Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefèbvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4975 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-560
Author(s):  
LOUIS F. CASSAR ◽  
ELISABETH CONRAD ◽  
CHARLES GALDIES
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Patch Occupancy ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Maltese Islands ◽  
Bern Convention ◽  
Eu Habitats Directive ◽  
The Relationship

Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827) is of significant biogeographic importance. It occurs in Sicily and on some of the circum-Sicilian and Pelagian islands, as well as in the Maltese Islands, Sardinia and the Maghreb (notably but not exclusively, in Algeria and Tunisia, where it maintains populations in both coastal and desert regions). Within European territory, it occurs solely in Italy and Malta, where it is protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. In northern Africa, the species is regarded as a polyphagous pest, particularly in Saharan locations. The present work is based on field observations, mostly from the Maltese Islands, that span more than three decades; it provides insights on spatial distribution, population trends and behaviour. In examining the relationship between the species’ frequency during its mating season and weather conditions, results suggest a weak yet statistically significant correlation between mating strategies and ambient meteorological conditions. Moreover, patch occupancy in spring and autumn varied considerably within a specified area of study, primarily due to competitive mating strategies employed in spring, with an occupancy ratio of approximately 1:6. To-date, the species is known from 13 locations, one in Gozo and 12 in Malta, of which some constitute the Ahrax promontory metapopulation. Connectivity between the Ahrax subpopulation cluster is discussed in the light of habitat and topographical characteristics. Contrasting findings on variances in behaviour between Maltese populations and other populations in Sicily and the Maghreb are discussed. Discernible behavioural disparities include the length of excavated tunnels during spring and summer/autumn seasons in the different geographical locations, attraction to artificial sources of light, and the degree of damage to crops across geographic regions. 

scholarly journals The radiation of alopiine clausiliids in the Sicilian Channel (Central Mediterranean): phylogeny, patterns of morphological diversification and implications for taxonomy and conservation of Muticaria and Lampedusa

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Fiorentino ◽  
N. Salomone ◽  
P.J. Schembri ◽  
G. Manganelli ◽  
F. Giusti
Keyword(s):  
Ribosomal Subunit ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Genetic Sequencing ◽  
Maltese Islands ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data

AbstractThe phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomy of the alopiine clausiliids of the Sicilian Channel, belonging to the genera Lampedusa and Muticaria, were investigated using morphological (shell characters and anatomy of the reproductive system) and genetic (sequencing of a fragment of the mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit 16S rRNA, and the nuclear internal transcriber spacer 1, ITS-1 rRNA) data. Classically, the genus Lampedusa includes three species: L. imitatrix and L. melitensis occurring in circumscribed localities in western Malta and on the islet of Filfla, and L. lopadusae on Lampedusa and Lampione. The genus Muticaria includes two species in southeastern Sicily (M. siracusana and M. neuteboomi) and one in the Maltese islands (M. macrostoma), which is usually subdivided into four entities based on shell characters (macrostoma on Gozo, Comino, Cominotto and central-eastern Malta; mamotica in southeastern Gozo; oscitans on Gozo and central-western Malta; scalaris in northwestern Malta). These have sometimes been considered as subspecies and sometimes as mere morphs.The Lampedusa of Lampedusa and Lampione form a well distinct clade from those of the Maltese Islands. The population of Lampione islet is a genetically distinct geographic form that deserves formal taxonomic recognition (as L. nodulosa or L. l. nodulosa). The Lampedusa of Malta are morphologically distinct evolutionary lineages with high levels of genetic divergence and are confirmed as distinct species (L. imitatrix and L. melitensis).The Muticaria constitute a clearly different monophyletic clade divided into three geographical lineages corresponding to the Sicilian, Maltese and Gozitan populations. The Sicilian Muticaria form two morphologically and genetically distinguishable subclades that may either be considered subspecies of a polytypic species, or two distinct species. The relationships of Maltese and Gozitan Muticaria are complex. Two of the three Maltese morphotypes resulted monophyletic (oscitans and scalaris) while the other was separated in two lineages (macrostoma); however this picture may be biased as only few samples of macrostoma were available to study. The Gozitan morphotypes (macrostoma, mamotica and oscitans) where resolved as polyphyletic but with clear molecular evidence of mixing in some cases, indicating possible relatively recent differentiation of the Gozitan Muticaria or repetitive secondary contacts between different morphotypes. Definitive taxonomic conclusions from these results are premature. Maltese Muticaria could be subdivided into three taxa according to morphological and molecular data (M. macrostoma or M. m. macrostoma, M. oscitans or M. m. oscitans and M. scalaris or M. m scalaris). Gozitan Muticaria could be considered a distinct polytypic species (for which the oldest available name is Muticaria mamotica) subdivided into subspecies showing a morphological range from macrostoma-like to mamotica-like and oscitans like.Only the two Maltese species of Lampedusa are legally protected (by the European Union’s ‘Habitats Directive’ and Maltese national legislation). The present study has shown that the alopiine clausiliids of the Sicilian Channel constitute a number of genetically and/or morphologically distinct populations that represent important pools of genetic diversity, with, in some cases, a very circumscribed distribution. As such, these populations deserve legal protection and management. It is argued that without formal taxonomic designation, it would be difficult to extend international legal protection to some of the more threatened of these populations.

Nuragic Settlement Dynamics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezary Namirski
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Settlement Dynamics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Bronze Age

The book is a study of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Nuragic settlement dynamics in two selected areas of the east coast Sardinia, placing them in a wider context of Central Mediterranean prehistory. Among the main issues addressed are the relationship between settlement and ritual sites, the use of coastline, and a chronology of settlement.

Environmental Protection Meets Security of Electricity Supply

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Ilina Cenevska
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Electricity Supply ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
National Energy Policy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Abstract This case comment explores the relationship between two intertwined objectives – ensuring security of electricity supply and environmental protection – in the context of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Inter-Environnement Wallonie ASBL and Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen ASBL v. Conseil des ministres. The analysis focuses on the application of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Habitats Directive to the facts of the case, which concerns the extension by a ten-year period of the operation of two Belgian nuclear power stations (Doel 1 and Doel 2) as part of a national energy policy strategy to ensure the security of Belgium's electricity supply. The case comment also considers the legal and practical implications that arise as a result of employing the ‘security of electricity supply’ exemption to enable derogation from the requirements of the aforementioned Directives in circumstances where a Member State considers the security of its electricity supply to be under threat.

scholarly journals Algerian Olive Germplasm and Its Relationships with the Central-Western Mediterranean Varieties Contributes to Clarify Cultivated Olive Diversification

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 678
Author(s):  
Kamel Atrouz ◽  
Ratiba Bousba ◽  
Francesco Paolo Marra ◽  
Annalisa Marchese ◽  
Francesca Luisa Conforti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
Olive Tree ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
New Information ◽  
Mediterranean History ◽  
New Synonymy

Olive tree with its main final product, olive oil, is an important element of Mediterranean history, considered the emblematic fruit of a civilization. Despite its wide diffusion and economic and cultural importance, its evolutionary and phylogenetic history is still difficult to clarify. As part of the Mediterranean basin, Algeria was indicated as a secondary diversification center. However, genetic characterization studies from Maghreb area, are currently underrepresented. In this context, we characterized 119 endemic Algerian accessions by using 12 microsatellite markers with the main goal to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure. In order to provide new insights about the history of olive diversification events in the Central-Western Mediterranean basin, we included and analyzed a sample of 103 Italian accessions from Sicily and, a set of molecular profiles of cultivars from the Central-Western Mediterranean area. The phylogenetic investigation let us to evaluate genetic relationships among Central-Mediterranean basin olive germplasm, highlight new synonymy cases to support the importance of vegetative propagation in the cultivated olive diffusion and consolidate the hypothesis of more recent admixture events occurrence. This work provided new information about Algerian germplasm biodiversity and contributed to clarify olive diversification process.

scholarly journals Fail to Yield? An Analysis of Ambulance Crashes in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1566
Author(s):  
Rong-Chang Jou ◽  
Ming-Che Chao
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Emergency Vehicle ◽  
The Road ◽  
Mnl Model ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Crash Injuries ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction—Medical emergency vehicles help patients get to the hospital quickly. However, there were more and more ambulance crashes on the road in Taiwan during the last decade. This study investigated the characteristics of medical emergency vehicle crashes in Taiwan from January 2003 to December 2016. Methods—The ordered logit (OL) model, multinominal logit (MNL) model, and partial proportional odds (PPO) model were applied to investigate the relationship between the severity of ambulance crash injuries and its risk factors. Results—We found the various factors have different effects on the overall severity of ambulance crashes, such as ambulance drivers’ characteristics and road and weather conditions. When another car was involved in ambulance crashes, there was a disproportionate effect on the different overall severity, as found by the PPO model. Conclusions—The results showed that male ambulance drivers and car drivers who failed to yield to an ambulance had a higher risk of severe injury from ambulance crashes. Ambulance crashes are an emerging issue and need further policies and public education regarding Taiwan’s ambulance transportation safety.

scholarly journals The Dessau Grassland Experiment—Impact of Fertilization on Forage Quality and Species Assembly in a Species-Rich Alluvial Meadow

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 339
Author(s):  
Sandra Dullau ◽  
Knut Rydgren ◽  
Anita Kirmer ◽  
Urs Georg Jäger ◽  
Maren Helen Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Forage Quality ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Long Term Experiment ◽  
Phosphorus And Potassium ◽  
Eu Habitats Directive ◽  
Summer Flood ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Species Assembly

Since alluvial meadows of river valleys of the Cnidion dubii are protected by the EU Habitats Directive, reconciling farmers’ demands for forage quality with the objective of maintaining them in good conservation status is an important issue in grassland research. In a long-term experiment from 2010 to 2018, we investigated the impact of fertilizing on forage quality and species assembly on a species-rich and twice-mown alluvial grassland in the Dessau Elbe floodplain (Germany). The experiment was composed of an unfertilized control, PK, N60, N60PK and N120PK applications. A significant improvement in forage quality was achieved by nitrogen fertilization only for crude protein, with higher feeding requirements for sheep met only in individual years. The legume cycle was inhibited by the application of nitrogen and high grass cover was maintained, but not increased, at the highest nitrogen application after an exceptional summer flood. The target forbs persisted in numbers over the study period in all treatments. For cover, the low-competitive target forbs responded neutrally to nitrogen fertilization, whereas detrimental effects were demonstrated for the competitive ones. Thus, we recommend not applying more than 60 kg year−1 of nitrogen and only in combination with phosphorus and potassium.

scholarly journals It’s the Weather: Quantifying the Impact of Weather on Retail Sales

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Rose ◽  
Les Dolega
Keyword(s):  
Weather Condition ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Retail Sales ◽  
Weather Impact ◽  
High Street ◽  
Sector Decision ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe weather is considered as an influential factor on consumer purchasing behaviours and plays a significant role in many aspects of retail sector decision making. As a result, better understanding of the magnitude and nature of the influence of variable UK weather conditions can be beneficial to many retailers and other stakeholders. This study addresses the dearth of research in this area by quantifying the relationship between different weather conditions and trading outcomes. By employing comprehensive daily sales data for a major high street retailer with over 2000 stores across England and adopting a random forest methodology, the study quantifies the influence of various weather conditions on daily retail sales. Results indicate that weather impact is greatest in the summer and spring months and that wind is consistently found to be the most influential weather condition. The top five most weather-dependent categories cover a range of different product types, with health foods emerging as the most susceptible to the weather. Also, sales from out-of-town stores show a far more complex relationship with the weather than those from traditional high street stores with the regions London and the South East experiencing the greatest levels of influence. Various implications of these findings for retail stakeholders are discussed and the scope for further research outlined.

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