Search results for " EAG"
showing 10 items of 24 documents
Spatial ecology and habitat use of adult Booted eagles (Aquila pennata) during the breeding season: implications for conservation.
2016
Fast-moving technological advances, such as satellite tracking technologies, are providing in-depth information of aspects of avian ecology hitherto unknown. In fact, detailed information about movement ecology and ranging behaviour of birds is important not only from the perspective of the basic ecology, but also from the conservation point of view. This is particularly important in European countries where agricultural intensification, land abandonment and the withdrawal of traditional management agro-forestry practices pose a threat to biodiversity. The Booted Eagle, likewise other forest raptors, is an adequate bioindicator of human-dominated agro-forestry Mediterranean landscapes in wh…
Wind effects on the migration routes of trans-Saharan soaring raptors: geographical, seasonal, and interspecific variation
2016
Wind is among the most important environmental factors shaping birds’ migration patterns. Birds must deal with the displacement caused by crosswinds and their behavior can vary according to different factors such as flight mode, migratory season, experience, and distance to goal areas. Here we analyze the relationship between wind and migratory movements of three raptor species which migrate by soaring–gliding flight: Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, booted eagle Aquila pennata, and short-toed snake eagle Circaetus gallicus. We analyzed daily migratory segments (i.e., the path joining consecutive roosting locations) using data recorded by GPS satellite telemetry. Daily movements of E…
Use of digital trail cameras to study Bonelli's eagle diet during the nestling period
2010
Abstract The study of avian diet is one of the most commonly discussed topics in Ornithology. Different methods such as direct observations of hunting, analysis of pellets and collection of prey remains have usually been employed to study avian diet. Fortunately, digital technologies have rapidly advanced in recent years, allowing researchers to increase our understanding of avian behaviour. Here we report the outcomes of a pilot project to study the diet of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata, Syn = Hieraaetus fasciatus) during the nestling period using digital trail cameras. We describe the monitoring system, provide results on dietary composition and discuss advantages and shortcomings of t…
Feeding habits of the Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus during the breeding period in Central Italy
2022
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus is the only snake eagle that nests in the Palearctic. Its diet has been studied in several European countries and it is essentially based on reptiles. The aims of this work were to characterise the feeding habits of Short-toed Eagle breeding in the Tolfa Mountains (Central Italy) including a comparison of the diet with that of other populations. Moreover, we assessed changes in the diet of the former population using published data collected more than 35 years ago. We monitored five nests and three roosts between 2020 and 2021. Using camera traps and the collection and analysis of feeding remains, a total of 247 prey items were identified. The diet of the…
First data on the repellent activity of essential oils of Citrus limon towards medfly (Ceratitis capitata)
2012
The biological activity of peel essential oils of two Sicilian cultivars of C. limon, ‘Interdonato’ and ‘Lunario’, was investigated by electrophysiological recordings (EAG) and field trials on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera Tephritidae). The EAG data showed a remarkable dose-response relationship and a low activation threshold dose (10-3M) for both essential oil extracts. In field tests, essential oils showed a good repellent and antiovipositional activi- ty on ‘Navelina’ oranges, and in particular the essential oils of ‘Lunario’ pro- vided the same results of kaolin. Potential applications of essential oils from C. limon cultivars against C. capitata in organic farming are discuss…
Role of VOCs from Brassica oleracea in host location processes of Bagrada hilaris: electrophysiological and behavioral studies
2017
The Painted bug, Bagrada hilaris Burmeister is an herbivorous insect native of Asia and Africa, invasive in Southern Europe and North America where it causes major damage on various vegetable crops mainly belonging to Brassicaceae family. Young plants at cotyledon stage of B. oleracea are particularly attractant and susceptible to B. hilaris feeding activity. To elucidate the main volatile organic compounds (VOCs) involved in the attraction of B. hilaris individuals toward the host plant B. oleracea, laboratory experiments were carried out using vertical Y-shaped olfactometer and electroantennographic techniques (EAG). Both adults and late nymphal instars were used in these experiments. Olf…
Living on the edge: assessing the extinction risk of critically endangered Bonelli’s eagle in Italy
2012
Background: The population of Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata) has declined drastically throughout its European range due to habitat degradation and unnatural elevated mortality. There are less than 1500 breeding pairs accounted for in Europe, and the species is currently catalogued as Critically Endangered in Italy, where the 22 territories of Sicily, represent nearly 95% of the entire Italian population. However, despite national and European conservation concerns, the species currently lacks a specific conservation plan, and no previous attempts to estimate the risk of extinction have been made. Methodology/Principal Findings: We incorporated the most updated demographic information ava…
Biological activity of metabolites extracted from Citrus spp. on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
2012
The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is one of the most injurious pest at global level. During the last years, several electrophysiological and behavioural studies have been carried out in order to investigate plant volatile compound-insect interactions with the aim to use this knowledge in sustainable control techniques. It has been observed that lemons are not attacked by medfly, probably because of the peel oil, that is toxic to other fruit flies. In the present paper electrophysiological recordings were conducted to evaluate the insect sensitivity to peel extract and peel oil of two Sicilian cultivars (Interdonato and Lunario) of C…
Electrophysiological and behavioral studies in the evaluation of semiochemical attractants for Stegobium paniceum L. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)
2017
Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), also named drugstore beetle, is one of the major pests for a wide variety of dry and durable stored products. Females of this species produce a sex pheromone, (2S,3R,1’R)-Stegobinone that attracts males and elicit precopulatory searching behaviour. However, (2S,3R,1’R)-Stegobinone has eight possible isomers which are produced during its chemical synthesis and one of them inhibiting the pheromone activity, the (2S,3R,1'S)-Stegobinone form. In addition, the high costs of synthesis of (2S,3R,1’R)-Stegobinone suggest that alternative volatile compounds (e.g. those from food or oviposition sources) might be considered as attractant for traps. In t…
Habitat preferences of Bonelli's Eagles Aquila fasciata in Sicily
2012
Capsule For breeding, areas dominated by extensive agricultural and rugged Mediterranean landscapes are preferred; maintenance of habitat heterogeneity and extensive agriculture are key for the conservation of this eagle. Aims To model breeding habitat preferences of Bonelli’s Eagles Aquila fasciata in Sicily, where the last viable population still remains in Italy, in order to identify the most important habitats for conservation. Methods Pairs were monitored between 1990 and 2010. A case-control design through GLMs was used at two spatial scales: landscape and home-range. Variables included topographic, climatic, land-use, road and descriptors of habitat heterogeneity. Information-based c…