The Pselaphinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) of the Maltese Archipelago

Fourteen pselaphines are recorded from the Maltese Islands three of which are recorded for the first time: Rybaxis longicornis, Tychus jacquelinii, and T. pici. Tychus pici, a North African species that is so far known only from Algeria and Tunisia, is here recorded for the first time for the European territory. Locality and collecting data that were lacking for three other species recorded from Malta in the recently published catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, is also provided. The record of Euplectus brunneus is incorrect and most likely should refer to E. corsicus. An illustrated dichotomous key is included to facilitate identification of Maltese pselaphines.peer-reviewe

Lavorare insieme a scuola. Consigli pratici per i docenti

Nella progettazione di un percorso didattico la tematica del lavoro di gruppo rappresenta un elemento cardine. Lo scopo di questo contributo è quello di motivare gli insegnanti ad un uso più frequente delle attività di gruppo all’interno della classe. In questa prospettiva verranno considerati non solo i vantaggi “sociali” del lavoro per gruppi, ma anche i possibili guadagni individuali degli studenti. Un aspetto fondamentale del lavoro per gruppi è che risulta tanto più efficace quanto più è applicato dall’insieme degli insegnanti che agiscono in classe, anche se con modalità diverse, legate alle specificità delle discipline (e dei temi trattati, dei tempi di lavoro…).Team working is a key element in a learning course in the classroom. The aim of this paper is to motivate teachers to propose, more frequently, activities in cooperative learning. In this perspective, there are not only "social" benefits by team working, but also the gain of individual students in term of learning. A key aspect of team working is that it is as effective as it is applied by all teachers, even though with different ways, related to the specific school subject (and the topics discussed, working times ...)

A new species of Faronus Aube, 1844, endemic to Malta (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

Faronus rica sp. nov. endemic to Malta is described and illustrated, and placed in the Faronus hispanus species group. Faronus rica sp. nov. is closely related to F. siculus Fiori, 1913, an endemic species to Sicily, and they can be distinguished based on morphological features highlighted in the present work.peer-reviewe

Systematic review of the effects of chemical insecticides on four common butterfly families

Safeguarding crop productivity by protecting crops from pest attacks entails the wide use of plant protection products that provide a quick, easy and cheap solution. The objective of this study is to understand the effects of insecticides used in agriculture on non-target butterflies, specifically on the families Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae, and Papilionidae. To achieve this goal, a formal systematic review was performed according to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guidelines, by entering a combination of keywords on 3 online databases. Three reviewers independently extracted information on study characteristics and quality. The main results were collected and grouped by the insecticide used, butterflies species and family, and endpoints. The output was valuable but heterogeneous as the endpoints and methodologies of the studies reviewed were different. Few experimental studies on the effects of insecticides on the most common butterfly families have been published. Naled and permethrin are the most commonly used insecticides in the experiments, whilst the target organisms of these studies are Vanessa cardui, Danaus plexippus, Heliconius charitonius, belonging to the Nymphalidae family, and Eumaeus atala, belonging to the Lycaenidae family; the effects were evaluated on all developmental stages, with special attention to the larval phase. This systematic review highlights the need for more studies on the effects of chemical insecticides on non-target Lepidoptera in light of their ecological importance and the extensive use of these chemical products

New records of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) from the Maltese Islands

The faunistic knowledge of the Auchenorrhyncha of the Maltese Islands is still incomplete. Studies on this insect group from the Maltese Islands were mostly neglected and it was only in recent years that some collecting efforts were carried out resulting in a published check-list of 46 species.peer-reviewe

Analysis and comparison of three Coleoptera families in organic and conventional orchards within the Etna Regional Park (Catania, Sicily)

The objective of this work was to compare two agricultural management systems, organic and conventional, in the Etna Regional Park. The influence in both spatial and temporal dimensions, that natural habitats adjacent to these two different managed agricultural systems have on Coleoptera biocoenosis in orchards was also studied. This comparison was done through standardised data and multivariate analysis using a multi-taxa approach. Specifically, three families of the Order Coleoptera, namely Carabidae, Tenebrionidae and Staphylinidae (excluding Aleocharinae and Scydmaeninae) were studied.peer-reviewe

Proposal for a ‘sanctuary area’ dedicated to the protection of Brachytrupes megacephalus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in the Nature Reserve of Vendicari (Sicily, Italy)

There are numerous initiatives in the world that concern ‘sanctuaries’ or protected areas aimed for the conservation of vertebrate species. However, almost nothing exists for the conservation of insects. The project here proposed concerns Brachytrupes megacephalus, the largest gryllid in Europe and a species of ‘community interest’ as part of the EU Habitat Directive. It is uniquely adapted to sandy dunal habitats which are increasingly subjected to transformations and habitat degradation due to anthropogenic factors. The project is proposed for the Vendicari Reserve of the Sicilian Region where the species is present in well-defined areas.peer-reviewe