Filling the gap on Italian records of an invasive species

Callinectes sapidus is considered one of the worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. After its first observation in 1948, the species has colonized several Mediterranean areas. In this work, we report the first records of the species in Latium and Campania (northern-central and central Tyrrhenian Sea respectively), filling a gap in its distribution along the Italian coasts. We also provide a review of Italian records.

Pinus Pollen Emission Patterns in Different Bioclimatic Areas of the Iberian Peninsula

Background: In the Northern Hemisphere, pine forests predominate due to their natural distribution and silvicultural importance. Pinus tree species are large pollen producers. Nowadays, the context of climate change influences their distribution, abundance, growth and productivity. The objectives of the study were to assess the patterns of the Pinus flowering behavior regarding their pollen presence in the atmosphere and intensity in different bioclimatic areas of the Iberian Peninsula during recent years. Methods: The survey was carried out in three different biogeographic zones of Spain: Vigo (Eurosiberian region) and Ourense (transition area between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean areas) located in northwest Spain and Toledo (Mediterranean area) placed in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Airborne pollen was collected with volumetric traps in each study area from 1995 to 2019. Results: Pinus pollen showed a marked single pollination period during late March in the Eurosiberian region and April in the transition zone between the Eurosiberian and the Mediterranean area. Two different peaks with lower pollen intensity were detected during the pollen season in Toledo (Mediterranean area), the first during late March and the second from the end of May to the beginning of June. The trends detected revealed changes in the timing of the phenological cycle, such us longer pollen seasons and later end dates of the Main Pollen Season (MPS) in some cases. The mean Annual Pollen Integral (API) in the Eurosiberian area (Vigo) and transition zone (Ourense) was similar, with about 4400 pollen grains. In the Mediterranean area (Toledo), a lower API amount of 1618 pollen grains was recorded. A trend towards an increase of 126 and 80 pollen grains per year in the airborne pine load was detected in the transition and Mediterranean areas studied, respectively. Conclusions: The rates of the annual integral Pinus pollen percentage with respect to the total pollen of forest species in the atmosphere of the areas studied showed a decreasing percentage trend during the last years.

Fifteen new Andrena species from little-visited arid, Mediterranean, and mountainous parts of the Old World (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

Andrena is the second most speciose genus of bees, with around 1,500 species known globally. It is predominantly distributed through the Holarctic with severely limited diversity in other biogeographical regions, and with the greatest species richness in arid and Mediterranean areas. Despite a long history of study, many species remain undescribed. As part of an ongoing revision of undetermined Old World material, many new species have been discovered in museum collections. Andrena (Micrandrena) atlantea spec. nov. from Morocco, Andrena (Carandrena) hoggara spec. nov. from Algeria, Andrena (Aciandrena) plumbea spec. nov., Andrena (Carandrena) inflata spec. nov., Andrena (Chrysandrena) rubricorpora spec. nov., Andrena (Orandrena) densissima spec. nov. from Tunisia, Andrena (?Aciandrena) badiyah spec. nov., Andrena (Micrandrena) convexifrons spec. nov. from Jordan, Andrena (?Aciandrena) palmyriae spec. nov., Andrena (Graecandrena) virguladivina spec. nov., Andrena (Suandrena) inaquosa spec. nov., Andrena (Truncandrena) syriensis spec. nov. from Syria, Andrena karia spec. nov. (incertae sedis) from Turkey, and Andrena (Pallandrena) persica spec. nov. and Andrena (Pallandrena) zagrosa spec. nov. from Iran are described. The description of these 15 new species confirms the extent to which our understanding of this genus remains incomplete in the arid, Mediterranean, and mountainous parts of the Old World.

Effect of Planting Density in Two Thistle Species Used for Vegetable Rennet Production in Marginal Mediterranean Areas

In Mediterranean cropping systems, it is important to utilize marginal lands for the cultivation of non-food crops. Spontaneous thistle genera such as Cynara cardunculus L. and Onopordum tauricum Willd. are native to southern Europe. Previous research has focused on their spontaneous growth in the environment or ability to supply biofuel. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of two different planting densities on the flower differentiation, vegetable rennet production and weed control of O. tauricum Willd. and C. cardunculus L. in rainfed unfertilized Mediterranean cropping systems. The results showed that plant density influenced most of the biomass parameters for O. tauricum Willd. but no significant differences were observed for C. cardunculus L. Higher densities of both species were beneficial for weed control. We recommend the use of C. cardunculus L. and O. tauricum Willd. as suitable species for vegetable rennet production in Mediterranean organic cropping systems.