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The aim of this study was to investigate the synanthropy of Diptera: Calliphoridae, insects of forensic importance, in Calabria (southern Italy). The study lasted 2 years, from February 2010 to January 2012, and was carried out in three areas of Cosenza province representing “urban”, “rural”, and “wild” environments. Bottle traps baited with pork were used to catch Calliphoridae. Six species were identified, Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy 1830, Calliphora vomitoria (L.), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann 1819), Lucilia ampullacea Villeneuve 1922, Lucilia caesar (L.), and Lucilia sericata (Meigen 1826). Data on phenologies in the study areas are reported for these species and the Synanthropy Index was calculated to evaluate their relationship with the human environment.

The magnitude and frequency of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) are increasing, causing changes in species distribution. We assessed the short-term effects of a late spring frost on beech forests, using satellite images to identify damaged forests and changes in v-egetation phenology, as well as to support the analyses on associated moth communities. The EWE caused crown dieback above 1400 m of altitude, recovered only after several weeks. Nine stands for moth sampling, settled in impacted and non-impacted forests, allowed us to study changes in moth communities and in the wingspan of the most impacted species. The EWE modified community structures, reducing the abundance of beech-feeder species, but leaving species richness unaltered. Operophtera fagata and Epirrita christyi, dominant before the EWE, lost 93% and 89% of their population, respectively. We found a general increase in the average wingspan for these species, caused by the loss of small specimens in most impacted forests, suggesting a re-colonization from non-impacted forests. According to our results, populations of some species could be more resilient than others after an EWE due to their different dispersal ability. Forest ecosystems appear to be dynamic entities able to cope with extreme weather events but, likely, only if they continue to occur in the future at the current rate.

Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is the main species responsible for traumatic myiasis in humans and warm-blooded vertebrates in the Mediterranean Basin, Central Europe and Central Asia. Despite recent reports, data on obligatory wound myiasis in domestic and farmed animals in Italy are still scarce. The case of wohlfahrtiosis presented here is the first reported from Calabria (southern Italy). Larvae of W. magnifica were found in an epidermoid cyst located in the abdominothoracic area of a domestic dog. A total of 98 third instar larvae were removed from inside the cyst and either preserved in ethanol or reared to the adult stage. In Italy, as well as in other areas endemic to wohlfahrtiosis, data about the seasonality, local distribution and patterns of infestation of W. magnifica are very useful to veterinarians and farmers to understand infestation mechanisms and improve control strategies.

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We present data from the fi rst study of successional patterns of insect fauna in Calabria (southern Italy). Th e aim was to identify and qualitatively assess the major taxa of forensic importance in this region. Studies were conducted in autumn-winter 2006, summer 2007 and winter 2008 in the Botanical Garden, University of Calabria. Over 50 taxa were collected and identifi ed. Th e most abundant fl y species were Lucilia caesar (Linnaeus, 1758), L. sericata (Meigen, 1826), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, C. vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758) , Sarcophaga spp ., Amobia sp ., Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758, and Muscina stabulans ((Fallén). Th e successional patterns, relative abundance of adult sarcosaprophagous insects, carcass decay, diversity and seasonality of species are described and the taxa useful for estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) are identifi ed. Th e data of this study could be very useful for further forensic investigations in southern Italy. ©Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010.

New records of moths elucidate the importance of forests as biodiversity hot-spots in central Mediterranean landscapes (Lepidoptera). In this paper we report new faunistic findings concerning 15 moth species collected in forested habitats of Calabria and Sicily regions, South Italy. Most interesting records concerned Eupithecia trisignaria and Orectis proboscidata, both recorded for the first time in southern Italy. Species with larval biology linked to the forest cover were locally common, whilst species linked to herbaceous plants and shrubs were often collected as singletons or in one locality, showing smaller populations. A study of a 658bp long sequence of the mitochondrial 5' cytochrome oxidase gene, subunit 1 (COI) (barcoding analysis) was performed for five species, two of them showing a divergence from closest populations near to 1%, one a 2% divergence from northern populations, and two other species a perfect identity with European populations. This study reinforced the role of forest habitats as biodiversity hot-spots in the Mediterranean Basin and the importance of the Italian peninsula for biodiversity conservation at European scale as an increased number of endemic or sub-endemic taxa and populations with endemic genetic lineages are recognized, underlining the existence of ongoing evolutionary processes. In the light of these results, faunistic surveys in forest ecosystems are strongly needed to define sustainable management strategies. KEY WORDS: barcoding, faunistic inventories, forest management, protected areas, Italy. SILVIA GRECO (*) (°)-ANNAMARIA IENCO (**)-MARCO INFUSINO (*) FRANCESCO LUIGI LEONETTI (*)-STEFANO SCALERCIO (*)

In questo lavoro sono riportati dati di cattura che ampliano significativamente la distribuzione italiana di sei specie di Pyraloidea. Acrobasis bithynella e Sciota rhenella sono segnalate per la prima volta in Italia centro-meridonale, mentre Pempelia alpigenella e Peoria cremoricosta sono segnalate per la prima volta in Italia meridionale peninsulare. Inoltre, per Hypsotropa vulneratella e Hyperlais argillacealis si tratta dei primi reperti per la penisola di specie note finora in Italia solo in Sicilia.