Saproxylic beetles included in EU Habitats Directive: systematics, monitoring and conservation
Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, SapienzaUniversity of Rome, Italy
MiPAAF-National Forest Service, CNBF National Centre for Forestry Biodiversity, Verona, Italy
This presentation is focused on taxonomy, genetic diversity and development of specific monitoring protocols for saproxylic beetles included in appendix II of Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC (and IUCN Red Lists).
During the last years our research group is interested in studying some flagspecies of saproxylic beetles, such as Osmoderma eremita s.l. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), Lucanus cervus (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) and Morimus funereus s.l. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). In fact, the current taxonomic arrangement of these species, that is critical in order to establish correct conservation strategies, is still debated.
After DNA isolation, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and some nuclear genes (ITS2, EF-α1, Wingless gene) are amplified and sequenced. Successively, comparing the molecular results with accurate morphological analyses (by the use of traditional morphology, ESEM and geometric morphometrics), we focused on the clarification of some taxonomical issues and particularly on the evaluation of the validity of some putative species.
The outcomes of our research are further used for the development and the update of monitoring protocols for some saproxylic beetles (i.e. Osmoderma eremita: modified-window trap baited with the sexual pheromon: (+)-γ-decalattone; Lucanus cervus: walk transects and observations and capture-mark-recapture). Finally, we are evaluating the possible use of saproxylic beetles as indicator of the status of forest in European long-term ecological research and monitoring programs.