Biodiversity Journal - For wildlife research and environmental studies

Salvatore Surdo

Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 713-730 - MONOGRAPH

Salvatore Surdo & Roberto Vento
Sicilian ornithological report 2021 (Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.713.730

ABSTRACT
Useful documents such as Ornithological Reports are no longer published, although these types of publications help us to evaluate population trends: the IUCN status of each species is influenced by this kind documentations, and they are useful also to improve knowledge on migratory movements and, generally, on animal ecology. A report often collects also information from citizens: involving citizens in science projects has a strong positive response on their lives and their sensitivity to environmental issues. Given this importance, it seemed reasonable to us to work on a report which includes all the most important observations of birds of 2021. The importance rank was evaluated on the basis of the number of individuals or their unusual phenology. Every year, a high number of observations of wild animals are reported in several social media. These observations/records are lost if no one collects, validates and publishes them. All the data we present have been collected either from several digital channels of information, such as Ornitho, Ubird, eBird, INaturalist, Facebook groups, Trektellen.org or directly from birdwatchers. They include noteworthy observations about 185 species observed in Sicily during the year 2021 and, in addition, 109 species listed in a separate table because of fragmented or useless information.
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 457-463 - MONOGRAPH

Ignazio Sparacio, Angelo Ditta, Vincenzo Genna & Salvatore Surdo
New data on the beetle fauna (Insecta Coleoptera) in the Trapani surroundings (Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.457.463

ABSTRACT
In this work, some interesting beetles (Insecta Coleoptera) collected in the surroundings of Trapani (Sicily, Italy) are reported. Among these, Icosium (Icosium) tomentosum tomentosum Lucas, 1854 (Cerambycidae) is a new record for Sicily.
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 433-456 - MONOGRAPH

Ignazio Sparacio, Roberto Viviano, Salvatore Surdo & Antonino Dentici
Coleoptera from the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.433.456

ABSTRACT
On the basis of specific entomological researches carried out on Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy) in recent years, a first annotated check-list of the Coleoptera species is provided.
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 407-431 - MONOGRAPH

Roberto Viviano, Antonino Dentici, Salvatore Surdo & Ignazio Sparacio
Arthropoda (except Coleoptera, Araneae and Lepidoptera) from the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.407.431

ABSTRACT
On the basis of specific entomological researches carried out on Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy) in recent years, a first check-list of the Arthropoda species (except Coleoptera, Araneae and Lepidoptera) found is provided.
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 391-397 - MONOGRAPH

Salvatore Surdo & Antonino Barbera
Checklist Odonata of Wetlands in south-western Sicily (Italy): Pantano Leone, Capo Feto, Margi Spanò, Nespolilla and Milo
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.391.397

ABSTRACT
Over time, the significance of checklists as essential tools for managing Sicily’s natural heritage has been underscored by the requirements outlined in international biodiversity conventions, particularly in relation to implementing the Habitats Directive. Compiling and updating checklists of fauna and flora for each specific region is necessary due to the growing interest in biodiversity today, which serves as a foundational and indispensable knowledge base. In this paper, a first detailed and complete checklist of the 17 Odonata species of some naturalistic areas of Sicily (Italy) is presented. Regarding the Capo Feto and Margi Spanò wetland, the checklist includes 10 species of dragonflies, 13 species for Margi Milo. As far as the Pantano Leone wetland is concerned 13 species of dragonflies are listed.
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 377-382 - MONOGRAPH

Antonino Dentici, Salvatore Surdo, Roberto Viviano & Ignazio Sparacio
Araneofauna (Arachnida Araneae) from Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.377.382

ABSTRACT
The species of spiders (Arachnida Araneae) found in the “Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve” (Sicily, Italy) are reported here. The checklist provided is the result of some excursions carried out between 2021 and 2023 and aimed at studying the invertebrate fauna that live on this small island. In total, up to date, 42 species, belonging to 38 genera and 19 families, are listed, among these Diplostyla concolor (Wider, 1834) is reported for the first time for Sicily.
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, 15 (2): 251-257 - MONOGRAPH

Lucio Morin, Salvatore Surdo, Roberto Viviano, Antonino Dentici & Ignazio Sparacio
Lepidoptera from the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.251.257

ABSTRACT
On the basis of specific entomological researches carried out on Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy) in recent years, a first check-list of the Lepidoptera with 46 species recorded is provided. Additional taxonomic, faunal and geonemic informations for four of these species are provided: Idaea leipnitzi Hausmann, 2004 (Geometridae), Maradana fuscolimbalis (Ragonot, 1887) and M. vidualis (Chrétien, 1911) (Pyralidae) and Crassicornella crassicornella (Zeller, 1847) (Tinaeidae).
Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 235-249 - MONOGRAPH

Antonino Barbera & Salvatore Surdo
Checklist Birds of Wetlands in south-western Sicily (Italy): Capo Feto and Pantano Leone
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.235.249

ABSTRACT
Over the years the importance of checklists as indispensable basic knowledge instruments in the correct management of Sicily’s natural heritage has been reinforced by the requests contained in international conventions on biodiversity especially by the need to implement the Habitats Directive. Today’s growing interest in biodiversity makes it essential that inventories of fauna and flora are compiled and kept up to date for each individual region to serve as an initial, indispensable knowledge base. In this paper, a first detailed (and, partly, commented) checklist of the waterbirds, diurnal raptors species of two naturalistic areas in Sicily (Italy) is presented. Regarding the Capo Feto (Mazara del Vallo) wetland, the checklist includes 94 species of waterbirds and birds of prey, As far as the Pantano Leone (Campobello di Mazara) wetland is concerned, the checklist includes 73 species of waterbirds. Capo Feto is a nationally important site for the Kentish Plover, an endangered species (EN) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that nests there. Pantano Leone is a nationally important site for the overwintering of Common snipe.
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (4): 0851-0865

Salvatore Surdo & Domenico Verducci
Update of the Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) and Green turtle Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) observations in Italy (Reptilia Testudines)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.851.865

ABSTRACT
In this work, we collected records since 2002 of Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) and since 2009 of Green turtle Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758). These observations have been made using scientific literature, citizen science programs, and social networks as data sources (Reptilia Testudines: Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae). The aim of this work is to create a complete and up-to-date dataset. About one fifth of these new records comes from Facebook groups dedicated to biodiversity, thus underlining the usefulness of unconventional sources to gather data on species with poorly known distributions.
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (4): 0791-0849 - MONOGRAPH

Ignazio Sparacio, Calogero Muscarella, Amedeo Falci & Salvatore Surdo
Tiger beetles of Sicily (Coleoptera Cicindelidae)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.791.849

ABSTRACT
Tiger beetles (Coleoptera Cicindelidae) are predators, both in the larval and adult state and each species tends to be specialized within a narrow habitat. For this reason, tiger beetles are excellent indicators of the quality of the biotopes in which they live and of the possible degradation of said biotopes due to anthropic actions. Currently, the populations of Cicindelidae are declining almost all over the world due to the destruction of the environments in which they live. In the Euro-Mediterranean area, including Italy, Cicindelidae mainly live in sandy environments like beaches, river mouths, the edges of lagoons and dune, and backdune ponds. Few species live on rocky coasts, in inland locations or in environments far from water such as paths and forest clearings. From what has been said, the coastal environments generally preferred by Cicindelidae are precisely those which in Italy, and also in Sicily, have undergone the greatest alteration and, often, destruction by man and his activities. In Sicily the Cicindelidae have always been studied since the first regional catalogs of the 19th century and other works were carried out in the following years, up to the present day. In the last decade, numerous reports have spread on the web, in numerous online chats, nature forums, etc. The aim of this work is to summarize and improve in a catalog what is known so far about the Sicilian Cicindelidae to highlight their peculiar systematic, ecological and geographical characteristics also in relation to the environment in which they live.
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (4): 0741-0747

Ignazio Sparacio, Pietro Lo Cascio, Calogero Muscarella, Salvatore Surdo, Amedeo Falci & Francesco Allegrino
A new subspecies of Cicindela (Cicindela) campestris Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera Cicindelidae) from the Aeolian Islands (Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.741.747
https://www.zoobank.org/A5E8037D-E05E-4513-9C98-59636F5C7C11

ABSTRACT
Cicindela (Cicindela) campestris didyme n. ssp. from the islands of Salina and Lipari (Aeolian Archipelago, Sicily, Italy) is here described. The new subspecies differs from other Italian populations of C. campestris, in particular from the closest ones of Sicily (C. campestris siculorum Schilder, 1953) and Calabria (C. campestris calabrica Mandl, 1944) for some morphological characters such as the shape of the clypeus, the granules of the elytra less elevated and more sparse and the different aedeagus. It is immediately recognizable by more or less extensively green-brown color of the dorsal surface often entirely red-brown.
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (4): 0693-0706

Antonino Dentici, Antonino Barbera, Angelo Ditta, Vincenzo Genna & Salvatore Surdo
First Italian reports of Nemoscolus laurae (Simon, 1868) and Zodarion isabellinum (Simon, 1870) (Arachnida Araneae) in Sicily and remarkable additions to the Sicilian Araneofauna
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.693.706

ABSTRACT
This paper reports some new data obtained in recent years during surveys on arachnids (Arachnida Araneae) present in Sicily (Italy). Particularly, fifteen new species of spiders are reported for the first time in Sicily: Nemoscolus laurae (Simon, 1868); Emblyna brevidens (Kulczyński, 1897); Dysdera lata Reuss, 1834; Drassodes luteomicans (Simon, 1878); Ceratinella scabrosa (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871); Entelecara erythropus (Westring, 1851); Hilaira excisa (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871); Parapelecopsis nemoralis (Blackwall, 1841); Trichoncus helveticus Denis, 1965; Alopecosa cuneata (Clerck, 1757); Tibellus macellus Simon, 1875; Scytodes univittata Simon, 1882; Rhomphaea nasica (Simon, 1873); Zodarion isabellinum (Simon, 1870): Zodarion pusio Simon, 1914. Six genera are reported for the first time for Sicily while Nemoscolus laurae and Zodarion isabellinum are new also for Italian fauna. Additional biological and taxonomic notes are also provided.
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (3): 0393-0394

Vincenzo Genna & Salvatore Surdo
Orgyia (Clethrogyna) dubia arcerii Ragusa, 1923 (Lepidoptera Erebidae)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.3.I.II
Biodiversity Journal, 14 (1): 0255-0270

Ignazio Sparacio, Roberto Viviano, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano & Salvatore Surdo
New data on Siciliaria septemplicata (Philippi, 1836) complex (Gastropoda Clausiliidae) from the surroundings of Palermo (NW-Sicily, Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.1.255.270
https://www.zoobank.org/3335582E-E41B-431D-9A2A-CCED32CC2370

ABSTRACT
Siciliaria septemplicata (R.A. Philippi, 1836) (Gastropoda Clausiliidae) endemic from northwestern Sicily (Italy) is revised, using shell and genital characters. The diversity of the species complex, the taxonomic history, faunal data and distributional relationships are examined. Siciliaria septemplicata vincentii n. ssp. and S. septemplicata mariastellae n. ssp. from the surroundings of Palermo are here described.

Main Index

Salvatore Surdo