{"title":"Not only pond sliders: freshwater turtles in the water bodies of the Milan northern urban area (Italy)","authors":"C. Foglini","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2021.529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2021.529","url":null,"abstract":"Freshwater turtles represent one of the most common pets released in urban water bodies. In Europe, after the ban on the import of Trachemys scripta, other non-native turtle species now dominate the legal pet trade. Some of these species have high invasive potential, such as the well-known slider turtle, but their diffusion outside their native range is poorly known. This work summarises presence data about non-native freshwater turtles, different from slider turtles T. scripta, into two urban parks located at the northern boundary of the Milan outskirts (Italy, Lombardy). Turtle detections were obtained merging field surveys conducted from 2014 to 2020, with sparse pictures taken by occasional observers. The situation depicted shows, in addition to the ubiquitous spread of slider turtle subspecies and hybrids in both parks, the frequent presence of other multiple genera such as Pseudemys and Graptemys. Isolated individuals of Apalone spinifera, Graptemys ouachitensis, Mauremys sinensis, Pelomedusa subrufa and Sternotherus carinatus were also found. I also detected one Emys orbicularis, probably escaped or released.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80926237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Notes on the Malachiini of the East-Mediterranean region, with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Melyridae, Malachiinae)","authors":"G. Franzini, I. Plonski","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2021.527","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2021.527","url":null,"abstract":"New distributional data are here presented for the genera Clanoptilus Motschulsky 1854 and Malachius Fabricius 1775 in the East-Mediterranean region. Malachius saltinii n.sp. is described from Lebanon.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90700104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Report 2020 on plant biodiversity in Italy: native and alien vascular flora","authors":"F. Bartolucci, G. Galasso, L. Peruzzi, F. Conti","doi":"10.4081/NHS.2021.520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/NHS.2021.520","url":null,"abstract":"This paper provides an updated overview, based on nomenclatural, taxonomical and distribution data, on the native and alien vascular flora of Italy, with details on the occurrence at national and regional administrative level. Recently described taxa occurring in Italy, which were not included in the checklists published in 2018, are listed. The list of extinct or possibly extinct native taxa and that of alien taxa of EU concern are updated.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"61 1","pages":"41-54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91281162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Annotated checklist of the herpetofauna (Amphibia, Reptilia) of Lefkada Island (Ionian Islands, Greece)","authors":"R. Sindaco, R. Rossi","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2020.480","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2020.480","url":null,"abstract":"The island of Lefkada is a popular and easily accessible tourist destination; nevertheless, there is no comprehensive checklist of its interesting herpetofauna. Indeed, most records are old, scattered in different papers, and lacking precise locality data. In order to summarize the knowledge on the herpetofauna of the island, we critically reviewed literature, we looked for reliable records in the web and we carried out a field survey in May 2019. The herpetofauna of Lefkada amounts to 28 species (six amphibians and 22 reptiles). The occurrence of Testudo graeca on the island is considered unlikely, while an additional species, Testudo marginata, is here reported based on web sources. Among the species recorded on the island, 25 have been recently confirmed, two of them (Rana dalmatina and Anguis graeca) over a century. For three species (Lissotriton graecus, Chelonia mydas, and Podarcis tauricus) the last records date back to over 30 years ago.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83499111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An annotated key to the species of Gastridium (Poaceae) with distributional novelties to the Italian territory","authors":"A. Scoppola","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2019.429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2019.429","url":null,"abstract":"Gastridium is a Mediterranean-paleotropical genus of the Poaceae family, native to Italy. Species number and diversity were imperfectly known until recent taxonomic updates on morphological and molecular basis that enhanced our knowledge of this taxon. The present contribution provides a complete key of the genus, encompassing the four currently known closely related species, G. lainzii, G. phleoides, G. scabrum, and G. ventricosum. The essential features of panicle, spikelets, and florets are specified and briefly discussed. Revisions of ancient and recent herbarium specimens provided three Italian distributional novelties for G. phleoides concerning Liguria, Campania, and Puglia and two for G. scabrum concerning Liguria and Basilicata. In contrast, the distributional ranges of G. scabrum and G. lainzii in the W Mediterranean region remain poorly known and await further investigations.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77743328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vascular flora of Milan Malpensa airport (Lombardy, Italy). Part I: checklist","authors":"M. Martignoni, E. Banfi, G. Galasso","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2019.410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2019.410","url":null,"abstract":"Airport areas have, among flight infrastructures, large green spaces which, not having production purposes, are managed through interventions of minimal disturbance on habitats, with potentially positive effects on the conservation of biodiversity. The checklist of the vascular flora of the airport of Milan Malpensa is here presented. This airport extends for 12.44 km2 in the southwestern portion of the province of Varese (Lombardy, Italy) in the administrative districts of Cardano al Campo, Casorate Sempione, Ferno, Lonate Pozzolo, Samarate, Somma Lombardo and Vizzola Ticino. The collection campaigns were carried out between August 2010 and September 2018. The specimens collected are now kept in the herbarium facility of the Natural History Museum of Milan (MSNM). The floristic list was organized following the arrangement and the nomenclature of the recently published Italian flora checklists. It includes 395 taxa of specific and subspecific rank (9.35% of the entire flora of Lombardy) belonging to 247 genera and 72 families. The native taxa are 318, while the alien ones are 77. The native/aliens ratio is comparable to the one calculated at the regional level (4.10 vs. 4.42). The endemic contingent includes two taxa: Centaurea nigrescens subsp. pinnatifida, Italian endemic, and Euphrasia cisalpina, endemic to the Alps. The Malpensa airport is still the only site confirmed at the national level for Lepidium heterophyllum and, at the regional level, for Festuca muralis and Euphrasia cisalpina. The ecological characteristics and the data analysis will be discussed in a second contribution.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78866045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Marine and freshwater taxa: some numerical trends","authors":"S. Tsalolikhin, A. Zullini","doi":"10.4081/nhs.2019.417","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2019.417","url":null,"abstract":"Most of the freshwater fauna originates from ancient or recent marine ancestors. In this study, we considered only completely aquatic non-parasitic animals, counting 25 phyla, 77 classes, 363 orders for a total that should include 236,070 species. We divided these taxa into three categories: exclusively marine, marine and freshwater, and exclusively freshwater. By doing so, we obtained three distribution curves which could reflect the marine species’ mode of invasion into continental waters. The lack of planktonic stages in the benthic fauna of inland waters, in addition to what we know about the effects of the impoundment of epicontinental seas following marine regressions, lead us to think that the main invasion mode into inland waters is more linked to the sea level fluctuations of the past than to slow and “voluntary” ascents of rivers by marine elements.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75566783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Haliplidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) from Gabon (12th part). Moukalaba - Doudou National Park (mission 2014) and in an area North of the Park","authors":"A. Bilardo, S. Rocchi","doi":"10.4081/NHS.2019.399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/NHS.2019.399","url":null,"abstract":"This work concerns the Coleoptera Hydradephaga collected in several sites of the Moukalaba - Doudou National Park and in external zone North of the Park. In the Park 107 species have been collected, 109 species in external zone. The Authors describe 7 new species of Dytiscidae: Hydrovatus rigatoi n. sp. (confossus group) chiefly distinguishable for shape of penis; Bidessus mboyei n. sp. (sharpi group, ovoideus subgroup) close to B. ovoideus Régimbart, 1895 and B. seydeli Biström, 1885, distinguishable for smaller size and for shape of penis; Clypeodytes acutipenis n. sp. close to C. densepunctatus Biström, 1988, distinguishable for apex of penis clearly pointed; Laccophilus sinuosipenis n. sp. (deceptor group) close to L. bizonatus Régimbart, 1895, distinguishable for sinuous shape of penis; Laccophilus cianferonii n. sp. (deceptor group) close to L. bilardoi Pederzani and Rocchi, 1982, chiefly distinguishable for shape of penis; Copelatus bapounouensis n. sp. (erichsonii group, atrosulcatus subgroup) close to C. ellai Bilardo and Rocchi, 1995, chiefly distinguishable for shape of penis; Copelatus gigas n. sp. (erichsonii group, vigintisulcatus subgroup) close to C. fasciatus Bilardo and Rocchi, 1995, chiefly distinguishable for large size and for shape of penis. Moreover some observations concerning the ecology and data about the distribution of several species are provided.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"10 47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80654989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlo Leonardi, E. Muzio, A. Sabbadini, R. Caldara
{"title":"In memory of Carlo Pesarini (1946-2017): biographical notes and scientific activity","authors":"Carlo Leonardi, E. Muzio, A. Sabbadini, R. Caldara","doi":"10.4081/NHS.2019.403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/NHS.2019.403","url":null,"abstract":"The scientific contribution of Carlo Pesarini (Milan, 1946 - Ferrara, 2017), entomologist, araneologist and museologist amongst the most prolific and respected in Italy, is here presented with a brief biographical note, a list of the taxa he described and revised and of those dedicated to him, and a complete list of his scientific and popular publications.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"236 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83424307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A pinnotheroid pea crab (Decapoda, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae), from the early Pliocene of Cassine (Alessandria, Piemonte, NW Italy)","authors":"Giovanni Pasini, A. Garassino","doi":"10.4081/NHS.2019.397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/NHS.2019.397","url":null,"abstract":"A pinnotheroid pea crab (Pinnotheridae De Haan, 1833), is here reported from the Zanclean (early Pliocene) clays of a quarry located S-SW of Cassine (Alessandria, Piemonte, NW Italy). Though the studied specimen cannot be assigned to any genus within the Pinnotherinae (Pinnotheridae De Haan, 1833), it is the first record from the Pliocene of Italy and paleo-Adriatic Gulf, increasing the knowledge of the presence and fossil distribution of this family in the Mediterranean area.","PeriodicalId":52358,"journal":{"name":"Natural History Sciences","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84484037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}