Clean-ups can be considered real conservation actions since beach litter may impact many ecosystem components. However, although these actions are quite easy to carry out, we think that they need to follow specific criteria and clear planning. Contrariwise, an unplanned clean-up could lead to counter-productive—or even harmful—consequences to the fragile dune ecosystem; e.g., excessive trampling and/or extreme sand removal. Here, we defined a road map for implementing beach clean-ups according to the logic of problem solving and project management, also adding a flow chart. More particularly, we subdivided the clean-up project into different steps as follows: context analysis, input and planning, process, monitoring (outputs and outcomes) and adaptation.

The exaggerated male traits under sexual selection are widespread throughout the animal kingdom, including ornaments to attract mates and weapons to deter rivals. Many species of stag beetles show a considerable interspecific and intraspecific variation in mandible size and shape. In the present study we used traditional and geometric morphometric approaches, on live Lucanus cervus males, to study the intraspecific variation in mandible and head size and shape and to get evolutionary insights about the exaggerated weaponry of the European stag beetle. We found that the shape of these structures strongly depends on their size (centroid size) and body size (elytron length), outlining two different morphologies: small males with wide and rounded mandibles and less developed head edges and larger ones with slender mandibles equipped with fully developed teeth and wider head edges. These shape differences may be related to alternative mating tactics and behaviours in smaller and larger males. Head and mandibles show a great shape variation, indicating that they can be considered as a functional unit, evolved under influence of the same selective pressures. By comparing traditional to geometric morphometric approach, we concluded that reducing the complex mandible structure to a linear distance is an accurate representation of size. Contrariwise, male head size cannot be reduced to linear distances, as usually done for the genus Lucanus, hence a geometric morphometric approach is needed to describe at best the magnitude of its changes.

Background: West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) are emerging vector-borne zoonotic flaviviruses. They are antigenically very similar, sharing the same life cycle with birds as amplification host, Culicidae as vector, and man/horse as dead-end host. They can co-circulate in an overlapping geographic range. In Europe, surveillance plans annually detect several outbreaks. Methods: In Italy, a WNV/USUV surveillance plan is in place through passive and active surveillance. After a 2018 WNV outbreak, a reinforced integrated risk-based surveillance was performed in four municipalities through clinical and serological surveillance in horses, Culicidae catches, and testing on human blood-based products for transfusion. Results: Eight WNV cases in eight equine holdings were detected. Twenty-three mosquitoe catches were performed and 2367 specimens of Culex pipiens caught; 17 pools were USUV positive. A total of 8889 human blood donations were tested, and two asymptomatic donors were USUV positive. Conclusions: Different surveillance components simultaneously detected WNV only in horses and USUV only in humans and mosquitoes. While in endemic areas (i.e. northern Italy) entomological surveillance is successfully used as an early detection warning, this method in central Italy seems ineffective. To achieve a high level of sensitivity, the entomological trapping effort should probably exceed a reasonable balance between cost and performance. Besides, WNV/USUV early detection can be addressed by horses and birds. Further research is needed to adapt the surveillance components in different epidemiological contexts. Graphical

The Asian tiger mosquito,Aedes albopictus, competent vector of several arboviruses, poses significant impact on human health worldwide. Although global warming is a driver ofA. albopictusrange expansion, few studies focused on its effects on homodynamicity (i.e. the ability to breed all-year-round), a key factor of vectorial capacity and a primary condition for anAedes-borne disease to become endemic in temperate areas. Data from a 4-year monitoring network set in Central Italy and records from weather stations were used to assess winter adult activity and weekly minimum temperatures. Winter oviposition occurred in 38 localities with a seasonal mean photoperiod of 9.7 : 14.3 (L : D) h. Positive collections (87) occurred with an average minimum temperature of the two and three weeks before sampling of approximately 4°C. According to these evidences and considering the climate projections of three global climate models and three shared socio-economic pathways for the next three 20-year periods (from 2021 to 2080), the minimum temperature of January will increase enough to allow an all-year-round oviposition ofA. albopictusin several areas of the Mediterranean Basin. Due to vector homodynamicity,Aedes-borne diseases could become endemic in Southern Europe by the end of the twenty-first century, worsening the burden on human health.

Background: The Asian tiger mosquitoAedes albopictus(Skuse 1894), which is native to Southeast Asia, is among the top 100 invasive species worldwide and one of the most troubling vector species. It has become established in more than 20 European countries. Since its arrival in Italy in the 1990s, the species has colonized all the regions of the country, up to an altitude of 600 m. Nevertheless, no thorough investigation has ever been performed to confirm or extend its elevation limit (EL) in Italy.Methods: To define the EL ofAe. albopictusand analyse its phenology along an altitudinal gradient, we carried out an investigation by means of ovitraps placed in Lazio region, central Italy. Sampling was performed on a weekly basis in 13 villages within five 200-m altitudinal ranges [0–1000 m above sea level (asl)], with the addition of higher localities to the species range whenever the species was recorded in the highest range.Results: Aedes albopictushas colonized sites well beyond its known EL, with established populations at 900 m asl and positive ovitraps recorded at 1193 m asl. The relationship between egg abundance and elevation was described by an exponential decay regression, which predicted an EL for oviposition at 1015 m asl. In the active season, egg-laying started earlier at low altitude and ended earlier within the highest altitudinal range.Aedes albopictusabundance and activity period (number of days active) decreased, respectively, by 95% and 34% from the lowest to the highest altitudinal range.Conclusions: Using data from the present study, the altitudinal limit ofAe. albopictusin central Italy was updated from 600 to 900 m asl. In addition, established populations were predicted to exist up to 1015 m asl. Considering that up to 99.5% of Lazio region’s inhabitants could potentially be affected byAedes-borne virus outbreaks, the surveillance area forAe. albopictusshould be expanded accordingly. However, our results also indicate thatAe. albopictussurveillance programs need to be revised in order to harmonize the resources earmarked for these with the altitudinal changes in the phenology of this species.Graphical