespread throughout most of Europe and Central-northern Italy, but up to now never recorded in Sicily. During the spring 2015, some specimens of this species were observed and photographed for the first time at the swamp lake “Pantano Cuba”, in the southeast coast of Sicily, near to Pachino (Syracuse). This record represents now the southernmost Italian locality for this species.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 301-309 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Galasso, Salvatore Surdo & Manuel Andrea Zafarana
    An updated estimate of the wintering population of Sanderling Calidris alba (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) in Sicily for the years 2015-2022
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.301.309

    ABSTRACT
    The Sanderling Calidris alba (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) overwinters along the sandy coasts of Italy with an average of about 546 individuals for the years 2006–2010, showing a positive long-term increase. The species regularly overwinters in Sicily, for which the latest estimate reports 30–130 individuals in the years 2000–2004. Since no further updated estimates are available, new data were collected every winter on the field during the years 2015–2022, monitoring the most suitable stretches of beaches and collecting additional data from birdwatchers and photographers. A wintering regional population with an average of 100 individuals per year (65–136) was recorded, with an estimate of 145 individuals per year (110–180). The sandy coast of the Gulf of Gela hosts 54% of the recorded regional wintering population and about 10% of the whole Italian population and can therefore be considered a “site of national importance”. Other important areas are the Gulf of Catania, which hosts 24% of the regional population and 4.57% of the Italian population, and some sandy coasts of Ragusa’s province. This survey shows an increase of the regional wintering population in the last decades, highlighting Sicily’s role at national level for the wintering of the species. Conservation measures and sustainable management of Sicilian sandy coasts are strongly recommended to support the wintering of C. alba and other species of shorebirds.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 277-300 - MONOGRAPH

    Giuseppe Rannisi, Paolo Galasso, Andrea Cusmano, Rosa Termine, Manuel Andrea Zafarana, Renzo Ientile & Salvatore Surdo
    Colonies of herons and other allied waterbirds breeding in Sicily, 2007-2022
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.277.300

    ABSTRACT
    We describe the results of the first regional census of herons and other colonial waterbirds, including Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo, Little Bitterns Ixobrychus minutus, Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax, Squacco Herons Ardeola ralloides, Western Cattle Herons Bubulcus ibis, Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, Purple Herons Ardea purpurea and Little Egrets Egretta garzetta, carried out throughout Sicily from 2007 to 2022. We also collected data about Great Egrets Casmerodius alba and other waterbird species in Ardeidae colonies without any breeding evidence, as Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia and Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Collected data highlighted a regional widespread increase of the numbers in known colonies and nests of each species, especially of Bubulcus ibis that showed a sharp increase in number from 30 nests recorded for the whole region in 2007 up to 530 nests in 2022, mainly concentrated in eastern Sicily, in the province of Catania. Also A. ralloides, N. nycticorax and E. garzetta showed a positive trend with an increase in the number of colonized locations and nests recorded, with A. ralloides occupying the most of the Sicilian colonies with at least few pairs. On the other hand, A. cinerea showed a slight negative trend, with 45 nests recorded in 2007 and only 31 in 2022, at the end of the study; A. purpurea is an irregular breeder with an oscillating and unpredictable trend related to only 1–4 ascertained pairs maximum for the whole region. Despite the P. carbo is a regular breeding species in Sicily, it has not showed any sign of expansion in the last decade, remaining confined to a few historical locations near the Simeto River and Lentini Lake. All data here presented are related to the minimum and ascertained numbers of colonies and counted nests. Small colonies may not have been counted in some unmonitored locations, often inaccessible. It is highly recommended, in the near future, the creation of a coordinated survey network that would improve and make the census more in-depth and better standardized.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 265-269 - MONOGRAPH

    Salvatore Surdo, Andrea Cusmano, Giovanni Cumbo, Nino Di Lucia, Manuel Andrea Zafarana & Paolo Galasso
    Current status and expansion of Western Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica rufula (Temminck, 1835) (Aves Hirundinidae) in Sicily
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.265.269

    ABSTRACT
    The recent paper published by Corso et al. (2021) about the status of the Western Redrumped Swallow, Cecropis daurica rufula (Temminck, 1835) (Aves Hirundinidae), in Sicily was mainly focused on updating the distribution of breeding pairs in the south-eastern part of the region; hence the decision to provide a more complete and up-to-date regional picture of the current status of this species collecting unpublished data and investigating the most suitable locations in the period 2011–2022. This survey highlights as, also in western and central Sicily, the species has been showing an increase in number of breeding pairs, found in 18 new UTM squares (11 of these for which the breeding was ascertained and 7 for which was very probable) in comparison to the last updated data. A new map of the distribution of the Western Red-rumped Swallow in Sicily is therefore presented here.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (3): 0695-0703

    Antonino Dentici & Paolo Galasso
    Checklist of spiders and opiliones (Arachnida Araneae, Opiliones) of Sicilian southest swamp lakes “Pantano Cuba”, “Pantano Longarini” and “Pantano Bruno” (Italy). Fifth contribution to knowledge of Sicilian spider fauna
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.3.695.703

    ABSTRACT
    We present a first checklist of Araneae and Opiliones of Pantano Bruno, Pantano Cuba and Pantano Longarini, swamp lakes which are part of one of the most important Sicilian wetland, never studied before for this group of arthropoda, located in the southeast coast of Sicily, between Ispica (Ragusa) and Pachino (Syracuse). From March 2016 until February 2021 samples and data were collected on the field, investigating different types of habitat. In total, 98 different species belonging to 86 genera and 27 families of spiders were found in the area, plus 3 species of 2 genera and 1 families of opilions. The checklist includes interesting first sicilian records of Cyrtarachne ixoides (Simon, 1870) (Araneidae), Crustulina guttata (Wider, 1834) (Theridiidae), Eratigena fuesslini (Pavesi, 1873) (Agelenidae), Nurscia albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) (Titanoecidae) and Tibellus maritimus (Menger, 1875) (Philodromidae). Additional biological, distribution and chorotype information are indicated for each of the new records.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (2): 0441-0462

    Paolo Galasso, Carlo Cappuzzello, Egle Gambino, Giancarlo Torre, Gabriele Galasso & Nino Patti
    Avifauna of “Sicilian southeast swamp lakes” and surroundings areas (Ragusa and Syracuse, Sicily) with commented records of interest
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.2.441.462

    ABSTRACT
    The complex of “Sicilian southeast swamp lakes” represents one of the most important wetland of Sicily and south of Italy for many species of birds. A specific, detailed and complete bird checklist of such an important area was never published, so, data were collected on the field from January 2015 to May 2021 and 226 different species were recorded, thanks to weekly bird census funded and promoted by the German foundation Stiftung Pro Artenvielfalt, owner of the two biggest swamp lakes. In addition, data related to 18 additional species recorded in the same area were collected from bibliographic sources and personal communications from other ornithologists and birdwatchers, for a total of 244 species, of which 74 breeding in the area. A first complete checklist is presented in this paper, as well as the remarks of 44 of the most interesting, relevant or unusual bird records, including the most accurate and up-to-date estimates of breeding pairs of Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya nyroca and Porphyrio porphyrio in the study area.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (1): 0205-0211

    Paolo Galasso, Elena Amore, Renzo Ientile & Giovanni Signorello
    Odonata checklist of Nature Reserve “Complesso Speleologico Villasmundo - S. Alfio” (Sicily, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.1.205.211

    ABSTRACT
    From March to September 2018 and 2019, a first monitoring of Odonata promoted by CUTGANA was conducted inside the Nature Reserve named “Complesso Speleologico Villasmundo - S. Alfio”, in Melilli (Syracuse), in south-eastern Sicily. A total of 18 different species were recorded, 6 belonging to the Zygoptera suborder and 12 to the Anisoptera suborder, including Onychogomphus uncatus and Libellula fulva. Some information on uncommon species recorded in the neighbouring areas are also reported.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (1): 0125-0128

    Antonino Dentici, Paolo Galasso & Antonino Barbera
    First record of Trichoncus aurantiipes Simon, 1884 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) in Italy
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.1.125.128

    ABSTRACT
    The spider Trichonchus aurantiipes Simon, 1844 (Araneae Linyphiidae), a species never reported before for Italy, was found, sampled and identified in two different Sicilian locations: Ispica, province of Ragusa, in the south-eastern coast of Sicily, and Castelvetrano, province of Trapani, in the north-western side of the region. This record represents a new genus and a new species for Sicily and Italy. Additional notes on the taxonomy, distribution and biology are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (4): 0837-0844

    Paolo Galasso & Renzo Ientile
    Odonata checklist of Nature Reserve and SAC (Special Area of Conservation) “Vallone di Piano della Corte” (Sicily, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.3.837.844

    ABSTRACT
    From March to September 2018 and 2019, a first monitoring of Odonata promoted by CUTGANA was conducted inside a site of Natura 2000 network, named “Vallone di Piano della Corte”, near Agira (Enna), Sicily. A total of 21 different species were recorded, including Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer, 1776), for which there are no stations reported for this side of Sicily.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (1): 057-064

    Paolo Galasso, Alessandro Marletta & Andrea Corso
    Odonata of Sicilian southeast swamp lakes “Pantano Cuba” and “Pantano Longarini” (SE-Sicily, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.1.57.64

    ABSTRACT
    From March 2015 to December 2019 a focused study on Odonata, funded by the German foundation “Stiftung Pro Artenvielfalt ®” (Foundation Pro Biodiversity), was conducted at the swamp lakes named “Pantano Cuba” and “Pantano Longarini”, in the southeast coast of Sicily (Italy), near Pachino, Siracusa. A total of 27 different species were recorded in Pantano Cuba and Longarini, including Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764), found for the first time in Sicily during this study and Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798), never seen before in Italy excluding the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa, Sicilian Channel.