Reconstruction of the early invasion history of the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) in Western Europe

Abstract

Florence, was a brilliant Italian zoologist and ethologist, and one of the most well-known and active experts on alien aquatic species. Since her masters degree in Biology (1979) and her PhD in Animal Biology (Ethology) (1987), both obtained at the University of Florence, Francesca studied the behaviour and ecology of aquatic animals. Initially, most of her research concerned social recognition in crustaceans: she was particularly renowned for her studies on hermit crabs and crayfish, her principal model organisms.Then, from the 1990's onwards she worked in the field of invasion biology, her main interest until her death. Francesca devoted herself with enthusiasm and energy, not only to the problem of the invasive red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, by revealing several aspects of its behavioral ecology, and by developing with her collaborators different methods for its control, but she gradually became an international expert on crayfish and more generally on aquatic alien species. In all aspects of her life, she was constantly driven by a continuous curiosity, thirst for knowledge and a will to face challenges; this was expressed by exploring and frequently opening new research fields. And she transmitted her drive and passion to the many students she supervised. One of the last papers with her contribution is published in this issue of Aquatic Invasions by Vera Gonçalves, her Portuguese PhD student working on the interaction between Procambarus clarkii and the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, an issue of recent increasing interest in Francesca's team.

Invasion genetics from eDNA and thousands of larvae: A targeted metabarcoding assay that distinguishes species and population variation of zebra and quagga mussels

“…The quagga mussel has been outcompeting the zebra mussel in many invaded European rivers, increasing by an estimated 26% per year in Germany and the Netherlands (Heiler et al, ). Large fluctuations in their densities, with quagga mussels eventually displacing zebra mussels, were observed in the northern Dnieper River (Ukraine; Zhulidov et al, ).…”

Inferring pathogen dynamics from temporal count data: the emergence of Xylella fastidiosa in France is probably not recent

“…Dating pathogen emergences is a complex issue, but the integration of different sources of information can help to reduce the uncertainty. Dates of introduction of pathogens have been inferred from various types of data – for example demographic data (this article; Heiler et al ., ; Soubeyrand & Roques, ), genomic data (Dudas & Rambaut, ; Nunes et al ., ), archaeological data, archives and historical records (Le Floc'h, ; Preston et al ., ; Potter et al ., ) – and various analyses techniques – for example epidemiological investigations, forward simulations of population dynamic models, statistical estimation techniques, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. Despite these data and techniques, origins of outbreaks generally remain uncertain (Woolhouse & Gaunt, ; with the exception of situations in which epidemiological investigations allowed the identification of the primary case(s)).…”

Validated methodology for quantifying infestation levels of dreissenid mussels in environmental DNA (eDNA) samples

“…Moreover, these effects are expected to increase with the imminent arrival of another invasive dreissenid, the quagga mussel ( D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838)101314. Around 2004 the quagga mussel arrived in Western Europe151617 and has been constantly spreading into areas where zebra mussels previously invaded181920, and thus are predicted to arrive to the Iberian Peninsula in a near future unless effective prevention measures are enacted10.…”