4 Biodiversity -— Journal

MARCH 2019, 10 (1): 1-68

with the support of

53

FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH world AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

biodiversity association

Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) - The vermetid reef from Favignana Island (TP), Sicily, Italy

BIODIVERSITY JOURNAL 2019, 10 (1): 1-.68

Quaternly scientific journal

edited by Edizioni Danaus,

viaV. Di Marco 43, 90143 Palermo, Italy www.biodiversityjournal.com biodiversityjournal@gmail.com

Official authorization no. 40 (28.12.2010)

ISSN 2039-0394 (Print Edition) ISSN 2039-0408 (Online Edition)

EDITORIAL STAFF

Managing Editor

Ignazio Sparacio - Palermo, Italy Chief Editor

Maria Stella Colomba

University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Italy Secretary

Fabio Liberto - Cefalu, Italy Marketing Editor

Michele Bellavista - Palermo, Italy Assistant Editors

David P Cilia, Santa Venera, Malta Salvatore Giglio - Cefalu, Italy Armando Gregorini

University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Italy

Rostislav Bekchiev - National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgaria Christoph Buckle - Tubingen, Germany

Attilio Carapezza - Palermo, Italy

Donald S. Chandler - University of New Hampshire, Durham, U.S.A Renato Chemello - University of Palermo, Italy

Giulio Cuccodoro -The Natural History Museum of Geneva, Switzerland Vera D'Urso - University of Catania, Italy

Alan Deidun - University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Gianniantonio Domina - University of Palermo, Italy

Gerhard Falkner - Deutsche Malakozoologische Gesellschaft, Germany Paola Gianguzza - University of Palermo, Italy

llia Gjonov -Sofia University, Bulgaria

Adalgisa Guglielmino, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy

Peter Hlavac - Prague, Czech Republic

Ren Hirayama - Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Rumyana Kostova - Sofia University, Bulgaria

Sergey A. Kurbatov - Moscow, Russia

Albena Lapeva-Gjonova - Sofia University, Bulgaria

Oscar Lisi - University of Catania, Italy

Pietro Lo Cascio - Associazione “Nesos”, Lipari, Italy

Nathalie Yonow - Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, U.K.

Federico Marrone - University of Palermo, Italy

Bruno Massa - University of Palermo, Italy

Pietro Mazzola - University of Palermo, Italy

David Mifsud - University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Alessandro Minelli - University of Padova, Italy

Pietro Minissale - University of Catania, Italy

Tommaso La Mantia - Univ. of Palermo, Italy Agatino Reitano - Catania, Italy

Giorgio Sparacio - Palermo

Fabio M.Viglianisi - University of Catania, Italy

Marco Oliverio - University of Roma, Italy

Roberto A. Pantaleoni - CNR National Research Council, Sassari, Italy Salvatore Pasta - Palermo, Italy

Alfredo Petralia - University of Catania, Italy

Roberto Poggi - Museo civico di Storia naturale “G. Doria”, Genova, Italy Francesco Maria Raimondo - University of Palermo, Italy

Marcello Romano - Capaci, Italy

Giorgio Sabella - University of Catania, Italy

Danilo Scuderi - Catania, Italy

Giuseppe Fabrizio Turrisi - Catania, Italy

Errol Vela - Université Montpellier, France

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Vittorio Aliquo - Palermo, Italy Pietro Alicata - University of Catania, Italy

Marco Arculeo - University of Palermo, Italy Paolo Audisio, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy Alberto Ballerio - Brescia, Italy

The vermetid reefs. Vermetid reefs are bioconstructions built up by the gastropod mollusc Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi, 1859) in association with some coralline algae such as Neogoniolithon brassica-florida (Harvey) Setchell et Mason. These bioconstructions are unique and highly diverse systems that play a fundamental structural role, as they protect coasts from erosion, regulate sediment transport and accumulation, serve as carbon B$ sinks, make the habitat more complex and heterogeneous and ji provide numerous habitats for animal and vegetal species thus 8 increasing intertidal biodiversity. In Sicily, large and more or less © continuos vermetid reefs are presenta long the north and „m northwestern coasts between Zafferano Cape and Trapani and 4 46 EM 1 within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) “Egadi Islands". These di SAT i prese a biogenic constructions, enclosed in the SPA/BIO Protocol E. r «x ub LEA ET (Barcelona Convention) are now threatened by environmental Gee ges c o eoe o changes and human activities (e.g. pollution, climate change, ocean acidification) thus experiencing high mortality in several areas ofthe Mediterranean Sea.

+

ice, fi

Paolo Balistreri. Marine Biologist, freelance. Via Vicolo Giotto 6, 91023 Favignana, Italy; e-mail: requin.blanc@hotmail.it

(photos P. Balistreri). Dendropoma cristatum and its external structure.

Biodiversity Journal

MARCH 2019, 10 (1): 1-68

Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 3-6

https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.3.6

First evidence for the snake-eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory de Sant-Vincent, 1833) (Sauria Scincidae) in Astypalea Island (Dodecanese, Greece)

Mauro Grano!* & Cristina Cattaneo?

‘Coordinator of Lazio Section Societas Herpetologica Italica ?Via Eleonora d’ Arborea 12, 00162 Rome, Italy "Corresponding author, e-mail: elapheS58@yahoo. it

ABSTRACT

The first documentation (also with photos) on the presence of the snake-eyed skink Able-

pharus kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory de Saint-Vincet, 1833) (Sauria Scincidae) in Astypalea Island (Dodecanese, Greece) is provided here. Until now, only five specimens in the Natural History

Museum of Crete were known.

KEY WORDS

Ablepharus kitaibelii; Astypalea; Dodecanese; Snake-eyed skink.

Received 13.01.2019; accepted 19.02.2019; published online 28.02.2019

INTRODUCTION

The snake-eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833) (Sauria Scincidae) is the only species of the genus distrib- uted in Europe and shows a distribution from southern Slovakia and Hungary, through most of Serbia, the eastern parts of continental Croatia, southern Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania (lowland areas), Turkey (western and central), and Greece (Mainland, and many Ionian and Aegean Islands). As regards its range in the Aegean Islands, on Kos, Leros, Makronisi (SW of Lipsi), Nisyros, Tilos (Masseti, 1999), Chalki, Alimia, Symi, and Rhodes, it occurs with the nominate form A. ki- taibelii kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory, 1833). On Karpathos, Kasos, Armathia, and Mikronisi (islets of Crete), A. kitaibelii fabichi Stépánek, 1937 is present. On the island group of Kastellorizo and on the opposite southwest coast of Turkey, a cryptic species has been identified that seems to belong to a clade with features of both A. kitaibelii and A.

budaki, and which could be ascribed to A. budaki anatolicus Schmidtler, 1997 (Skourtanioti et al., 2016).

The occurrence of the snake-eyed skink A. ki- taibelii in the Aegean Island of Astypalea (Dode- canese, Greece) is here reported for the first time.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The data here presented came from field obser- vation made by the authors on Astypalea Island during two different periods: August 2015 and April 2016. The individuals encountered were not captured or manipulated, but simply photographed in accordance with the Greek National Legislation (Presidential Decree 67/81). During the investiga- tions, some young individuals of A. kitaibelii were sighted: a few in the immediate vicinity of a well located under the dam near the village of Livadhi, others along a boundary wall of an orchard inside Livadhi village (Fig. 1). Both situations were char-

4 Mauro GRANO & CRISTINA CATTANEO

acterized by moisture, supporting the hypothesis that A. kitaibelii is mainly a hygrophilous species. The individuals detected on Astypalea Island ex- hibited tails with orange-bright red colours (Fig. 2). Normally, the underside is greenish-blue or grey-white and in Transcaucasian and Thracian populations it appears reddish-orange (Gruber, 1981). As in the case with Anatololacerta pelas- giana on Tilos Island (Grano et al., 2018), a recent introduction can be assumed, since the only de- tected individual have been found in the immedi- ate vicinity of Livadhi, the first most developed village on the island.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Five specimens of A. kitaibelii from Astypalea Island preserved in the Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC 80.3.82.25; NHMC80.3.82.256; NHMC80.3.82.257; NHMC80.3.82.85; NHMC 80.3.82.86) are known, but these data have not been published.

According to the Aegean distribution of this skink, it is likely to assume that on Astypalea Island the nominate form A. kitaibelii kitaibelii occurs. Ablepharus kitaibelii appears to be mainly a hy- grophilous species (Cattaneo, 1998), as it generally lives on wet soil and in underwood bedding of

Figure 1. Study area near Livadhi village (Astypalea Island, Dodecanese, Greece).

conifers forests (Broggi, 2002; Wilson & Grillitsch, 2009). It was also observed in inhabited areas, prob- ably driven by increased moisture. Astypalea looks like an enigmatic island because, despite its size and its discrete environmental heterogeneity, does not host snakes. Until now, only four lizards have been recorded in the island: Hemidactylus turcicus (Lin- naeus, 1758), Mediodactylus kotschyi (Stein- dachner, 1870), Podarcis erhardii (Bedriada, 1876), Ophisops elegans Ménétries, 1832 and one frog: Pelophylax bedriagae (Camerano, 1882).

The island is essentially hilly and is mainly characterized of limestone, whereas the area be- tween the orographic series of the Mesa and the Exo Nisi (eastern and western part of the island) is constituted by flysch. Astypalea is mainly dry, but its karstic nature has given origin to water sources, especially in the western area. Moreover, in the Exo Nisi near Livadhi, there is a reservoir with a depth of 25 meters to supply water to the island. Astypalea suffers since ancient times of strong overgrazing by domestic and wild goats. In the past, the island was rich in forests, which have been destroyed by humans to use as farmland and pas- tures and as fuel in the lime kilns, which played a key role in the economy of Astypalea (Cattaneo & Grano, 2016). This probably led to an impoverish- ment of the local herpetofauna, as it was shown for the lizard of the genus Podarcis Wagler, 1830 (Pafilis et al., 2013). Despite a relatively long- standing tradition of herpetological research on the Greek islands (Pafilis, 2010), Astypalea ranks among those less considered, as there are no records of amphibians and reptiles with full field details available from the island (Uhrin & Benda, 2018).

Contributions relating data on herpetofauna of this island are provided by Zavattari (1929), Wettstein (1937, 1953), Beutler & Gruber (1977) and Angelici et al. (1990). Recently, an update on the presence of Mediodactylus kotschyi and Hemi- dactylus turcicus on this island has been published by Uhrin & Benda (2018).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank M.A.L. Zuffi (Pisa,

Italy) for the scientific review and A. Cattaneo (Roma, Italy) for his invaluable help.

First evidence for the snake-eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibelii in Astypalea Island (Dodecanese, Greece) 5

Figure 2. Ablepharus kitaibelii from Livadhi village (Astypalea Island, Dodecanese, Greece).

REFERENCES

Angelici F.M., Capula M. & Riga F., 1990. Notes on the herpetofauna of Astipalaia Island (Dodecanese, Greece). British Herpetological Society Bulletin, 34: 31-33.

Beutler A. & Gruber U., 1977. Intraspezifische Unter- suchungen an Cyrtodactylus kotschyi (Steindachner, 1870): Reptilia: Gekkonidae. Beitrag zu einer math- matischen Definition des Begriff Unterart, Spixiana, München, 1: 165-202.

Broggi M.F., 2002. Herpetological notes on the Dode- canese islands of Symi and Sesklia (Greece). Her- petozoa, 15: 186-187.

Cattaneo A., 1998. Gli Anfıbi e i Rettili delle isole greche di Skyros, Skopelos e Alonissos (Sporadi settentrion- ali). Atti Societä Italiana di Scienze Naturali del Museo civico di Storia naturale di Milano, 139: 127— 149.

Cattaneo C. & Grano M., 2016. Contribution to the knowledge of vascular flora on Astypalea Island (Do- decanese, Greece). Phytologia Balcanica, 22: 405— 417.

Grano M., Cattaneo C. & Cattaneo A., 2018. Nuovo con- tributo alla conoscenza dell'erpetofauna dell'isola egea di Tilos (Dodecaneso, Grecia) (Amphibia et Reptilia). Il Naturalista siciliano, 42: 3-13.

Gruber U., 1981. Ablepharus kitaibelii Bibron und Bory 1833. Johannisechse. In: Boehme W. (Ed.), Hand-

buch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas, Bd. I, Echsen I, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Wies- baden, pp. 292—307.

Masseti M., 1999. Terrestrial vertebrate fauna on Mediterranean islands: Tilos (Dodecanese, Greece) a case study. Abstracts of the 8th International Con- gress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions. Kavala, 172-1 May 1999. The Hellenic Zoological Society, Athens: 94.

Pafilis P., 2010. A brief history of Greek herpetology. Bonn Zoological Bulletin, 57: 329—345.

Pafilis P., Anastasiou I., Sagonas K. & Valakos E.D., 2013. Grazing by goats on islands affects the popu- lations of an endemic Mediterranean lizard. Journal of Zoology, 290: 255-264.

Skourtanioti E., Kapli P., Ilgaz C., Kumlutas Y., Avci A., Ahmadzadeh F., Isailović J.C.N., Gherghel I., Lymberakis P. & Poulakakis N., 2016. A reinvesti- gation of phylogeny and divergence times of the Ablepharus kitaibelii species complex (Sauria, Scincidae) based on mtDNA and nuDNA genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 103: 199— 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2016.07.005

Uhrin M. & Benda P., 2018. New records of Mediodacty- lus kotschyi and Hemidactylus turcicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Astypalea Island, Greece. Her- petology Notes, 11: 275-278.

Wettstein O., 1937. Vierzehn neue Reptilienrassen von den südlichen Ägäischen Inseln. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 118: 79-90.

6 MAURO GRANO & CRISTINA CATTANEO

Wettstein O., 1953. Herpetologia Aegaea. Sitzungs- Simi (Dodecanese, Greece) (Amphibia, Reptilia). berichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften, Herpetozoa, 22: 99-113. mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, 162: Zavattari E., 1929. Ricerche faunistiche nelle Isole Ital- 651-833. iane dell’Egeo. Anfibi e Rettili. Archivio Zoologico

Wilson M.J. & Grillitsch H., 2009. The herpetofauna of Italiano, 13: 31-36.

Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 7-12

https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.7.12

Update to the status of Lindeni tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825) (Odonata Gomphidae) in Italy, with special reference

to the Molise region

Andrea Corso", Ottavio Janni?, Lorenzo De Lisio? & Carlo Fracasso*

"Via Camastra 10, 96100 Siracusa, Italy; e-mail: zoologywp@gmail.com ?Via G.G. D'Amore 21, 81016 Piedimonte Matese, Caserta, Italy; email: coeligena(ghotmail.com ?Piazza V. Cuoco 2, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; e-mail: lorenzodelisio@gmail.com

^Via di Sopra 19, 86018 Toro, Campobasso, Italy "Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

Data concerning a new reproductive population of Lindenia tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825

(Odonata Gomphidae), found by the authors in Molise, Central Italy, between 2012 and 2018, are here reported. The species was recorded in some artificial farm ponds of the inland agri- cultural area, where localized but conspicuous reproductive populations are annually found. A single sighting from 2017 is also reported from the Abruzzo region, where the species has never been recorded before. The data here discussed update the status for Italy and enlarge the known distribution area. All the sites where the species is found in Molise are listed and mapped, brief data concerning habitat used are also reported.

KEY WORDS

Lindenia tetraphylla; Molise region; status update Italy; small farm ponds.

Received 20.01.2019; accepted 25.02.2019; published online 28.02.2019

INTRODUCTION

Lindenia tetraphylla (Vander Linden, 1825), synonym Lindenia inkiti Bartenef, 1929 (Odonata Gomphidae), is an Irano-Turanian species, its main range spreading over the Eremian region, going from Central Asia to Arabia (Dumont, 1991; Giles, 1998; Schróter, 2010a; Waterston, 1984; Waterston & Pittaway, 1991; Skvortzov & Snego- vaya, 2014). It is distributed also from Western Pakistan to the Caucasus region, the Levant and Turkey (mostly southern Anatolia) to the Western Mediterranean (Schneider, 1981, 1988; Schneider & Dumont, 1997, 2015; Schorr et al., 1998; Kalk- man, 2006; Kalkman & Van Pelt, 2006; Borisov & Haritonov, 2008; Boudot et al., 2009; Schróter 2010a, 2010b; Boudot & Kalkman, 2015). It was

recently found in Bulgaria (Gastaron & Beshkov, 2010), where it is expanding its distribution (Kolev & Boudot, 2018), and Crete (Boudot et al., 2009, Boudot, 2014; Stille et al., 2014; Boudot & Kalkman, 2015) and is now considered resident in the western Balkans and Greece (Boudot & Kalk- man, 2015; Lopau, 2010; Vilenica et al., 2016). It is a very mobile nomadic species (Fraser 1936; Schneider 1981). Adults are known to migrate over long distances from their reproductive local- ity (Boudot & Kalkman, 2015). Many out of range records may be referred to vagrant specimens, but some isolated localities were proved to be inhab- ited for several consecutive years, demonstrating at least a temporary reproduction far from its core range (Boudot & Kalkman, 2015). For example, the species has been recorded occasionally in the

8 ANDREA CORSO ET ALII

Maghreb: in particular, it was considered repro- ductive in Tunisia in summer 2000 and 2002 (Kunz & Kunz, 2001; Boudot & Kalkman, 2015), while in Algeria, where it was considered previ- ously extinct (Samraoui & Menai, 1999, Samraoui & Corbet, 2000; Boudot et al., 2009; Boudot & Kalkman, 2015), it was rediscovered in 2014 with evidence of reproduction in one site (Hamzaoui et al., 2015). As there is no continuous monitoring for these North African countries, its present status is unknown. In Europe, this species occurs in the Mediterranean basin, where it is very localized (Kalkman et al., 2010; Boudot & Kalkman, 2015).

The species is in fact listed as vulnerable in An- nexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive (Kalkman et al., 2010). The type specimen is from Campania, Southern Italy, where no confirmed records were obtained in recent time. Elsewhere in Italy, the species was reported in the past during the mid 1800 to early 1900 (Sélys-Longchamps, 1843; Bentivoglio, 1910a,b, 1913), until recently (Utzeri, 2006; Riservato et al., 2014 ). In this note, we re- port data about a recently discovered Italian popu- lation, considered wealthy and rather relevant for the status of the species in Italy and Europe as well. After the first random discovery in 2012, when one male was photographed in Molise region (Central Italy), we yearly collected numerical and distribu- tional data. In 2017, we observed a single specimen in Abruzzo region. The results are here briefly summarised.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From 2012 to 2018, we have mapped all the suitable sites, therefore having the right environ- mental characteristics, in the Molise region (Figs. 1, 2). These sites consist of small-medium sized agricultural irrigation basins (Fig. 2). For each site considered, we annually performed at least two vis- its between June and August. Environmental char- acteristics, extension and GPS coordinates of all the sites where the species was found were noted. The coordinates were recorded using the UTM WGS84 33N reference system. Cartographic processing was done using QGIS 2.14 Essen. At each visit, the number of observed specimens, sex and age was noted when possible. Many of these specimens were captured with entomological nets for photo-

graphic documentation but, given the rarity of the species, they were all subsequently released (Figs. 3-6). The specimen observed in Abruzzo was de- tected during a study on the dragonflies of the Ma- jella National Park, conducted in 2017 (Corso & Biscaccianti, ined.).

ABBREVIATIONS. AC: Andrea Corso; CF: Carlo Fracasso; ex/exx: specimen/specimens; max: maximum count; min: minimum count.

RESULTS

All the sites where the species has been found in Molise are shown in figure 2 and listed in Table 1. The first report for Molise refers to 1 mature male photographed on 16.VI.2012 by CF and determined by AC, in the site called Montorio nei Frentani (CB) (498129, 4625799) (Table 1). A few days later, on 29.V1.2012, at the same site, we observed up to a maximum of 20-25 exx (16 males, 4 females) (Figs. 3-6). On 30.VI.12 on the site called Laghetto Iacoluto, Salcito (CB), 4 males and 1 female were observed (Table 1). Between 2013 and 2018, the observation sites rose to six, for a total of 205 exx observed (min-max: 13-57 exx), mostly males, with an average of 29.3 exx per year and 34.2 per site (Table 1). The most relevant site was always the first one we discovered, with 148 exx in total ob- served in the seven years of study and a range of 8— 50 exx. (average of 21.2 exx/year) (Table 1). Here in 2016 and 2017 at least 20 exuviae have been found along the muddy banks of the irrigated arti- ficial basin (AC). For Abruzzo, we obtained a single observation, referred to 1 male observed on 18.VII.2017 in the Piana del Sagittario, between Sulmona and Pratola Peligna (L’ Aquila) (4264695, 13522446) (AC & A. Pulvirenti, ined.). It is not clear, in the current state of knowledge, whether it was simply an erratic exemplar or if there is a small reproductive nucleus in the area that has so far es- caped research.

Habitat characterized by arable crops with prevalence of cereal crops attributable to the land use category “arable land in non-irrigated areas” (CLC 211), within which there are artificial water basins created for irrigation purposes with an aver- age size of about 150 square meters. In only one case (Sant’ Angelo Limosano, Laghetto Cascapere) the lake is of natural origin. The distance from the

Update to the status of Lindeni tetraphylla in Italy, with special reference to Molise region 9

sea is on average 20 km (min-max: 2.4-43.9 km). In all cases, there is a dense vegetation along the banks, mainly Phragmites sp. and Typha latifolia (L.). The immediate vicinity is invariably wide cul- tivated fields with low and dense vegetation, flat or hilly, always very rich in numerous species of Or-

Figure 1. Typical habitat where Lindenia tetraphylla was found in Molise region, Central Italy.

thoptera, one of the main prey of the species. The observation site of Abruzzo is a fluvial plain (Fiume Sagittario) with dense arboreal coverage, with nu- merous temporary flooded fields but with the pres- ence of permanent scattered swampy areas with rich typhus and reed beds.

© Lindenia UI] grid10x10 C2 province

Figure 2. Lindenia tetraphylla in Molise region, Central Italy: in green are indicated the two provinces .

Figure 3. The first captured specimen of Lindenia tetraphylla from Molise region, Central Italy, 29.VI.2012 (photo A. Corso). Figures 4-6. Males of L. tetraphylla from Molise region, Central Italy (various date from 2013 to 2017) (photos C. Fracasso).

10 ANDREA CORSO ET ALII

DISCUSSION

Stable reproductive populations for Tuscany and Sardinia, referred to about 10 different areas, have been reported and were considered the only in Italy. For the other known areas to date (about 15 addi- tional sites), only anecdotal observations are avail- able, like for Campania, Umbria, Puglia (Galletti, 1978; Terzani, 2002; Utzeri et al., 2006; Hardersen & Leo, 2011; Riservato et al., 2014). Even though there have been no confirmed recent observations for Campania and Lazio (Riservato et al., 2014; Janni & Corso, ined.), in 2017 a new reproduction site was reported for Sicily (Surdo, 2017).

For Abruzzo, no previous records were known (Riservato et al., 2014). Therefore, our observation is currently the first for the region. Here, more care- ful and extensive future studies will have to clarify its status and real distribution. The sites considered to be of major national importance were all located in Tuscany, for example those of Lago Accesa and Lago della Rancia, with observations referable to a maximum of 20-30 exx, and secondarily in Sar-

Lat. Long.

dinia (Utzeri, 2006; Hardersen & Leo, 2011). From what is available in the literature, the Molise popu- lation we discovered in 2012 should today be the most consistent in Italy, and at the current state of knowledge probably among the most relevant in Central and Western Europe (Boudot & Kalkman, 2015; Vilenica et al., 2016).

CONCLUSIONS

The species seems to be expanding its range: the increasing number of observation / reproduction stations discovered in Sardinia, Tuscany and Um- bria, as well as from the new area in Sicily, in fact seem to indicate a positive trend (Hardersen & Leo, 2011; Surdo, 2017). However, we do not know if these data reflect a real colonization of new areas, or more simply a greater coverage of the territory and a greater effort in odonatological research, which actually happened in the last decade in Italy. It is probable that the colonization of Molise took place through the arrival of erratic individuals of Balkan origin rather than from Tuscany, even if it

2016

Montorio nei Frentani

Salcito (Laghetto Jacolutto

Sant’Angelo Limosano (Laghetto

Cascapere

Petacciato 1

Petacciato 2

Ururi

460786 | 4619256

469518 4617742

485211 | 4652180

484967 | 4652670

504726 | 4627485

41°47'0.80"N 14°58'38.25"E

41°43'27.25"N 14°31'42.64"E

41°42'38.27"N 14°38'1.16"E

42° 1'18.09"N 14°49'16.35"E

42° 1'33.19"N 14?49'5.44"E

41°47'57.40"N 15° 3'25.30"E

5 exx (16.VT)

1633, 429 (some mating pairs) (29.VI)

438 19 (30.VI)

2293 QLVD

8 exx (22.VI)

10 exx (16.VT) 215 exx

(some mating pairs) (07. VIT)

15+ exx (some mating pairs)

(12. VII)

14 14 244 (06.VII) (05.VII) (07.VII)

25 exx (28. VID

i u " FEN ERG

>10 exx (27.VI)

>50 exx (14.VD)

40 exx (16.VI)

12 exx 24 exx (20.VII)

(02. VII)

4 exx (14. VID

22 exx (several (05. VII)

mating

(14. VII) 14 2 exx (19. VIT)

> 2 exx (5.VID

Table 1. Number of Lindenia tetraphylla observed per site in Molise region, central Italy, from 2012 to 2017. Site name and GPS coordinates are reported (both UTM WGS 84 33N X,Y that Latitude and Longitude), number of specimens (exx) per year (sex reported when noticed). The symbol X indicate that the site was not visited / site not known before (data lacking), 0 that no specimens were recorded. In brackets, date of observations and notes (as in mating pairs recorded).

Update to the status of Lindeni tetraphylla in Italy, with special reference to Molise region 11

is not possible to establish with certainty the origin of the colonizers. Further future researches are nec- essary in order to extend the knowledge related to its distribution in Molise, Abruzzo, Umbria and Sicily, as well as on the actual presence or not in Lazio and Campania, in order to collect more ex- tensive data on the actual consistency of the popu- lations present in Italy. In addition, targeted research should also be carried out in Puglia, where the species is likely to be found but it is yet to be discovered, while in Sicily a larger portion of terri- tory should be monitored.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank Prof. Carlo Utzeri (Roma, Italy) for his help with references and useful suggestion. Verena Penna (Roma, Italy), Andrea Pulvirenti (Roma, Italy), Roberto Casalini (Roma, Italy), Mario Cappelli (Roma, Italy), Alessandro Biscac- cianti (Roma, Italy) are thanked for their help in the field. The Majella National Park Authority (Abruzzo) and in particular Dr. Pino Marcantonio (Sulmona, Italy), is sincerely thanked for the funds for the research in their park as part of studies to monitor and protect dragonflies species in the Habi- tats Directive. The Leica Sport Optics is thanked (in particular Dr. Francesco Corra and Nanette Roland) for providing the optical instruments used by A. Corso during this study.

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Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 13-20 https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv. Jour.2019.10.1.13.20

Reproductive cycle of the pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachu- rus (Linnaeus, | 758) (Perciformes Carangidae) Caught in the Gulf of Skikda (Algerian East Coast)

Souheila Azzouz", Lyamine Mezedjri? & Ali Tahar?

‘Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Badji Mokhtar University, 23000 Annaba, Algeria; e-mail: azzouz.souhi@yahoo.fr ?Department of Natural Sciences and Life, Faculty of Sciences, University August 20, 1955, 21000 Skikda, Algeria; e-mail: me- zedjri.lyamine@ gmail.com

?Laboratory of Vegetal Biology and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Badji Mokhtar University, 23000 Annaba, Algeria; e-mail: pr_tahar_ali@hotmail.com

"Corresponding author

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on the reproductive biology of the small pelagic fish Saurel 7ra- churus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes Carangidae), fished in the Gulf of Skikda on the Algerian east coast on an annual cycle from July 2014 to June 2015. The study of av- erage sex ratio variations gave an average annual value of 49.98% in favor of males. The go- nado-somatic ratio and the macroscopic examination of the gonads allowed us to locate the period of reproduction between December and April. This report highlights a sexual cycle composed of three successive phases; a slow maturation started from July to November, a phase of significant sexual activity corresponding to the laying period (December-April) and a phase of sexual rest coinciding with the month of May when the gonads recover their masses. On a monthly basis, the evolution of the hepatosomatic ratio values is similar to that observed in the gonado-somatic ones, which leads us to believe that the origin of the energy reserves of the gonads is not the liver and that Saurel is a fat" fish, 1.e. lipid accumulation oc- curs in the muscles. The study of mesenteric reserves confirmed the origin of gonadal ener- getic deposits. The size of the first sexual maturity in males and females is respectively 14 cm and 13.65 cm.

KEY WORDS Trachurus trachurus; Algerian east coast; reproduction; sex ratio; first sexual maturity.

Received 04.11.2018; accepted 06.01.2019; published online 20.03.2019.

INTRODUCTION

The study of the reproductive cycle of fish, in- cluding assessment of the reproductive potential is extremely useful to a better management of fish- eries resources and to ensure the sustainability of these resources on the bioeconomic level.

Several studies have been devoted to various as- pects of the small pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes Carangi-

dae) (Letaconnoux, 1951; Maurin, 1954; Nikolsky, 1963; Lahaye, 1972; Macer, 1977; Fréon, 1984; Kartas & Guignard, 1984; Korichi, 1988; Wootton, 1998; Mézédjri, 2004; Mézédjri & Tahar, 2007; Robinson et al., 2008; FAO, 2013; Azzouz et al., 2015a, b, 2016, 2018).

In particular, the objective of this study is to es- tablish a better understanding of the reproductive biology of Saurel T. trachurus in the Gulf of Skikda by studying the following parameters: sex Ratio,

14 SOUHEILA AZZOUZ ET ALII

Gonado-somatic and Hepato-Somatic ratio, adipos- ity, size of first sexual maturity and condition factor (K) during the sexual cycle.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The biological study consists in studying the parameters which make it possible to know the bi- ology of our species; this study was carried out on fish caught by purse seines at the level of the Gulf of Skikda during the period stretching between July 2014 and June 2015.

Just with the unloading, at the port of Stora, a sample of 1 to 4 kg taken each month. On each fish we carried out a series of measures (Table 1). The measures of length were made by using a meter with a precision of 1 mm, the total and emptied weights by means of a precision balance with an ac- curacy of 0.01 g, the gonadic and hepatic weights were obtained using a balance of precision with an accuracy of 0.0001 g.

The determination of sex and maturity stages was carried out according to the method recom- mended by ERH team (ERH, 1996), during the evaluation of national resources campaign. It con- sists in the determination of the maturity stages by means of a four-stage scale.

Description

Total length

Total Weight Eviscerated Weight Weight gonadic Hepatic Weight

Adiposity

Identification of sex and

Table 1. Measures done on fish for the reproduction survey.

For the species such as Sardine and Saurel, grease is white and covers the internal organs. To determine the degree of fattening, we used the em- pirical scale with four degrees recommended by the ERH team (ERH, 1996), which is a derivative of Nikolsky scale (Nikolsky, 1963).

Sex-Ratio

In our work used the formula which gives sex- ratio as a percentage by the following relation:

SR = (Males number/Total number) x 100

Then, the chi-squared ( y^) test was used to eval- uate the variation of the actual values of the sex- ratio compared to the theoretical proportion 50% (Dagnélie, 2006). We supposed as hypothesis H0: sex-ratio = 50% and we tested this hypothesis by calculating the value x2 obs.

t-W FPF Jn

With: m: males number, f: females number, n = m + f, F = n/2: absolute frequency for each sex.

When ¥2 obs > y2 1-a to 1 degree of freedom we rejected the null hypothesis HO at the level a=0.05. This test is valid only for number of males or fe- males higher than 5 (Dagnélie, 2006).

Gonado-Somatic Ratio GSR

It is calculated starting from the relationship be- tween the weight of the gonads (Wgon) and the eviscerated weight of fish (We). We used the weight of emptied specimens in the place of the total weight to eliminate the variations due to the reple- tion state of the stomach. The GSR was calculated for each individual according to the following for- mula (Kara, 1997):

RGS = (Wgon/We) x 100

This report allowed us to follow over time the weight changes that occur in the gonads during a reproductive cycle, which allows us to understand their maturation and to determine mainly the laying period (Barnabe, 1976).

Reproductive cycle of a pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachurus caught in the Gulf of Skikda (Algerian East Coast) 15

Hepato-Somatic Ratio HSR

This relationship is calculated between the he- patic weight (Whep) and eviscerated weight (We) according to the following formula (Kara, 1997):

RHS = (Whep/We) x 100 Adiposity

Monthly variations of adiposity were assessed during the cycle of reproduction between July 2014 and June 2015. This made possible to follow the an- nual variations of the mesenteric greasy (ERH, 1996).

Size at First Sexual Maturity

The size of the first sexual maturity shows the legal minimum size of the fish that can be fished in order to maintain sufficient fertility to regenerate the stock. It is determined to be the size correspon- ding to 50% of mature individuals. It is estimated by calculation, for each size class, with an interval of 1 cm, and for each sex by considering the fre- quency of mature individuals in relation to the total number of the size class in question. The individu- als concerned are only those caught during the Saurel breeding season, 1.e. from December to April (Barnabe, 1976; Kara, 1997).

Condition Factor K

The condition factor K is an index allowing the assessment of the relative weight status of the stud- ied individuals. According to Barnabe (1976), at equal size, fish of the same sex may have weight differences related to various factors such as feed- ing abundance or spawning period. It is expressed by the following relation:

NE CN) 5

or: P = eviscerated weight, L = total length.

In our case, we used the eviscerated weight to compensate the gonad weight fluctuations, as well as the calculated allometric no; to observe the

monthly changes in K. The global allometric coef- ficient calculated for each sex separately was also used to observe the variations of K as a function of a given class.

RESULTS Sex-ratio

The monthly sex-ratio evolution revealed that out of a total of 923 examined individuals, there were 462 males and 461 females, giving a sex ratio of 49.98% in favor of males. This value is not sig- nificantly different from the theoretical value SR = 50% because x2 = 2.14 and P> 0.05 therefore not significant at the level of a = 5%.

Overall, the sex ratio was still insignificant during the entire sampling period. During the months of October and January, we noted a sex ratio in favor of males with high significance at the level a = 196 (Px0.01). Thus, in May the num- ber of females was slightly higher than the num- ber of males with a SR = 36.84% and x2 = 3.94 (significant at the a = 5% level; p < 0.05) (Table 2).

Monthly Variations of the Gonado-Somatic Ratio (GSR)

Fluctuations in the gonado somatic ratio in 7: trachurus showed a difference between the mean GSR values of females which were higher than those observed in males. In females we observed a downward phase extending from July 2014 (GSR = 0.83%) to October (GSR = 0.32%), fol- lowed by a net increase, from November (GSR = 0.76%) to the month of January 2015 (4.01%). In February, the GSR values dropped significantly to reach GSR= 0.37% in May, whereas growth restarted in June (GSR = 3.83%).

In males there was a slight decrease during the months July, August and September 2014 (GSR from 0.53% to 0.28%). GSR values began to in- crease in October (GSR = 0.54%) up to January 2015 (GSR = 2.05%). This value was followed by a decrease in the average value during the months of February, March, April, May and June when the growth reached its maximum value (GSR = 4.59%)

(Fig. 1).

16 SOUHEILA AZZOUZ ET ALII

N males | N femeles | Sex-ratio| x2obs

Gel lB ie ined

Total 462 49.9798 | 2.14099064 ns

Table 2. Monthly sex ratio changes at Saurel in the Gulf of Skikda (Algeria) with p > a = 0.05: (ns) not significant, p <a = 0.05: (*) significant, p < a = 0.01: (**) highly signi- ficant.

Monthly variations of the Hepato-Somatic Ratio (HSR)

As shown in figure 2, we observed, in females, the lowest values of HRS during the month of July 2014 until December (HSR = 0.58% and 0.70%, re- spectively), with a maximum recorded in March (RHS = 2.04%); then again a decreasing trend from April (RHS = 1.53%), to May (HSR = 1.08%) and in June (HSR = 1.29%).

In males, variations in HSR were similar but with values slightly lower than in females. The low- est values were observed around July 2014, Sep- tember, October, November and December. There was an increase in the value of the report in January 2015 (HSR = 0.90%) until reaching the maximum value in March (HSR = 1.98%), then there was a fall in HSR values in April, May and June (down to 0.89%).

Monthly Variations of Adiposity

The monthly variations of adiposity in females as in males were observed. The highest peak was recorded in the month of November (adiposity = 2.00%), then the values decreased to the lowest threshold (adiposity = 1.00%) during the breeding season. Then another peak was recorded in April in females (adiposity =1.45%) and in May for males (adiposity = 1.57%) then, again, a decreasing trend was observed (Fig. 3).

Size of the First Sexual Maturity

The evolution of the size of the first sexual ma- turity given by class size of the mature individuals according to the total length during the reproduction period (December/April) in T. trachurus where the gonads are at their maximum development, showed that the male Saurel from the Gulf of Skikda starts to participate in breeding at a size of Lt 50 = 14 cm (Fig. 4) and for the female Saurel Lt 50 = 13.65 cm (Fig. 5), so we did not observe significant difference between the size of the first sexual maturity of males and females.

Condition factor K

The average condition factor K ranged between K = 0.67 and K = 0.79 during the period under in- vestigation, reflecting the general state of the fish as a function of physiological activities. We noted that the evolution of this index during the year was slightly stationary from July 2014 to June 2015. The highest value was recorded in March (K = 0.79) which reflects the good condition of Saurel whereas the minimum was observed in February (K = 0.67) showing a slight weight loss of fish (this is the pe- riod during which the laying takes place) (Fig. 6).

Variations in k-class size coefficients in males were slightly different from in females. The mean value recorded in males (K — 0.72) was the same value as that in females. These variations had no distinct appearance (Fig. 7)

DISCUSSION

The study of the sex-ratio variations during the period from July 2014 to June 2015 of the Saurel 7:

Reproductive cycle of a pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachurus caught in the Gulf of Skikda (Algerian East Coast) 17

Values %

Values %

Values

t E = = È Jul-2014 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan-2015 Feb Mar Apr Mai Jun Month 24 Figure 1. Monthly variations of GSR Figure 4. Size of first sexual maturity in Trachurus trachurus. in males of Trachurus trachurus. E 2 = è 7 & Jul-2014 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan-2015 Feb Mar Apr Mai Jun Month Figure 2. Monthly variations of HSR Figure 5. Size of first sexual maturity in females in Trachurus trachurus. of Trachurus trachurus. 0.801 Variable —8— Adip m —B- Adipf 0.78 0,76 X 0,74 u [7] 3 S 0.72 0.70 0.68 0,66 Jul-2014 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan-2015 Feb Mar Apr Mai Jun Ju-2014 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan-2015 Feb Mar Apr Mai Jun Month Month Figure 3. Monthly variations of adiposity Figure 6. Monthly variations of K

in Trachurus trachurus. in Trachurus trachurus.

18 SOUHEILA AZZOUZ ET ALII

Variable —e Km —E Kf

Values K

Class of size

Figure 7. K Variations by Sex and Size classes in Trachurus trachurus.

trachurus ofthe Gulf of Skikda gave an average an- nual value of 49.98% in favor of the males, so over- all, the males and the females were presented by almost equal proportions. Male sex ratio values were dominant in summer and fall, while females were dominant in winter and spring when breeding occurs.

Monitoring the monthly changes in GSR pro- vides information on the periods of sexual activity and allowed us to establish that the saurel breeding season in our region occurs between December and April. GSR levels of females were higher than those of males because of the large size of the ovaries.

The values obtained for the evolution of the GSR showed that the studied sexual cycle com- prises three phases: 1) slow maturation phase ex- tending from the month of July and going on until the month of November when the GSR reaches the lowest values; 2) a phase of intense sexual activity from December to April, which is the period of lay- ing where the RGS reaches the maximum; and 3) a phase of sexual rest that coincides with the month of May when the testicles and the ovaries recover their mass.

The peak observed in June 2015 was probably related to climate change and the high temperature recorded during the summer of 2015, so a breeding phase in Saurel was, probably, triggered.

The study of the monthly variations of the HSR showed that the necessary energy for the maturity of the gonads comes from the lipid reserves stored at the level of the liver. In both sexes one has the same pace but with slightly lower values in the

males. In general, during the maturation period, we had the lowest values of HSR followed by an in- creased peak of HSR during the breeding season. Therefore, these HSR variations showed an evolu- tion almost similar to that of the GSR with maxi- mum and minimum values reached at the same time, which suggests that the species is a fatty fish for which lipid accumulation occurs in the muscles (Bertin, 1958), and the liver does not intervene in the transfer of energy reserves (Djabahi & Hamida, 1989). As the liver plays no part in the process of maturation of sexual products, this implies that the two parameters (GSR, HSR) should be studied to- gether and not separately, so these two indices are to be considered a good indicator of the metabolic state and energy reserves of fish.

With regard to mesenteric fat stores, values gen- erally fluctuated throughout the sexual cycle in Saurel, there was a maximum peak implying an ac- cumulation of reserves during the period of sexual rest and, still, maturation was followed by very low fat levels during the reproduction period, which confirms the origin of gonadal reserves (Djabali & Hamida, 1989).

The study of the size of the first sexual maturity based on the frequency of the mature individuals as a function of the total length (Lt 50) for which 50% of the individuals of the population are able to reproduce, made it possible to assess that for the males of T. trachurus the size of the first sexual maturity in the Gulf of Skikda during the studied period, July 2014—June 2015, is estimated as Lt 50 = 14 cm for males and Lt 50 = 13.65 cm for fe- males.

The monthly evolution of this coefficient (K) in the Saurel T. trachurus of the Algerian east coast is slightly stationary throughout the sexual cycle, the lowest value showing a slight weight loss noted during the month of February which coincides per- fectly with the period of laying where the reserves energy is consumed, followed by an increase in the value of K in the month of March, where the fish quickly recover their weight during the sexual rest period.

CONCLUSIONS

The biological study of the reproduction of Saurel samples taken from the Gulf of Skikda (Al-

Reproductive cycle of a pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachurus caught in the Gulf of Skikda (Algerian East Coast) 19

gerian east coast) during the year July 2014 to June 2015 shows that: the reproduction of horse mackerel T. trachurus takes place once a year, ap- parently from December to April. The study of the sex-ratio shows that the males dominate (SR — 49.98%) The values obtained on the evolution of the Gonado-Somatic Ratio show that the sexual cycle studied passes by three successive phases, a phase of slow maturation, a phase of intense sex- ual activity and a phase of sexual rest. Variations of the Hepato-Somatic Ratio leads us to believe that the origin of the energetic reserves of the go- nads is not the liver but, rather the muscles. The size of the first sexual maturity is reached at a length of 14 cm in males and females 13.65 cm. The monthly change in the condition factor (K) shows that our Saurel fish makes its energy re- serves available during the breeding season and stores them during sexual rest.

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20 SOUHEILA AZZOUZ ET ALII

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Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 21-24

https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.21.24

The Ctenodactylidae (Rodentia) in northern Africa and a new location record for Pectinator spekei Blyth, 1856 in Afar Na-

tional Regional State, Ethiopia

R. Trevor Wilson

Bartridge Partners, Bartridge House, Umberleigh, UK, EX37 9AS; e-mail: trevorbart@aol.com

ABSTRACT

The Ctenodactylidae is a small family of rodents comprising only five species in four genera.

Four of the species are confined to North Africa in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Senegal, Mali, Chad, and Niger. The fifth, Pectinator spekei, is the only one of the family that is found in the northeastern Horn of Africa. Earlier records have shown its presence in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and eastern Ethiopia at altitudes below 1,200 meters. Sightings of this species in early November 2018 were at 1317'47.7"N, 3949'32.8"E at an altitude of 1,560 meters. This location is more than 300 km horizontally and almost 400 meters vertically from previous records. The IUCN Red List classification of least concern is strengthened by this new record in an area little disturbed by humans.

KEY WORDS

Biogeography; IUCN Red List; least concern; range extension; rodents.

Received 19.02.2019; accepted 02.03.2019; published online 20.03.2019

INTRODUCTION

The Ctenodactylidae Gervais, 1853 (Greek: “comb-toe”) is a unique family in the suborder Sci- uravida of the order Rodentia. The family, whose members are sometimes known as “gundis”, com- prises five extant species in four genera, but 16 ex- tinct genera are known from fossils from Africa, Sicily (Italy), and parts of Asia. The family has no close relatives among current rodents and is a small relict cluster of evolutionary diversification that began in the Early Eocene from 54.8 to 49.0 million years ago (López-Antofianzas & Knoll, 2011). These terrestrial animals inhabit rocky and sparsely vegetated areas that are characterized by low hu- midity and long sunny days.

All five extant species inhabit Africa north of the equator, four in Saharan regions of northern Africa and one - the main subject of this paper - in the Horn of Africa (López-Antofianzas, 2016).

The first described of the extant species is Cten- odactylus gundi (Rothmann, 1776). This species is found in a narrow band from southeast of Fez in Morocco across Algeria and Tunisia to the West of Tripoli in Libya at altitudes ranging from 230 to 2900 meters. A part of this tract is included in pro- tected areas and the species is classed as of least concern by IUCN (Aulagnier, 2008).

Massoutiera mzabi (Lataste, 1881) occupies the most desertic areas of the family, in the central Sa- hara regions of Algeria (Tassili n'Ajiers, Hoggar, Tefedest and Mouydir) and around the plateau of Tademait and the Mzab Valley, whence it is named (Gouat et al., 2009). It is also present in northeast- ern Mali, northern Niger, northwestern Chad and probably in Libya (Cassola, 2016a). The “Mzab gundi” occurs at elevations of 500-2,500 metres, is present in several protected areas and is classified as of least concern by IUCN (Cassola, 2016a). The most southerly of the Saharan species is Felovia vae

22 R. TREVOR WILSON

Lataste, 1886, classified by IUCN as of least con- cern (Gerrie et al., 2017). This “Felou Gundi” oc- curs through much of central and southern Mauritania with small extensions into northwest- ern Mali and possibly into eastern Senegal (Gerrie et al., 2017) and has been described as a mountain specialist (Brito et al., 2010). The fourth and most recently described of the Saharan species is Ctenodactylus vali Thomas 1902, sometimes known as “Val’s Gundi”. Ctenodactylus vali oc- curs in two isolated populations: the one astride the Morocco/Algeria boundary to the East of Mar- rakech, the other in a small area of Libya to the South of Tripoli (Gerrie & Kennerley, 2016). Rel- atively little is known of this species and it is clas- sified by IUCN as data deficient (Gerrie & Kennerley, 2016).

The only member of the Ctenodactylidae that is not found in the Saharan area is Pectinator spekei Blyth, 1856. The type locality of “Speke’s Gundi” is in Somalia between Las Koreh and the Nogal valley (09 N; 47 E) - now in Puntland State of northeastern Somalia - but its distribution in Somalia is unclear. Elsewhere, the species has been recorded from Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Most early records were from what is now Djibouti in the Tadjoura Bay and Obock areas at about 12 N; 43 E and from around Assab at about 13 N; 43 E (now in Eritrea but originally part of Ethiopia). Later records made by Dr W George of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Univer- sity, probably in the early 1970s, are from the lowland area of the extreme east of Ethiopia in an area bounded by 9 to 12 N and AT to 42 E (Yalden et al., 1976: 61). A recent study has again recorded P. spekei in Djibouti in an area of sand and rocks with low scrub and some trees (Pearch et al., 2002).

A checklist of Ethiopian mammals give the zoogeographic region of SA (= Somali-arid) as the habitat of the species at altitudes of sea level to 1200 metres with a suggestion (without sup- porting evidence, of a possible altitudinal upper limit of 2200 metres (Yalden et al., 1996). It is recorded that this species is an inhabitant of rocky cliffs (sheltering in rock fissures) in desert or semi-desert areas and that it is sometimes found in association with hyraxes (Yalden et al., 1976).

Following Yalden et al. (1976), this species is characterized by: “The short, well-furred tail and

stiff white bristles covering the claws are proba- bly sufficient to distinguish this species, which looks superficially like a small ground squirrel".

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Several animals conforming to this description (Yalden et al., 1976) were seen basking and mov- ing about on rocks at 16:23 hours East African Time (GMT +3) on 5 November 2018 (Fig. 1, Fig. 2). The location at 1317'47.7" N, 3949'32.8" E (Fig. 3) at an altitude of 1,560 m on the wall of the rift valley is 10 km circa South of the District Ad- ministrative centre at Abala (also known as Shiket) in Afar Region and about 3 km East of the Afar- Tigray regional boundary. The vegetation here has been described as sub-desert scrub growing on shallow soils over limestone parent material. At this particular site, described in detail in 1974, 32 species of trees and shrubs were identified with three species of Commiphora being dominant (24%), followed by Acacia mellifera (18%), Grewia erythraea (12%), and Grewia mollis (9%) (Wilson, 1977). In November 2018 the vegetative composition, with a very sparse field layer of grasses and herbs among rock outcrops had super- ficially not changed from the assessment of 1974 (Fig. 4).

This new location record for Pectinator spekei represents considerable horizontal and vertical range extensions compared to earlier records. It is 310 km West and 47 km North of earlier Assab records and 322 km and 185 km North of the cluster of records listed by Dr George (Yalden et al., 1976). At an elevation of 1,560 metres above sea level this new site is almost 400 metres higher than previ- ously accepted elevations.

IUCN lists the species as being of least concern (Cassola, 201 6b). This classification results from its relatively wide distribution, a presumed large over- all population and a lack of significant threats. In this range extension area there is no human-induced habitat loss (the area is very lightly used for feeding for mainly camels and goats), there is no persecu- tion by local people and the observed population structure (although of small numbers) shows a mix of mature and young animals. These facts serve to reinforce the IUCN classification of P. spekei being of least concern.

The Ctenodactylidae in N.Africa and a new location record for Pectinator spekei in Afar N.R.S Ethiopia 23

Figure 1. Adult Pectinator spekei basking on rock surface showing short bushy tail.

Figure 3. Location of sighting of Pectinator spekei in Afar Regional State, Ethiopia: detail of area of observation; in context of Ethiopia; and, main area of previous observations.

REFERENCES

Aulagnier S., 2008. Ctenodactylus gundi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2008: e.T5792A117 01789. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008. RLTS. T5792 A11701789.en. Downloaded on 07 December 2018.

Brito J.C., Álvares F., Martínez-Freiría F., Sierra P., Sillero N. & Parroso P., 2010. Ctenodactylus gundi. Data on the distribution of mammals from Maurita- nia, West Africa. Mammalia, 74: 449—455. https:// doi.org/10.1515/MAMM.2010.055.

Cassola F,. 2016a. Massoutiera mzabi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2016: e. T12855 A22191 765. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS. T12855A22191765.en. Downloaded on 13 Decem- ber 2018.

Figure 2. Attentive adult Pectinator spekei close to entrance to rock burrow.

Figure 4. Rock outcrop populated by rodents set in context of semi-desert scrub in Afar National Regional State, Ethio-

pia.

Cassola F., 2016b. Pectinator spekei (errata version pub- lished in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened- Specie,2016: e. T16458A115133455.http://dx. doi.org/10.2305/ IUCN.UK.20163.RLTS.T16458A 22191688.en. Downloaded on 27 November 2018.

Gerrie R. & Kennerley R., 2016. Ctenodactylus vali (er- rata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2016: e.T5793A115518270. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3. RLTS.T5793A102029922.en. Downloaded on 07 December 2018.

Gerrie R., Kennerley R. & Granjon L., 2017. Felovia vae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2017: e. T8548A22191482. https://doi.org/10.2305/ IUCN. UK.20172.RLTS.T8548A22191482.en. Downloaded on 13 December 2018.

Gouat P., Gouat J. & Coulon J., 2009. Répartition et habi-

24 R. TREVOR WILSON

tat de Massoutiera mzabi (Rongeur Cténodactylidé) en Algérie. Mammalia, 48: 351—362. https://do1.org/ 10.1515/ mamm.1984.48 .3.351.

López-Antofianzas R., 2016. Ctenodactylidae (gundis). In: Wilson D.E., Lacher Jr. T.E. & Mittermeier R.A., 2016. Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Vol- ume 6, Lagomorphs & Rodents I., Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 173-184.

López-Antofianzas R. & Knoll F., 2011. A comprehen- sive phylogeny of the gundis (Ctenodactylinae, Cten- odactylidae, Rodentia). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 9: 379-398. https://doi.org/10. 1080/ 14772019.2010.529175.

Pearch M.J., Bates P.J.J. & Magin C., 2002. A review of the small mammal fauna of Djibouti and the results of a recent survey, Mammalia, 65: 387-410. https://

doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2001.65.3.387.

Wilson R.T., 1977. The vegetation of central Tigre, Ethiopia, in relation to its land use. Webia 32: 235- 270. https://doi.org/10.1080/00837792.1977.106 70095.

Yalden D.W., Largen M.J. & Kock D., 1976. Catalogue of the mammals of Ethiopia, 2. Insectivora and Ro- dentia. Monitore Zoologico Italiano Supplemento, 8: 1, 1- 118. https://doi.org/10.1080/03749444.1976. 10736830.

Yalden D.W., Largen M.J., Kock D. & Hillman J.C., 1996. Catalogue of the Mammals of Ethiopia and Er- itrea ,7. Revised checklist, zoogeography and conser- vation. Tropical Zoology, 9: 73-164. https://doi. org/10.1080/03946975.1996. 10539304.

Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 25-36 https://doi.0rg/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.25.36

First record of Theloderma lateriticum Bain, Nguyen et Doan, 2009 (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed

morphology

Weicai Chen", Xiaowen Liao, Shichu Zhou? & Yunming Mo?

'Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Environment Change and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal

University, Nanning 530001, China

2Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Nanning Normal University, Nanning

530001, China

Natural History Museum of Guangxi, Nanning 530012, China

“Corresponding author, e-mail: chenweicai2003@126.com

ABSTRACT

Theloderma lateriticum Bain, Nguyen et Doan, 2009 (Anura Rhacophoridae) is recorded

for the first time outside of Vietnam. The new locality record is from Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, southern Guangxi, China, adjoining to Vietnam. We complemented and im- proved the morphological characters, including tadpole’s morphology and advertisement

calls.

KEY WORDS

Theloderma lateriticum; new national record; distribution; southern China.

Received 26.01.2019; accepted 05.03.2019; published online 28.03.2019

INTRODUCTION

Theloderma lateriticum Bain, Nguyen et Doan, 2009 (Anura Rhacophoridae) was de- scribed based on a single specimen (Voucher no. AMNH 168757/IEBR A. 0860, adult male). The type locality is the Hoang Lien Mountains, Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam, between 1,300-1,400 meters elevation (Bain et al., 2009). Then, two new distribution records for Vietnam were reported, Yen Tu, Bac Giang (Voucher no. VNMN 1215, 1216, two adult males) and Ta Sua, Son La (Voucher no. TBUPAE 226, male; TBU- PAE 227; female), respectively (Hecht et al., 2013; Nguyen et al., 2015; Pham & Nguyen, 2018). However, Nguyen et al. (2015) pointed out that Yen Tu and Ta Sua specimens present a vocal slit, but holotype lacks the vocal slit. Otherwise,

these specimens displayed high genetic variation, ranging from 0.5 to 4.9 based on combined se- quences of 12S rRNA, tRNAval, and 16S rRNA yielded a total of 2412 bp positions (Nguyen et al., 2015).

In 2017, we carried out the monitoring of am- phibians at Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China (21.844043° - N, 107. 891647? E, 532 m asl). We found Theloderma la- teriticum breeding in PVC buckets (diameter = 25 cm, height = 20 cm) that were used to monitor amphibians. Bain et al. (2009) have suggested that this species may also occur in neighboring south- eastern Yunnan Province, China, and northeastern Laos. Herein, we reported the first record of 7. la- teriticum from China, and redescribed its morpho- logical characters and constructed its phylogeny based on mitochondrial DNA genes fragments.

26 WEICAI CHEN ET ALII

MATERIAL AND METHODS Morphological data

All specimens were fixed in 10% formalin then stored in 75% ethanol. Before fixing in formalin, muscle tissue was collected and then stored in 100 % ethanol for DNA extraction. Specimens were de- posited at the Natural History Museum of Guangxi (NHMG).

Morphological measurements were taken with digital calipers to the nearest 0.1 mm. Measure- ments include snout-vent length (SVL); head length from tip of snout to rear of jaw (HL); head width at the commissure of the jaws (HW); snout length from tip of snout to the anterior corner of eye (SNT); diameter of the exposed portion of the eye- ball (ED); interorbital distance (IOD); horizontal di- ameter of tympanum (TD); distance from anterior edge of tympanum to posterior corner of eye (TED); internarial space (IN); eye-nostril distance from anterior of eye to nostril (EN); tibia length with the hindlimb flexed (TIB); forelimb length from elbow to tip of the third finger (FLL); thigh length from vent to knee (THL); pes length from tip of the fourth toe to base of the inner metatarsal tu- bercles (PL); manus length from tip of the third digit to base of tubercle on prepollex (ML); diame- ter of the third finger disc (FTD3), and diameter of the fourth toe disc (HTD4). The webbing formula followed Myers & Duellman (1982). Tadpole labial tooth row formula (LTRF) followed Altig & McDi- armid (1999).

Molecular data

Genomic DNA was extracted from muscle using QIA gen DNeasy tissue extraction kits. The primers 16SAR and 16SBR of Palumbi et al. (1991) were used to amplify around 540 base pair fragment of the 16S rRNA gene, with standard PCR protocols. PCR products were directly sequenced using ABI 3730 DNA analyzer (Applied Biosystems, USA). Newly determined sequences were submitted for BLAST searching to ensure that the target fragment had been amplified (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Blast.cgi) (Altschul et al., 1997) and deposited in GenBank (MH521262-3), then were aligned using Clustalx in MEGA 7 (Kumar et al., 2016) with the default settings. Given the close relationship be-

tween Theloderma and Nyctixalus, we included ho- mologous DNA of two genera Theloderma and Nyctixalus downloaded from GenBank for phylo- genetic analyses (Table 1). Uncorrected pairwise genetic variation was calculated in MEGA 7 using a ~530 bp mtDNA 16S fragment. The Akaike In- formation Criterion (AIC) implemented in MrMod- eltest 2.3 (Nylander, 2004) was used to identify the best-fitting models of DNA substitution for our data. Bayesian inference (BI) method was used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and carried out using MrBayes 3.12 (Ronquist & Huelsenbeck, 2003). Four independent Markov Chain Monte Carlo searches were run for 20 million generations, sampled every 1000 generations, each with four chains and default priors. A 50% majority-rule con- sensus tree was constructed to calculate the Bayesian posterior probabilities (BPP) of the tree nodes.

Bioacoustics analysis

The advertisement calls were recorded with an ICD recorder (Sony ICD-TX50) at a distance of ap- proximately 0.2-0.3 m. Ambient temperature was taken with a TP-2200 (A-volt). Calls were analyzed with Raven Pro 1.5 software (http://www.birds.cor- nell.edu/brp/raven/RavenOverview.html) with de- fault setting.

RESULTS Systematics

Classis AMPHIBIA Linnaeus, 1758

Ordo ANURA Hogg, 1839

Familia RHACOPHORIDAE Hoffman, 1932 Genus Theloderma Tschudi, 1838

Theloderma lateriticum Bain, Nguyen et Doan, 2009

EXAMINED MATERIAL. NHMG1704001, NHMGI 706010-11, adult males, and NHMG1706012, adult female from Shiwandashan National Nature Re- serve, Guangxi, China (21.844123° N, 107.891561° E, 510 m asl), collected by Weicai Chen, Yunming Mo, and Shichu Zhou on 21 April and 24 June, 2017.

First record of Theloderma lateriticum (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology D

DESCRIPTION. Habitus slender. Head wider than long (HL/HW - 0.83). Snout slightly subacuminate in dorsal view, rounded in lateral view, and project- ing beyond lower jaw; nostril oval, oblique, much closer to tip of snout than to eye, internarial shorter than interorbital distance (IN/IOD = 0.83); canthus rostralis distinct, rounded; lores oblique, concave; interorbital region slightly concave, interorbital dis- tance longer than upper eyelid width (IOD/UEW = 1.43); pupil diamond-shaped, horizontal; eye diam- eter shorter than snout length (ED/SNT - 0.86); tympanum distinct, rounded, 58% of eye diameter, tympanic rim elevated relative to skin of temporal region; dorsolateral folds absent; pineal ocellus ab- sent; vomerine teeth absent; choanae oval, at mar- gins of roof of mouth; tongue elongated-cordiform, attached anteriorly, deeply notched posteriorly; supratympanic fold from posterior margin of eye to level slightly posterior to axilla; vocal sac absent (Figs. 1-4, Table 2).

Forelimb slender. Finger tips with well-ex- panded discs having distinctly circummarginal grooves, finger III disc width 62% tympanum di- ameter; relative finger lengths I < II < IV < III; fin- gers without webbing; subarticular tubercles distinct, surfaces rounded, formula 1, 1, 2, 2; acces- sory palmar tubercles indistinct; nuptial pad pres- ent, elongated, covering prepollex area (Figs. 5, 6).

Hindlimb slender. Toe tips with distinctly ex- panded discs with circummarginal grooves, diame- ter of discs slightly shorter than those of fingers; toes slender; relative toe lengths I « II < III € V « IV; toes moderately webbed, webbing formula: I 1- — 1- II 17-— 1- III 4 — 1— IV 14 — 2- V; subarticular tubercles rounded, distinct, formula 1, 1, 2, 3, 2; inner metatarsal tubercle oval, elongated; outer metatarsal tubercle and supernumerary tubercle ab- sent (Figs. 5, 6).

Smooth dorsal skin without distinct skin ridge, but dorsal surfaces of head, back, limbs and outer

Figures 1-4. Dorsolateral (Fig. 1), dorsal (Fig. 2) and ventral view (Fig. 3) of NHMG1704001 (adult male) 241 in life, and (Fig. 4) dorsolateral view of NHMG1706012 (female) in life.

28 WEICAI CHEN ET ALII

margin of foot are interspersed with some asperities; coarsely granular venter; absent dermal fringe and velvety and ovoid nuptial pad on prepollex area.

Color in life. Tip of snout, loreal region, upper eyelids, supratympanic fold and shoulder are brick- red; dorsum has several irregular brown markings; brown upper lip contains several white spots; flanks are brown with black blotches, and the lower portion of flanks exhibits white spots; grey-brown forelimbs with two dark brown transverse bands; brown hindlimbs with three dark brown transverse bands; grey digit tips with white spots; grey-brown venter with white spots; dark brown pupils and brick-red iris with deeply red ring along the margin (Figs. 1-4).

Color in preservative. Brown body with dark brown markings. Brown ventral surface with grey spots. Brick-red faded on the tip of snout, loreal re- gion, upper eyelids, supratympanic fold and shoulder.

Tadpole. Tadpoles were assigned to the new

species because the color pattern resembled that of adults (Figs. 7-9). Tadpoles exhibit a rounded and depressed body shape; dorsal eyes and nares; nares are nearer to the snout than eyes; medial vent tube; sinstral spiracle; broadly rounded tail tip. The oral apparatus is anteroventral. The labial tooth row for- mula (LTRF) is 3(2-3)/3 (n = 4, stage 32-38). The marginal papillae have a large dorsal gap and lack a medial gap on the lower labium. The body is dark brown, and the tail fin is pale brown. Measurements (in mm) of four tadpoles at developmental stages 32-38 (Gosner, 1960) are as follows: total length, 26.0-28.7 mm; body length, 10.1-10.7 mm; maxi- mum tail height, 5.6-6.8 mm; tail muscle height, 3.1-3.8 mm; interorbital distance, 2.8-3.2 mm; in- ternarial distance, 1.6—2.1 mm; oral disk width, 2.2— 2.5 mm and oral disk height, 0.8-0.9 mm.

MOLECULAR ANALYSES. Our preliminary phylo- genetic trees were similar to Poyarkov et al. (2018),

Figures 5, 6. Ventral view of the hand (Fig. 5), and of the foot (Fig. 6) of NHMG1704001. Figures 7-9. Tadpole of Theloderma lateriticum. Dorsal view of tadpole (Fig. 7), lateral view (Fig. 8), and dorsal view of metamorphs (Fig. 9).

First record of Theloderma lateriticum (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology 29

Theloderma horridun

1.001 Theloderma stellatum

Theloderma vietnamense

Theloderma rhododiscum

Theloderma cortical

Theloderma bicolor

— Loy Theloderma palliatum

1.00 | Theloderma nebulosum

Theloderma annae

Theloderma truongsonense

Lo Theloderma laeve VNMN 215 (Vietnam, Ban Giang, Yen Tu) 0.98) VNMN 216 (Vietnam, Ban Giang, Yen Tu) 1.00 — NHMG201704001 (China, Guangxi, Shangsi) J Holotype (Vietnam, Lao Cai, 5a Pa ) 0.871 VNMN PAE 226 (Vietnam, Son La, Ta Sua)

1.00 Theloderma lacustricum

Loo | Theloderma leporosum

1.00

1.00. 7 Theloderma gordoni

IL Theloderma albopunctantum 0.65 | 1.00

Loop Theloderma asperum

Theloderma petilum 0767 — Theloderma beibengense 1.00, — Theloderma pyaukkya ——————— Theloderma pyaukkya 1.00; —

IL

Theloderma licin

ste Theloderma phrynoderma

1.00 Theloderma rvabovi

Theloderma moloch

1.00 r s $ ; Fc Nyetixalus spinosus 0.66 -F P

1.00 | Nyetixalusmargarit

1.00 L Nvetixalus pictus

Liuixalus romeri Kurixalus idiootocus Nasutixalus medogensis

Figure 10. Bayesian inference tree reconstructed from 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene with Kurixalus idiootocus, Liuixalus romeri, and Nasutixalus medogensis as outgroups. Numbers above branches represent bootstrap supports for Bayesian po- sterior probabilities (BPP).

30

Species Nyctixalus

pictus

N. pictus

N. pictus N. spinosus N. spinosus

N. margaritifer N. margaritifer T. albopunctatum T. albopunctatum T. albopunciatum T. albopunctatum T. annae

T. annae

T. annae

T. asperum

T. asperum

T. asperum

T. baibungense T. bicolor

T. corticale

T. corticale

T. corticale

T. gordoni

T. gordoni

T. horridum

T. horridum

T. horridum

T. lacustrinum

T. lacustrinum

T. laeve

Voucher no.

FMNH 231095

FMNH 231094

AH07001 ACD 1043

pet trade

TNHCJAM 3030

KUHE 26135

KIZ 060821217

HN05806100

VNMN J2916

NHMG20160632

IEBR3732 IEBR3733 IEBR3734 VNMN J 2888

VNMN 4404

VNMN 4405

YPX31940 IEBR A. 2011.4

AMNH A 161499

VNMN 3556

NHMG20161003

VNMN 03013 VNMN PAE217 LJT W44

LJT W45 ZMMU NAP-04015

NCSM84682

NCSM84683

ZMMU NAP-01645

WEICAI CHEN ET ALII

Locality

Malaysia,Sabah, Lahad Datu

Malaysia

Malaysia,Sarawak, Gunung

Mulu

Philippine Islands, Mindanao

Philippine Islands, Mindanao

Indonesia, Java Indonesia, Java

China, Guangxi, Jinxiu

China, Hainan

Vietnam, Vinh Phuc

China, Guangxi, Shangsi

Vietnam, Hoa Binh Vietnam, Hoa Binh Vietnam, Hoa Binh

Vietnam, Tam Dao, Vin Phu Vietnam, Ngoc Linh, Kon

Tum

Vietnam, Kon Ka Kinh, Gia

Lai China, Medog, Tibet

Vietnam, Lao Cai, Sa Pa Vietnam, Dao, Vin Phu

Vietnam, Tam Dao,

China, Guangxi, Shangsi

Vietnam,Nghe An Vietnam,Son La Malaysia Malaysia

Thailand,Satun

Laos, Vientiane

Province,Feuang District

Laos, Vientiane

Province,Feuang District

Vietnam Lam Dong, Cat Loc

GenBank no.

DQ283133

AF458135

GU154888 DQ283114 KT461916

EU178087 LC012864

EF564522

GQ285678

KJ802913

MH521263

LC168170 LC168171 LC168172 LC012853

LC012854

LC012855

KU981089 JX046474 DQ283050 LC012841 MG322125 JN688167 KJ802918 KC465843 KC465842

KT461890

KX095245

KX095246

KT461913

Reference

Frost et al., 2006

Wilkinson et al., 2002

Das and Haas, 2010

Frost et al., 2006 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Biju et al., 2008 Dever, 2017

Yu et al., 2008

Dever, 2017

Dever, 2017

This study

Nguyen et al., 2016 Nguyen et al., 2016 Nguyen et al., 2016 Li et al., 2016

Li et al., 2016

Li et al., 2016

Li et al., 2016 Gawor et al., 2012 Li et al., 2016

Li et al., 2016 Chen et al., 2018 Rowley et al., 2011 Nguyen et al., 2014 Li et al., 2013

Li et al., 2013 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Sivongxay et al., 2016

Sivongxay et al., 2016

Poyarkov et al. 2015

Table 1/1. Samples and sequences used in this study. Generic allocation according to Frost (2017).

First record of Theloderma lateriticum (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology 31

Species

T. laeve

T. lateriticum

T. lateriticum T. lateriticum T. lateriticum T. lateriticum T. leporosum T. leporosum T. leporosum T. licin

T. liein

T. moloch

T. nebulosum

T. nebulosum

T. nebulosum

T. palliatum

T. palliatum

T. petilum

T. phrynoderma T. phrynoderma

T. pvaukkya

T. pyaukkya T. rhododiscum T. rhododiscum T.

rhododiscum

T.

rhododiscum

T. ryabovi

Voucher no.

ZMMU NAP-02906 AMNH 168757/IEBR A. 0860

VNMN PAE 226 VNMN 215 VNMN 216 NHMG201704001 LIT W46

leporosum-1

KUHE 52581 KUHE 19426 KUHE 52599 SDBDU 2011.345

ROM 39588

AMS R 173409

AMS R 173877

AMS R 173130

ZMMU NAP-01846 HNUE MNA.2012.0001

CAS 243920

CAS 247910

CAS 236133 CAS 234869

KIZ06082 1063

KIZ060821170

SCUM 061102L

CIB GX200807048

ryabovi-1

Locality

Vietnam Binh Phuoc, Bu Gia Map

Vietnam, Lao Cai, SaPa

Vietnam, Son La, Ta Sua Vietnam, Ban Giang, Yen Tu Vietnam, Ban Giang, Yen Tu China, Guangxi, Shangsi Malaysia

Malaysia,Selangor

Malaysia,Negeri Sembilan Tailand, Nakon Sri Tamarat Malaysia,Selangor Arunachal Pradesh, India Vietnam, Kon Tum, Ngoc Linh

Vietnam, Kon Tum, Ngoc Linh

Vietnam, Kon Tum, Ngoc Linh

Vietnam Lam Dong, Bi Doup-Nui Ba

Vietnam Lam Dong, Bi Doup-Nui Ba

Vietnam Dien Bien, Muong Nhe

Myanmar, Tanintharyi

Myanmar, Tanintharyi

Myanmar, Kachin

Myanmar, Chin

China, Guangxi, Jinxiu

China, Guangxi, Jinxiu

China, Guangxi, Jinxiu

China, Guangxi, Jinxiu

Vietnam Kon Tum, Kon Plong,Mang Canh

GenBank no.

KT461883

LC012848

LC012849 LC012850 LC012851 MH521262 KC465841

KT461922

AB847128 LC012859 KJ802920

KU169993

KT461887

JN688168

JN688169

JN688172

KT461901

KJ802925

KJ128282

KJ128283

KU244360 KU244370

EF564533

EF564534

EU215530

KJ802921

KT461914

Reference

Poyarkov et al., 2015

Nguyen et al., 2015

Nguyen et al., 2015 Nguyen et al., 2015 Nguyen et al., 2015 This study

Li et al., 2013 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Nguyen et al., 2014 Li et al., 2016 Nguyen et al., 2014 Biju et al., 2016 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Rowley et al., 2011

Rowley et al., 2011

Rowley et al., 2011

Poyarkov et al., 2015

Nguyen et al., 2014

Dever, 2017

Dever, 2017

Dever, 2017 Dever, 2017

Yu et al., 2008

Yu et al., 2008

Li et al., 2008

Nguyen et al., 2014

Poyarkov et al.,

2015

Table 1/2. Samples and sequences used in this study. Generic allocation according to Frost (2017).

32

Species

T. ryabovi

T. stellatum

T. stellatum

T. truongsonense T.

Iruongsonense

T. vietnamense

T. vietnamense

T. vietnamense

Nasutixalus medogensis Liuixalus romeri Kurixalus

idioolocus

Voucher no.

ryabovi-2

stellatum-1

ZMMU NAP-03961

ROM 39363

AMS R 171510

ZMMU NAP-00707 ZMMU NAP-03680 ZMMU NAP-03723

6255Rao

CIB20080048

SCUM 061107L

WEICAI CHEN ET ALII

Locality

Vietnam Kon Tum, Kon Plong,Mang Canh

Thailand Chanthaburi, Phliu

Thailand Nakhon Nayok, Nang Rong

Vietnam Khanh Hoa, Hon Ba

Vietnam Quang Nam

Vietnam Dong Nai, Nam Cat Tien

Vietnam Tay Ninh, Lo Go-Xa Mat

Vietnam Kien Giang, Phu

Quoc

China, Motuo, Xizang

China, Hong Kong

China, Taiwan, Lianhuachi

GenBank no.

KT461915

KT461918

KT461917

KT461925

JN688174

KT461889

KT461921

KT461919

GQ285679

AB871412

EU215547

Reference

Poyarkov et al., 2015 Poyarkov et al., 2015 Poyarkov et al., 2015 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Rowley et al., 2011

Poyarkov et al., 2015 Poyarkov et al., 2015 Poyarkov et al., 2015

Jiang et al., 2016

Nguyen et al., 2014

Li etal., 2008

Table 1/3. Samples and sequences used in this study. Generic allocation according to Frost (2017).

Male Male Male Female NHMG1704001 NHMG1706010 NHMG1706011 NHMG1706012

SVL 24.6 23.8 23.3 24.8 HL 7.7 7.2 6.6 8.2 HW 9.3 8.3 8.2 93 SNT 4.2 3.9 3.8 4.1 ED 3.6 3.0 3.1 3.6 IOD 3.0 2,9 3.1 3.5 TD 2.1 1.9 2.0 1.8 UEW 2.1 1.9 2.2 2.4 TED 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.6 IN 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.7 EN 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.7

12.8

11.5

13.1

10.0

6.8

1.5

1.3

Character

Table 2. Measurements (mm) of Theloderma lateriticum. Abbreviations defined in text.

First record of Theloderma lateriticum (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology 33

Holotype: Lag Car$a Pa)

NHMUG201 7043001(Guangexi, Shiwandashan)

VNMNPAE226 (Son Ea; Ta rey FAT et \ i ; VNMN-E215-6 (Bae Giang, Yen Tu)

Figure 11. Distribution of Theloderma lateriticum.

- £F = - =. Fr a = = + = - * pf -

A p pm na € m E = | = +» = = , =. r z A. | = = e r - nd ra ys Nut me DEAR Da Er gt ee ee, ye ndi ie nata i eier am enaA Se Sole Ss ee a pe ra a at 2 der E CI [ureteri cari EET mer orco CILE m e a RA en Sio

0.5 1.0 1,5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4,5 3.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0(s)

MTA EAE AST UIS TAN GUI PATTES Er III pe cd ee INR oe ien dir Ze vé. y Aoc nz annue icum A ng DAT CL E M ELE c EE E N s EN ue ee rn ur ae ERE nen en e oS Lam cay

k [ L i 2 i d Ü d O i G 50 4 SN

Figures 12, 13. Two types of advertisement calls of Theloderma lateriticum recorded at ambient temperature of 21?C. Figure 12 and figure 13 showed variable durations between calls.

34 WEICAI CHEN ET ALII

Holotype (Lao Cai, Sa Pa) VNMN PAE 226 (Son La, Ta Sua)

VNMN 1215 (Bac Giang, Yen Tu) VNMN 1216 (Bac Giang, Yen Tu) NHMG201704001 (Guangxi, Shiwandashan)

Table 3. Uncorrected p-distances (in %) in Theloderma lateriticum group based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences (~530 bp).

Nguyen et al. (2015) and Huang et al. (2017) (Fig. 10). All 7. lateriticum specimens form a mono- phyletic group. Holotype is closer to Ta Sua speci- men than Yen Tu and Shiwandashan specimens, matching their geographical distance (Fig. 11). Un- corrected sequence divergences at the 16S rRNA gene between type locality and other three sites range from 4.1-4.4% (Table 3), but Shiwandashan specimens and Yen Tu specimens range from 2.2— 2.4% (Table 3). Genetic variation between T. lat- eriticum and all available homologous 16S rRNA sequences is great than 8.5%.

Advertisement call. We only recorded the calls of a single male (Voucher no. NHMG1704001) near PVC buckets at an ambient temperature of 21°C. We detected two typical calls, but these calls have the same dominant frequency and harmonics (Fig. 12, 13). The dominant frequency ranges from 2.5— 3.5 kHz, and harmonics present at 5.8—6.8 kHz and 8.0-9.0 kHz. Figures 13, 13 showed waveforms and corresponding spectrograms for 10 s. For figure 12, the durations between calls are variable, ranging from 200-700 ms; for figure 13, the durations are relatively stable, presenting around 220 ms.

DISCUSSION

Morphologically, Shiwandashan, Yen Tu and Ta Sua specimens are similar to holotype. Nguyen et al. (2015) were convinced that Yen Tu and Ta Sua specimens had a vocal slit, but they lacked a vocal slit in holotype as well as our specimens. For color model, our specimens are more similar to Ta Sua specimens than Yen Tu specimens and holotype (Hecht et al., 2013; Pham & Nguyen, 2018). Toe

webs also display subtle differences, webbing for- mula: I 1- — 1- II 1+- 1- HI 1+-1+1V1+-2-V in our specimens vs. Il — 21117 — 2III1 — 2'A1V2'4 — 2V in Ta Sua specimens. For the skin texture, holotype and Yen Tu specimens are gran- ular, but Shiwandashan and Ta Sua specimens are obviously smooth (Hecht et al., 2013; Pham & Nguyen, 2018). Holotype was collected on 10 Sep- tember, but other specimens were collected in April or June. In Shiwandashan, we found that the breed- ing season of T. lateriticum ranges from April to June. Whether some morphological differences are caused by the breeding season and non-breeding season need further investigation.

Genetic variations between holotype and other specimens range from 4.1% to 4.4% based on the part of 16S rRNA (-530 bp); genetic variations greater than 3% represents differentiation at the species level in frogs (Vences et al., 2005). How- ever, genetic variation between our specimens and Yen Tu specimens is about 2.2%. Other examples of high instraspecific genetic variation included T. albopunctatum (2.5%), T. gordoni (2.1-4.6%), T. licin (3.8%), T. pyaukkya (3.9%), T. truongsonense (3.8%) and T. stellatum (0.4-3.0%) (Nguyen et al., 2015; Pham & Nguyen, 2018). High genetic vari- ation indicated the possible presence of cryptic species in these group. For T. lateriticum group, be- cause 7. lateriticum was described based on a sin- gle specimen and lacked variation data, we consider these specimens as a single species de- spite presence of subtle morphological variations and relative high genetic variation. If we want to determine the 7. lateriticum species complex, it is necessary to collect more specimens from type lo- cality.

First record of Theloderma lateriticum (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology 35

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi, China (Grant No: 2016GXNSFAA380007) and the Opening Founda- tion of Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu, Gulf Ministry of Educa- tion (Nanning Normal University) and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and In- telligent Simulation (Nanning Normal University) (Grant No: GTEU-KLOP-X1812).

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Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 37-46 https://doi.0rg/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.37.46

A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines

Marlon dL. Suba'*, Axel H. Arriola'? & Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro!

"The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Espafia Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines

?Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the East, 2219, C.M. Recto Ave, Manila, Philippines

3College of Science and Research Centre for the Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines

^Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City, Pampanga 2009, Philippines

"Corresponding author, e-mail: suba.marlon@auf.edu.ph

ABSTRACT The Mt. Arayat National Park (MANP) is one of the oldest national parks and protected areas in the Philippines. However, very few published studies have been carried out despite its spec- ulated high potential of biodiversity. Therefore, this paper intends to provide a preliminary checklist of vascular plants in MANP with emphasis on their conservation status. Several floristic surveys were conducted in the South and North peaks of MANP. A total of 98 species belonging to 92 genera and 43 families were identified. Of them, Leguminosae was the largest family which contributed 10 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 7 species each. The most dominated genera were: Ficus with 3 species, and Artocarpus, Litsea, and Macaranga with 2 species each. Based on IUCN criteria and DENR records, a total of 10 species were threatened while only 8 were least concern and the rest were not evaluated. Among those threatened plants, Cycas riuminiana was the most notable due to its endemicity in MANP. The slash-and-burn farming was one the several threats witnessed in the mountain. Thus, this checklist is vital as it provides a scientific information on MANP’s plant diversity and distribution which is a useful starting point for further ecological and bio-prospective re- search in the area.

KEY WORDS Biodiversity; Conservation; endemic; Protected area; Threatened plants.

Received 15.01.2019; accepted 14.03.2019; published online 28.03.2019

INTRODUCTION

Mt. Arayat National Park (MANP) is identified as one of the several areas in the Philippines as a center of biodiversity by the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) (DENR-UNEP, 1997). This mountain is an isolated and dormant stratovolcano located in the northeastern portion of the province of Pampanga, which covers an aggre- gate area of 3,715.28 hectares and with the highest

elevation of about 1,030 meters (Dagamac et al., 2014). It lies between 15?12'00"N latitude and 120?43'59"E longitude. When the National Parks Act (Act No. 3195) was enacted in 1932, MANP became one the oldest national parks and protected areas in the Philippines by the virtue of Proclama- tion 203 on September 16, 1933 (DENR-PENRO., 2015).

The topography of MANP is rolling to moder- ately steep in the lower elevations and generally

38 MARLON DL. SUBA ET ALII

steep and rugged in the upper portions. A circular volcanic crater of about 1,200 meters in diameter covers the western part, and a portion of the north- ern rim has collapsed due to soil erosion (Dagamac et al., 2014). The mountain consists of three peaks; the North peak (15?12'00"N-120?44'00"E) is where the main summit occurs with its highest ele- vation of about 1,030 meters via Barangay Ayala, Magalang route, while the South Peak (15°17’35”N- 120?76'42"E) is about 984 meters via Barangay San Juan Banyo, Arayat route and the Pinnacle Peak (15°10’60”N-120°43’59”E) is about 786 meters, situated between the North and the South peaks. The soils of the park originated from residual soils of basalt, sandstone, volcanic tuff and limestone (Bau & Knittel, 1993). The area has an annual temperature range of 2231?C with an annual rainfall range of 284—1,844 mm. Moreover, the MANP is characterized by a moist tropical climate with a period of high precipitation from May to Oc- tober and six months of relatively dry period from November to April (Dagamac et al., 2012).

The richness and the various native plants in MANP have been used as sources of building mate- rials, food, ornamentals, and medicine. The present forest types of MANP are characterized by second- ary deciduous type of forest, with species of Musa L., Ficus L., and various dipterocarps representing the predominant trees present (Dagamac et al., 2012).

In the Philippines, assessment of plant diversity of different protected areas has already been started in response to the effort of National Integrated Pro- tected Areas System (NIPAS) established in 1992 to sustain biodiversity (La Vifiia et al., 2010). To cite a few, the works of Replan & Malaki (2007), Amoroso et al., (2009), Villegas & Pollisco (2008), Buot Jr., (2010), Amoroso et al., (2011), Malabrigo Jr., (2013), and Lagbas et al., (2017) have so far published floristic works but no such work was car- ried out for MANP.

The values of different aspects of this park is now highly realized since the DENR has placed MANP under a Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA) to elevate the status of the mountain into a protected landscape (DENR, 2018). Furthermore, the elevation of the area into a protected landscape would be ideal in addressing the need to protect the national park in line with the current situation of human activities in MANP. Once classified as a pro-

tected landscape, this will be designated under the new Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded Na- tional Integrated Protected Areas System (ENipas) Act of 2018. The ENipas provides a congruent in- teraction of man and land while providing opportu- nities for public enjoyment through recreation and tourism within the normal lifestyle and economic ac- tivity of the area (DENR, 2018). To intensify man- agement program on utilization and conservation of plant diversity in MANP, a checklist of biological di- versity is very essential. This will give a baseline in- formation on which action plan can be made. Hence, this study aims to provide a preliminary checklist of vascular plants including their conservation status of each plant of MANP, Pampanga, Philippines.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A research ethics was observed by presenting a letter of request and research proposal to the re- gional office of the DENR at San Fernando City, Pampanga, Philippines to grant a gratuitous permit. A prior informed consent from the leader of the community who lives in the area was also obtained. Trained Forest Guides were provided for assistance by the Provincial Environment and Natural Re- sources Officer (PENRO) of Pampanga. Since the nature of the research is participatory, the forest guides were compensated and involved during the entire duration of field work.

Several field visits have been made in the North Peak and South Peak during wet season, September 2016, and dry season, April 2017. According to Rathcke & Lacey (2003), there are correlations be- tween seasonal changes in the physical environment and the simultaneous germination of many species within plant communities. Since the Pinnacle Peak trails are quite dangerous due to its ridgeline, only the North and South Peaks were allowed to be sur- veyed.

The plant specimens were collected and as- sessed at the various collecting sites (Fig. 1). Each specimen included information recorded on herbar- ium collection labels, such as local names, habitat, altitudes, coordinates, etc. Representative speci- mens collected were pressed, poisoned and mounted as herbarium vouchers using the wet method. Herbarium specimens were labeled and kept at the University of Santo Tomas Herbarium

A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines 39

San Agustin

San Fem ando || ct Sources : Evi HERE Garmin

N W B

S

Sampling Distribution Map

- uo xo no 19880 ni

SCALE: 125,000 Legend

© Mt Arayat North peak © Mt Arayat South peak Barangay Boundary

e Saf Roque Bitas

eU E a I | |

Gatiawin

ists, Pose, Barbier 9 ingiaphkbs, CHESA wa

serie, BR, sed th: 915 Uss Doanantinly

Figure 1. Map of the study sites in MANP. Surveyed areas are marked blue for North peak and green for South peak.

(USTH). All field data gathered were documented in the field notebook and photographs of the differ- ent morphological features were used as aid in the succeeding process of identification.

Identification of the collected specimens was conducted at USTH using various literature sources by de Padua & Bunyapraphatsön (1999), Madulid (2001), van Valkenburg & Bunyapraphatsara (2002), Keller (2004), Rummel (2005), and Pancho & Gruezo (2006), and some open access websites such as Pelser et al., 2018: Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines (www.philippineplants.org), or type specimens from JSTOR (https://plants.jstor.org/) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, GBIF (http:// www. gbif.org/).

To validate the scientific names, The Plant List, 2010 (http://www.theplantlist.org/) and Tropicos, 2018 (http:// tropicos.org/) were accessed, While the authentication of unfamiliar plant taxon was identified by the curator at USTH.

To determine the status for each species, whether Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Other Threatened (OT) and Least Concern (LC), the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threat- ened Species and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Administrative Order No. (DAO) 2017-01 aided in categorizing each species. IUCN and Co’s Digital Flora (Pelser et al.) of the Philippines were used to identify en- demic plants.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Based on this study, a preliminary list of vascu- lar plant diversity of the MANP was made that in- cludes 98 species under 92 genera and 43 families (Table 1). Of 98 species recorded here, herbs are represented by 16, shrubs by 29, trees by 48, vines

40 MARLON DL. SUBA ET ALII

by 1, and epiphytes by 4 species (Table 2). This rep- resents 0.98% of 9,995 species of vascular plants in the Philippines (Pelser et al., 2018). The most dom- inant family in the park was Leguminosae (10) fol- lowed by Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae (7) and Lamiceae (5) (Fig. 2). According to Mancera et al. (2013), the dominance of a plant family is not just affected by the distribution agents in the environ- ment. They suggest distribution patterns of other species, which affect, in turn, the conditions of physical surroundings, like the mimosoid stamens and fruits of the Leguminosae family which allow maximum pollination and dispersion (Carlquist 1974; Gillespie et al., 2011). The legume fruits in particular serve as food to a variety of reptiles and mammals in the forest and hence make them effi- cient seed dispersers.

In the genus, the most represented was Ficus with 3 species, followed by Artocarpus J.R. Forster et G. Forster, Litsea Lam. and Macaranga Thouars with 2 species each. Out of the total 98 species found in the mountain, IUCN Red List and DENR recorded only fifteen (15) and six (6) plant species respectively (Table 3). The IUCN Red List (2018) included one (1) EN, six (6) VU, and eight (8) LC while DENR (2017) identified five (5) VU and one (1) OT plant species which make 0.81% of 984 threatened vascular plants in the Philippines (Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines: Pelser et al., 2018). The OT species refers to a category that is not Crit- ically Endangered, Endangered nor Vulnerable, but is under threat to move to the Vulnerable (DENR- DAO, 2017), while the remaining 84 plant species were marked NE. Both IUCN Red list and DENR categorized Reutealis trisperma and Pterocarpus indicus as VU species. On the other hand, Macaranga grandifolia, Swietenia macrophylla, Artocarpus blancoi, and Ficus ulmifolia were re- ported by IUCN Red List as VU species but not on the list of DENR. Moreover, Cycas riuminiana, Diospyros pyrrhocarpa, Angiopteris palmiformis, and Alpinia elegans are marked as EN, LC, and NE respectively in IUCN Red List. In contrast to DENR, Cycas riuminiana, Diospros pyrrhocarpa, and Alpnia elegans were assessed as VU while An- giopteris palmiformis was labelled as OT. As ob- served in this study, IUCN and DENR have different categories for a specific species and this is due to their differences in scope or level of as- sessment (Villanueva & Buot, 2015). Hence, only

15 of the total 98 plant species were on the records based on the indicators formulated by the IUCN and DENR.

Despite being a protected area, most of the park’s large area have long been disturbed and uti- lized. Based on the records of DENR-PENRO (2015), 738 (20%) hectares are covered with sec- ondary growth forest, 928 (25%) hectares are plan- tation, 1,557.47 (42%) hectares are grassland with patches of reforestation area while the remaining thirteen 13% hectares are covered with intensive land use of crop production like vegetables and agroforestry species by upland farmers.

In this study, a total of 13 (0.30%) out of 4,359 endemic plants in the Philippines were identified based on IUCN (2018) and Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines (Pelser et al., 2018) data. Some of the threatened species which were restricted in the country were Alpinia elegans, Artocarpus blancoi, and Ficus ulmifolia, while Cycas riuminiana and Macaranga grandifolia were endemic in Luzon. According to Haq et al. (2010), endemic and rare taxa of an area are the most vulnerable because of restricted geographic ranges and specific habitats. Further, other endemic but not threatened species were Croton batangasensis, Lepidopetalum perrot- tetii, Litsea urdanetensis, Medinilla multiflora, and Micromelum compressum, while Claoxylon albi- cans, Pandanus exaltatus and Phyllanthus mega- lanthus were all endemic in the island of Luzon.

Among these endemic plants, Cycas riuminiana is a notable species that was categorized by IUCN Red list as EN and DENR as VU. This species is found in separate localities in lowland mountain forests of Pampanga, Bataan and Batangas in Luzon Island (Madulid & Agoo, 2009). The largest sub- population is found in MANP, with smaller subpop- ulations in the other known localities. Based on DNA analysis, there is no significant genetic diver- sity among the individuals in the provinces of Pam- panga, Bataan, and Batangas, thus suggesting that despite the geographical separation, these individ- uals belong to only one subpopulation. The esti- mated population is between 1,000 and 1,500 mature individuals (Agoo et al., 2010). Though MANP is a protected area, this endemic plant is highly threatened. According to Agoo et al. (2010), most of the mature plants of Cycas riuminiana have been removed in MANP due to the development of an exclusive residential resort area. A telecommu-

A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines 41

| Famly | Species | Voucher —— | Habit | Status | — Endemicit — e" === | ES? e E uo TP — | -H | —NE N |. | Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze | — USTH-014590 |

EE E

| | Cyathula prostata L) Blume USTH-014672 im d

= Deeringia polysperma (Roxb.) Mo USTH-014614 bah Em

RTS esse INNEN!

Ss «ce USTH-014615 = T Cr D mne Ump

Annonaceae Vip DM Lei | — | Anaxagorea luzonensis A. Gra USTH-014597 | 8 | NE | N | || Ef © eee III LI

| — | Parameria laevigata (Juss.) Moldenke USTH-014582

7 RE ———————— s

-—— Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don. USTH-014630 Etats.

Arisaema polyphyllum (Blanco) Merr. USTH-014618 Ea: |

—_ i — i | mm li là | + |

PT Pothos eylindrieus C. Prat USTH-014629 i CE J 2 O

Araliaceae BF Schefflera odorata (Blanco) Merr. & Rolfe USTH-014688 e NR

Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. M.King &

H.Rob USTH-014686 USTH-014606

Pseudelephantopus spicatus (B.Juss. ex Aubl.) Rohr ex C.F.Baker

TI: ——— — n" fe ee E STESO — — À €! —M

Evonymus cochinchinensis Pierre USTH-014583

a, e IL Mee Sar gr) Wake VSS] Combi m ain a Dae | 7 | ES a P| Pia secundifira uno RE UT | Wonpag | —_ —— — 7

=a ri Alangium chinense (Lour.) Harms USTH-014652 ETS SE EEE USTH-014658 1 lo_rP_—t——r - dl ih __ | Seleria terrestris (L.) Fassett USTH-014572 Sw ei Lae eee T Ern

= ti m

z

USTH-014687

4

zZ ti

= Fab = [zz - C mim Mm mm td

z =

zZ t

EN/*VUL

== e al Tacca palmata Blume USTH-014631 ————n

^

= e

Ebenaceae LC/*VUL

a hak ei USTH-O1ASSÌ FEphobieas PCS

ch Claoxylon albicans (Blanco) Merr. USTH-014613

| Croton batangasensis Croizat | USTH-014569 | TPE NN | 1 VON | Macaranga grandifolia (Blanco) Mer. — | USTH-014603 | T | | Macarangatanarius(L)Mül Ag | — USTH-014685 | T | | Manihot esculenta Crantz | — USTH-014666 | S |

Melanolepis multiglandulosa (Reinw. ex mm! Blume) Reichb. & Zoll, SESH ARES

Table 1/1. List of vascular plants identified in MANP. Plant families are alphabetically arranged, followed by species for each family, vouchers, habit (T = tree, S = shrub, H = herb, V = vine, E = epiphyte), proposed conservation status based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species or *DENR Administrative Order 2017-11 (NE = Not Evaluated, DD = Data Deficient, LC = Least Concern, OT= Other Threatened, VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered), and endemicity based on IUCN and Co’s Digital Flora (E = Philippine endemic, N = non-endemic). All collections done by MDL Suba.

z ti

=

|

lun m

=

42 MARLON DL. SUBA ET ALII

ee ee

Lamiaceae (e | Gi eee Callicarpa candicans (Burm.f.) Hochr. USTH-014584 | s | N | N | = aa

P| Gmelina arborea Roxb. USTH-014660 LE as

Hyptis suaveolens (L. USTH-014673 EXE ee ae DRE |

| Premna odorata Blanco — — — — — — | — USTH-014697 | T | NE | | | Tectona grandis LE — — | — USTH-014691 — | T | NE | O N | Lauraceae (PTT Oo Ter Pi UNI Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B. Rob. | . USTH0M$SS | T | NE | ÁN | pu a

Ma JL sque; ee BB Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. Bauhinia integrifolia Roxb

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.

use | r | ue | n |

o| UsrH0466 | T | vw | N | | USTH-014698 | T | IC | ÁN | Ru. an—— ee | dee) e | E Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. | A OUSTH-O01476 | T | NE | N | Malvaceae

SS REMO M ee T

|__| Kleinhovia hospita L. | USTH-014589 [Se Si SR ee NM) | | Sida acuta Burm. f. | USTH-014672 Ee 4]

USTH-014693 5

Lythraceae

Lbs cue USTH-014634 | USTH-014673

Broussonetia luzonica (Blanco) Bureau _ |. USTH-014674 Ficus nota (Blanco.) Merr.

limo a 14 ot ee | USTH-014607 eee USTH-014695 li USTH-014669

| USTH-014566 | ©

i

| USTH-014617 RS.

Ph p (Pontine MP RE EMEN. RUNE: NENNEN Paspalum conjugatum P.J. Bergius USTH-014602 Bl 3 | mw |

[o 00000007 | Schizostachyum diffusum (Blanco) Mert (_GSTH046! | $ | NE | N | IO qi —-— E-»ÀAÀ)A)M)ì:!:M<MMPMM)! oon ae E — —— — Microsorum longissimum (J.Sm.) Fee | — USTH-014628 | E | NE | N | Microsorum membranifolium (R.Br.) Ching. | USTH-014640 | E | NE | N |

Lee i cei mA um wu a s: o -.- t

Table 1/2. List of vascular plants identified in MANP. Plant families are alphabetically arranged, followed by species for each family, vouchers, habit (T = tree, S = shrub, H = herb, V = vine, E = epiphyte), proposed conservation status based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species or *DENR Administrative Order 2017-11 (NE = Not Evaluated, DD = Data Deficient, LC = Least Concern, OT- Other Threatened, VU — Vulnerable, EN — Endangered, CR - Critically Endangered), and endemicity based on IUCN and Co’s Digital Flora (E = Philippine endemic, N = non-endemic). All collections done by MDL Suba.

A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines 43

Voucher

USTH-014608 UE.

— ST _— H-014601

USTH-014594 a IE

USTH-014598

USTH-014668

Micromelum compressum (Blanco) Merr. USTH-014599 Aa disticha (Blanco) Swingle USTH-014656 (unresolved)

| Maesa indica (Roxb.) A. DC.

| Helicia robusta (Roxb.) R.Br, ex. Wall

Pteridaceae

Pteris tripartita Sw.

Tarrenoidea wallichii (Hook.f) Tirveng & Sastre

Rutaceae

Sapindaccae = =

Allophylus cobbe (L.) Racusch. ea Lepidopetalum perrottetii Blume | USTH-014585 | | |SapindussaponariaL. | USTH-014694 | [Selaginellaceae J [| — MM ——— E

sf —] | [0 pWibsmoemiadamceolam Mem. | osmoso — — | s | NE | N | re ARAS E] D rame eme | US | 5 | NE | N | [—— [Stachptarpheta cayennensis (Rich) Vai L^ c — € —À—Ó À ——nT-|-—EÜ À— ]n nm: nri m OüÓ a: o mamme Dm — | VIN CN N x — Ci ili

Re D — | 4 | Ww |] — —

Table 1/3. List of vascular plants identified in MANP. Plant families are alphabetically arranged, followed by species for each family, vouchers, habit (T = tree, S = shrub, H = herb, V = vine, E = epiphyte), proposed conservation status based on IUCN

Alpinia elegans (C.Presl) K.Schum.

Red List of Threatened Species or *DENR Administrative Order 2017-11 (NE =

Not Evaluated, DD = Data Deficient, LC =

Least Concern, OT= Other Threatened, VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered), and endemicity based on IUCN and Co’s Digital Flora (E = Philippine endemic, N = non-endemic). All collections done by MDL Suba.

nications tower was also built at the peak of the mountain. During the course of field work of this study, other several threats were also observed such as expansion of agricultural lands, which was mostly seen in the South peak, caused by deforesta- tion through slash-and-burn farming. Those trees that burned were used for charcoal making. Other human activities such as irresponsible camping practices of visitors and limited manpower were also noticed.

At present, several projects have been launched to rehabilitate and conserve resources of MANP. The Community Based Program (CBP) is DENR Administrative Order No. 2004-32 which gives op- portunities to organize tenured migrant communi- ties and indigenous people to manage, develop, utilize, conserve and protect the resources within the zones of the protected area and consistent buffer zones with the Protected Area Management Plan (PAMP). The Treepreneur Project of Society for the conservation of Philippine wetlands brought in par- ticipation of women and children in tree planting

activities and maintenance of the assigned planta- tion areas at MANP were made (SCPW, 2012). Lastly, a new eco-tourist destination will soon rise in Central Luzon. The 10-hectare San Juan Baño recreational facility at the foot of the fabled MANP will undergo major renovation and rehabilitation under a public-private sector partnership scheme proposed by the local government of Arayat (DENR, 2018).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provided a preliminary check- list with emphasis on conservation status of vascu- lar plants in MANP, Pampanga, Philippines. The following conclusions are: 98 plant species from 43 families were documented, there is 1 Endangered, 8 Vulnerable and 1 other Threatened plant species; 13 plant species were found endemic, whiT Cycas riuminiana being the most notable; and (3) different threats to biodiversity in MANP were also observed

44 MARLON DL. SUBA ET ALII

Plant Groups Families

ho RB

Trees Shrubs Herbs Vines Epiphytes

48

Total Number of Genera

I LD

to Le

LD

Table 2. Taxonomic inventory of vascular plants in MANP.

Amaranthaceae Anacardiaceae Anne ICE UC Apocynaceae Araceac Aralinceae Asteraceae Burseraceae Celastraceae Chloranthaceae Combretaceae Commelinaceae L'omaaccae Cycadaceae Cyperaceae Dioscorcaceae Ebenaceae Euphorbiaceae Lamiaceae Lauraceae Leguminosae Lythraceae Malvaceae Marattiaceae Melastomataceae Meliaceae

Moraceae

FAMILIES

Pandanaceae Fassifloraceac Phyllanthaceae Poaceae Polypodiaceae Primulaceae Proteaceac Pteridaceac Rubiaceac Rutaceac Sapindaccae

Selaginellaceae

Ihymelaeaceae

Verbenaceac Vitaceae Zingiberaceae

c [E] fi

6

GG

NUMBER OF SPECIES

Figure 2. The most common families of vascular plant species recorded in MANP.

during field works. Noteworthy threats are charcoal making at the slopes of the mountain, specifically in South Peak. Charcoal making utilizes slash-and- burn techniques that reduce plant cover. The lack of discipline and irresponsible camping practices of visitors, and limited manpower were also observed.

Though there were only few documented plant species under threat, it cannot be denied that bio- logical diversity is rapidly fading in forest, upland, and even in coastal environments in the Philippines and throughout the world. Several management op- tions can be done such as distribution map of threat-

A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt.Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines 45

Critically Endangered (CR)

| Endangered(EN) | 1 | 0 | 1 | Vulnerable (VU) res. Eu

EBENEN

| Other Threatened (OT) | 0 | 1 |

| LestCocen(LO | 8 | 0 | | Data defiient(00) | 0 | 0 ^

| _Notevaluated(NE) | 83 | 92 | |

[Towl(CRENVUOD | | [m

Table 3. Summary of Threatened and Least Concern vascu- lar plant species found in MANP. *If IUCN or DENR listed same plant species, the plant species is counted as one.

ened plant species. Such map will facilitate accurate location and home range of threatened species in the MANP so that monitoring activities can be car- ried out easily. In severe cases, ex situ conservation for particular species may be followed to improve their population number. This is a preliminary checklist of vascular plants; the plant diversity is likely to be higher. The inventory of other plants such as bryophytes is also recommended for future studies. Nevertheless, this study has significantly increased the biodiversity knowledge of the park by gaining more detailed insight in the composition of the various vegetation types that can be used to in- tensify management program on utilization and conservation of MANP.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Research Center for Natural and Ap- plied Sciences, UST, for the herbarium facility. The present work is part of the graduate thesis of the first author in which financial grant has been ob- tained from the Commission on Higher Education- Faculty Development Program (CHED-FacDev) for the scholarship and research grant.

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Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 47-56 https://doi.0rg/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.47.56

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging commu-

nities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA

Shem Unger‘, Zeb Hull & Mark Rollins

'Department of Biology, Wingate University, Wingate, North Carolina, USA

“Corresponding author, e-mail: s.unger@ wingate.edu

ABSTRACT

Scavenging of animal carcasses (carrion) is an important ecological process, which occurs when insects and vertebrates either aid in decomposition or removal of carcasses. However, very little is known regarding which species typically scavenge or which forensically im- portant insects colonize recently deceased reptile carrion and in what relative frequencies. To this end, we deployed three reptile carcasses, a box turtle (Terrapene carolina), a snap- ping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), and black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) near a road and monitored vertebrate and invertebrate scavengers visiting carcasses with non-invasive camera traps and manual collection of insects visiting carcasses during the Spring of 2018 near Wingate, North Carolina, USA. In total, we collected 233 invertebrates present on the carcass by hand net capture representing 14 taxonomic insect groupings and observed 16 vertebrate species (mammals and birds) from 86 observations scavenging on the remains, with white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) being the most frequent vertebrate scavengers detected on camera traps. Car- casses were colonized by several insects including the orders Coleoptera from families Sil- phidae carrion beetles (Oiceoptoma noveboracense and Oiceoptoma inequale) and Staphylinidae (Platydracus sp.), the order Diptera representing families Piophilidae (Prochyliza sp.), Calliphoridae (Calliphora sp. and Luicilla sp.), Muscidea (Musca sp.), and Stratiom yidae (Hermetia sp.) and order Hymenoptera family Formicidae (Prenolepsis sp.). This report adds to our knowledge on the biodiversity of both invertebrate and verte- brate scavenging guild communities which rely on reptile carrion as an ecological resource

in terrestrial semi-forested environments.

KEY WORDS

Carrion ecology; forensic entomology; scavenger diversity; insect community; camera traps.

Received 06.02.2019; accepted 16.03.2019; published online 28.03.2019

INTRODUCTION Laerhoven & Anderson, 1999; Melis et al., 2004;

Carter et al., 2007; Beasley et al., 2012). Moreover,

The decomposition of vertebrate carcasses (car- rion) can generate a great deal of biological activity and have important ecological impacts, with carcass nutrients supporting populations of both microbial,

insect, and vertebrates (scavengers) in nature (Van-

reptiles are often the victims of direct mortality in both urban and semi-rural environments and near protected areas as a result of roads, with common roadkill mortality including snapping turtles, Chely- dra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758), box turtles Ter-

48 SHEM UNGER ET ALII

rapene carolina (Linnaeus, 1758), and Pan- therophis obsoletus (James, 1823), the black rat snake (Haxton, 2000; Smith & Dodd, 2003; Row et al., 2007; Andrews etal., 2008). The availability of carrion can influence local diversity and food webs of vertebrate scavengers as well as insects in urban ecosystems (Inger et al., 2016; Schwartz et al., 2018). However, very little research has assessed the biodiversity of both carcass insect colonizers and vertebrate scavengers which in the short term may rely on road mortality reptiles as either a nu- trient resource or as a location for deposition of eggs by a variety of insects.

There are diverse groups of forensically im por- tant, necrophagous insects which colonize carrion (Amendt et al., 2007), including primarily mem- bers of the insect orders Diptera and Coleoptera (Benecke, 2001; Kulshreshta & Satpathy, 2001). Camera traps (trail cameras) are useful to non-in- vasively monitor wildlife populations and scaveng- ing behavior in mammals (Devault et al., 2004; Pomezanski & Bennett, 2018; Schlichting et al., 2019). Presently, there is a dearth of information on either the frequency of reptile carrion scavenged by local wildlife (Antworth et al., 2005; Abernathy et al., 2017) or the extent of insect colonization on reptile carcasses (Watson & Carlton, 2005a, b). M oreover, in addition to mammals, both traditional scavenging and opportunistic species of birds may frequent carcasses (Inger et al., 2016), indicating carrion may help maintain local biodiversity across multiple taxonomic groups. In addition, most stud- ies on forensic entomology rely on using the mam- malian porcine model (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) as a carcass, with little knowledge available on other types of vertebrate carcass types which may also be utilized by local organismal communities (Schoenly et al., 2006). The aim of this work is to identify the diversity of scavenging vertebrates and colonizing invertebrates (forensic entomology) of reptile carcasses using both non-invasive camera traps and direct sampling of insects colonizing car-

Cass.

MATERIAL AND METHODS Field Sampling

During the Spring of 2018, we deployed three

reptile carcasses, one black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus), and two turtle species, an eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) and common snapping (Chelydra serpentina) on 10.1V.2018, 10.1V.2018 and 27.III.2018, respectively in the

central Piedmont area of Wingate, North Carolina,

turtle

USA. All carcasses were collected recently de- ceased (under ~12 hours at the same location). An- imals were obtained in coordination of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, double- bagged and frozen until deployed. Carcasses were deployed in a wooded area at Wingate University Campus Lake area (latitude 34,988 and longitude 80,429; 170 meters elevation), a mixture of Quer- cus and Pinus forest, within 20 meters of roads but in a wooded area to simulate roadkill conditions. Each carcass was separated by a minimal distance of 50 meters to prevent cross contamination by in- sects following Perez et al. (2016). For each car- cass, we deployed a total of three trail cameras positioned at varying angles of carcass to maximize detection of potential scavengers and in close enough proximity to differentiate smaller organ- isms. A small area of the leaf litter was cleared and carcasses were placed in the center of a trail camera array consisting of three Bushnell trail cameras (model 119637C) positioned facing the carcass area secured to nearby trees. This array allowed multiple angles of trail cameras in case images were blurry for any one trail camera. Cameras were set to record in 24 hr mode, motion capture at medium LED control, 14 M pixel, and 3 images per event. Cameras were deployed until 9.V.2018, to allow documentation of mammalian and bird visitors to carcasses at later decomposition stages (post-decay/dry stage; Kreitlow, 2010) and to de- tect potentially rare mammalian species (i.e., skunk, etc.), with low probabilities of detection (Shannon et al., 2014). We also recorded daily tem - peratures using HOBO® temperature data loggers during the experiment.

We visited carcasses daily during the first week of deployment, then periodically (every two days) following the first week for 26 days to collect in- sects actively scavenging or on the surface, or im- mediately below ground of each carcass. Insects scavenging carcass were collected using a combi- nation of forceps, a sweep net, and insect aspirator and stored in 95% ethanol until identification. We

were careful when collecting insects to never re-

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in North Carolina, USA 49

move more than five individuals of any one species per carcass to prevent compromising colonization

of carcass by other insects and decomposition rates. Data Analysis

We identified insects on carcasses to the low- est taxonomic level possible. We calculated the species richness and Shannon Diversity index for insects collected. We reviewed trail camera im- ages to identify the frequency of carcass visita- tions by mammals and birds. Each of the three trail cameras were viewed by authors and the best image for identification was used to validate species level identification and time of visit to each carcass type. We characterized images (visits by birds or mammals) captured by camera traps as temporally independent (a single observation) if they were separated by a minimum of 30 min- utes. However, we have no information if the same individual repeatedly visited a single car- cass, and therefore report this information as ob-

servations.

Carcass Type Frequency Order

CS, TC, CS, TC, PO PO

TC

CS, TC

CS Diptera PO, CS ES

CS, TC CS

CS

CS, TC PO, TC CS

CS Blattodea

Coleoptera

Hymenoptera

Total Species richness

Shannon Diversity index 1.797

Scarabaeidae

RESULTS

In total, we detected 16 mammal species (86 in- dividual observations) visiting our carcasses (Fig. 1), with one, the Virginia opossum, Didelphis vir- giniana (Kerr, 1792), fully removing and consum- ing our black rat snake carcass on the seventh day, on 16.IV.2018 (Fig. 1). Both turtle carcasses re- mained present through various decomposition stages. We also observed Raccoon, Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig. 2), Grey Fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) (Fig. 3), Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig. 4), and Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776), visiting carcasses. Across carcass types, the white-footed deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845), accounted for the most visits to carcasses, with Virginia opossum, D. virginiana, Eastern grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis G melin, 1788, and Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardi- nalis (Linnaeus, 1758) among the most frequent mammalian and bird observations on camera traps

(Fig. 5). Additional species (Fig. 6) which visited

Family Silphidae

Oiceoptoma noveboracense (Forster, 1771) Oiceoptoma inequale (Fabricius, 1781) Thanatophilus lapponicus (Herbst, 1793) Onthophagus sp.

Staphylinidae Piophilidae Calliphoridae

Muscidea Stratiomyidae Sarcophagidae unknown Formicidae

Blattidea

Platydracus sp. Prochyliza sp. Lucilla sericata Calliphora sp. Musca domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Hermetia sp. Sarcophaga sp. instars Prenolepsis sp. Formica sp. Parcoblatta sp.

Table 1. Insects identified on carcass by type (Chelydra serpentina [CS], Terrapene carolina [TC], and Pantherophis obso-

letus [PO ]), frequency, and taxonomic designation. Note: unknown Diptera or non-insect arthropods not included in species

richness or Shannon Diversity Index calculations.

50 SHEM UNGER ET ALII

04-16-2018 20:50:00

03-30-2018 10.49.21

Figures 1-4. Examples of Trail Camera images showing scavengers, including common opossum on rat snake (Fig. 1),

raccoon on snapping turtle (Fig. 2), grey fox on box turtle (Fig. 3), and turkey vulture on snapping turtle (Fig. 4).

the carcasses included the Brown thrasher, Toxos- toma rufum (Linnaeus, 1758), Eastern cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus (J.A. Allen, 1890), W hite-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zim - mermann, 1780), Domestic cat, Felis catus (Lin- naeus, 1758), Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783), American robin, Turdus mi- gratorius Linnaeus, 1766, American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm, 1822, and Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790). In total, camera traps recorded 5,459 images (three camera traps per carcass) with 2,212 images for box turtle carcass, 1,427 images for rat snake carcass, and 1,820 images for the snapping turtle carcass. Many images represented pictures with no bird or mam- mal individuals present or duplicate images of the same organism visiting carcasses from multiple camera traps. In addition, several images depicted larger fly adults and carrion beetle adults visiting

carcasses, but image quality was of low resolution

based on the distance of trail camera to carcass for identification further than Diptera or Coleoptera and are not included in this study. These 86 mam- malian and bird observations consisted of 52 ob- servations on the box turtle, 21 observations on the snapping turtle carcass, and only 13 observations on the snake carcass. The majority of camera trap images were recorded each day during 20:00 to 5:00 hours, or nocturnal and crepuscular (Fig. 7). Temperatures during the experiment (insect collec- tion and camera trapping) ranged from average minimal lows of 8.6 °C to average maximum daily tem peratures of 22.1 °C.

We identified 17 taxonomic groups of inverte- brates (14 insect groupings) associated with our three reptile carcasses, albeit at different frequen- cies (Table 1). We observed three insect orders across carcasses: Coleoptera, Diptera and Hy- menoptera. Insect families present on the snake

carcass included Silphidae, Calliphoridae, and

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in North Carolina, USA 51

Carolina Wren Amencan Crow

American Robin

Turkey Vulture Brown-Headed Cowbird Domestic Cal

Grey Fox

Striped Skunk

Racoon

White Tailed Deer

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Cotton Tailed Rabbit Northern Cardinal

Eastern Grey Squirrel Virginia Opossum

White Footed Deer Mouse

= +

15 20

ba E

Frequency

Figure 5. Relative frequency of vertebrate scavengers

observed on camera traps.

Percent Carcass Type and Scavenger Species

Black Rai Snake @WhiteFooted Deer Mouse — NVigimia Opossitm Ess Basen Cotton Tallal Rabbit @ Brown Thrasher

Box Turtle

eni Grey Square

Snapping Turtle

B Nomhem Cardinal

B White Tailed Deer B Raccoon

EDomeste Cal E BrownHexled Conti

@Auvencan Crow a Carolina Wren

BStnpped Skunk Bley Fox

m Turkey Vulbare U Arenican Robi

Figure 6. Percentage of scavenger species (vertebrates:

birds and mammals) observed on individual carcass type.

Formicidae, with five insect families present on the Silphidae, Staphylinidae, and Scarbaeidae. The snapping tur-

box turtle: Formicidae, Muscidae, tle carcass comprised the most amount of insect families represented by Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Piophilidae, Formicidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidea, Sarcophagidae, Stratiom yidea, and Blattidea (Table 1; Fig. 8). We observed adult and larval Coleopter- ans Oiceoptoma inaequale and Oiceoptoma noveb- oracense on both species of turtles (Figs. 9, 10), several Dipteran fly adults, including Lucilia seri-

cata on the rat snake (Fig. 11), and Musca domes-

Frequency

5 6 7 8 9 JOU 12 I3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Hour of Activity

Figure 7. Frequency of camera trap observations of

mammals and birds plotted against hour of activity.

Percentage 100%

ESnapping Turtle @Box Tule m Rat Snake

Figure 8. Relative frequencies of Insect families

identified across carcass types.

fica on snapping turtle (Fig. 12) when visiting car- casses and also identified in the insects we col- lected. Many of the Oiceoptoma inaequale adults we observed when visiting the rat snake carcass were breeding directly on and even in the carcass (Fig.9). We first observed fly instars (maggots) on the box turtle and snapping turtle at day 7 and day 9, respectively, with none observed on the rat snake. In addition to insects, we further identified other arthropods present on carcasses, including 14 and 16 Armadillium vulgare (Order Isoptera, Fam -

ily Armadillidiidae) on box turtle carcass and snap-

52 SHEM UNGER ET ALII

ping turtle carcass, respectively. Lastly we col- lected 3 harvestmen Leiobunum sp. (Order Opil- iones, Family Leiobunidae) and 2 harvest mites Trombicula sp. (Order Trombidiformes, Family Trombiculidae) on the snapping turtle carcass. We observed an increase in arthropods collected on de- composition days 7-9 and 14-17 (Fig. 13). Shan- non Diversity Index for identified insects across all

carcasses was 1.797.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study detected a diverse set of organisms, both invertebrate and vertebrates, which differen- tially utilize reptile carcasses in a semi-forested ecosystem. Our most frequently sighted organism on camera traps, the white-footed deer mouse, is

among smaller mammals encountered investigat-

ing and scavenging on carcasses (O’Brien et al., 2007). We also noted similar to other studies in urban wooded areas, raccoons and Virginia opos- sums visiting carcasses (DeVault et al., 2004; Hager et al., 2012). In addition, we observed our black rat snake carcass to be scavenged within a short period (6 days), as other studies have found snakes to be scavenged within 36 hours (Antworth et al., 2005). We detected

passerine birds and rodents, which other studies

several species of

have documented to scavenge remains (Pokines & Pollock, 2018). Other studies on pig, Sus scrofa carcasses have observed high visitations by ro- dents as well as birds in the family Corvidae (Komar & Beattie, 1998). It is possible we de- tected several bird species other than the turkey vulture on camera traps that were attracted to the smell of the carcass or that were feeding on insects

that were present on or near the carcass. Moreover,

Figures 9-12. Example of invertebrates colonizing carcasses, including Oiceoptoma inaequale on rat snake (Fig. 9), Oice- optoma noveboracense larvae on box turtle (Fig. 10), Lucilia sericata on rat snake (Fig. 11), and Musca domestica on snap-

ping turtle (Fig. 12).

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in North Carolina, USA 53

— mf z ALI — = — = - = ae of "t i = - e = il - = — _ da Fr. + = "D — = pæ = p -— - UD aL [1v] ~ u À

Day of Decomposition

Figure 13.The average number of arthropods sampled across all carcass types during the experiment plotted

against the day of decomposition. We noted an increase in arthropod activity within days 7-9 and 14-17.

we detected two separate taxonomic groupings of ants on carcasses, which can both directly con- sume carcasses material and affect colonization by other insects by lacerating carcasses (Eubanks et dL. 22019.

We identified several groups of carrion-associ- ated Coleoptera and Diptera across carcasses. The majority of carcasses were dominated by the pres- ence of Oiceoptoma sp. adults and larvae and also insects from the Dipteran family Calliphoridae, both frequent colonizers of carrion (Michaud & Moreau, 2017). We observed many members of the insect family Piophilidae, which are forensically im portant necrophagous species used to estimate the postmortem interval in forensics (Rochefort et al., 2015). Moreover, many of the Calliphoridae (blow flies) we detected, including Lucilia seri- cata, utilize carrion as breeding sites (Smith & Wall, 1997), and are typically found in high rela- tive abundances on pig carcasses used in forensic entomology (Gruner et al., 2007). One of the few studies on insect colonization of reptiles using the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, found both adult and instars of Calliphoridae within the first 6 to 7 days of decomposition (Wat- son & Carlton, 2005b). We collected adult Cal-

liphoridae within the first 3 days of decomposition for two of our carcasses, the snapping turtle and rat snake. Our results for many of the invertebrate scavengers are similar to other studies (Cammack et al., 2016) Cruise et al., 2018), for many of the same indicator insect groups on porcine remains, although we did not detect the American carrion beetle Necrophila americana, on any of our car- casses, as it may be a late carcass colonizer (W at- son & Carlton, 2005a). detected the Coleopteran Platydracus sp., which is

Interestingly, we also

suspected of preying on dipterans (Byrd & Castner, 2000) indicating the potential importance of car- rion as a resource not only for insect egg deposi- tion, but predation by other insects. Our observation of Dipteran instars on both turtle car- casses within 7 to 9 days after carcass deployment, indicate potentially several species of flies de- posited offspring on carrion. We did not detect Dipteran or Oiceoptoma sp. larvae on the rat snake carcass, likely due to this carcass being scavenged completely and removed from our experiment by a scavenger (D. virginiana) on the seventh day of deployment, or possibly not enough time for de- velopment. However, in our visits to the snake car-

cass, we confirmed the presence of Oiceoptoma sp.

54 SHEM UNGER ET ALII

adults breeding near, on, and even inside the snake carcass (Fig. 9), which was also validated on at least one camera trap. This observation indicates the potential for future work utilizing camera traps to monitor not just bird and mammal vertebrates, but also smaller-sized insect colonizers of carrion, particularly as trail camera video and image quality improves and becomes more affordable to biologist documenting local biodiversity. For example, cam- era traps could be placed within ~0.25 m and set to record video and still photos at specific time inter- vals of a carcass to non-invasively identify insect colonizers and monitor frequency of visitations by adult insects.

The diversity of invertebrates and vertebrate scavengers present in our study represent dominant scavengers of not only reptiles but likely also other types of carrion in the local ecosystem. Further- more, our observations for camera trap encounters, which occurred primarily nocturnally for mam m als and during early mornings for birds, indicate activ- ity patterns of scavengers, some of which were less abundant and seen less frequently on specific car- casses. Therefore, our data indicate that camera traps are effective for monitoring scavengers in semi-forested ecosystems and that reptile carrion is an essential resource in local food webs. In ad- dition, using camera traps allows for the detection of animals that are more likely to flee from carrion as researchers approach carcasses to collect insects. Future work could incorporate further documenta- tion of the micro-ecosystem and ecological cascade that forms around carrion. For example, as the number of insects colonizing a carcass increases, bird activity concomitantly increases due to the availability of invertebrate prey, in addition to scavenging by a variety of mammals.

The goal of this study was to provide prelim inary data on reptile carcasses utilization as a carrion re- source, which have been understudied in both foren- sic entomology and scavenging ecology. Our results on the snake carcass are limited due to it being scav- enged and removed. Subsequently, future research should focus on examining the role of additional types of reptiles (e.g., lizards), and also increasing sample size to better understand if either insects or mammals colonize and scavenge reptiles similar to other carrion. Moreover, experimental carcasses could be deployed in protective cages to prevent re-

moval by mammalian scavengers, as we observed

with the rat snake. We observed the greatest number of individual insects and family diversity on the snapping turtle carcass, possibly due to its overall larger size compared to the smaller box turtle and snake carcasses or due to this carcass being placed ~ 2 weeks prior to the box turtle and snake carcasses. However, our overall results across carrion types provide baseline information on many of the same insect orders which have been observed in other studies (Cammack et al., 2016), with waltzing flies, Prochyliza sp. (Diptera) and the carrion beetle Oiceoptoma sp. (Coleoptera) being dominant colo- nizers of reptile carrion. We conclude, based on our data observations, that reptile carrion may help maintain local biodiversity across trophic levels of both vertebrates and invertebrate communities, in- cluding a variety of insect, mammal, and bird

species.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Wingate University Biology Depart- ment for providing resources for this project. The North Carolina Division of Wildlife Resources was consulted for collection of carcasses. Insects are de- posited in the Wingate University Biology Depart- ment insect collection. We followed animal care and used guidelines of the Wingate University Re-

search and Review Board.

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Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 57-66

https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.57.66

A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae, 8: on two poorly known species of Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847: R. pumila (Monterosato, 1890) and R. hispidella nomen novum (Gas-

tropoda Conoidea)

Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli'*, Francesco Pusateri? & Stefano Bartolini?

'Via Mater Dolorosa 54, 90146 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: malakos@tin.it ?Via Castellana 64, 90135 Palermo, Italy; e-mail: francesco@pusateri.it 3Via E. Zacconi 16, 50137 Firenze, Italy; e-mail: stefmaria.bartolini@libero.it

"Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

Two poorly known species of genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847 (Gastropoda Conoidea) are

revised. Raphitoma pumila (Monterosato, 1890) is redescribed and Cordieria cordieri var. hispida, Monterosato, 1890 is raised to species level and transferred to the genus Raphitoma, hence requiring the creation of a replacement name (R. hispidella nomen novum) due to sec- ondary homonymy with R. hispida Bellardi, 1877.

KEY WORDS

Raphitomidae; revision; taxonomy; nomen novum.

Received 10.01.2019; accepted 13.03.2019; published online 30.03.2019

INTRODUCTION

The Raphitomidae are currently considered as a well-supported clade of the Conoidea (Bouchet et al., 2011), worthy of family ranking. It is probably the most diverse family of Conoidea, in terms of species richness, ecological range and anatomical disparity (Kantor & Taylor, 2002), and are therefore considered as potentially ideal candidates for toxin discovery (Puillandre et al., 2017).

We are currently revising the Raphitomidae of the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent Atlantic coasts. We provisionally estimated ca. 50 Mediterranean extant species, some of which still undescribed. The taxon Raphitomidae Bellardi, 1875 is based on the genus Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847 which was intro- duced as comprising 34 fossil and recent species (Bellardi 1847: 85), previously classified in various genera (such as Pleurotoma and Clathurella).

During this revision, we have found a quite rare species of Raphitoma described by Monterosato (1890) as a variety of the so called Cordiera retic- ulata (= Raphitoma echinata). In our opinion it is a good species having its own peculiar characteris- tics

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Our approach was exclusively based on shell morphology due to the almost total lack of anatom- ical data.

Specimens studied come from private collec- tions (see Abbreviations).

Light photographs were taken (if not otherwise stated) by Stefano Bartolini using a Canon EOS 400D digital photocamera, with standard objective 50 mm + adapted lens (25 and 12.5 mm) for 16

58 RICCARDO GIANNUZZI-SAVELLI ET ALII

and 8 mm vintage cine camera and by Yves La- fontaine.

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS. BAR: Stefano Bartolini Firenze, Italy; BOG: Ce- sare Bogi (Livorno, Italy); CHI: Francesco Chiri- aco (Livorno, Italy); CRO: Paolo Crovato (Napoli, Italy); LAF: Yves Lafontaine (Fréjus, France); MCZR: Museo Civico Zoologia, Roma, Italy; MRSNT: Museo Regionale Storia Naturale, Ter- rasini (Palermo, Italy); OZT: Bilal Oztiirk (Izmir, Turkey); PAG: Attilio Pagli (Lari, Italy); PAO: Paolo Paolini (Livorno, Italy); PIS: Michele Pisanu (Cagliari, Italy); PKR: Jakov Prkié (Split, Croatia); PUS: Francesco Pusateri (Palermo, Italy); QUA: Ermanno Quaggiotto (Vicenza, Italy); RON: Francesco Roncone (Cosenza, Italy); SMR: Carlo Smriglio (Roma, Italy); SPA: Maria Teresa Spanu (Alghero, Italy). H/W: height/width ratio; SD: Standard Deviation; sh/s: shell/s.

Raphitoma pumila (Monterosato, 1890) (Figs. 1-7)

Pleurotoma (Homotoma) reticulata var. pumila Monterosato, 1878: 106 (nomen nudum)

Cordieria reticulata var. pumila Monterosato, 1890: 187

Cordieria pumila Appolloni et al., 2018: 66

ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS. Monterosato (1890): “Cordieria reticulata var. pumila Monts. - Più corta; si direbbe una forma nana, spesso incolore, retico- lazione piu fitta, bocca fortemente dentata - Funnazzi, Algeria, Lipari etc.” (shorter; it would seem a dwarf form, often colorless, denser cross-linking, strongly toothed mouth - Funnazzi, Algeria, Lipari etc.)

TYPE MATERIAL. MCZR-M 16774: Lectotype from Algeria (14 x 6.3 mm, labelled “fipo”) and paralectotypes from Palermo (16.7 x 7.8 mm and 14.3 x 7.5 mm). According the ICZN art. 72.4.7 the term “tipo” of the labels is not necessarily an evi- dence that this specimen is the “holotype”. How- ever we respect the indication of Monterosato and fix this specimen as a lectotype.

TYPE LOCALITY. Algeria.

EXAMINED MATERIAL. The type material and: France. Saint-Raphaél, port du Poussaî, Le Dra- mont, 1 sh (LAF).

Italy. Sardinia: La Maddalena, 1 sh (SPA). Sicily: No locality, 1 sh (MCZR-M 16903); Mare di Sicilia, 1 sh (MRSNT n. 29823), sub nomine R. reticulata; Ficarazzi, 2 shs (PUS); Brucoli, 1 sh (PUS).

Morocco. Alboran Sea, 1 sh (PUS).

Algeria. No locality, 1 sh (SPA).

DESCRIPTION. In square brackets the data of the holotype. Shell biconic squat, of medium size for the genus, height: 9-17 mm, mean: 13.9, SD: 2.41 [14]; width: 5-8.6 mm, mean: 6.9, SD: 1.12 [6.3]; H/W: 1.91-2.22, mean: 2.02, SD: 0.11 [2.22].

Protoconch multispiral, rust brown in colour, of 2.75 convex whorls, height 483 um, width 460 um, protoconch I of 1.1 whorls, covered by thin cancel- lations, protoconch II with a diagonally cancellated sculpture starting after a zone under the suture with fine axial threads. The last whorl shows a keel be- fore the onset of the teleoconch. Protoconch-teleo- conch boundary slightly flexuose, opisthocline. Teleoconch of 5.5—7.5 [6.5] rounded whorls, stout, suture incised, sculpture robust. Densely dissemi- nated microgranules in the surface. Axial sculpture of 14-18 [16] orthocline (occasionally slightly opisthocline or prosocline), equidistant ribs, and interspaces larger than the ribs in the last whorl, narrower in the others. Spiral sculpture above the aperture of 5 to 6 [6] cordlets. Sometime 1 or 2 supplementary small cordlets can occur. Cancella- tion rectangular, with strong, elongated and acute tubercles at the intersections. Subsutural ramp large, with one or two small spiral cordlets. Col- umella simple, slightly sinuous anteriorly. Outer lip thick with 9-12 strong inner denticles [12], the 2 most anterior more robust and delimiting the short but wide and conical siphonal canal. Siphonal fas- ciole with 6—9 [7] nodulose cords with first 3 more strong. Colour uniformly light straw sometime with a pale brownish band around the suture and on the low part of the last whorl. Occasionally comma-shaped white spots on the subsutural ramp. Sometime there are whitish chevron among axial ribs of the last whorl.

Soft parts unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. This quite rare species seems to occur only in the Western and Central Mediter- ranean.

COMPARATIVE NOTES. This species is quite simi- lar to one ofthe morphotypes of R. echinata (Broc- chi, 1814) (Figs. 8-10) but differs having a lower

A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae 8: on two less well-know species, R. pumila and R. hispidella n. nov. 59

Figures 1-6. Shells of Raphitoma pumila (Monterosato, 1890). Fig. 1: Lectotype, Algeria (MCZR-M-16774), h: 14 mm with 2 original labels, particular of subsutural zone, particular of the secondary cordlet (sc) and of the starting point of siphonal fasciole (sf), and protoconch (2 view). Fig. 2: type B, Palermo (Italy), (MCZR-M-16774), h: 14.3. Fig. 3: Algeria, h: 14 mm. Fig. 4: St. Raphael (France), h: 9.6 mm. Fig. 5: St. Raphael (France), h: 9.8 mm. Fig. 6: Castiglioncello, Livorno (Italy), h: 12 mm. Figs. 4, 5: photos courtesy by Gilles Devauchelle.

60 RICCARDO GIANNUZZI-SAVELLI ET ALII

Figures 7-10. Raphitoma pumila (Monterosato, 1890). Fig. 7: S. Raphael (France), h: 11 mm. Figs. 8-10: shells of a mor- photype of Raphitoma echinata AA. Fig. 8: Channel of Hvar (Croatia), h: 21.1 mm. Fig. 9: Costa del Sol (Spagna), h: 15 mm. Fig. 10: Montecristo Island (Italy), h: 8.3 mm.

H/D, apical angle wider, more stout axial ribs, last whorl lower, outer lip thicker, the shorter siphon and having a less inclined suture.

REMARKS. This species introduced by Mon- terosato (1878: nomen nudum) was validated by Monterosato itself (1890) who gave a short but clear description.

Raphitoma hispidella Pusateri et Giannuzzi- Savelli nomen novum

Cordieria cordieri var. hispida, Monterosato, 1890: 187, non Raphitoma hispida Bellardi, 1877 Cordieria hispida, Appolloni et al., 2018: 65, figs.

22 O-P Raphitoma echinata sensu Manousis et al. 2018: 27 fig. 21c

ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS. Monterosato (1890): “C. cordieri, Payr. (Pleurot.) - Una piccola forma che puo distinguersi come: Var. hispida, Monts. - A scul- tura hispida e pungente; molto piu piccola del tipo, un terzo. Gli esemplari freschi sono trasparenti e color di ambra. L'apice a (sic!) molti giri torricolati e punteggiati. Nella C. reticulata é revoluto".

TYPE MATERIAL. Lectotype here designated, MCZR-M-17442 (10 x 4.4 mm) and 4 paralecto-

types (2 probably referred to R. brunneofasciata and 2 juveniles) with handwritten labels by Mon- terosato: C. hispida./ Monts/ms.”, “H. hispida, Monts./mss./Palermo, profonda/Si trova anche nell’/Atlantico ad Ar-/cachon (De Boury). (Da non confondere/con hispidula Brocc.)”.

TYPE MATERIAL. MCZR-M-17442 - 3 shs la- belled: A. hispida Monts. Palermo”; 2 shs labelled: hispida Monts. Palermo comunicat.” // “Atlantico ad Arcachon (De Boury). (Da non confondere con hispidula Brocc.” // C. hispida Monts Med”.

TYPE LOCALITY. Palermo.

EXAMINED MATERIAL. The type material and: At- lantic. France. Capbreton (Nouvelle Aquitaine), MCZR- M-17442 with handwritten label by Mon- terosato: “Cap Breton/De Folin” 1 sh. Portugal. Al- garve, 5 shs (PUS).

Mediterranean. Alboran, 1 sh (PUS). Spain. Barcelona, 1 sh (PAG).

Corse. Bastia, 2 sh (PAG); idem, 3 shs -50 m (MCZR-M-17442) sub nomine Pl. cordieri.

Italy. Isola d’Elba, 1 sh (PUS); Capo Enfola, Isola d’Elba (Portoferraio, Toscana), -6 m, 5 shs (PAO); Secca delle Vedove -130, about 20 miles SW Gorgona Island (Tuscany Arch.), 2 shs (PAO); Antignano (Livorno), 1 sh (PAG); Castiglioncello (Livorno), 1 sh (BOG); Calambrone (Pisa) -30 m, 1 sh (BAR); Golfo di Baratti (Piombino, Livorno),

A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae 8: on two less well-know species, R. pumila and R. hispidella n. nov. 61

A PA Ar CE: JA; T

Figures 11-17. Raphitoma hispidella Pusateri et Giannuzzi-Savelli nomen novum. Fig. 11: Lectotype, Palermo (Italy), MCZR-M-17442, h: 10 mm, with original label (recto/verso), protoconch and particular of subsutural zone. Fig. 12: Napoli (Italy), MCZR-M-17442, h: 12.8 mm. Fig. 13: Palermo (Italy), MCZR-M-16476), h: 8 mm, with original label. Fig. 14: Rab Island (Croatia), -80 m, h: 11.8. Fig. 15: Rab Island (Croatia), h: 6.5 mm. Fig. 16: Rab Island (Croatia), h: 9 mm. Fig. 17: Güllük Bay (Turkey), -44 m, h: 5.5 (photo courtesy by Bilal Oztürk).

62 RICCARDO GIANNUZZI-SAVELLI ET ALII

Figures 18-24. Raphitoma hispidella Pusateri et Giannuzzi-Savelli nomen novum. Fig. 18: Sant’ Antioco Island (Carbo- nia-Iglesias, Italy), h: 9.5 mm. Fig. 19: Elba Island (Tusca Archipelago, Italy), h: 9.5 mm. Fig. 20: Isola delle Femmine (Palermo, Italy), h: 9.1 mm. Fig. 21: Aci Trezza (Catania, Italy), - 80 m, h: 15 mm, with particular of subsutural zone. Fig. 22: protoconch from the specimen of figure 15. Fig. 23: Circeo (Latina, Italy), -90, h: 11.3 mm. Fig. 24: Cagliari (Italy), h: 9.1 mm.

A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae 8: on two less well-know species, R. pumila and R. hispidella n. nov. 63

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Figures 25-29. Fig. 25: Raphitoma hispidella Pusateri et Giannuzzi-Savelli nomen novum. Calambrone (Pisa, Italy), -30 m, h: 11.5 mm; Fig. 26: Raphitoma cordieri AA., Alghero (Sassari, Italy), h: mm 23.7; Fig. 27: Raphitoma cordieri AA., Napoli (Italy), h: 21 mm; Fig. 28: Raphitoma echinata AA., Saronikos (Greece), h: 9.2 mm; Fig. 29: Raphitoma horrida (Monterosato, 1884), Palermo (Italy), h: mm 12.

Figures 30-33. Raphitoma hispidella nomen novum, protoconch. Fig. 30: frontal view. Fig. 31: dorsal view. Fig. 32: apical view. Fig. 33: protoconch/teleoconch boundary with microgranules.

64 RICCARDO GIANNUZZI-SAVELLI ET ALII

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Figures 34-37. Raphitoma cordieri AA. Fig. 34: protoconch in frontal view. Fig. 35: protoconch in dorsal view. Fig. 36: protoconch in apical view. Fig. 37: siphonal fasciole.

-5 m, 4 shs (PAO); Fiumicino (Roma) -160 m., 1 sh (SMR); S. Felice Circeo (Latina), 1 sh (SMR); Napoli, 1 sh (MCZR-M-17442 sine nomine with Monterosato’s label “non è cordieri!”; Cetraro (Cosenza), 1 sh (RON); Civitanova Marche (Mac- erata), 1 sh (CRO); Ortona (Chieti), 2 shs (QUA); S. Benedetto del Tronto (Ascoli Piceno), -80 m, 2 shs (PAO), 2 shs -80 m (BOG). Sardinia: Cagliari, 1 sh (PIS). Sicily: Ficarazzi, 3 shs (PUS); Palermo, 1 sh (MCZR-M-16476) sub nomine C. cordieri;

Isola delle Femmine (Palermo), 3 shs (PUS), 1 sh (CRO); Acicastello (Catania), -100, 2 shs (PUS); Acitrezza (Catania), -80, 1 sh (CHI); Brucoli (Sira- cusa), | sh (PUS).

Tunisia. Djerba, 1 sh (PUS).

Croatia. Supetar (Brac Island), 1 sh (PAG); Veli Rat (Dugi Otok Island), 1 sh (PUS); Rab Island, 4 shs (BAR); Dubrovnik, 1 sh (PKR).

Turkey. Güllük Bay (Aegean Sea), 2 shs (OZT).

A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae 8: on two less well-know species, R. pumila and R. hispidella n. nov. 65

DESCRIPTION. In square brackets the data of the lectotype. Shell fusiform, of medium size for the genus, height 7-16.5 [10] mm, mean: 10.8, DS: 2.98 [10]; width 3.3-6.6 mm, mean: 4.76, DS: 1.17 [4.4]; H/W 2.12-2.47, mean 2.25, DS: 0.11 [2.27]. Teleoconch of 5.5-7 [6] convex whorls, fusiform and thin, suture thin, sculpture raised. Scattered mi- crogranules in the surface of part of the first telo- conch whorl. Axial sculpture of 11-14, mean: 12, DS: 0.98 [13] orthocline, equidistant ribs, and in- terspaces three times wider than the ribs. Spiral sculpture of 5—6 mean [5] cordlets thinner than the axial ribs, above the aperture. Cancellation rectan- gular, with strong and sligthly acute spines at the intersection of axials and spirals. Subsutural ramp wide, inclined and slightly arched. Columella sim- ple, “s” slightly sinuous or almost straight anteri- orly, angled posteriorly. Siphonal channel long and open that sometime can be twisted. Outer lip thin with 9-12 mean 10 [peristome not complete] weak inner lyrate denticles. Siphonal fasciole with 8-9 cords [8]. Colour variable from uniformly yellow straw in the background (from ligth to dark), up to bright brown. On the last whorl is present a darker subsutural band. Comma-shaped white spots on the darker subsutural ramp. Enterely white specimens are known. The darker specimens are typical in the coralligenous biocenosis.

Soft parts unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Mediterranean Sea and atlantic coasts of Portugal, Spain and France in the circalit- toral zone.

REMARKS. Cordieria cordieri var. hispida Mon- terosato, 1890 is a valid taxon, which we deem de- serving the rank of a species (and is an available name under art. 45.6.4 of the ICZN), although be- longing to the genus Raphitoma, hence Raphitoma hispida (Monterosato, 1890) n. comb. The new com- bination makes the name hispida Monterosato, 1890 a secondary homonym (ICZN art. 59) of R. hispida Bellardi, 1877 (see Bellardi, 1877) so anew name is necessary and we propose hispidella nomen novum, diminutive adjective of the Latin word “hispida”.

In the original description Monterosato (1890) compares this “variety” with Cordieria reticulata (= Raphitoma echinata) stating that this has a “rev- olute apex” (paucispiral). A rather surprising state- ment because Monterosato (1884: 131) describes it instead with “apice conico, acutissimo, composto

di tre giri di spira punteggiati” (conical apex, very acute, composed of three punctuated whorls).

We believe this so-called variety is a good species. It differs constantly, without intermediates, by R. cordieri (Payraudeau, 1826) for: always smaller dimensions (max 16.3 vs. 25); very large and arched subsutural ramp vs. large and inclined; different size of protoconch (600 x 509 um vs. 475 x 350 um) and different number of whorls (3 vs 2.3); for their yellow straw/witish protoconch vs. milk white; more bristly and scaled profile versus less brittle and regular; shorter and open siphonal chan- nel; lack of supplementary cordlets sometimes pres- ent in À. cordieri; rectangular cancellations vs. subquadrate; siphonal fasciole with less strong and closer nodules; siphonal fasciole with 8-9 nodulose cordlets vs. 6-7; thin, lirates and well-spaced teeth vs, lirates, evidents with some cordlets rather strong.

Raphitoma hispidella could be confused with some morphs of R. echinata but the last have a shorter siphonal channel, stronger inner denticles and is more robust. Raphitoma horrida (Mon- terosato, 1884) resemble in some way to R. hispi- della but can be easily separated having only 4 cordlets above the aperture, the shorter siphonal channel and more rounded and low aperture.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The following colleagues are heartily thanked for their help with museum samples under their care: B. Cignini and M. Appolloni (MCZR, Roma, Italy); Piera Iacopelli (MRSNT, Terrasini, Palermo, Italy). We also wish to thank the friends for help with sam- ples from their collections, Carlo Smriglio (Roma, Italy) for their usual help, Andrea Di Giulio (Roma, Italy) for the R. hispidella SEM photographs, Nanovision, Brugherio for R. cordieri SEM photo- graphs and André Hoarau (Fréjus, France), Gilles Devauchelle (Fréjus, France) and Bilal Oztürk Izmir (Turkey) that provided us with some data and photos. This work was financially supported by Naturama Association, Palermo (Italy).

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66 RICCARDO GIANNUZZI-SAVELLI ET ALII

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Puillandre N., Fedosov A.E. & Kantor Y.I., 2017. Sys- tematics and Evolution of the Conoidea. In: Gopalakrishnakone P. & Malhotra A., Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins. Springer, pp. 367-398.

67

INDEX

Biodiversity Journal 2019, 10 (1): 1-68

Paolo Balistreri. The vermetid reef. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): I-II.

Mauro Grano & Cristina Cattaneo. First evidence for the snake-eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory de Sant-Vincent, 1833) (Sauria Scincidae) in Astypalea Island (Dodecanese, Greece). Biodi- versity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 3-6.

Andrea Corso, Ottavio Janni, Lorenzo De Lisio & Carlo Fracasso. Update to the status of Lindeni tetra- phylla (Vander Linden, 1825) (Odonata Gomphidae) in Italy, with special reference to the Molise re- gions. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 7-12.

Souheila Azzouz, Lyamine Mezedjri & Ali Tahar. Reproductive cycle of the pelagic fish Saurel Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes Carangidae) Caught in the Gulf of Skikda (Algerian East Coast). Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 13-20.

R. Trevor Wilson. The Ctenodactylidae (Rodentia) in northern Africa and a new location record for Pec- tinator spekei Blyth, 1856 in Afar National Regional State, Ethiopia. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 21-24.

Weicai Chen, Xiaowen Liao, Shichu Zhou & Yunming Mo. First record of Theloderma lateriticum Bain, Nguyen et Doan, 2009 (Anura Rhacophoridae) from China with redescribed morphology. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 25-36.

Marlon dL. Suba, Axel H. Arriola & Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro. A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 37-46.

Shem Unger, Zeb Hull & Mark Rollins. Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA. Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 47— 56.

Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli, Francesco Pusateri & Stefano Bartolini. A revision of the Mediterranean Ra- phitomidae, 8: on two poorly known species of Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847: R. pumila (Monterosato, 1890) and R. hispidella nomen novum (Gastropoda Conoidea). Biodiversity Journal, 2019, 10 (1): 57— 66.

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Date of publication: 30.03.2019

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