See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334259934 NEW RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA IN HABITATS DIRECTIVE FROM ASPROMONTE NATIONAL PARK (SOUTHERN APENNINE, ITALY) Poster · June 2019 CITATIONS READS 0 24 6 authors, including: Francesco Parisi Biscaccianti A.B. Università degli Studi del Molise Laboratorio di Entomologia ed Ecologia Applicata (LEEA) 40 PUBLICATIONS 33 CITATIONS 47 PUBLICATIONS 178 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Antonino Siclari Francesco Manti Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria 32 PUBLICATIONS 10 CITATIONS 20 PUBLICATIONS 70 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: FAGUS project (LIFE+ 11 NAT/IT/135) View project Studes on Capnodis tenebrionis in Mediterranean area View project All content following this page was uploaded by Francesco Parisi on 05 July 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. NEW RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA IN HABITATS DIRECTIVE FROM ASPROMONTE NATIONAL PARK (SOUTHERN APENNINE, ITALY) Francesco Parisi1,2, Alessandro Bruno Biscaccianti3, Antonino Siclari4, Francesco Manti3, Elvira Castiglione3, Antonio De Cristofaro1 1Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via De Sanctis, I-86100 Campobasso, Italy; 2Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, I-86090 Pesche (IS), Italy; 3Dipartimento Patrimonio, Architettura, Urbanistica, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Laboratorio di Entomologia ed Ecologia Applicata, Contrada Melissari,, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy; 4Ente Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte, Via Aurora 1, 89057, Gambarie di Santo Stefano in Aspromonte (RC), Italy. [email protected] INTRODUCTION Knowledges on the insects population of Aspromonte National Park are very poor, especially with regard to the Lepidoptera. In accordance with the directives of the National Biodiversity Strategy, a research program was implemented in 2015 that aims to study the distribution, ecology and role of the species included in the annexes of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) for the conservation of ecosystems. Its aim is also to characterize the biogeographical and conservation significance of the protected area within the main mountainous groups of the southern Apennines and, more generally, of the entire Italian peninsula. Location of the Aspromonte National Park, Italy. View of the Aspromonte forests Parnassius apollo STUDY AREA Aspromonte National Park extends for 642 km2 in the extreme southern offshoot of the Apennine chain, to protect a mountainous complex of remarkable biogeographical interest, which still mantains vast, well-preserved and structurally evolved forest areas. In 2018, preliminary explorations were carried out to define the monitoring areas of the northern sector, of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian slopes and in the central sector of the National Park. Parnassius apollo Parnassius mnemosyne Zerynthia cassandra Euplagia quadripunctaria RESULTS The results confirm the presence of four species included in the EU “Habitat Directive”. Three species of Rhopalocera: Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758), Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758), Zerynthia cassandra Geyer, 1828; and one specie of Heterocera: Euplagia quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761). Finally P. apollo, P. mnemosyne and Z. cassandra are included in the IUCN Category (LC) - Least Concern (populations that do not risk the short or medium term extinction) of the Red Book of Italian Butterflies - Rhopalocera. Map of the Aspromonte National Park with the indication of collecting sites. Bocca del Lupo (R. del Greco, RC) Rifugio Canovai (Samo, RC) Marrappà (Reggio Calabria) Malivindi (Canolo, RC) 1670m, 28.VI.2018 1320m, 29.V.2018 1150m, 31.V.2018 450m, 10.VII.2018 The search for Papilio alexanor Esper, 1800 took place mainly in the CONCLUSIONS locations indicated by the last discovery dating back to 1980 (San Luca d’Aspromonte). Lepidoptera are excellent bioindicators and play an extremely important role in natural ecosystems. Despite the presence of suitable habitats and foodplants, it was not possible to report new results. The presence of the species included in the annexes of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) confirms the importance of the protected areas regarding the conservation of threatened species. The obtained results increase the knowledge of the macrolepidoptera in the Habitats Directive of this important massif of the southern Apennine. We also believe that the study of the distribution of individual species has an important predictive role and provides detailed data on habitat quality. The research activities of Eriogaster catax (Linnaeus, 1758) concentrated on sites that showed adequate vegetation characteristics. The research did not lead to the reporting of adult individuals. Key words: Aspromonte National Park, Apennine, Lepidoptera, Habitats Directive. View publication stats.