Preliminary conservation status assessment of cave-dwelling planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) of Italian Alps and Apennines.

Despite being a fundamental source of biodiversity, several highly diverse taxa of aquatic invertebrates, including Platyhelminthes, remain still poorly known and poorly considered in protection programs. This is the case especially of several invertebrate species that inhabit groundwater. In this environment, invertebrates play significant roles that are strictly connected to the usefulness of these systems for human survival. The groundwater biodiversity of continental Italy is largely unknown and its importance neglected in national and regional legislation. One of the most poorly studied group of the Italian groundwater fauna are planarians. Most of the known species are endemic of small single karst areas or a single cave, with their distribution being never investigated after the original description. The aims of this study are to provide an update conservation status assessment of cave-dwelling planarians known from Italian Alps and Apennines. In particular, we want to analyze the major threats for their survival and the factors determining the possibility to contact and observe these important invertebrates for the subterranean systems. From October 2016 to September 2017, we explored the known localities of nine taxa and a relevant number of surrounding caves. Our results suggest that most of the cave-dwelling planarians species of continental Italy are threatened by water pollution and habitat destruction; moreover, our research underlines that there is a large conservation issue dealing with stenoendemic planarians that may involve other cave-dwelling invertebrates with narrow ranges. Generally, the underground habitat of most species appears to be deeply compromised and changed since species description.

A new Pseudoscorpion from Bosnia: Roncus bosniensis n. sp. (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

A new species of troglobitic false scorpion, Roncus bosniensis n. sp. (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones), is described from inside an underground habitat, the Jama Pored Puta Pit, nr. Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analyzed pseudoscorpion proves to differ from all other congeners, but is closest to R. hajnehaj Curcic & Dimitrijevic. It is possible that the subterranean pseudoscorpion analyzed represents a relict of an old tropical faunal pattern of the Mediterranean.

Expedition to The great cavern of Santo Tommás, El Moncada, Cuba 2011 December 17-29, 2011

The great cavern of Santo Tomás (La Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás) in Sierra de Qquemado (Los Órganos) in the province Pinar del Río in Cuba has a special place in Cuban speleology. For a very long period this was the longest cave system in the country. It extends in approximately 46 km of dry and flooded subterranean passages at seven levels, and represents a real paradise for karstologists and speleologists - not all cave branches are completely surveyed yet. The cave is partly tourist, but most of the interesting karst features are located in the wild part of the system. Besides the dimensions of the system and some huge cave formations, there are also recorded fossils from the Pleistocene period. The founder of Cuban speleology Antonio Núñez Jiménez in 1990 reported that when the River Santo Tomás drained during extreme dry periods, local people used captured water from the cave for their domestic use. Farmers used another interesting resource for their needs from this cave – nutrient-rich bat guano to fertilize tobacco fields in the foothills of the surrounding mogotes and in the bottom of dolinas. The cave was early in history populated by the early settlers of Cuba, but in recent years it became famous from the Cuban revolutionary period in the 1950s and 1960s. In the nearby village El Moncada in 1984 they founded a speleological school (Escuela National de Espeleología) which gave a boost to many generations of Cuban speleologists. The cave system generally receives high organic input,although there are some places in with evident lower input. Snakes, scorpions, frogs and crabs are frequent guests in the entrance part of the cave. There are some studies dealing with cave fauna from the great cavern of Santo Tomás in more detail, e.g. on crustaceans, but due to the cave size it is expected to add more species on the biodiversity list, and probably it is possible to discover new species in the cave. During the caving expedition we wanted to point out the potential of this and other caves in the area for microbiology and geomicrobiology research. Microbiology studies are not just important to assess the health status of underground habitat, but also to address more general questions related to nutrient cycling and energy fluxes in subtropical zones as, for example, cave air temperature is about 23°C. During the caving expedition (December 17-29, 2011) in the great cavern of Santo Tomás we demonstrated to Cuban speleologists a novel approach which is used in Slovenia for regular monitoring of human impact in the underground for dripping water, active underground rivers and quality of cave air, and examples of meiofauna sampling from cave pools. Participants for this international expedition in the great cavern of Santo Tomás came from Cuba, Italy and Slovenia. Expedition headquarters were located near the cave entrance in the village El Moncada at the speleological centre “Escuela National de Espeleológia Antonio Núñez Jiménez”. From Slovenia, Andreea Oarga and Janez Mulec joined the expedition. Field work in Cuba was coordinated by Galliano Bressan and Héctor Pérez Jiménez. Some activities during the expedition were accomplished in the frame of the project “Promotion of Slovenian Science” MU-PROM/2011-2-003 supported by the Slovenian Research Agency.

Roncus meledae n.sp. and Neobisium oculatum n.sp., from the island of Mljet, Dalmatia (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

Two species of troglobitic false scorpions, Roncus meledae n. sp. and Neobisium oculatum n. sp. (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones), are described from inside underground habitat, i.e. the Jama Na Zutim Kokom Cave, the Island of Mljet, Dalmatia, Croatia. The analyzed pseudoscorpions prove to differ from all other congeners. It is possible that the subterranean pseudoscorpions analyzed represent relicts of an old north tropical faunal pattern of the Mediterranean.

Bat species and conservation issues in the castle Grad na Goričkem (NE Slovenia)

The castle Grad na Goričkem lies on the western hills surrounding the Pannonian basin. Its cellars provide a unique underground habitat, which is rare in the surrounding region. The cellars were found to shelter highly lithophilic species

Cholecalciferol has no effect on calcium and inorganic phosphorus balance in a naturally cholecalciferol-deplete subterranean mammal, the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber)

ABSTRACT Naked mole rats, Heterocephalus glaber, have no obvious source of cholecalciferol (D3) available to them, given their underground habitat and tubiferous diet. They have undetectable levels of 25-OH-D3 and as such appear to be naturally deplete in D3. The effect of an oral D3 supplement on mineral balance and homeostasis was therefore investigated. This D3 treatment did not affect circulating levels of Ca2+ and inorganic phosphorus (Pi). Nor did D3 treatment affect mineral intake and absorption. The Ca2+ and Pi present in the food was efficiently extracted and absorbed, resulting in an apparent fractional absorption (AFA) efficiency exceeding 98%. Irrespective of D3 treatment, the amount of Ca2+ and Pi absorbed was positively correlated with the amount ingested, suggesting that intestinal uptake is by a passive D3-independent process. After D3 supplementation urinary Ca2+ secretion was unchanged; however, the amount of Pi excreted in the urine increased (P ≤ 0·05). This resulted in a concomitant decline in Pi AFR (P ≤ 0·02 from 99·95±0·02% to 99·82±0·03%). Almost all the Ca2+ and Pi in the glomerular filtrate were reabsorbed, facilitating AFR efficiencies that approach physiological maxima (> 99%). Changes in AFR efficiency with D3 supplementation are therefore of no biological significance. Net mineral flux of both elements, irrespective of D3 treatment, was positive. It is speculated that the ever-growing incisors of these animals act as mineral dumps and assist in the tight regulation of plasma Ca2+ and Pi. These data suggest that naked mole rats utilize mechanisms independent of D3 in regulating mineral homeostasis and are therefore well-adapted to an environment devoid of sunlight. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 129, 21–26