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Salvatore Brunetti

  • Biodiversity Journal, 17 (2): 163-196

    Manuel Andrea Zafarana, Salvatore Surdo, Antonino Dentici, Salvatore Alessandro Barra & Daniele Alù
    Bird communities in a restored Mediterranean wetland: a 10-year annotated checklist from the Geloi Plain (southern Sicily, Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2026.17.2.163.196

    ABSTRACT
    This study presents a ten-year annotated checklist of the avifauna of the Geloi Plain (southern Sicily), with particular focus on the restored Geloi Wetland private reserve, based on standardized surveys conducted from 2016 to 2026. Bird data were collected through direct observations, breeding bird monitoring and winter waterbird counts carried out within the framework of the International Waterbird Census (IWC). A total of 194 species belonging to 20 orders and 53 families were recorded, including 117 non-passerines and 77 passerines, with confirmed breeding for 70 species. Species richness increased from 105 species recorded in 2016 to 194 in 2026, reflecting both long-term monitoring and the progressive ecological recovery of restored wetland habitats. Winter waterbird communities showed a significant increase in both species richness and abundance following habitat restoration carried out between 2020 and 2022, which restored approximately 50–60 ha of wetland habitats. The abundance of several species showed marked increases after restoration, most notably including Common Teal (Anas crecca), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus). The regular occurrence and confirmed breeding of conservation-priority species, including European Roller (Coracias garrulus), Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola), Western Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) and White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), further highlight the ecological importance of this restored wetland system within an intensively cultivated Mediterranean landscape.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 707-712 - MONOGRAPH

    Salvatore Brunetti
    Alien Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Sicily and Malta: A Review and Updated Checklist
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.707.712

    ABSTRACT
    In the last few years, due to globalization, which increases and speeds up the movement of people and goods around the world, the number of alien animal and plant species that have accidentally arrived in Europe has increased considerably; as a result, the problem of alien species, and especially invasive ones, has taken on greater significance. Since the Mediterranean has always been one of the main trade routes, it is of primary importance to turn our attention to those areas that constitute the main entry routes for new species into Italy and Europe, such as Sicily and the Maltese archipelago. This publication aims to collect all available data about alien invasive ants recorded in Sicily and Malta. Among all animal taxa, one of the groups with great adaptability and that easily follows human routes is the Formicidae, which also includes species with high invasive potential. Currently in Sicily there are 10 alien ant species, two of which, Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1878) and Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972 (recently recorded), are invasive. Whereas for the Maltese archipelago 12 ant species are alien, two are considered invasives, namely L. humile and Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879. An additional species, Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890, is considered cryptogenic in both countries. For a proper management of alien species, it is essential to carefully monitor the alien species already present on the territory and considered invasive but also to pay attention to those species that have already caused serious damage in other countries and are easy to introduce. Finally, it is important to monitor potential entry routes followed by invasive aliens, especially those involving interchanges between Sicily and the Maltese archipelago.