干旱区生态环境知识资源中心(Arid): Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefebvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb

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DOI	10.11646/zootaxa.4975.3.5
	Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefebvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb
	CASSAR, L. O. U. I. S. F.; CONRAD, E. L. I. S. A. B. E. T. H.; GALDIES, C. H. A. R. L. E. S.
通讯作者	Cassar, LF (corresponding author), Univ Malta, Inst Earth Syst, Msida, Malta.
来源期刊	ZOOTAXA
ISSN	1175-5326
EISSN	1175-5334
出版年	2021
卷号	4975 期号:3 页码:544-560
英文摘要	Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827) is of significant biogeographic importance. It occurs in Sicily and on some of the circum-Sicilian and Pelagian islands, as well as in the Maltese Islands, Sardinia and the Maghreb (notably but not exclusively, in Algeria and Tunisia, where it maintains populations in both coastal and desert regions). Within European territory, it occurs solely in Italy and Malta, where it is protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. In northern Africa, the species is regarded as a polyphagous pest, particularly in Saharan locations. The present work is based on field observations, mostly from the Maltese Islands, that span more than three decades; it provides insights on spatial distribution, population trends and behaviour. In examining the relationship between the species' frequency during its mating season and weather conditions, results suggest a weak yet statistically significant correlation between mating strategies and ambient meteorological conditions. Moreover, patch occupancy in spring and autumn varied considerably within a specified area of study, primarily due to competitive mating strategies employed in spring, with an occupancy ratio of approximately 1:6. To-date, the species is known from 13 locations, one in Gozo and 12 in Malta, of which some constitute the Ahrax promontory metapopulation. Connectivity between the Ahrax subpopulation cluster is discussed in the light of habitat and topographical characteristics. Contrasting findings on variances in behaviour between Maltese populations and other populations in Sicily and the Maghreb are discussed. Discernible behavioural disparities include the length of excavated tunnels during spring and summer/autumn seasons in the different geographical locations, attraction to artificial sources of light, and the degree of damage to crops across geographic regions.
英文关键词	Malta Sahara metapopulation patch dynamics connectivity dispersal weather conservation
类型	Article
语种	英语
收录类别	SCI-E
WOS记录号	WOS:000657618500001
WOS关键词	SEA-LEVEL RISE ; LEFEVRE
WOS类目	Zoology
WOS研究方向	Zoology
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/352021
作者单位	[CASSAR, L. O. U. I. S. F.; CONRAD, E. L. I. S. A. B. E. T. H.; GALDIES, C. H. A. R. L. E. S.] Univ Malta, Inst Earth Syst, Msida, Malta
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	CASSAR, L. O. U. I. S. F.,CONRAD, E. L. I. S. A. B. E. T. H.,GALDIES, C. H. A. R. L. E. S.. Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefebvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb[J],2021,4975(3):544-560.
APA	CASSAR, L. O. U. I. S. F.,CONRAD, E. L. I. S. A. B. E. T. H.,&GALDIES, C. H. A. R. L. E. S..(2021).Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefebvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb.ZOOTAXA,4975(3),544-560.
MLA	CASSAR, L. O. U. I. S. F.,et al."Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefebvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb".ZOOTAXA 4975.3(2021):544-560.