Landscapes are becoming increasingly urbanized, causing loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, with potentially negative effects on biodiversity. Insects are among the organisms with the largest diversity in urbanized environments. Here, we sampled predator (Ampulicidae, Sphecidae and Crabronidae) and parasitoid (Tachinidae) flower-visiting insects in 36 sites in the city of Rome (Italy).
Aim To explore how a highly invasive plant species (Buddleja davidii Franch.), managed honeybees and flower diversity affected plant–flower visitor interactions over the whole elevational range distribution of the exotic plant. Location Italian Alps. Methods We selected nine pairs of sites (one invaded and one non‐invaded by B. davidii ) across gradients in honeybee abundance and diversity of flower resources. We observed plant–flower visitor interactions every three weeks, for a total of five surveys covering the full flowering season of B. davidii (June–August). We tested how B.
Hybridization between heterospecific individuals has been documented as playing a direct role in promoting paternal leakage and mitochondrial heteroplasmy in both natural populations and laboratory conditions, by relaxing the egg-sperm recognition mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that hybridization can lead to mtDNA heteroplasmy also indirectly via mtDNA introgression. By using a phylogenetic approach, we showed in two reproductively isolated beetle species, Ochthebius quadricollis and O. urbanelliae, that past mtDNA introgression occurred between them in sympatric populations.
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