Evaluation of Indigenous Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Potential Biocontrol Agents against Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Northern Italy

The natural presence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) has been investigated in the Piedmont region (Northern Italy) in areas infested by the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica. Thirty-nine out of 155 soil samples (25.2%) were positive for EPNs. Most of the samples contained only steinermatids (92.3%), 5.1% contained heterorhabditids, and one sample (2.6%) contained both genera. All the recovered isolates were identified at species level both morphologically and molecularly. Steinernema carpocapsae was the most abundant and it was mainly distributed in open habitats, such as perennial meadows, uncultivated soils, and cropland, characterized by sandy loam soil texture and acidic pH. Steinernema feltiae has been found associated mainly with closed habitats such as coniferous and deciduous woodland, characterized by sandy loam-texture and extremely acidic soil. The three isolates of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were collected only in open habitats (perennial meadows and uncultivated fields) characterized by strongly acidic soils with sandy loam texture. The virulence of all EPN natural strains was evaluated by laboratory assays against P. japonica third-instar larvae collected during two different periods of the year (spring, autumn). The results showed that larval mortality was higher for pre-wintering larvae than post-wintering ones. The five more promising EPN isolates were tested in the semi-field assay in which H. bacteriophora natural strains have been shown to be more efficient in controlling P. japonica grubs. All of these results are finally discussed considering the use of these natural EPNs as biological control agents against P. japonica, within an eco-friendly perspective of management.

Allium shahinii: a new species of A. sect. Scorodon (Amaryllidaceae) from Turkey

Allium shahinii, a new species of Allium sect. Scorodon, is described and illustrated from Erzincan Province, Eastern Turkey. It is a narrowly distributed geophyte growing on siliceous screes of warm exposure in mountain ranges of the nemoral and thermophilous deciduous woodland zone, showing close morphological relationships mainly with A. moschatum, A. stocksianum, A. spirophyllum, A. circumflexum but it is clearly differentiated due to perigon, outer tunic, indumentum, leaf and scape characteristics. In this study, diagnostic characters, description, taxonomic comments, photographs, distribution map, detailed illustration, the conservation status of A. shahinii and identification key are provided for A. shahinii and related taxa. According to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, A. shahinii is assessed here as a Critically Endangered (CR) species.

Aspects of the ecology of Bartramia halleriana and Crossocalyx hellerianus in oceanic deciduous woodland

IntroductionThis study investigates the ecology of two boreal-montane bryophytes, the saxicolous moss Bartramia halleriana and the epixylic liverwort Crossocalyx hellerianus, at the edge of their ranges, in oceanic deciduous woodland.MethodsThe study site comprises two adjoining woodlands, Allt Penyrhiw-iar (canopy trees ca. 100 yr old) and Allt Rhyd Groes (ca. 200 yr), Carmarthenshire, UK. The distribution and abundance of B. halleriana and C. hellerianus was surveyed, relevés sampled to record habitat and community composition, and sporophyte frequency and stage of development measured. Light climate of B. halleriana was investigated via hemispherical photography, and abundance of large rotten logs used as a measure of habitat quality for C. hellerianus.Results and discussionFour subpopulations of B. halleriana occur, comprising 21 individual-equivalents (occupied 1 m grid cells), all on mildly base-rich mudstone of north-facing rockfaces, with very little direct solar radiation and a diverse assemblage of bryophytes. Sporophyte are scarce. A total of 143 individual-equivalents (occupied logs or trees) of C. hellerianus was recorded, an exceptional population in Wales. Most of the population is within Allt Rhyd Groes, where large rotten logs are much more abundant due to greater woodland age. The liverwort mainly occupied the sides of decorticated rotten logs, amongst a sparse community composed mainly of other small liverworts and Cladonia lichens. Neither sporophytes nor perianths were found. Further research could usefully focus on the description and measurement of favourable habitat for each species and associated physiological tolerances.

Detection of rhododendron in a deciduous woodland using airborne hyperspectral remote sensing

<p>Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) has been identified as an invasive non-native species (INNS) in the UK and a potential carrier of Phytophthora ramorum and therefore needs management.  This study identified the presence and location of rhododendron from airborne hyperspectral data and compared the results with Random Forests classifications of Sentinel-2 and Pleiades satellite data. The multispectral satellite systems had two limitations. The first limitation was insufficient spectral resolution to identify individual understorey species in a deciduous woodland (e.g. rhododendron, cherry laurel and holly). In this instance the satellite systems were only able to identify the presence of ‘potential rhododendron’, rather than actual rhododendron, where the term ‘potential rhododendron’ included any understorey evergreen species in a deciduous woodland. The second was insufficient spatial resolution (10m and 2m, respectively) to discriminate individual understorey plants; which resulted in the understorey being represented by a majority of mixed pixels. In this situation no more than percentage estimates of ‘potential rhododendron’ in an area could be obtained.</p><p>The airborne data used in this study were collected using a HySpex hyperspectral VNIR sensor and Phase One (80MB) survey camera; these provided a spatial resolution of 0.32m and 0.07m, respectively. The HySpex VNIR sensor had 186 bands with a full-width-half-maximum of 4.5nm. This sensor combination was shown to have sufficient spectral and spatial resolution to identify individual understorey species. Discrimination of different understorey species was achieved using a combination of spectral analysis techniques, including spectral angle mapper (SAM), and object-based-image analysis (OBIA). Furthermore, overstorey and understorey canopies were separated through the inclusion of a separate airborne LiDAR dataset, collected earlier that year.</p><p>Remotely sensed optical data were collected in leaf-off conditions to minimise the influence of the overstorey vegetation canopy. However, this introduced specific issues relating to weak sunlight and low solar illumination angles; these influenced data quality, data analysis and validation of the final classification. Methods to mitigate these issues were developed (e.g. use of masks to remove long shadows cast by trees), but challenging obstacles remained (e.g. steep north-facing terrain casting large areas in shadow). Meanwhile, validation required botanical expertise, careful consideration of the relative dates when remotely sensed data and field validation data were collected, the geographical precision of field data and an awareness of any bias incurred by shadow.  As with other remote sensing studies, the number and distribution of validation samples and the selection of training data were major considerations. However, this multi-scale study demonstrates the advantages of using airborne hyperspectral systems for species mapping in complex environments. </p>

Earthworms from Bursa Uludağ Mountain, with first record of Octolasion cyaneum (Savigny, 1826) from Turkey

Uludağ is the highest mountain (2.543 m) of the Marmara region in Bursa Province, western Turkey. The Uludağ National Park has rich biodiversity in terms of fauna and flora. Habitats of the park range from maquis on the lower slopes, through deciduous woodland and beech and fir forest to alpine meadows at the highest elevations. The first earthworm records from the Uludağ Mountain were done by Zicsi (1973). His work was continued by Omodeo and Rota (1989, 1991). Species records in these works were based on limited sampling. The current study is the first comprehensive study of earthworms in the Uludağ Mountain area.

Making and Breaking Microliths: A Middle Mesolithic Site at Asfordby, Leicestershire

Archaeological fieldwork preceding housing development revealed a Mesolithic site in a primary context. A central hearth was evident from a cluster of calcined flint and bone, the latter producing a modelled date for the start of occupation at 8220–7840 calbcand ending at 7960–7530 calbc(95% probability). The principal activity was the knapping of bladelets, the blanks for microlith production. Impact-damaged microliths indicated the re-tooling of hunting weaponry, while microwear analysis of other tools demonstrated hide working and butchery activity at the site. The lithics can be classified as a Honey Hill assemblage type on the basis of distinctive leaf-shaped microlithic points with inverse basal retouch.Such assemblages have a known concentration in central England and are thought to be temporally intermediate between the conventional British Early and Late Mesolithic periods. The lithic assemblage is compared to other Honey Hill type and related Horsham type assemblages from south-eastern England. Both assemblage types are termed Middle Mesolithic and may be seen as part of wider developments in the late Preboreal and Boreal periods of north-west Europe. Rapid climatic warming at this time saw the northward expansion of deciduous woodland into north-west Europe. Emerging new ecosystems presented changes in resource patterns and the Middle Mesolithic lithic typo-technological developments reflect novel foraging strategies as adaptations to the new opportunities of Boreal forest conditions. While Honey Hill-type assemblages are seen as part of such wider processes their distinctive typological signature attests to autochthonous, regional developments of human groups infilling the landscape. Such cultural insularity may reflect changing social boundaries with reduction in mobility range and physical isolation caused by rising sea level and the creation of the British archipelago.