scholarly journals Is the alien species Clepsis peritana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) settling in Italy?

Author(s):  
M. Pinzari ◽  
Z. Zerunian ◽  
M. Pinzari

Clepsis peritana (Clemens, 1860) is a native species of North America that has been accidentally introduced in Europe in 80’s. This species was mentioned as occurring in Gibraltar, Spain, Denmark and Italy, but no precise collecting data were provided. The presence of the Garden Tortrix, Clepsis peritana, in Italy is confirmed by a single specimen collected in Central Italy that is identified by both external habitus and dissection of the genitalia.

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1059
Author(s):  
Ambrosius Josef Martin Dörr ◽  
Melissa Scoparo ◽  
Irene Cardinali ◽  
Gianandrea La Porta ◽  
Barbara Caldaroni ◽  
...  

The deliberate or accidental introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) causes negative ecological and economic impacts altering ecosystem processes, imperiling native species and causing damage to human endeavors. A monthly monitoring program was performed in Lake Trasimeno (Central Italy) from July 2018 to July 2019 in order to provide an upgrade of the population ecology of Procambarus clarkii and to assess the genetic diversity by analyzing the relationships among mitochondrial DNA diversity. Our results confirmed that P. clarkii is well acclimatized in the lake, revealing a stable population structure favored by the resources and conditions typical of this ecosystem, which seem to be optimal for the maintenance of the species. Four distinct mitochondrial haplotypes were detected, but one of them was clearly overrepresented (76%), suggesting that a single predominant introduction event may have occurred in this area, likely followed by secondary events. The identification of the typical genetic variants provides a better understanding of the evolutionary scenarios of P. clarkii in this biotope and it can be helpful in management plans concerning the expanding populations of this invasive alien species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-114
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Talarico ◽  
Marco Ciambotta ◽  
Andrea Tiberi ◽  
Marco Mattoccia

Abstract Amphibians are experiencing an ascertained global decline, which causes include the introduction of alien species and the (anthropogenic) hybridization between native and exotic taxa. Detecting introductions and assessing their impact on populations of native species is crucial for amphibian conservation. We used mitochondrial and nuclear markers to reveal introgressive hybridization between the native Bombina pachypus and the exotic B. variegata (probably introduced from Albania) in a population from a protected area of central Italy. Almost all genotyped individuals were genetically admixed, showing a larger proportion of the allochthonous genome. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of successful hybridization between the two species (we found both putative F1 and backcrosses), hence representing a new threat to the conservation of the endangered, Italian-endemic B. pachypus.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-242
Author(s):  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Martina Azzini ◽  
Ivan Fribbi ◽  
Alberto F. Inghilesi ◽  
Elena Tricarico

Abstract Alien fish species are known for the negative impacts they can have on native species and their ability to shape recipient communities. One such case is the North American channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Raf.), in the Arno River in central Italy. During river bank reconstruction, specimens of this species (n=40) were collected, and the stomach content was analysed. As a result, we highlight the opportunistic feeding behavior of this alien species that is responding rapidly to newly available resources and also poses a threat to native species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1563-1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip J. Haubrock ◽  
Gordon H. Copp ◽  
Iva Johović ◽  
Paride Balzani ◽  
Alberto F. Inghilesi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe North American channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus has been introduced to several locations in Europe but has received little or no scientific study despite its invasive attributes, including prolific reproduction, tolerance to a wide range of conditions, opportunistic feeding, at least partial ‘predator release’, and some evidence of environmental impacts (e.g. disease transmission). To assess the species’ potential invasiveness and the likely risks to native species and ecosystems in Europe, available literature from both North America and Europe was reviewed and used to carry out risk screenings of the species for the risk assessment areas, North and South Italy, using the Aquatic Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK), which was followed by a more detailed evaluation (for both North America and Europe) of the species’ potential impacts using the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) assessment protocol. The AS-ISK score indicated that channel catfish is likely to pose a high risk of being invasive in both North and South Italy, with EICAT scores indicating “Major” impacts for both North America and Europe, at high and medium confidence levels, respectively. The present results emphasise the urgent need to carry out in-depth studies on introduced populations of this species to understand better its invasive potential so as to inform management decisions on the appropriate control or eradication measures for invaded water bodies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-366
Author(s):  
Peter B. Banks

Distinguishing between whether a species is alien or native can be problematic, especially for introduced species that are long-established in new areas outside of their natural range. Transport by humans is the criterion for alien status used by many definitions, whereas arbitrary time since arrival to a location is often used to define native status. Here I propose an eco-evolutionary approach to distinguish between alien and native status and use this to resolve uncertainty in the status of the dingo in Australia. Dingoes were transported to mainland Australia by humans, but more than 4000 years ago, and dingoes now interbreed with feral domestic dogs. Legally, this mix of events has the dingo classified as native in some jurisdictions and alien in others. I suggest that native status for introduced species should be based on (1) whether the species has evolved in their new environment; (2) whether local species recognise and respond to them as they do towards deep endemic native species, and; (3) whether their impacts benchmark against those of a native species or are exaggerated like those of other alien species. Dingoes are behaviourally, reproductively and morphologically different to close ancestors from south-east Asia, and this difference has a genetic basis indicative of evolution in Australia. There is abundant evidence that native prey species on mainland Australia recognise and respond to them as a dangerous predator, which they are. But there is strong evidence that dingo impacts on prey are not exaggerated, with effect sizes from mensurative experiments similar to those of experiments on native predators rather than alien predators. These three lines of evidence suggest dingoes should be considered native to mainland Australia. I suggest this eco-evolutionary approach to defining native status can be helpful in resolving the often-heated debates about when an alien species becomes native.


Author(s):  
Andersonn Silveira Prestes

The establishment and spread of exotic species is a contemporary major concern. Alien species may become invasive in their new habitat, leading to both/either environmental and/or economic impacts. I briefly reviewed the literature in the last decade about the relationship of exotic species and native communities. I identified that professionals usually approach the subject in two main points of view: (1) researchers tend to point out the impacts of alien species on entire communities, evaluating if the relationship is positive, negative or neutral; (2) they focus on the eco-evolutionary processes involved in the introductions, the dynamics of invasion, and individual study cases. When evaluating the response of introductions to entire communities, evidence seems to be ambiguous and may support positive, negative or neutral relationship, especially depending on the scale approached. The unique eco-evolutionary pathways of each introduction may be a great shortcoming in the searching for generalities. On the other hand, advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of invasion on different lineages through a more selective/individualized approach. I suggest that the dynamics of invasion might be studied through a perspective in which different eco-evolutionary processes, levels of organization (from gene to entire communities), the history of the organism(s) and time are taken into account. Individual cases might be compared in attempt to understand how the relationship exotic and native works and in the search for generalities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-99
Author(s):  
Peter Urban ◽  
Nuno Guimarães ◽  
Jozef Bučko

AbstractThis summary provides an overview of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) categorization in Europe with particular focus on its presence in Slovakia. The distribution range of this species in Europe has been expanding in recent decades. Currently, European population is in constant and fast increase, widening their ranges towards Central and Eastern Europe and more recently in some western countries. All over Europe, the categorization of the golden jackal status is discussed with some controversial. A recent genetic study helped to determine that golden jackals do not meet the established three criteria, which categorize a species as an invasive alien species. In Slovakia, golden jackals’ numbers grown considerably in the last decade and with an increasing of their distribution through the country it became a permanent species of the Slovak fauna. The only internal status is the hunting Act no. 274/2009, which classifies it as, game species. The fast adaptation and dispersion through Slovakia can be considered similar to the behaviour of an invasive species, as suggested in previous studies in Hungary. Based on widely accepted definitions, agreed under international legal instruments, it is quite clear that the term ‘Invasive Alien Species’ only encompasses non-native species specifically introduced by humans (intentionally or accidentally). Following this Invasive Alien Species terminology, golden jackals cannot be categorized as such in Slovakia. The natural expansion, the growing ranges, and the increase in numbers of the golden jackal in Slovakia in the last decades points to a need to improve the knowledge of the species.


Botanica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-123
Author(s):  
Pēteris Evarts-Bunders ◽  
Gunta Evarte-Bundere

Abstract Evarts-Bunders P., Evarte-Bundere G., 2018: New knowledge about species of the genus Chaerophyllum (Apiaceae) in Latvia. - Botanica, 24(2): 115-123. The genus Chaerophyllum belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is one of the most complicated and difficult to identify in Latvia. There are five species verified by herbarium materials known in Latvia: Chaerophyllum aromaticum - native species, rather frequent in all regions in forests, parks and shrublands, C. aureum - anthropophyte, known only from one locality in Daugavpils city along the railway, C. bulbosum - anthropophyte, earlier grown as a root vegetable and now found rarely in parks, at roadsides, waste places, along fences and under canopy of trees close to human settlements, C. hirsutum - native species, known from several localities only in south-eastern part of Latvia, mostly in the Daugava valley - forested ravines, slopes of broad-leaved forests, and C. temulum - alien species, known only from few localities - waste places, railway sides and old manor parks in the whole territory of Latvia. The most striking results are related to the distribution of C. hirsutum in Latvia. The literature sources and herbarium material of Anthriscus nitida, previously known and collected in Latvia, after our critical revision are considered as Chaerophyllum hirsutum, whereas Anthriscus nitida at least in the Latvian flora has not been identified yet and has been removed from the flora lists by mistake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mateusz OSZUST ◽  
◽  
Ziemowit OLSZANOWSKI ◽  
Marta PRZYMUSZAŁA ◽  
d Aleksandra JAGIEŁŁO ◽  
...  

Palm houses and other greenhouses, due to maintaining constant temperature and humidity, allow the cultivation in Europe of plants from different parts of the world, even from tropical regions. However, sometimes they are also a habitat for alien species of spiders, mites, insect, etc. These animals have been introduced accidentally with contaminated plants, seeds, seedlings, soil and thanks to stable conditions maintained in greenhouses, they may colonize these places. Example of arthropods, of which even tropical species occur in several greenhouses, are oribatid mites – minute saprophagous arachnids that mostly inhabit soil. In Europe they are represented by about 2,000 species, while worldwide – over 10,000 taxa were described. The aim of this research was to investigate the selected greenhouses for the biodiversity of oribatid mites and the presence of non-native species. In total, 49 taxa were recorded, including 23 alien species (for example, a Neotropical taxon Galumna hamifer, or Oriental Suctobelbella parallelodentata). These results confirm that greenhouses are the places of occurrence of many alien oribatid species. The obtained results may be used in future research on the biology of poorly known tropical mites.


1955 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Coppel ◽  
K. Leius

The larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichronii (Htg.), is currently considered a major forest insect pest in Canada. At the present time within Canada, the sawfly reacts to parasitism by Mesoleius tenthredinis Morley in two ways. In Manitoba and Saslratchewan the sawfly encapsulates approximately 100 per cent of the parasite eggs deposited, whereas in British Columbia encapsulation rarely exceeds four per cent (Muldrew, 1953). The reasons for the difference in degree of encapsulation are apparently unknown; however, since the origin of the sawfly itself is obscure, the possibility exists that a native species, an introduced species, Or a combination of both may he present, or that geographical or ecological units may have arisen. Studies now under way by officers of the Forest Biology and Entomology divisions are attacking the problem of identity and origin following the pattern established for the European spruce sawfly, Diprion hercyniae (Htg.). In this instance, as with the larch sawfly, parasites were introduced on the assumption that the pest had been introduced from Europe. Critical investigations by Reeks (1941) and Balch, Reeks, and Smith (1941), involving morphological, cytological, and other biological characters, showed that the species occurring in North America was one of two species common in Europe, and previously referred to there as Gilpinia polytoma (Htg.). Balch et al. (1941) showed that D. hercyniae had been introduced into North America.


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