Preliminary results of research on Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in the Aspromonte area (southern Italy, Calabria)
Description
A commented catalogue of Coleoptera Staphylinidae, collected during a survey carried out in the Aspromonte district and started in 2018, is provided. The surveyed area is remarkably diverse and inhabits several wetland areas, bogs, montane streams and torrents. 19 species are considered as remarkable (new to Italy, endemic, with peculiar geographical features, inhabiting peculiar microhabitats, introduced). The list of species is integrated with further bibliographical citations of 202 taxa. Two are new to Italy (Quedius galaecianus Outerelo, 1976 e Oxypoda cristata Assing, 2006). The communities are discussed according with distribution and ecological features of the species, and the main conservational measures for the surveyed habitats are provided.
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Steps to reproduce
The collection of the specimens were carried out using mainly pitfall traps: This one is widely used in wildlife surveys to calculate biodiversity thanks to their easy availability and simple activation method (add biblio). For catching specimens by active direct collections, were used the following monitoring techniques: collection car net, otherwise defined as “Autokescher” by Central European authors (Schuch et alii, 2020; Assing & Schülke, 2012). Others methods included sifting of the debris with the sieve of the debris of peculiar microhabitats (litter, soil, plant debris, rotting fungi, ant and micromammal nests, etc.), using a sieve with large mesh size of 12-14 mm (Assing & Schülke, 2012) and trampling and washing of the silty banks on the riverbeds. This was done close to abandoned oxbow lakes or sandbars with accumulations of fine sand; cutting of tufts in marshy areas affected by the presence of Juncus or Carex (Tagliapietra & Zanetti, 2011), subsequently screening the removed material. Washing of the sand/gravel on the riverbeds, pouring the contents into large basins filled with water so as to completely submerge them, waiting for the interstitial fauna to return to the surface of the water and be captured with the aid of a tweezers and soft grip (Assing & Schülke, 2012).