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Biodiversity Journal 2014, 5 (2): 93-374

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 093-094
    Khaled S. Etayeb
    Study of birds in Libya
  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 095-096 - MONOGRAPH
    Bruno Fumanti
    The Malacological Pontine Meeting, San Felice Circeo, Italy
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy
  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 097-106 - MONOGRAPH

    Bruno Fumanti
    Contribution to the knowlegde of the benthic molluscan  thanatocoenosis of  Zannone Island (Pontine Archipelago, Latium, Italy)
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    During the period May 2008-September 2012 were investigated some sediment samples collected by scuba diving at various depths in the waters surrounding the Island of Zannone (Pontine Archipelago, Latium, Italy). Altogether 280 taxa belonging to 156 genera were identified.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 107-116 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Russo
    The long journey of Fusinus rostratus (Olivi, 1792) (Gastropoda Fasciolariidae) from Portugal coasts to Venice Lagoon
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper the following morpha of Fusinus rostratus (Olivi, 1792) (Gastropoda Fasciolariidae) were investigated: Atlantic, Central and Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Egadi Islands and the Sicilian Channel, Coasts of North Africa, the Central Adriatic Sea, Upper Adriatic Sea and the Venice Lagoon. Each of these morpha shows such morphological characteristics to be easily separated from the others. It is interesting to observe that the morphotype from the coast of Portugal is by far morphologically the closest to that from Northern Adriatic. A feature common to all the described morphotypes, is the presence of secondary cords, regularly spaced between the primary ones. The aim of this study is to split this species by geographical areas in order to facilitate further studies.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 117-130 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulia Furfaro, Maria Vittoria Modica, Marco Oliverio, Juan Lucas Cervera & Paolo Mariottini
    Phenotypic diversity of Thuridilla hopei (Vérany, 1853) (Gastropoda Heterobranchia Sacoglossa). A DNA-barcoding approach
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    The sacoglossan Thuridilla hopei (Vérany, 1853) shows highly diverse chromatic patterns. Based on the morphological examination of specimens from different Mediterranean localities, we have observed that in spite of this great variability in colours of T. hopei, two major chromatic morphotypes are related to bathymetry. Specimens from deeper water exhibit blue darker and more uniform patterns than individuals from shallower water, which show a more variable, dashed and spotted arrangement of light blue, yellow, orange, white and black pigmentation. A molecular genetic analysis using the mitochondrial COI and 16S rDNA markers has confirmed that all these extremely different chromatic morphotypes belong to a single specific entity, i.e. T. hopei, a sacoglossan with a wide distribution, from Macaronesia in the Atlantic, to the easternmost Mediterranean Sea.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 131-140 - MONOGRAPH

    Luigi Giannelli
    The molluscs found after the nourishment of the littoral of Terracina (Latium, Italy)
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper molluscs found after the beach nourishment carried out in 2006 on the coast of Terracina are reported. Altogether were identified 144 taxa, of which 105 Gastropoda, 37 Bivalvia and 2 Scaphopoda.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 141-146 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Mietto, Italo Nofroni & Ermanno Quaggiotto
    On the systematic position of “Cima” melitensis Mifsud, 1998, with erection of the new genus Mifsudia (Heterobranchia Cimidae)
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    Based on teleoconch and, especially, protoconch features, the new genus Mifsudia is erected for Cima melitensis Mifsud, 1998 and placed in the family Cimidae. The protoconch is hyperstrophic, as in the other cimids. At least, two European fossil species (Cima gantensis Bandel, 2005, from the Middle Eocene of Hungary and Murchisonella cf. obtusa Gougerot & Le Renard, 1978 from Early Oligocene of France) are also included in the new genus. Mifsudia melitensis (Mifsud, 1998) comb. nov., originally described from Malta, is here recorded for the first time from Lampedusa Island, Alboran Sea and the coasts of Mauritania (West Africa).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 147-150 - MONOGRAPH

    Stefano Raimondi
    Natural values, coastal and marine ecosystems of the Circeo National Park: conservation priorities
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    The variety of environments that characterizes the Circeo National Park must also take into account, in addition to the terrestrial natural values that are present, even the importance of marine and coastal stretches that currently do not benefit from a similar regime of protection, preserving instead important elements of wealth for marine biodiversity. This added value is represented in a particular way by the presence of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813, habitat of Community interest. The proposal of the Plan of the Park to extend to the sea The Circeo National Park would help to protect and enhance areas for the most part already included in the Natura 2000 network that could be handled in a unified manner by the Park providing for their conservation through various management interventions. Another proposal involves, instead of creating a true marine protected area, encompassing the whole Posidonia meadows present both in the northern section of the coast and in the south, between San Felice and Terracina and, hopefully also the stretch of sea that surrounds the island of Zannone (therefore including the SPAs area regarding the Pontine Archipelago).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 151-164 - MONOGRAPH

    Alessandro Hallgass & Angelo Vannozzi
    The continental molluscs from Mount Circeo (Latium, Italy)
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    This paper is the second step in a process that aims to asses biodiversity of land and freshwater molluscs fauna of Mount Circeo (Latium, Italy). Forty species of land and freshwater molluscs are listed, three more than in the previous work. A species of Oxychilus Fitzinger, 1833 and two species of Limax Linnaeus, 1758 remain undetermined, to date. The presence of Pleurodiscus balmei balmei (Potiez et Michaud, 1838) and Siciliaria gibbula honii (O. Boettger, 1879) are confirmed and this is the known northern limit of their distribution areas in Italy. Moreover, the presence of some species of biogeographical interest has allowed us to formulate some hypotheses on the origin of this fauna, in the light of the most recent theories on the formation of the Italian peninsula.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 165-174

    Cedric Devigne & Jean-Christophe De Biseau
    Urban ecology: comparison of the effectiveness of five traps commonly used to study the biodiversity of flying insects

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper, we compare five different types of traps currently used in biodiversity studies to collect flying insects. Our aim is to evaluate the potentials and the limits of these traps in the assessment of insect biodiversity. Hence, we compared the diversity of insects caught by a malaise trap, a yellow pan trap, a blue pan trap, a suction trap and a light trap in six different locations in Brussels. We showed that these traps caught nearly only insects: more than 98.3% of all collected organisms were insects. Only the blue pan trap caught, in higher proportions, other arthropods such as isopods or spiders. The Malaise trap was generally the most effective trap capturing the majority of Homoptera, Heteroptera, Psocoptera, Diptera, Trichoptera and Hymenoptera. The yellow pan trap was often the second most effective trap particularly for Hymenoptera, Diptera and Homoptera. Without surprise, the light trap caught nearly all Lepidoptera (Heterocera). Some combinations of two different traps were very effective. However, none of these combinations were the most effective for all families of insects. Moreover, the combination of the two most effective traps (Malaise and yellow pan traps) was not the best combination. We discuss about the effectiveness of traps and the usefulness of their association. Finally, we raise the particular case of urban environment which needs the use of discreet traps.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 175-196

    Jeff Parsons
    Lectotype designation and descriptions of two new subspecies of Amphidromus (Syndromus) laevus Müller, 1774 (Gastropoda Pulmonata Camaenidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Amphidromus (Syndromus) laevus Müller 1774 (Gastropoda Camaenidae) was described without a type locality. Sampling made in Indonesia over the last 20 years has confirmed the presence of this species on Kisar Island (Pulau Kisar) and the Leti Islands (Kepulauan Leti) of the southwestern Maluku Province. Similar shells have also been found at Tutuala, Timor L’este. However, none of these specimens represents the nominal taxon and so its type locality is still to be determined. Sampling made in recent years on Roma (Pulau Romang) has not located any specimens of A. (S.) laevus romaensis Rolle, 1903. Herein a lectotype for A. (S.) laevus is designated and two new subspecies are described from the Leti Islands: A. (S.) laevus janetabbasae n. ssp. from Western Moa Island (Pulau Moa) and A. (S.) laevus nusleti n. ssp. found on Leti Island (Pulau Leti).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 197-200

    Gianfranco Curletti & Letizia Migliore
    A new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 from Brazil (Coleoptera Buprestidae)

    ABSTRACT
    A research of Museu de Entomologia da FEIS/UNESP, campus de Ilha Solteira, São Paulo (SP) region, Brazil (MEFEIS) in order to monitoring the secondary xylophagous species, showed the presence of a new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 (Coleoptera Buprestidae) that is here described: Agrilus (Agrilus) flechtmanni n. sp.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 201-208

    Danilo Scuderi
    A new species of rissoid of the genus Alvania Risso, 1826 from the E-Sicily: Alvania maximilicutiani n.sp. (Gastropoda Rissoidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Alvania maximilicutiani n. sp. is here described and figured as a new Mediterranean species from the E-Sicily. The most similar species in morphological characters are A. clathrella (Seguenza L., 1903), A. dalmatica Buzzurro et Prkić, 2007, A. dianiensis Oliverio, 1988, A. dictyophora (Philippi, 1844), A. hallgassi Amati et Oliverio, 1985. All these species and other similar Mediterranean and not Mediterranean congeners are here compared to the new species, which differs by the very minute dimensions, being one of the smaller Alvania ever described, the protoconch morphology and the colour pattern of the external soft parts. The Macaronesian A. piersmai Moolenbeek et Hoenselaar, 1989, A. poucheti Dautzenberg, 1889, A. spreta (Watson,1873) and other congeners are furthermore compared to A. maximilicutiani n.sp. The new species could also resemble a dwarf form of A. lanciae, but to a more deepened exam of the shell the latter species appears morphologically very different in both protoconch and teleoconch characters. The type material of A. maximilicutiani n.sp. was collected in very shallow waters in the rocky shores of the small village S. Giovanni Li Cuti (Catania, Italy).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 209-212

    Pasquale Micali, Italo Nofroni & Carlo Smriglio
    Odostomia crassa Jeffreys, 1884 junior synonym of Tibersyrnola unifasciata (Forbes, 1844), new combination (Gastropoda Heterobranchia, Pyramidellidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Following the comparison with photos of type material of Odostomia crassa Jeffreys, 1884, (Gastropoda Pyramidellidae) deposited at the British Museum of Natural History, and further observations on specimens from whole Mediterranean, O. crassa is proved to be junior synonym of Eulimella unifasciata (Forbes, 1844). The latter is here placed in genus Tibersyrnola Laws, 1937 on the basis of the constant presence of flutings inside the whorls.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 213-216

    Mauro Grano & Cristina Cattaneo
    A new record for the American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802) (Amphibia Anura Ranidae), near Rome (Latium, Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    The American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802) (Amphibia Anura Ranidae) is native to North America. In Italy the introduction of this species dates back to the thirties of last century and in few years the bullfrog expanded to the point that, at the end of the eighties the species was known in more than 160 sites. In this paper, a new site of presence in Italy of the L. catesbeianus is recorded in some ponds at Monterotondo Scalo, a locality near Rome.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 217-220

    Stefano Scalercio, Giuseppe Luzzi & Marco Infusino
    First record of Pempelia amoenella (Zeller, 1848) for Western Europe (Lepidoptera Pyralidae)

    ABSTRACT
    The first record of Pempelia amoenella (Zeller, 1848) (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) for Western Europe is reported. The species was collected in Southern Italy, on the Ionian coast of Calabria, where the vegetation is dominated by Tamarix, the known feeding plant of the larvae. Female genitalia are figured for the first time.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 221-224

    Laura Loru, Xenia Fois, Saminathan Vangily Ramasani, Leonarda Fadda & Roberto A. Pantaleoni
    An innovative, low-cost, small-scale rearing method forgreen-lacewings (Neuroptera Chrysopidae)

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper we describe an innovative, low-cost, small-scale green lacewing (Neuroptera Chrysopidae) rearing method developed in our laboratories over a decade. The main simplifications of our method are represented by the replacement of a yeast-fructose liquid diet for adults with bee pollen loads and by the use of Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758 larvae (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) as factitious prey for larvae. Moreover almost all the components of the rearing cages derive from common cheap materials which can be easily assembled by anybody. Our method proves to be adaptable from a small laboratory to a local farmer’s insectary and its innovative aspects could be adopted in (and/or adapted to) mass rearing systems.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 225-228 - MONOGRAPH
    Paolo Stara
    Preface. Studies on extant and fossils astriclypeids (Echinoidea Clypeasteroida)
  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 229-232 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Stara & Daniele Fois
    Dispute about Echinodiscus Leske, 1778 and Amphiope L. Agassiz, 1840 (Echinoidea Astriclypeidae)

    ABSTRACT
    Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, some European echinologists gave rise to a dispute over belonging to the genus Amphiope Agassiz, 1840, rather than Echinodiscus Leske 1778, of some lunulate scutelliforms present in the Oligocene-Miocene deposits of France and Italy. The problem has never been resolved, due to the fact that these echinologists considered the similarities or differences in shape, rather than structural ones. One of the nodes of the dispute was the variability in shape and size of the lunules in Amphiope. Because of all these problems, and also because of the impossibility to obtain and examine the structures of some type specimens of several species established in the past, the recognition of new species is very complicated and research carried out so far, in many cases is doubtful or controversial.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 233-244 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Stara & Roberto Rizzo
    Paleogeography and diffusion of astriclypeids (Echinoidea Clypeasteroida) from Proto-Mediterranean basins

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper, the authors retrace the geological changes that during the Neogene have modified the paleogeography of the Western Mediterranean up to its current set-up. It is assumed that migration and probably also speciation of the involved astriclypeids (particularly Amphiope L. Agassiz, 1840 and Echinodiscus Leske, 1778) are closely related to those changes.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 245-268 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Stara & Enrico Borghi
    The echinoid genus Amphiope L. Agassiz, 1840 (Echinoidea Astriclypeidae) in the Oligo-Miocene of Sardinia (Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    The records of the genus Amphiope Agassiz, 1840 (Astriclypeidae) from Sardinia are revised on the basis of 110 specimens, collected from 15 localities of Oligo-Miocene age. Since the morphological characters stated in the literature to distinguish the species of Amphiope described in this region cannot provide a clear separation between them, analyses of the plate patterns and of the internal test structure are introduced as taxonomic tools useful for species-level taxonomy in this genus. Five different species of Amphiope are identified. Three of the six species erected on the basis of fossil material from Sardinia are confirmed as valid: Amphiope lovisatoi Cotteau, 1895, A. montezemoloi Lovisato, 1911 and A. nuragica (Comaschi Caria, 1955). Two additional species are left in open nomenclature. The morphological descriptions and the stratigraphical distributions are updated and improved.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 269-290 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Stara & Maurizio Fois
    Analysis on a sample of Echinodiscus cf. auritus Leske, 1778 (Echinoidea Clypeasteroida)

    ABSTRACT
    In order to ascertain the extent of the natural intraspecific variability of living and fossil echinoids belonging to the family Astriclypeidae Stefanini, 1912, morphometric and structural aspects were examined in a number of specimens of extant Echinodiscus cf. auritus Leske, 1778, from Madagascar and Philippines. The data obtained will be compared, in a following work, with those of other echinoids belonging to the same family. The analysis of the results indicates, for the sample studied, a great variability in the length of the posterior ambulacral notches, in the petaloid length and in the position of the periproct respect to the posterior margin, while the study of the complete scheme of the plates has clarified the sta- bility and constancy of some parts of this scheme and the variability of other. On the basis of these observations, it has been claimed that the variability of these measures is not so extensive as to affect or determine specific distinctions, if used without careful analysis of the plating pattern in particular in the interambulacrum 5 and in the ambulacra I and II. The results of these analyses, finally, suggests that these echinoids belong to a different genus, than Echinodiscus Leske, 1778.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 291-358 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Stara & Luigi Sanciu
    Analysis of some astriclypeids echinoids (Echinoidea Clypeasteroidea)

    ABSTRACT
    The systematic position of some astriclypeid species assigned through times to the genera Amphiope L. Agassiz, 1840 and Echinodiscus Leske, 1778 is reviewed based on the plating pattern characteristics of these two genera universally accepted, and on the results of new studies. A partial re-arrangement of the family Astriclypeidae Stefanini, 1912 is herein proposed, with the institution of Sculpsitechinus n. g. and Paraamphiope n. g., both of them characterized by a peculiar plating-structure of the interambulacrum 5 and of the ambulacra I and V. Some species previously attributed to Amphiope and Echinodiscus are transferred into these two new genera. Two new species of Astriclypeidae are established: Echinodiscus andamanensis n. sp. and Paraamphiope raimondii n. sp. Neotypes are proposed for Echinodiscus tenuissimus L. Agassiz, 1840 and E. auritus Leske, 1778, since these species were still poorly defined, due to the loss of the holotypes and, for E. auritus, also to the unclear geographical/stratigraphical information about the type-locality. A number of additional nominal fossil and extant species of "Echinodiscus" needs revision based on the same method.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 359-366

    Ignazio Sparacio
    Taxonomic notes on the genus Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Melolonthidae) in Sicily

    ABSTRACT
    All Sicilian records of the genus Pseudoapterogyna Escalera, 1914 (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Melolonthidae) are revised. As a result four species are reported to occur in Sicily: P. euphytus lamantiai n. ssp. (for the populations of Pantelleria Island, previously attributed to P. euphytus s.l.), P. vorax (Marseul, 1878) from Lampedusa Island, P. pellegrinensis (Brenske in Ragusa, 1893) from Western Sicily (to which all P. euphytus records from Sicily need to be attributed), and P. michaelis n. sp. from Western Sicily.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 367-370

    Luigi Romani & Stefano Bartolini
    On the distribution of some Mediterranean Cerithiopsis (Caenogastropoda Cerithiopsidae)

    ABSTRACT
    New records extend the distribution range of some Cerithiopsis Forbes et Hanley, 1850 (Caenogastropoda Cerithiopsidae): C. ladae Prkic et Buzzurro, 2007, C. pulchresculpta Cachia, Mifsud et Sammut, 2004 and C. iudithae Reitano et Buzzurro, 2006.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 371-373

    Sitthi Kulabtong, Siriwan Suksri, Chirachai Nonpayom & Yananan Soonthornkit
    Rediscovery of the critically endangered cyprinid fish Epalzeorhynchos bicolor (Smith, 1931) from West Thailand (Cypriniformes Cyprinidae)

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper, we report on the critically endangered cyprinid fish, Epalzeorhynchos bicolor (Smith, 1931) “rediscovered” in Maeklong Basin, West Thailand. Moreover, distribution data and biological observations of this species are also provided.