Saproxylic insects

Molecular Biodiversity of Insects

Molecular Biodiversity of Insects

We are interested in intraspecific diversity of insects, mainly phytophagous and saproxylic species, in both evolutionary contexts—concerning insect–plant relationships and the adaptive significance of genetic polymorphisms in groups of phytophagous beetles (mainly Weevils and Leaf Beetles)—and in conservation-related issues, particularly in the prioritization of protected areas aimed at safeguarding insect species included in the Habitats Directive.

A first assessment of genetic variability in the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Italian Apennines

The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is a strictly protected saproxylic beetle, widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe and mainly associated with ancient beech forests. To improve knowledge about the conservation status of R. alpina in Italy, available molecular markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I(COI)) were tested for the first time on Italian populations.

Computer-aided photographic identification of Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) applied to a mark-recapture study

1. Assessing the conservation status of protected species needs quantitative population data, generally obtained using Capture?Mark?Recapture methods (CMR). The exploitation of natural marking (e.g. individual morphological traits) offers an interesting alternative, based on image analyses, which may result in a less manipulation of protected species compared to the typical artificial marking method.

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