Geographical distribution of the bat fauna of Sicily: current state of knowledge

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Preatoni published by Gruppo Italiano Ricerca Chirotteri Associazione Teriologica Italiana © 2015 Associazione Teriologica Italiana. All rights reserved. Finito di stampare nel mese di settembre 2015 - Typeset in LATEX III Congresso Italiano sui Chirotteri Trento, 9 - 11 ottobre 2015 Riassunti: Comunicazioni e Poster Organizzato da Gruppo Italiano Ricerca Chirotteri – Associazione Teriologica Italiana Universita degli Studi di Trento, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Meccanica Con il patrocinio di Sponsored by I III Convegno Italiano sui Chirotteri Geographical distribution of the bat fauna of Sicily: current state of knowledge A. Fulco, M. Lo Valvo P015 Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Laboratorio di Zoologia applicata, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, I-90123 Palermo, Italy Sicily is the widest region in Italy and also the largest island in the Mediterranean sea. In spite of that, data about the Sicilian bat fauna are scarse and fragmentary, above all as regards its geographical distribution, and still widely inadequate if compared to the richness of habitats and the great biogeographical value of this area. Since the past few years we have carried out a cognitive survey for the achievement of a Sicilian bat fauna atlas and the guidelines on the conservation of species and the sustainable use of habitats. The survey develops into different stages: first of all an accurate bibliographic research to get all previous data and the consultation of the most important zoological collections. The following step is based on a field survey with the main aim of filling the gap of knowledge in some areas of the region where no occurences have been recorded. In this stage data have been collected through inspections in natural or artificial shelters both known and/or potential (with a special attention on karstic cavities), captures (by means of mist net, harp trap, hand nets) and bioacoustic sampling (bat detector Petterson D1000X). The last stage, still in progress, consists in the analysis of the data collected and processing, together with past data, of the distribution maps. All data obtained so far agree with the expected data based on the ecological features of the species. The finding of new colonies during the exploration of various hypogeal sites and large regional areas, so far little or not at all known, allowed us to update the checklist of the sicilian bat fauna and build up preliminary distribution maps. In the current state of knowledge on the Sicily region territory the occurrence of 24 species has been recorded: Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros, Rhinolophus mehelyi, Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis blythii, Myotis capaccinii, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis myotis, Myotis mystacinus, Myotis nattereri, Myotis punicus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Nyctalus lasiopterus, Hypsugo savii, Eptesicus serotinus, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus, Plecotus austriacus, Miniopterus schreibersii, Tadarida teniotis. The most frequently recorded species, occurred in all nine sicilian provinces, are: P. kuhlii, P. pipistrellus, M. schreibersii and T. teniotis. For the moment the distribution maps we have done are not fully exhaustive for such a wide area, though they represent an important synthesis of the current knowledge and a good starting point for future studies. We believe that further researches, particularly carried in the woodland and on the Sicily minor island, might enhance both the checklist and echological knowledge about those species which are almost totally absent in Sicily. III Convegno Italiano sui Chirotteri The bat fauna of four cavities in south-west Sicily: microclimatic analysis and phenology of communities A. Fulco1,3 , M. Vattano2,3 , P. Valenti1,3 , G. Madonia2 , M. Lo Valvo1 Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Laboratorio di Zoologia applicata, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, I-90123 Palermo, Italy 2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy; email: marco.vattano@unipa.it, giuliana.madonia@unipa.it 3 Associazione Naturalistica Speleologica “Le Taddarite”, via Terrasanta 46, 90141 Palermo, Italy P016 1 30 Caves are elective shelters for bat fauna, above all from a climatic point of view. The “buffer effect” on the variability of environmental parameters of cavities, make them a suitable habitat for bats. The choice of roosting sites, the shift of colonies from one chamber or passage to another and the different species composition in the communities during the year, might be linked to changes in the microclimatic parameters in the cavities. In order to explain the real links between the roosts climate and the cave bats communities dynamics, a monitoring protocol both environmental and faunal, has been applied on four natural cavities in south-west Sicily (Grotta del Salnitro, Grotta dell’Acqua Fitusa, Grotta dei Personaggi, Grotta Barone). Three of these cavities are home to large bat colonies, while the fourth cavity is not used and serves as a control. Inside these caves 60 dataloggers (T/Rh) have been installed and periodical inspections and captures have been carried out in order to collect data on bats. Inside the three caves seven bat species were recorded: Rhi- nolophus euryale, R. ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis myotis, M. capaccinii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Miniopterus schreibersii. In particular, the Grotta del Salnitro is home to M. myotis, M. capaccinii, M. schreibersii and only occasionally to R. euryale, P. kuhlii, the Grotta dell’Acqua Fitusa is occupied by a community of R. euryale, R. ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, M. myotis, M. capaccinii, M. schreibersii, while the Grotta dei Personaggi hosts only a community of R. euryale. Both the species composition and the environments used by the three communities vary during the year. The research areas are currently being monitored and, according to the first results, we assume a different use of the microenvironments, depending on temperature variations, and a different phenology compared to the known data on peninsular Italy, probably because of the significant latitudinal and climatic difference of Sicily.