Riviste Online SApienza - R.O.SA - 2 (Sapienza University of Rome)
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Sex-ratio and body size plasticity in two cold-adapted ground beetles co-occurring in a periglacial area of the European Alps (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Get PDFDifferences in the sex-ratio and morphometric parameters in cold-adapted ground beetles were analysed to investigate environmental heterogeneity at small scale in a periglacial contest of the European Alps. Four hundred and thirty specimens of two cold-adapted ground beetles – Nebria germarii (Heer, 1837) and Nebria castanea (Bonelli 1810) – were analysed in order to test the presence of variation in sex-ratio, sexual dimorphism and morphometric parameters in relation to the occurrence of ice, and other environmental variables. Specifically, the populations found on an ice-related landform (active rock glacier) were compared with those on ice-free landforms (a fossil rock glacier and a scree slope). Both species experience sex-dependent morphometric plasticity. In addition, sex-ratio is female-biased,supporting female pioneering tendency in all the studied landforms. Two morphometric parameters resulted indirectly affected by the presence/absence of ice in the terrain: the head width decreases, while elytra width increases passing from ice-free to ice-related landform. Both these morphometric differences may be related to the increase of intra/interspecific competition and to the lower trophic availability. This study highlights that even if these high altitude cold-adapted species are able to survive on ice-free landforms, they probably find more favourable conditions on ice-related landforms. Since the two species show different sensitivity to the ice-presence, it is not always possible to detect this preference through abundances variability (e.g for N. castanea), but it necessary to use more detailed morphometric analysis. Head width and elytra width are good candidates as response traits of interstitial ice occurrence in stony terrains
The Manpower Revolution or the Military Revolution in the Early Modern German States
Get PDFThe German states during the early modern period offer a vastly diverse picture, regarding the developments of the so-called Military Revolution and its various manifestations. Even if taken into account that there is no uniform set of Military Revolution “rules” or “core elements”, the peculiar nature of the German situation prevented a coherent developmental drive throughout that period. On the one hand, the hideous experiences of the Thirty Years’ War, raging over the German landscape more than over other European territories and devastating German lands more than others, generated a major driving force in overall adopting the concepts of absolutism and its standing armies, not least aimed at preventing the Landsknecht’s system. On the other hand, the existence of several hundred states and principalities, claiming (and in many cases, having factual) sovereignty provided for many different speeds and implementations of the military developments. Between the mid-17th and mid-18th century, these led to notable divergences, resulting in new powers rising and old powers declining, forming new political and military realities at the outset of the Seven Years’ War.
The article focuses especially on Brandenburg-Prussia and Saxony, as they are the most important German states during that period and offer an interesting parallel and diverging development at the same time. Whereas Prussia emerged as the leading military power during that period, it has to be asked why so and on what basis. What role did the other innovative forces of the Military Revolution play, like military engineering, fortress building/warfare, and artillery? How did both states address the most prominent resource problem, the recruiting of sufficient soldiers to fill the standing army and militia structures? In the end, a unique and revolutionary system, implemented in Prussia, did indeed solve the manpower problem and led to its outstanding military performance during the 18th century
Una rivoluzione militare asiatica? Note sull’evoluzione dell’arte della guerra in Cina e in India in età moderna
Get PDFLa superiorità militare è stata a lungo considerata la chiave del successo delle potenze europee contro gli Stati asiatici fin dall\u27arrivo dei primi portoghesi alla fine del XV secolo. Nei decenni successivi, la cosiddetta "rivoluzione militare" avrebbe dato agli europei una netta superiorità sulle potenze locali, che non potevano in alcun modo contrastare il dominio militare e tecnologico occidentale. Una visione strettamente eurocentrica, questa, che è stata recentemente sottoposta a una serie di critiche, dato che, in effetti, le potenze asiatiche erano in grado di adattare continuamente il proprio apparato militare in base alle esigenze operative. In particolare, gli imperatori cinesi furono in grado di espandere significativamente il loro dominio per tutto il primo periodo moderno, e gli indiani riuscirono a contrastare efficacemente la penetrazione inglese fino alla fine del XVIII secolo
A proposito di Rivoluzione militare, finanza pubblica e logistica
Get PDFWar and, more broadly, strategy were the core business of the majority of early modern states, absorbing the lion’s share of government spending. Throughout the early modern period, the relative importance of the activities connected to war and the military was definitely higher if compared to the industrial age, during which states grew, strengthened their power, and expanded the scope of their action, as public expenditure massively increased. All of which brought about a momentous transformation for late nineteenth- and twentieth-century states: on the one hand, military spending progressively increased in absolute terms in comparison with the past, but on the other hand – except for certain war periods – its share as a percentage of total public expenditure significantly shrank, while the nature of states, societies, and economies profoundly changed over time. In a nutshell, the modern nation state ‘does many more things’ within the context of a much more complex and sophisticated society (suffice it to mention the welfare state). In light of all this, it is not surprising that war and strategy heavily and variously impacted on early modern populations, also and above all from a financial and logistical point of view. This paper does not aim at presenting a detailed and comprehensive review of the topic, given its inherent complexity. More realistically, it sets out some basic general considerations, corroborated with specific case studies of particular interest. Among other things, attention is drawn to the plurality of actors involved in strategic affairs, who interacted according to a variety of patterns: states and their bureaucracies (generally growing, but far from having a monopoly on the legitimate use of force and on taxing power), together with a vast array of territorial bodies, local communities, ecclesiastical institutions, private entities and individuals of different social background, political influence, and economic condition. While discussing the far-reaching financial and fiscal implications of the military functions implemented by the states, the paper also sheds light on the key role played by logistics. 
Un crocevia politico e generazionale. Mazziniani, garibaldini, internazionalisti e il XII Congresso operaio del 1871
Get PDF The article reconstructs the preparation, debate and consequences of the 1871 workers’ congress wanted by Giuseppe Mazzini to establish his hegemony over workers’ associations but also to contain the outflow of young republicans to the International Workers’ Association. The confrontation that developed was substantiated by a generational shift that, between the completion of the Risorgimento and the Paris Commune, facilitated the redefinition of the political cultures of Italian radicalism represented by Mazzinianism, Garibaldianism and the emerging internationalist socialism, in which the new post-Risorgimento democraticgeneration redefined its own value landscape and ways of commitment
On the French Historiographical “Immunity” to Fascism*
Get PDFThis article deals with the parochial interpretations of fascism and the authoritarianright in France. These narrow readings of inter-war history – mostly promotedby French academia – have been used either to exclude national phenomenawith overt fascist or anti-parliamentary features from this problematicpolitical family or to consider them as marginal fringes. The article shows thatforeign historians have challenged this specific historiography and assesses theimpact of these historical reconstructions on the categorisation of contemporaryextreme-right movements such as the Front National
The impact of warfare on the structure of ant assemblages on trees (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
No full textMilitary actions cause great harm to the environment, as well as to biocenoses. The effect of hostilities on ants remained unexplored. The life cycle of the colony and the activity of ants is associated with a constant source of resources - aphid colonies on trees. In the case of massive damage to trees, one can expect a negative effect on large colonies of ants visiting trees. The purpose of the study is to study the relationship between the degree of damage to tree plantations and changes in the structure of ant communities as a result of hostilities. The study was conducted in August 2022 on the territory of the cities of Irpin and Bucha (Kyiv region, Ukraine), six months after the Russian attack on Ukraine (02/24/2022). Intense fighting took place in Irpin and Bucha from the end of February until April 2022. The degree of destruction of the infrastructure of Bucha was 26%, Irpin 71%. 200 trees were examined in Bucha and 201 in Irpin. Tree type, diameter, degree of damage (from 0 to 5), distances between trees and distance to buildings were evaluated. The number of ants was counted on tree trunks (2 minutes each count). 11 species of ants were found on 12 tree species. The most visited by ants are oak (Quercus robur L.), linden (Tilia cordata L.). In Bucha, most of the trees are class 0, intact, in Irpin - class 1 damage and above. In parks, the number of damaged trees is 1.5 times higher than in tree plantations. The number of damaged trees in both cities decreases as the damage class increases. In Bucha, 1.3 times more ants were found on trees than in Irpin, and there were 2 times more ants in tree alleys than in parks. Pairwise comparison of tree damage and ant activity revealed an association (F=10.47, p=0.001). The largest number of ants on trees of 0-1 degree, 2-3 times less on trees of 2-3 degrees, at least on the 4th, on the trees of 5th degree ants are absent. The tree species is important for ants (F=28.68, p≤0.001), oaks are visited more often than other species of trees. The most visited by ants are undamaged trees and trees of the 1st degree of damage: F=5.014, p=0.026 for oaks and F=8.721, p=0.003 for lindens. Tree diameter is important for ants (F=5.894, p=0.015), trees with a diameter of 0.3-0.7 m are more frequently visited. Therefore, damage to large and mature trees as a result of fighting more significantly affects ant communities. The results obtained indicate that the ants prefer to visit larger trees of certain species (oaks), but with a degree of damage up to 3rd. The hostilities can have a negative effect on ant communities within the next five months after they leave their wintering grounds
First record of Lipotriches (Rhopalomelissa) burmica (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Nomiinae) from India along with a checklist of species from India
No full textLipotriches (Rhopalomelissa) burmica (Cockerell 1920) is recorded for the first time from India. Both male and female of the species have been redescribed with color illustrations. An annotated checklist of the species of this genus from India is also provided
Notes on the Sardinian endemic Tenuiphantes sardous (Gozo, 1908) n. comb. (Araneae: Linyphiidae)
Get PDFKnowledge on Sardinian cave spiders started with Angela Gozo’s 1908 description of the female of Lepthyphantes sardous. Because Gozo’s original specimens appear to be lost, we visited Gozo’s type location (Su Marmuri cave, Ogliastra, Sardinia) in an effort to find the as yet unknown male and to collect topotypic specimens on which a new diagnosis and a possible revision of the taxonomic position of the species could be based. Both efforts were successful and the results are given below. Our finding of the unknown male now allows the placement of this species within the genus Tenuiphantes Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996. Specimens of Tenuiphantes sardous (Gozo, 1908) n. comb. have been collected on the cave ground, among rocks in areas mostly covered with guano. In lack of proper troglomorphic traits we regard the species as troglophile. As far as the distribution is concerned, the species is currently known exclusively for the type locality. However, the troglophile habit and the general lack of arachnological prospections in Sardinian caves suggests a wider distribution on the island
The effects of short-term climate change on the range of species: the case of the expanding European dwarf mantis Ameles spallanzania in Italy (Mantodea: Amelidae)
No full textClimate change is altering the distribution of many species, which shift their range chasing the suitable conditions to survive and reproduce. Within a few years, the European dwarf mantis (Ameles spallanzania) seems to have expanded its range towards northern Italy, settling in the Po Valley and reaching the Alps. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between the climate of the last four decades in Italy and the distribution of this species in the current period and in the past. The results indicate that during the last decades, a rapid and remarkable increase in climatic suitable area for this species in northern Italy has occurred, while in the range of historical presence it has remained rather constant. However, the existence of corridors such as railway embankments and roadsides may have accelerated its dispersal. These results suggest that a short-term climate change and in particular the rise in the average annual temperature, may contribute significantly to the rapid expansion of a thermophilic species, with hitherto unknown consequences on the ecological communities it reaches