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The global decline in insect biomass has far‐reaching implications for terrestrial and freshwater food webs, impacting species reliant on insects as a crucial component of their diet. This issue extends to species traditionally considered agricultural pests, such as the common cockchafer Melolontha melolontha. In the race to combat cockchafers through collection, insecticide use, and other control methods, the repercussions of their numerical fluctuations on predators, including species of high conservation importance like bats, have been largely overlooked. Drawing on 31‐years of monitoring data for a greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum population in the Aosta Valley (Western Italian Alps), we investigated whether annual fluctuations in bat counts are influenced by cockchafer availability and weather conditions. Despite an overall positive trend in bat abundance, we observed pronounced annual fluctuations, mostly driven by cockchafer availability rather than variations in temperature and precipitation. Furthermore, we found a significant association between cockchafer availability and the median date of birth and birth rate of bats. Births occurred approximately 5 days earlier in cockchafer flight years, with earlier births also linked to warmer spring temperatures and higher numbers of warm days in April. Moreover, the ratio pups/older bats was 0.56 in cockchafer flight years, compared to 0.47 in other years. Our results underscore the importance of considering predator–prey dynamics when examining the long‐term population trends of species of conservation concern. We recommend implementing restrictions on the use of chemicals and other potentially harmful practices that may diminish prey abundance or quality, including that of species considered as agricultural pests. In designing conservation strategies, a delicate balance should be struck between the current interests of farmers and the overarching goal of preserving biodiversity against potential future threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic techniques have allowed to identify a number of cryptic species of bats and to better define their distribution ranges and conservation status. Long-eared bats Plecotus spp. occur throughout Eurasia and Africa, with a high number of morphologically similar species, often occurring in sympatry. Therefore, disentangling the distribution of one species from another may be challenging. Italy represents a diversity hotspot for long-eared bats in Europe, hosting six species belonging to the genus Plecotus. In this study we report on both published and unpublished investigations on the Alpine long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris by integrating field and molecular methods, as well as opportunistic verified records from citizen scientists (i.e., individuals showing the diagnostic triangular chin pad in photos), to redefine the distribution of this species in Italy. We retrieved a total of 149 published records and 16 new confirmed records, namely 7 from iNaturalist, 6 from Facebook and 3 from molecular analyses. In Italy, the species occurs throughout the Alpine and Pre-Alpine chain, as well as in close proximity to the sea, and in Northeastern plains. Based on new records, we proved that it occurs also in other areas, including the Northern Apennine ridge. Our findings call for the application of an integrated approach in investigating cryptic species, that provides valuable data to support conservation assessments and the establishment of proper protection measures for poorly known species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although no mass mortality has been recorded so far, the precise demographic effect of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on European bats still remains to be ascertained. Following the first isolation of P. destructans in Italy, further surveys were performed to assess the distribution of the fungus in NW Italy and its effects on bats. Data were collected from March 2019 to April 2020 at sites used for hibernation (six sites) and/or for reproduction (four sites) in Piedmont and Aosta Valley. A total of 138 bats, belonging to 10 species, were examined to identify clinical features possibly related to the fungal presence. Culture from swabs and the molecular identification of isolates confirmed the presence of P. destructans in bats from five sites, including two maternal roosts. Dermal fungal infiltration, the criterion to assess the presence of WNS, was observed in biopsies of bats belonging to Myotis blythii, M. daubentonii, M. emarginatus and M. myotis. This is the first report of the disease in Italy. The results suggest a greater susceptibility to the infection of the genus Myotis and particularly of M. emarginatus, possibly due to the long length of its hibernation period. Other fungal dermatophytes were also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]