27 Aug Very interesting news from the “Biodiversity Week”
A specimen of the endogean Curculionidae of the gen. Baldorhynchus
From 13 to August 19, 2012, the “Biodiversity Week” came about in the Refuge of the Botanical Garden of Monte Baldo, in Novezzina (Verona). Members and sympathizers of the WBA, together with the speleologists of the Gruppo Attività Speleologica Veronese made naturalistic investigations in different habitats of monte Baldo: arid meadows, woodlands, mountain pastures, screes, gorges, caves and glacial cirques.
The researches were made about the soil and cavernicolous fauna overall; the materials collected are now to be studied by the taxonomists. The specimens of centipedes, millipedes, pseudoscorpions and beetles seem particularly interesting. The most significant collecting of Coleoptera were Troglorhynchus (Baldorhynchus), endogean Curculionidae (new species?), and some specimens of the genus Orotrechus collected in the Grotta del Tasso. This is the second locality of Orotrechus of the Monte Baldo, after the discovery of the presence of the genus in 1985 in the Grotta Tanella.
There were also convivial moments, discussions and debates. The nights have been enriched with talks open to the public on different subjects: Monte Baldo Caves, Monte Baldo Stars and a very interesting conference of our member Cesare Brizio about the sounds emitted in nature by insects, amphibians and birds. One day was dedicated to the new standard of WBA “Biodiversity Friend” to certify the conservation of biodiversity in agriculture.
The very interesting results of the investigations and the excellent welcome to the Refuge will be determinant in the choice of the location of the next “Biodiversity Week”, in summer 2013…
Goodbye, next year, in Monte Baldo!