Monitoring programs should be based on the measurement of two main pillars for evaluating the con... more Monitoring programs should be based on the measurement of two main pillars for evaluating the conservation status of a species: population size and geographical distribution. To date, the only way reported in the literature to obtain detailed information on L. cervus population size is to use the capture-mark-recapture method. This is an expensive and time-consuming technique that implies physical capture and handling of individuals, which could affect their survival. Therefore, in this study we tested and compared two non-invasive sampling approaches, namely evening walk transects and diurnal tree trunk surveys, to derive accurate abundance estimates by means of N-mixture models in a Bayesian framework. In our study, both methods showed relatively high detection probability (≥56%). However, tree surveys performed better than walk transects (≈80%), especially with the progression of the sampling season. Tree surveys proved to be more effective than walk transects in providing data f...
The genus Polistes is revised for the West Palaearctic region based on morphology and DNA barcode... more The genus Polistes is revised for the West Palaearctic region based on morphology and DNA barcodes. The revision includes all known West Palaearctic species, raising the number of species in Europe to 14 and to 17 for the West Palaearctic realm. DNA barcodes were recovered from 15 species, 14 of which belong to the subgenus Polistes, and one, P. wattii, to the subgenus Gyrostoma. An integrative taxonomic approach combining morphology and molecular data (DNA barcoding) was employed to resolve longstanding taxonomic problems in this group. Two species, P. austroccidentalis van Achterberg & Neumeyer, sp. n. (= P. semenowi auctt.) from W and SW Europe and P. maroccanus Schmid-Egger, sp
A key to all known genera which occur in Europe or could be expected and descriptions of genera a... more A key to all known genera which occur in Europe or could be expected and descriptions of genera as well as species which are not dealt with in this series until now, are published. Parodontodynerus ephippium anatoliae [GlORDANI SODCA 1952] is a synonym to Parodontodynerus e. ephippium (KLUG 1817).
We combine multivariate ratio analysis (MRA) of body measurements and analyses of mitochondrial a... more We combine multivariate ratio analysis (MRA) of body measurements and analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear data to examine the status of several species of European paper wasps (Polistes Latreille, 1802) closely related to P. gallicus. Our analyses unambiguously reveal the presence of a cryptic species in Europe, as two distinct species can be recognized in what has hitherto been considered Polistes bischoffi Weyrauch, 1937. One species is almost as light coloured as P. gallicus, and is mainly recorded from Southern Europe and Western Asia. The other species is darker and has a more northern distribution in Central Europe. Both species occur syntopically in Switzerland. Given that the lost lectotype of P. bischoffi originated from Sardinia, we selected a female of the southern species as a neotype. The northern species is described as P. helveticus sp. n. here. We also provide a redescription of P. bischoffi rev. stat. and an identification key including three more closely related species, P. biglumis, P. gallicus and P. hellenicus.
Monitoring programs should be based on the measurement of two main pillars for evaluating the con... more Monitoring programs should be based on the measurement of two main pillars for evaluating the conservation status of a species: population size and geographical distribution. To date, the only way reported in the literature to obtain detailed information on L. cervus population size is to use the capture-mark-recapture method. This is an expensive and time-consuming technique that implies physical capture and handling of individuals, which could affect their survival. Therefore, in this study we tested and compared two non-invasive sampling approaches, namely evening walk transects and diurnal tree trunk surveys, to derive accurate abundance estimates by means of N-mixture models in a Bayesian framework. In our study, both methods showed relatively high detection probability (≥56%). However, tree surveys performed better than walk transects (≈80%), especially with the progression of the sampling season. Tree surveys proved to be more effective than walk transects in providing data f...
The genus Polistes is revised for the West Palaearctic region based on morphology and DNA barcode... more The genus Polistes is revised for the West Palaearctic region based on morphology and DNA barcodes. The revision includes all known West Palaearctic species, raising the number of species in Europe to 14 and to 17 for the West Palaearctic realm. DNA barcodes were recovered from 15 species, 14 of which belong to the subgenus Polistes, and one, P. wattii, to the subgenus Gyrostoma. An integrative taxonomic approach combining morphology and molecular data (DNA barcoding) was employed to resolve longstanding taxonomic problems in this group. Two species, P. austroccidentalis van Achterberg & Neumeyer, sp. n. (= P. semenowi auctt.) from W and SW Europe and P. maroccanus Schmid-Egger, sp
A key to all known genera which occur in Europe or could be expected and descriptions of genera a... more A key to all known genera which occur in Europe or could be expected and descriptions of genera as well as species which are not dealt with in this series until now, are published. Parodontodynerus ephippium anatoliae [GlORDANI SODCA 1952] is a synonym to Parodontodynerus e. ephippium (KLUG 1817).
We combine multivariate ratio analysis (MRA) of body measurements and analyses of mitochondrial a... more We combine multivariate ratio analysis (MRA) of body measurements and analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear data to examine the status of several species of European paper wasps (Polistes Latreille, 1802) closely related to P. gallicus. Our analyses unambiguously reveal the presence of a cryptic species in Europe, as two distinct species can be recognized in what has hitherto been considered Polistes bischoffi Weyrauch, 1937. One species is almost as light coloured as P. gallicus, and is mainly recorded from Southern Europe and Western Asia. The other species is darker and has a more northern distribution in Central Europe. Both species occur syntopically in Switzerland. Given that the lost lectotype of P. bischoffi originated from Sardinia, we selected a female of the southern species as a neotype. The northern species is described as P. helveticus sp. n. here. We also provide a redescription of P. bischoffi rev. stat. and an identification key including three more closely related species, P. biglumis, P. gallicus and P. hellenicus.
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Papers by Claudio Deiaco