1,721,005 research outputs found
Idrolati di Monarda fistulosa come antimicrobici naturali in substrati per l'allevamento di insetti utili
No full textVengono descritte le potenzialità di idrolati di Monarda fistulosa come antimicrobici naturali in substrati artificiali per l'allevamento di parassitoidi, in sostituzione di antimicrobici tradizionali, come la gentamicin
Cultural Landscapes: Exploring the Imprint of the Roman Empire on Modern Identities
Full text linkThis study explores how cultural landscapes serve as dynamic interfaces between human societies and their environments, reflecting intricate interactions shaped by historical and societal changes. Cultural landscapes, embodying both tangible heritage (e.g., architecture, gardens, and urban spaces) and intangible heritage (e.g., traditions and practices), act as living archives that document the evolution of cultural identities and environmental care. Through the lens of historical analysis and case studies, including that of the legacy of the Roman Empire, this research examines the transformative impacts of political, economic, social, and cultural shifts on these landscapes. Methods include a comparative analysis of historical data and contemporary landscape assessments, used to understand how these spaces adapt to and reflect societal changes. The findings highlight the importance of preserving cultural landscapes for their educational and aesthetic value, ecological sustainability, and their role in maintaining historical continuity. The study underscores the need for integrating historical insights into contemporary landscape preservation and urban design to keep these spaces relevant for future generations. This research contributes to our understanding of the deep-seated connection between past civilizations and modern cultural identities through the stewardship of cultural landscapes.
Keywords: cultural landscapes; Roman age; Western societies; historical imprint; modern identity; collective memor
Stink bug’s impact on Italian kiwifruit
No full textThe first studies are coming out of Italy, detailing the effect brown marmorated
stink bug has on kiwifruit. Considering the findings of both years, it can be concluded that stink bug is indeed
capable of using kiwifruit as a host for oviposition, at the same time serving as food for adults and for all nymphal instars.The complete life cycle of this pest may thus occur on kiwifruit
Divulgare l'Entomologia
No full textViene descritta la figura di Giorgio Celli come divulgatore di entomologia e di ambiente, e le ripercussioni che il suo insegnamento ha avuto sull'esperienza dell'autrice come divulgatrice scientific
Monarda fistulosa L. hydrolate as antimicrobial agent in artificial media for the in vitro rearing of the tachinid parasitoid Exorista larvarum (L.)
No full textExorista larvarum (L.) (Diptera Tachinidae), a larval parasitoid of Lepidoptera, can be reared in vitro from egg to fecund adult on artificial media composed of crude components. The standard in vitro culture is performed in 24-well plastic rearing plates. Exorista larvarum eggs, removed from superparasitized larvae of Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera Pyralidae), are individually placed in the wells, each containing a cotton ball soaked in liquid medium. The plates are then sealed until parasitoid puparium formation. Newly-formed puparia are collected from the medium and transferred into cages for adult emergence.
To avoid contamination by microorganisms, the artificial medium is routinely added with 1% solution of gentamicin. Concern over occurrence of resistant microorganisms, following the prolonged use of this broad spectrum antibiotic, has prompted research on more natural antimicrobial agents. Experiments were carried out to assess whether gentamicin may be replaced with hydrolate of the wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa L. (Lamiaceae), which was selected due to its high activity against pathogenic microorganisms for humans and plants. The hydrolate was either added to the artificial medium (0.01% w/w) (first trial), or placed in an empty well of the rearing plate (0.5% w/w), to be supplied in the aerosol form due to evaporation (second trial). In both trials, a standard medium with gentamicin and an antimicrobial-free medium were maintained as positive and negative controls, respectively. In the first trial, E. larvarum development from the egg to the adult stage in the hydrolate-added medium was comparable to that observed in the standard medium. No significant difference was found between the number of eggs laid by the females obtained in either substrate. In the second trial, however, the hydrolate in the aerosol form significantly decreased E. larvarum egg hatching, puparium formation and female fecundity compared to the standard medium. In both trials, little parasitoid development occurred in the antimicrobial-free media. The results suggest that artificial media added with M. fistulosa hydrolate solution may be competitive with those containing gentamicin for the in vitro rearing of E. larvarum. The hydrolate aerosol form was shown, instead, unsuitable
Importanza delle collezioni naturalistiche per lo studio dei cambiamenti ambientali: il caso della collezione entomologica di Odoardo Pirazzoli
No full textLe collezioni naturalistiche hanno grande importanza per lo studio dei cambiamenti ambientali avvenuti nel
tempo. Per il territorio imolese, è di notevole interesse, anche da questo punto di vista, la collezione di
coleotteri di Odoardo Pirazzoli (1815-1884), conservata, e in parte esposta, presso il Museo “Giuseppe
Scarabelli” di Imola. La collezione, avviata nel 1840 e portata avanti da Pirazzoli per oltre un quarantennio, è
una delle più vaste d’Italia dell’epoca, comprendendo 27698 esemplari preparati a secco, suddivisi in 152
scatole e quasi tutti determinati. Al suo interno, è conservato anche il lectotipo di Leptomastax hypogea
(Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae) nuovo genere e nuova specie descritti nel 1855 da Pirazzoli su
esemplari raccolti nei dintorni di Imola vicino all’argine del fiume Santerno.
La collezione è l’unica raccolta entomologica storica presente in Romagna e, pur non mancando di reperti
provenienti da altri areali italiani e stranieri, comprende in gran parte esemplari raccolti a Imola e dintorni,
rendendo possibile un raffronto con la situazione attuale. I primi rilievi effettuati nel Parco delle Acque
Minerali - uno dei luoghi di Imola più strettamente connessi alla storia della città, che si sviluppa tra la sponda
destra del fiume Santerno e le pendici collinari - sembrano indicare una generale diminuzione delle specie
più esigenti sul piano della qualità ambientale. Ad esempio, tra i carabidi (che costituiscono una parte
cospicua della collezione, essendo presenti in 32 scatole), Nebria psammodes (P. Rossi), di cui sono presenti
4 esemplari (scatola 13), fu reperito da Pirazzoli lungo il Rio delle Acque Minerali, come riportato nei suoi
appunti inediti, conservati presso l’Archivio storico comunale di Imola: “Luoghi umidi ed arenosi sul Rio delle
Acque. Imola 12 aprile...”. La specie non è più stata riscontrata in questo ambiente, verosimilmente a causa
dei cambiamenti occorsi (scomparsa dal greto del fiume di sabbia e ghiaia e inquinamento delle acque).
Analogo impoverimento riguarda i cerambicidi, come, ad esempio, Cerambyx welensii (Küster) (= C. velutinus
Brullé) (scatola 135), raccolto a Imola (sempre in base agli appunti di Pirazzoli) nel 1858 in tronchi di Quercus
robur L. (= Quercus pedunculata Ehrh.). La specie, un tempo comune nel Parco delle Acque Minerali e nel
Parco Tozzoni di Imola, oggi non sembra più presente in queste zone, e non solo: è, infatti, inclusa tra le
specie protette dalla Legge Regionale 15/2006 “Disposizioni per la tutela della fauna minore in EmiliaRomagna”, in quanto minacciata per la rarefazione dei suoi ambienti di vita.
Sono attualmente oggetto di indagine altri esemplari presenti nella collezione e il ricco carteggio di Pirazzoli
(comprendente materiale in gran parte inedito), allo scopo di reperire informazioni utili allo studio della
continuità entomologica ed ambientale nel Parco delle Acque Minerali e, in generale, nel territorio imolese
The Possible Role of Microorganisms in Mosquito Mass Rearing
Full text linkIn Europe, one of the most significant mosquitoes of public health importance is Aedes
albopictus (Skuse), an allochthonous species of Asian origin. One of the most promising control
methods against Aedes albopictus is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which consists of mass rearing
the target species, separation of males from females, and male exposure to sterilizing ionizing
radiation. Once released in the environment, the sterile males are expected to search for wild females
to mate with. If mating occurs, no offspring is produced. The quality of sterile males is a crucial
aspect in SIT programs in order to optimize effectiveness and limit production costs. The integration
of probiotic microorganisms in larval and adult mosquito diets could enhance the quality parameters
of the released sterile males. In this review, we attempt to give the most representative picture of the
present knowledge on the relationships between gut microbiota of mosquitoes and the natural or
artificial larval diet. Furthermore, the possible use of probiotic microorganisms for mosquito larvae
rearing is explored. Based on the limited amount of data found in the literature, we hypothesize
that a better understanding of the interaction between mosquitoes and their microbiota may bring
significant improvements in mosquito mass rearing for SIT purposes
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on kiwifruit in Northern Italy: phenology, infestation and natural enemies assessment
Full text linkThe brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an Asian invasive plant-feeding insect and an emerging kiwifruit pest. Knowledge about the BMSB dynamics and damage to kiwifruit outside the bug native range is scarce. This two-year study was aimed at describing phenology and infestation dynamics of BMSB in green-fleshed and yellow-fleshed kiwifruits. Natural enemies were investigated as well. Field surveys were performed weekly in two sites in Northern Italy by pheromone-baited traps and visual samplings, from early Spring to mid-Autumn. All BMSB life stages were collected and kept under observation to assess occurrence of parasitoids. A sample of fruit was dissected weekly to detect BMSB feeding injuries. In 2018-2019, BMSB was found throughout the growing season with two generations per year with a large overlapping of all life stages. Pheromone-baited traps and visual samplings gave consistent results and can be both considered effective sampling methods on kiwifruit. Fruit injuries were significantly related to kiwifruit development stage, weekly captures of BMSBs by traps and cultivar. Several BMSB egg masses were found on kiwifruit leaves. Anastatus bifasciatus Geoffroy, a native egg parasitoid with Palearctic distribution, emerged from 20.14% of eggs in 2018 but the percent parasitism dropped to 0.47% in 2019. In both years, other natural enemies were found exerting negligible pressure on BMSB populations. The determination of reliable economic thresholds for BMSB on kiwifruit is urgently needed to develop a robust and sustainable IPM strategy, and this study provides data towards that direction
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