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The implications related to the fight against alien organisms often affect different sectors, from the economic to the landscape one or from the public health to the ecological one. This paper is an upgrade of our previous study focused on the evolution of the red palm weevil in a coastal urban area (central Italy); we investigate the evolution of this parasite in the following period (2013-2020), considering both the effectiveness of the chemicals used and their potential effects. With a multidisciplinary approach, on the one hand we carried out a spatio-temporal analysis to analyze the extent and mode of pest spread over time using historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images and field surveys, integrated in a GIS environment, and on the other hand we performed an assessment of the chemical risk associated with the substances used to protect the palms from the red weevil. The fight against weevil is now concentrated in specific areas (parks, relevant roads, villas, hotels, farmhouses, nurseries); the applied preventive chemical treatments are very effective in preserving the palms, but they show a toxic potential for all organisms. We discuss current local management of this pest focusing on the several aspects involve into the fight against this beetle in an urban area.

The spread of the red palm weevil is now a very severe problem on a global scale. In this paper, we investigate its spread during the 2007–2013 period in a coastal urban area characterized by a high density of palm trees, and discuss the application of a new approach to data collection and processing. While most works on the spread of the red palm weevil are based upon geo-referenced traps, we focused on the health of each palm, considering the surrounding territorial context. To this end, we used historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images and field surveys, integrated in a GIS environment to analyze the extent and mode of pest spread over time. Our results show that the exponential increase of new cases for each new year is regulated by this spatial spread model: at the early stage of infestation the red weevil tends to occupy as much space as possible, within the limitations of the distance it can fly; in the following stage, its infestation density increases in recently colonized areas. We discuss current local management of palm trees and the pests, and propose strategies that take into account both the ecology of the red weevil and the territorial context. Finally, we encourage the provision of more resources for early detection and prevention measures, as well as replacement of the dead Phoenix canariensis palms with a greater variety of species, as a varied composition would be less prone to pest-caused depopulation.

Even though microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic environment is nowadays widely studied, a huge gap of knowledge exists on their actual biological effects. In this study we first reported environmental baseline data on the occurrence and characterization of floating MPs in Italian coastal waters of the Central Adriatic Sea by using a standardized monitoring protocol. Further, we analyzed the concentrations of MP-associated chemicals and evaluated their potential adipogenic effects using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. MPs were found in each sampling stations showing the highest abundance (1.88 ± 1.78 items/m3) in the sites more distant from the coast with fragments as the most common shape category. All targeted organic pollutants (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -PAHs, organophosphorus - OP, and organochlorine - OC pesticides) have been detected on the surface of the collected MPs. The highest concentrations of PAHs were found on MPs from inshore (i.e. 6 NM) waters (10.37 ng/g plastic). Among pesticides, all measured OPs were detected in each sample analyzed with pirimiphos-methyl as the most representative compound. For OCs, the sum of all concentrations of congeners was higher in coastal with respect to offshore waters. Moreover, in vitro 3T3-L1 screening of MP extracts indicated potential metabolic effects resulting in both adipogenesis and lipid uptake/storage.

A morphometric study of populations from the central-southern Apennines and Sicily of the Italian endemic Corydalis densiflora has been undertaken, based on herbarium specimens and field research. A new subspecies, C. densiflora subsp. apennina, is described from the central Apennines. It differs from C. densiflora s.str. by its more divided leaves and bracts, basal leaf with more numerous and narrower leaflets, longer middle and lateral lobes of middle and upper bracts, narrower lower petal wing, shorter inner petals and shorter upper stamen.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are priority contaminants that bioaccumulate through the food webs and affect the biology of a variety of resident and migratory species, including sea turtles. Few studies have evaluated toxicological biomarkers of exposure to PAHs and PCBs in these animals. The present paper reports the results of an initial field study to quantify the association between plasma concentrations of PAHs/PCBs and whole blood cell expression of gene biomarkers in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) rescued along the Italian coasts of the northern and central areas of the Adriatic Sea. While detectable levels of PAHs were found in all plasma samples examined, only three PCB congeners (PCB52, PCB95, and PCB149) were noted, with detection percentages ranging between 48% and 57%. A significant correlation was found between 3 of the 6 gene biomarkers assessed (HSP60, CYP1A and ERα) and plasma levels of some PAH congeners. In contrast, no significant association between PCB burden and gene expression was observed. The global DNA methylation levels were significantly and positively correlated with the concentrations of most of the PAHs and only one of the PCB congeners (PCB52). The relation between PAH concentration and gene expression in whole blood cells suggests that these genes may respond to environmental contaminant exposure and are promising candidates for the development of biomarkers for monitoring sea turtle exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Background: The outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease in Europe have increased efforts to understand the ecology of Culicoides biting midges and their role in pathogen transmission. However, most studies have focused on a specific habitat, region, or country. To facilitate wider comparisons, and to obtain a better understanding of the spread of disease through Europe, the present study focused on monitoring biting midge species diversity in three different habitat types and three countries across Europe. Methods: Biting midges were trapped using Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute light traps at a total of 27 locations in Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, comprising farm, peri-urban and wetland habitats. From July 2014 to June 2015 all locations were sampled monthly, except for during the winter months. Trapped midges were counted and identified morphologically. Indices on species richness, evenness and diversity were calculated. Community compositions were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) techniques. Results: A total of 50,085 female midges were trapped during 442 collection nights. More than 88% of these belonged to the Obsoletus group. The highest midge diversity was found in Sweden, while species richness was highest in the Netherlands, and most specimens were trapped in Italy. For habitats within countries, diversity of the trapped midges was lowest for farms in all countries. Differences in biting midge species communities were more distinct across the three countries than the three habitat types. Conclusions: A core midge community could be identified, in which the Obsoletus group was the most abundant. Variations in vector communities across countries imply different patterns of disease spread throughout Europe. How specific species and their associated communities affect disease risk is still unclear. Our results emphasize the importance of midge diversity data at community level, how this differs across large geographic range within Europe, and its implications on assessing risks of midge-borne disease outbreaks. Funding Agencies|Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands [1300018161]; Swedish Research Council (FORMAS), Sweden; Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) [2012T85B3R]

Background: Studies on mosquito species diversity in Europe often focus on a specific habitat, region or country. Moreover, different trap types are used for these sampling studies, making it difficult to compare and validate results across Europe. To facilitate comparisons of trapping sites and community analysis, the present study used two trap types for monitoring mosquito species diversity in three habitat types for three different countries in Europe. Methods: Mosquitoes were trapped using Biogents Sentinel (BGS), and Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus (MMLP) traps at a total of 27 locations in Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, comprising farm, peri-urban and wetland habitats. From July 2014 to June 2015 all locations were sampled monthly, except for the winter months. Indices of species richness, evenness and diversity were calculated, and community analyses were carried out with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) techniques. Results: A total of 11,745 female mosquitoes were trapped during 887 collections. More than 90% of the mosquitoes belonged to the genera Culex and Aedes, with Culex pipiens being the most abundant species. The highest mosquito diversity was found in Sweden. Within Sweden, species diversity was highest in wetland habitats, whereas in the Netherlands and Italy this was highest at farms. The NMDS analyses showed clear differences in mosquito communities among countries, but not among habitat types. The MMLP trapped a higher diversity of mosquito species than the BGS traps. Also, MMLP traps trapped higher numbers of mosquitoes, except for the genera Culex and Culiseta in Italy. Conclusions: A core mosquito community could be identified for the three countries, with Culex pipiens as the most abundant species. Differences in mosquito species communities were more defined by the three countries included in the study than by the three habitat types. Differences in mosquito community composition across countries may have implications for disease emergence and further spread throughout Europe. Future research should, therefore, focus on how field data of vector communities can be incorporated into models, to better assess the risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. Funding Agencies|Ministry of Economic Affairs [1300018161]; Netherlands; Swedish Research Council (FORMAS), Sweden; Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) [2012T85B3R]

In the Mediterranean mountains and hills spontaneous reforestation occurred in the last fifty years at the expenses of open habitats. This process was triggered by depopulation and cessation of traditional farming. In this paper we investigate landscape changes in one such area in central Apennines (Italy), which is currently almost uninhabited after centuries of human presence; we give a quantitative description of the changes that occurred between 1955 and 2006, and we discuss their management implications in a multidisciplinary context. To do this, we used aerial photos and field surveys to map land-use/land-cover classes in 1955, 1978 and 2006; we then employed a transition matrix model based on Markov chains, together with landscape and class metrics, to analyze gains and losses of each class over time. Our results show that almost all classes were replaced directly by woodlands: no “shrub stage” was observed and a surprisingly brief interval of about 25 years was sufficient for canopy closure on abandoned open lands; furthermore, some classes increased their transformation rate from period 1 (1955–1978) to period 2 (1978–2006), while others did not. Metrics show that reforestation is accompanied by simplification and homogenization of the original mosaic, with no intermediate fragmentation process. We discuss current management plans and propose strategies that take into account the presence of endangered species: management should exploit the spontaneous reforestation and promote the creation and preservation of mature forests; concurrently, it should plan to maintain the last “islands” of grasslands, even if small.

A new species, Oxytropis ocrensis, is described from Central Apennines (Italy). This species is morphologically closely related to O. halleri group (O. xerophila, O. halleri and O. korabensis) occurring in the Alps and Albania, from which it differs by longer calyx, larger lateral calyx teeth, long hairs on calyx teeth, smaller keel limb and larger diameter of stem under the inflorescence. The taxonomic relationships of the new species with the hitherto known species of O. halleri group are examined and discussed.

Plasma testosterone levels were evaluated, by validating and using a commercially available testosterone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) as an indicator of the sex of immature loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) recovered along the western coast of the central Adriatic Sea between November 2011 and February 2012. Testosterone levels were measured in blood samples collected from 28 immature turtles kept in short-term maintenance at the Fondazione Cetacea Rescue Centre (Italy). Overall, plasma testosterone ranged between 229.3 and 2628.6 pg ml−1, suggesting that the EIA procedure is effective for determining androgen titers in immature loggerhead sea turtles. Analysis of the obtained data indicates an unbiased sex ratio supporting previous studies of juvenile loggerhead turtle sex ratios in the Mediterranean Sea. The present work can be considered a starting point for augmenting knowledge on the dynamics of juvenile loggerhead aggregations increasingly found in the northern-central Adriatic Sea and for promoting local management for conservation actions.