Odonate diversity of a highly urbanised region: An annotated checklist of the damselflies and dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) of Lario and Brianza (Lombardy, N Italy).

Background: Given their sensitivity to environmental alterations, odonates act as reliable bioindicators to assess the effects of changes in freshwater ecosystems and associated terrestrial habitats. The region comprised between Lario and Brianza (Provinces of Como, Lecco and Monza and Brianza - Lombardy, N Italy) is one of the most urbanised of the Italian peninsula and large parts of its territory have been heavily altered, especially at low elevation. Despite this pervasive anthropogenisation, the area is still characterised by a considerable variety of freshwater habitats, possibly harbouring rich odonate communities, which, however, have been never thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to produce the first commented checklist of the Odonata of this region, accompanied by distribution maps. New information: The work is based on 12,093 records spanning from 1981 and 2022, derived from literature (289), revision of collections (42), citizen-science projects (1249) and unpublished data from the authors and their collaborators (10,513). Overall, fifty-five species occur - or occurred in the past - in the study area (20 Zygoptera and 35 Anisoptera). One species, Erythrommanajas, was confirmed exclusively before 1978, while seven species (Lestesbarbarus, Coenagrionscitulum, Aeshnaaffinis, Anaxephippiger, Somatochloraarctica, Sympetrummeridionale and Trithemisannulata) have been recorded only after 2000. Records referring to Chalcolestesparvidens and Sympetrumflaveolum were considered questionable and excluded from the checklist. A list of species for each protected site is additionally provided. This work highlighted the importance for odonates of Lario and Brianza Regions from a national perspective, in particular for species of conservation priority/interest, such as Sympecmapaedisca, Oxygastracurtisii and Sympetrumdepressiusculum.

Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of rice field banks and restored habitats in an agricultural area of the Po Plain (Lombardy, Italy).

An entomological investigation was carried out in an agricultural area, mainly rice fields, of the Po river plain, located in the municipalities of Lacchiarella (MI) and Giussago (PV) (Lombardy, Italy). In 2009 and 2010, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were sampled along rice field banks and in restored habitats, by means of pitfall traps. The area appeared as species-rich, compared to other anthropogenic habitats in the Po river pain. Most of the collected Carabids were species with a wide distribution in the Paleartic region, eurytopic and common in European agroecosystems. The assemblages were dominated by small-medium, macropterous species, with summer larvae. No endemic species were found. Species with southern distribution, rarely found north of the Po river, were also sampled. Amaralittorea is recorded for the first time in Italy.