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BackgroundThe invasive mosquito species, Aedes japonicus japonicus, was detected in northeastern Italy for the first time in 2015, at the border with Austria. After this finding, a more intensive monitoring was carried out to assess its distribution and to collect biological data. Herein, we report the results of four years (2015–2018) of activity.MethodsThe presence of Ae. j. japonicus was checked in all possible breeding sites through collections of larvae. The monitoring started from the site of the first detection at the Austrian border and then was extended in all directions. The mosquitoes were identified morphologically and molecularly.ResultsAedes j. japonicus was found in 58 out of 73 municipalities monitored (79.5%). In total (2015–2018), 238 sampling sites were monitored and 90 were positive for presence of Ae. j. japonicus larvae (37.8%). The mosquito was collected mainly in artificial containers located in small villages and in rural areas. Cohabitation with other mosquito species was observed in 55.6% of the samplings.ConclusionsAedes j. japonicus is well established in Italy and in only four years has colonised two Italian Regions, displaying rapid spreading throughout hilly and mountainous areas. Colonization towards the south seems limited by climatic conditions and the occurrence of a large population of the larval competitor, Ae. albopictus. The further spread of Ae. j. japonicus has the potential to pose new threats of zoonotic agents (i.e. Dirofilaria spp. and West Nile virus) within areas at altitudes previously considered at negligible risk in Italy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3387-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In red winemaking de-stemming is crucial since the stems contain polymeric phenolic compounds responsible for the astringency of wine. Wine such as Primitivo has low phenolic constituents and tannins and stems affect aroma, taste body and olfactory characteristics. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of presence of stems during fermentation on polyphenolic, volatile compounds and sensory characteristics of wine. Primitivo grapes vinified in presence of different percentage of stems: 100 % de-stemmed (D100), 75 % de-stemmed (D75) and 50 % de-stemmed (D50). Results confirmed that the wines vinified in presence of stems were higher in tannins, flavans, to vanillin and proanthocyanidins, colour intensity with lower anthocyanins. The presence of stems during fermentation conferred more structure and flavour to wines. They facilitated must aeration thus promoting synthesis of higher alcohols and ethyl esters by yeast. In particular, a higher content of hexan-1-ol, hex-3-en-1-ol and 2-phenyl ethanol in D50 and D75 gave the wines that suggest green grass, herb and floral. Wine from D75 seemed to be better than D50 in terms of volatile compounds as well as fruity, floral and balsamic components preserved, without any unpleasant taste of long chain fatty acids found in D50.

Rosé wines consumption has reached the highest level in present years and it is still an ongoing trend in several countries. Therefore, the production of rosé wines with improved sensory qualities and colour stability would be greatly appreciated. Today, although rosé wines are no longer considered to be less valuable than red and white ones, anyway, because of the past rosé's reputation the scientific state of art lacks of specific studies concerning the effects of pre-fermentation maceration times on rosé wines. In this study, different pre fermentation maceration times (3, 6 and 8 h) during production of original location certified and guaranteed rosé wine from Bombino Nero variety (Vitis vinifera L.) were investigated. In all wines standard and specific wine chemical parameters, such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acids, volatile compounds and colour parameters were determined. A sensory descriptive analysis together with chemical analyses performed revealed that the maceration time significantly affected the aroma, the flavour and the colour of wines. The results showed that, although a longer maceration time is positively correlated to the colour stability of wine over time, however, a lengthener of the maceration is not favourable to enrich the wine with pleasant fruity and flowery aroma compounds, as both the gas chromatography and the sensory analyses showed. It was decided to perform the experimental winemaking processes in an actual winery instead of a laboratory in order to develop a practical winemaking management procedure directly usable for wine producers. The results obtained contribute to improve the knowledge about the importance of selecting the winemaking technique in order to elaborate high quality rosé wines.

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