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Earthworm collectings on Corsica and Sardinia resulted in recording eight species belonging to the families Lumbricidae and Hormogastridae. Among them, Octodrilus transpadanus represents a new record for the fauna of Sardinia and Eumenescolex zoltani sp. nov. from Corsica is new to science.

International audience; We used the COI marker, the most popular DNA barcode for the animal kingdom, to assess the taxonomic status of Corsican populations of eight groups of species of ants that occur both on Corsica and the European mainland. (i) In two groups, we detected no genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent. Absence of differentiation across varieties of Aphaenogaster spinosa within Corsica confirm current synonymies. (ii) In four groups, we detected strong genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent, confirming recent taxonomic studies based on morphology for three of these groups. For the fourth group, we propose that the status of Corsican populations be raised from sub-species to species: Temnothorax cordieri stat. rev. (iii) In one group, the genetic differentiation and morphological differences do not support splitting and as a consequence we propose to accept the previous synonymy Temnothorax tuberum = Temnothorax melanocephalus. (iv) In Myrmica scabrinodis and Myrmica spinosior, COI sequence information is largely inconsistent with morphology and geography, not only on Corsica but also on the mainland, and should not be used to support taxonomic decisions. Although the use of COI has drawbacks, it is globally consistent with morphology and can be used to complement morphological ant taxonomy. We provide an updated checklist of ants of Corsica.

Cryptosporidium spp. are worldwide protozoan parasites that can affect to a broad range of vertebrate hosts, including rodents. In the island of Corsica (France), there are no previous data about these protozoa infecting wild rodents. To estimate the distribution and occurrence, a total of 117 wild murine rodents of the species Rattus rattus (84), Mus musculus domesticus (21), Apodemus sylvaticus (11), and Rattus norvegicus (1) were captured in 24 different biotopes. Fecal samples were screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by nested PCR to amplify an 830 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. As general occurrence, 15.4% of the rodents analyzed were positive for Cryptosporidium spp., being detected widely distributed along the island in R. rattus (17.6%) and M. m. domesticus (14.3%). Cryptosporidium viatorum, Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype II, and Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype III were successfully identified in R. rattus. The results herein reported provide the first data on Cryptosporidium spp. in wild murine species from a Mediterranean island and constitute the first report of the zoonotic species C. viatorum in R. rattus. Although a low occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in murids was obtained and only in one animal the zoonotic species C. viatorum was identified, our results highlight that wild murine rodents from Corsica could mediate in the maintenance and transmission of this protozoan to the environment and other hosts including humans and animals. Further studies are required to better understand the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents from Corsica and their possible public health repercussions.

Among blue carbon ecosystems, seagrass meadows have been highlighted for their contribution to the ocean carbon cycle and climate change mitigation derived from their capacity to store large amounts of carbon over long periods of time in their sediments. Most of the available estimates of carbon stocks beneath seagrass meadows are based on the analysis of short sediment cores in very limited numbers. In this study, high-resolution seismic reflection techniques were applied to obtain an accurate estimate of the potential size of the organic deposit underlying the meadows of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (known as ‘matte’). Seismic profiles were collected over 1380 km of the eastern continental shelf of Corsica (France, Mediterranean Sea) to perform a large-scale inventory of the carbon stock stored in sediments. The seismic data were ground-truthed by sampling sediment cores and using calibrated seismo-acoustic surveys. The data interpolation map highlighted a strong spatial heterogeneity of the matte thickness. The height of the matte at the site was estimated at 251.9 cm, being maximum in shallow waters (10–20 m depth), near river mouths and lagoon outlets, where the thickness reached up to 867 cm. Radiocarbon dates revealed the presence of seagrass meadows since the mid-Holocene (7000–9000 cal yr BP). Through the top meter of soil, the matte age was estimated at 1656 ± 528 cal yr BP. The accretion rate showed a high variability resulting from the interplay of multiple factors. Based on the surface area occupied by the meadows, the average matte thickness underneath them and the carbon content, the matte volume and total Corg stock were estimated at 403.5 ± 49.4 million m3 and 15.6 ± 2.2 million t Corg, respectively. These results confirm the need for the application of large-scale methods to estimate the size of the carbon sink associated with seagrass meadows worldwide., This work would not have been possible without the participation of the oceanographic research vessel L'Europe (IFREMER) and its crew (GENAVIR), provided by the Flotte Océanographique Française for the CoralCorse, PosidCorse and Carbonsink surveys. This research was financially supported by the Office Français de la Biodiversité (AAMP/15/065 and UCPP 2510-AFB/2018/274), the Collectivité de Corse (PADDUC-CHANGE program; 17-DESR-SR-87), the Office de l’Environnement de la Corse (UCPP 2019-156) and the Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement et du Logement de Corse (2015073–0001). This research was part of the Interreg Italy-France Marittimo 2014–2020 cooperation program - GIREPAM project (E76J16001050007). The authors would like to express their gratitude to PhD researcher C. Luzzu (Biosurvey Company), and researchers from the University of Palermo for their contributions to the seismic acquisition during Sismat survey as well as the University Grant program of the Information Handling Services company (IHS Inc. www.ihs.com) by providing the access to the Kingdom PAKaged Suite + software.

All known records of aquatic dance flies (Empididae, Clinocerinae: 21 species; Hemerodromiinae: eight species) from the island of Corsica (France) are summarized, including previously unpublished data and data on the newly described species Chelipoda puschae Ivković, Perović & Grootaert, sp. nov. This species was collected during the “La Planète Revisitée Corsica 2019” survey and represents the first description of a new species in the genus Chelipoda from the European–Mediterranean region in more than 180 years. A key to European species of Chelipoda is provided. Including the new species, five species are recorded from Corsica for the first time: Dolichocephala malickyi Wagner, 1995, Dolichocephala oblongoguttata (Dale, 1878), Dolichocephala ocellata (Costa, 1854), Chelifera subangusta Collin, 1961, and Hemerodromia unilineata Zetterstedt, 1842. The new species is described and illustrated, and new records of aquatic dance flies from Corsica are given, with new data on 17 species in eight different genera. At present, 29 species of aquatic dance flies are known from Corsica, with 10 species endemic to the island.

This paper provides an overview of the potential of palynology within palaeoenvironmental research to reconstruct past landscapes and assess the relationship between vegetation and the first farming communities. The analysis of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in natural records evidenced how the adoption of farming and new sedentary settlement patterns resulted in major landscape transformation on extra-local or regional scales in the Western Mediterranean, affecting sclerophyllous and riparian forests in North Corsica, Mediterranean maquis in South Corsica, and oak forests in NE Iberia. In addition, palynology has been confirmed as a relevant source of data to address the local palaeoenvironmental evolution in lakes, wetlands, and archaeological sites, providing evidence of the presence of flocks (spores of coprophilous fungi), and changes in hydrology (salinity, dryness/wetness, aquatic/palustrine phases) and in geomorphology (soil erosion indicators). Finally, the spatial analysis of pollen and NPP intra-site distribution is presented here as a valuable tool to assess the social use of space in archaeological sites. In that sense, archaeopalynology has provided detailed information about site formation processes, social use of space, and the use of plants and fungi in the site of La Draga (Girona, Spain).

International audience; The introduction of the use of molecular data has caused debates on the taxonomy of Corsican and Sardinian trouts, also referred to as Tyrrhenian trouts (i.e. Salmo trutta, Salmo macrostigma, Salmo cettii). A recent study by Delling et al. (2020) (Morphologic and genetic characterization of Corsican and Sardinian trout with comments on Salmo taxonomy. Knowl Manage Aquat Ecosyst 421: 21) introduces important evidence regarding the taxonomy of these populations. However, their subsequent denomination as Salmo sp., that is, an undefined taxon, could have serious consequences on their future conservation management plans. Considering their threatened status, the Tyrrhenian trouts should be referred to as Salmo trutta until the ongoing taxonomic uncertainty can be unambiguously resolved. These populations must then be treated as an Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) or as an Operational Conservation Unit (OCU) for further conservation managements plans, as already done for other Mediterranean trout lineages.; La taxonomie des truites corses et sardes, également appelées truites tyrrhéniennes (i.e. Salmo trutta, Salmo macrostigma, Salmo cettii) a fait l'objet de débats depuis l'utilisation des premières données moléculaires. Une étude récente de Delling et al. (2020) (Morphologic and genetic characterization of Corsican and Sardinian trout with comments on Salmo taxonomy. Knowl Manage Aquat Ecosyst 421: 21) a présenté des éléments importants sur la taxonomie de ces populations. Cependant, leur dénomination comme Salmo sp. – i.e. espèce non déterminée − qui s'ensuivit, pourrait avoir de graves conséquences en terme de gestion future de la conservation de ces populations. Compte tenu de leur statut menacé, les truites tyrrhéniennes devraient être appelées Salmo trutta jusqu'à ce que l'incertitude taxonomique actuelle puisse être résolue sans ambiguïté. Ces populations doivent ensuite être traitées comme une Unité Évolutive Importante (ESU) ou comme une Unité Opérationnelle de Conservation (OCU) pour les futures gestions de conservation, comme c'est déjà le cas pour d'autres lignées de truites méditerranéennes.

International audience; To assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems, it is of prime importance to develop new tools enabling a rapid characterization of ecological communities. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly impacted and threatened by human activities and need thorough attention to preserve their biodiversity and the ecological services they provide. Studying such ecosystems is generally difficult because the associated organisms are hard to sample and to monitor. We present a ready-to-use environmental metabarcoding protocol to characterize and monitor the freshwater gastropods communities from water samples. The efficiency of this new tool was compared to a classical malacological survey at 19 sampled sites from 10 distinct rivers distributed over Corsica Island (France). From a single water sample, our eDNA monitoring tool provided a faithful characterization of the local malacofauna compared to the results obtained from the classical malacological survey, with 97.1% of species detection confirmed by both methods. The present tool successfully detected the 11 freshwater snail species previously reported in Corsica by malacological survey but was limited at the genus level for some species. Moreover, our malacological survey allowed an update of the local distribution of a wide diversity of freshwater snails including invasive species (i.e. Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Physa acuta) as well as snail hosts of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance (i.e. Bulinus truncatus and Galba truncatula). These results strengthened a previous hypothesis of an eventual competitive interaction between B. truncatus and P. antipodarum that could limit the endemization of the uro-genital bilharziasis in Corsica

International audience; Human-induced environmental changes have increased rapidly during the Holocene and have reached alarming levels today. Consequently, it is crucial to better understand the impact of humans and climate on the faunas and floras through time. Understanding the direct and underlying effect of past human activity not only contributes to improving our knowledge of human history but also provides insights for the future. We here investigate the effect of the human-induced environmental changes that took place during the modern era (14–19th century AD) on the mandible of a small mammal, Suncus etruscus, in Corsica. We detected rapid morphological changes in mandible shape over the relatively short period of time included in our study, suggesting a strong human impact on the island. The morphological changes observed had functional consequences as they are related to changes in the mechanical potential of the principal masticatory muscle, the temporalis that, in turn, reflects shifts in the animal's diet over time. These results highlight the effect that the 600-year human agricultural activity shifts had on the island and its fauna. The integration of the body and the ramus of the mandible appears to be related to the mechanical potential of the temporalis muscle but does not constitute an indicator of human-induced environmental change. Whether these morphological changes are the result of natural selection (genetic processes) or of phenotypic plasticity (epigenetic processes) remains to be elucidated.

Corsica is a touristic mountainous French island in the north-west of the Mediterranean Sea presenting a large diversity of natural environments where many interactions between humans, domestic animals and wild fauna occur. Despite this favourable context, tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) have not systematically been investigated. In this study, a large number of TBPs were screened in ticks collected during one year from domestic and wild hosts in Corsica. More than 1,500 ticks belonging to nine species and five genera (Rhipicephalus,Hyalomma,Dermacentor,IxodesandHaemaphysalis) were analysed individually or pooled (by species, gender, host and locality). A real-time microfluidic PCR was used for high-throughput screening of TBPs DNA. This advanced methodology permitted the simultaneous detection of 29 bacterial and 12 parasitic species (includingBorrelia,Anaplasma,Ehrlichia,Rickettsia,Bartonella,CandidatusNeoehrlichia,Coxiella,Francisella,BabesiaandTheileria). CCHF virus was investigated individually in tick species known to be vectors or carriers of this virus. In almost half of the tick pools (48%), DNA from at least one pathogen was detected and eleven species of TBPs from six genera were reported. TBPs were found in ticks from all collected hosts and were present in more than 80% of the investigated area. The detection of some pathogens DNA confirmed their previous identification in Corsica, such asRickettsia aeschlimannii(23% of pools),Rickettsia slovaca(5%),Anaplasma marginale(4%) andTheileria equi(0.4%), but most TBPs DNA was not reported before in Corsican ticks. This includedAnaplasma phagocytophilum(16%),Rickettsia helvetica(1%), Borrelia afzelii(0.7%), Borrelia miyamotoi(1%), Bartonella henselae(2%),Babesia bigemina(2%) andBabesia ovis(0.5%). The important tick infection rate and the diversity of TBPs reported in this study highlight the probable role of animal reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens and human exposure to TBPs on Corsica.

Bacteria belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae cause infections in humans and domestic animals. The consequences of infection can be significant economic losses for farmers. To better understand the epidemiology of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae in Corsica, we used molecular methods to detect and characterize Anaplasmataceae in ixodid ticks collected from cattle. Anaplasmataceae were detected by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 23S rRNA gene. Partial sequencing of rpoB and groEL allowed identifying species and conducting phylogenetic analyses. Infection rates were calculated using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, 597 Rhipicephalus bursa, 216 Hyalomma marginatum, and seven Ixodes ricinus were collected from cattle during July-August 2017 and July-December 2018. Overall, Anaplasmataceae DNA was detected in 15 of 255 tick pools (MLE = 1.7%; 95% CI 0.9-2.7%). The molecular analysis revealed two species within the genus Anaplasma: A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum. We also detected bacteria within the genus Ehrlichia: we confirmed the detection of E. minasensis DNA in H. marginatum and R. bursa tick pools collected from cattle in Corsica and detected, for the first time to our knowledge, Candidatus E. urmitei in Corsican R. bursa ticks and a potential new species, Candidatus E. corsicanum. Further studies are needed to ascertain the pathogenesis and zoonotic potential of the strains and their importance for animals and public health.

The article contains a review of the literature on the history of studying human schistosomiasis and a description of the outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis on the island of Corsica, France, which continues from 2011—2013 until now. It is shown that schistosomiasis in Corsicais caused, for the most part, by a hybrid of S. haematobium — S. bovis , and also by S. haematobium proper, having West African (Senegalese) origin. The most typical clinical examples are given.

After a presentation of the physical characteristics of the island of Cavallo (topography, geology, geomorphology, climate) and of the last and current impacts, its vegetation is described by 28 tables of phytosociological relevés and a detailed map. The description of the communities is carried out in the following order : (1) Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata maquis (Myrto communis-Juniperetum turbinatae), Cistus monspeliensis and Cistus salviifolius communities, Helichrysum italicum subsp. microphyllum garigue ; (2) various grasslands (with Brachypodium retusum, with Agrostis stolonifera, grasslands related to the urbanisation, carpets of Carpobrotus edulis) ; (3) coastal herbaceous communities (beaches, dunes, rocks) ; (4) aquatic and helophytic vegetation (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus litoralis, Juncus subulatus, Juncus maritimus, Juncus acutus, Sarcocornia perennis, Cressa cretica communities, Phragmites australis reed beds, Tamarix africana formations, Cotula coronopifolia, Elatine macropoda, Salicornia patula, Atriplex prostrata-Symphyotrichum squamatum therophytic populations) ; (5) small size communities associated with rocky outcrops (Helicodiceros muscivorus, Nananthea perpusilla, Asplenium marinum and Asplenium obovatum groups) ; (6) vegetation dominated by not autochtonous species. The conclusion includes the inclusion of communities according to the syntaxonomic scheme, a summary of plant landscape using a geosymphytosociologic analysis, and proposal for vegetation dynamics by distinguishing the permanent communities and the series (sigmeta)., Après une présentation des caractères physiques de l’île de Cavallo (topographie, géologie, géomorphologie, climat) et des impacts passés et actuels, sa végétation est décrite à l’aide de 28 tableaux de relevés phytosociologiques et d’une carte détaillée. La description des groupements est effectuée dans l’ordre suivant : (1) végétation des maquis (Myrto communis-Juniperetum turbinatae), des cistaies à Cistus monspeliensis et à Cistus salviifolius et des fruticées à Helichrysum italicum subsp. microphyllum ; (2) végétation des pelouses (à Brachypodium retusum, à Agrostis stolonifera, pelouses liées à l’urbanisation, tapis de Carpobrotus edulis) ; (3) végétation herbacée littorale (plages, dunes, rochers) ; (4) végétation aquatique et hélophytique (scirpaies à Bolboschoenus maritimus et à Schoenoplectus litoralis, jonçaies à Juncus subulatus, à Juncus maritimus et à Juncus acutus, groupement à Sarcocornia perennis, groupement à Cressa cretica, roselières à Phragmites australis, tamariçaies à Tamarix africana, groupements thérophytiques à Cotula coronopifolia, à Elatine macropoda, à Salicornia patula, à Atriplex prostrata et à Symphyotrichum squamatum) ; (5) groupements de faible extension, à Helicodiceros muscivorus, à Nananthea perpusilla, à Asplenium marinum et à Asplenium obovatum, liés aux thors et aux chaos rocheux ; (6) végétation constituée d’espèces non autochtones de l’île. La conclusion présente l’inclusion syntaxonomique des groupements, un résumé géosymphytosociologique du paysage végétal et une hypothèse sur la dynamique de la végétation en distinguant les groupements permanents et les séries (sigmeta)., Paradis Guilhan, O’Deye-Guizien Kévin, Médail Frédéric. La végétation vasculaire actuelle de l’île de Cavallo (archipel des Lavezzi, Corse) : analyse phytosociologique et phytocartographie. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 43 n°2, 2017. Le patrimoine naturel de l'île de Cavallo (archipel des Lavezzi, Corse) : écologie, biogéographie et conservation. pp. 35-102.

In France, the geographical map called the étatmajor map, drawn between 1818 and 1866, covers the whole country in 273 sheets. The realization of this immense task was ordered under Louis XVIII, in 1817, having in mind at first civil and military needs. Corsica was the last region mapped in France (between 1864 and 1866) ; it is represented by 22 sheets published at a scale 1 : 40.000. These maps choose a new way to represent the slopes. However, today, they are a great source of spatialised data indicating land uses, such as agriculture, vineyards, swamps, scrublands, forests but also urbanisation. At that time, Corsican territory was very open with 83% of the land area not covered by trees and in particular pastoral activity, human footprint had strongly modified the landscapes (60% of land area was pasture lands). 20% of Corsica was cultivated, and there was already more than 7.000ha of vineyards. Concerning forest lands, 150 years ago, it represented about 154.000ha, while current estimation gives more than 500.000ha (IGN-National Geographical Institute-2013). Thus, forest cover has been multiplied by 3 during this period. Calculation based on reference date corresponding to the date of the état-major map, ancient forests have an estimated area of 80.000ha in Corsica. Mountain forest stands show the best continuity in time of forest cover, especially those dominated by Corsican pine and beech. On the contrary, cork-oak forest stands present the strongest deforestation due to urbanisation and agricultural development of the territory. Another interesting piece of information brought by the état-major map is the presence of forests in the subalpine level (between 1.600 and 2.100m above sea level), where they are absent today. However, for the past few decades, we observe an upward recolonisation of some forest tree species, such as mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia subsp. praemorsa (Guss) Nyman.) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) at this elevation, obviously in relation to decreasing intensity of mountain grazing., En France, la carte géographique d’état-major, levée de 1818 à 1866, couvre l’ensemble du pays en 273 feuilles. C’est sous Louis XVIII que la réalisation de cet immense chantier a commencé, en 1817, pour répondre au départ à des besoins civils et militaires. La Corse a été la dernière région française cartographiée (entre 1864 et 1866) ; elle est représentée par 22 feuilles de minutes éditées au 1 : 40 000. La reproduction du relief est la grande nouveauté apportée par ces cartes. Mais elles sont surtout une formidable source de données historiques spatialisées qui nous indique l’occupation du sol par les cultures, les vignes, les marais, les maquis, les forêts ou encore les habitations. À cette époque, le territoire était très ouvert avec 83 % de la surface non boisée où les activités humaines, notamment pastorales, marquaient fortement le paysage (60 % du territoire en pacage ou en parcours). 20 % de la Corse était cultivée et il y avait déjà plus de 7 000 ha de vignes. Concernant la part de la forêt, il y a 150 ans, elle représentait près de 154 000 ha, alors qu’aujourd’hui on l’estime à plus de 500 000 ha (IGN 2013). C’est-à-dire qu’elle a été multipliée par un coefficient 3 pendant cette période. Calculée avec comme date de référence celle de la carte d’état-major, la part des forêts anciennes serait égale à 80 000 ha en Corse. Ce sont vraiment les essences de montagne qui ont gardé le plus longtemps un continuum de leur état boisé, avec les forêts de pin laricio (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio Maire) et de hêtre (Fagus sylvatica L.). A contrario, ce sont les suberaies (chênes-lièges, Quercus suber L.) qui ont payé le plus fort tribut au développement urbanistique et agricole du territoire. Une autre information intéressante que nous apportent les données de l’état-major, est la présence de forêts à l’étage subalpin (entre 1 600 et 2 100 m d’altitude) que l’on ne retrouve plus aujourd’hui. Cependant, depuis quelques décennies, on observe une remontée de quelques essences forestières comme le sorbier des oiseleurs (Sorbus aucuparia subsp. praemorsa (Guss) Nyman.) et l’érable sycomore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) à ces altitudes, fortement liée à la déprise des territoires d’estives., Panaïotis Christophe, Barthet Thomas, Vallauri Daniel, Hugot Laetitia, Gauberville Christian, Reymann Julie, O’Deye-Guizien Kévin, Delbosc Pauline. Carte d’état-major de la Corse (1864-1866). Occupation du sol et première analyse des forêts anciennes. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 43 n°1, 2017. pp. 49-64.

Under ongoing climate changes, the development of large‐scale monitoring tools for assessing the risk of disease emergence constitutes an urging challenge. This is particularly the case for snail‐borne diseases such as the urogenital bilharziasis that emerged in Corsica and threat European countries. The expansion of this tropical disease mainly relies on the local presence of competent snail hosts such as Bulinus truncatus. Unfortunately, very little is known about the actual repartition of freshwater snails worldwide which makes new emergences difficult to predict. In this study, we developed two ready‐to‐use environmental DNA‐based methods for assessing the distribution of B. truncatus from water samples collected in the field. We used two approaches, a quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) approach. We successfully detected B. truncatus in natural environments where the snail was previously visually reported. Our environmental DNA diagnostic methods showed a high sensitivity (≈60 DNA copy per mL of filtered water) and a high specificity to B. truncatus. Results obtained in qPCR and ddPCR were very similar. This study demonstrates that environmental DNA diagnostics tools enable a sensitive large‐scale monitoring of snail‐borne diseases hence allowing the delimitation of areas potentially threatened by urogenital schistosomiasis.

Clunio boudouresquei sp. n. and Thalassosmittia ballestai sp. n. are diagnosed and described based on associated material of male adults, pharate male adults and pupal exuviae recently collected in the marine littoral zone of Scandola Nature Reserve (Cala Litizia, Punta Palazzu, Focolara Bay, West Corsica). While C. boudouresquei sp. n. is described as male and female adults and pupal exuviae, T. ballestai sp. n. is described only as male adult and pupal exuviae. On the basis of some atypical characters found in the male adult and pupal exuviae, both C. boudouresquei sp. n. and T. ballestai sp. n. appear to belong, to a local Tyrrhenian element. Biological cycles of both new species are closely related to alternation between marine and terrestrial ecological conditions, which are strongly reinforced during spring tides of lunar rhythms. Larval stages of both new species are typically marine shore dwellers of the intertidal zone along seacoasts of the Tyrrhenian sub-region, where the biological and ecological quality of marine coastal habitats are being seriously damaged by various anthropogenic activities. In the latter sites, the Lithophyllum byssoides (Lamarck) Foslie pavements (trottoirs, encorbellements) are actually threatened by the massive proliferation of Sea Mussels (Mytilidae), which predominate when changes in water quality and level of pollution become increasingly high. The two new species are considered as pertinent biological indicators of the marine coastal habitats around the Tyrrhenian Region, in particular, those delimited by the mid-littoral large bio-constructions of the red calcified alga L. byssoides, where the larvae of C. boudouresquei sp. n. are exclusively confined. Such threatened species are considered biogeographic Tyrrhenian representatives and indicators of global warming and local climate change in the region, particularly to a rising sea level. Comments on the taxonomic position, ecology and geographical distribution of the new species are given.

To obtain a better understanding of the current magnitude of tick-borne rickettsioses in Corsica, we used molecular methods to characterize the occurrence of Rickettsia spp. in ixodid ticks collected from domestic and wild animals. The presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting the gltA gene and by sequencing of gltA and ompA partial genes for species identification and phylogenetic analysis. Infection rates were calculated as the maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In total, 1117 ticks belonging to four genera (Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, Ixodes, and Dermacentor) were collected from cattle, sheep, wild boars, and companion animals during July&ndash, August 2017 and July 2018&ndash, January 2019. Overall, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 208 of 349 pools of ticks (MLE = 25.6%, 95% CI: 22.6&ndash, 28.8%). The molecular analysis revealed five different rickettsial species of the spotted-fever group (SFG). We highlighted the exclusive detection of Candidatus Ri. barbariae in R. bursa and of Ri. aeschlimanii in H. marginatum. Rickettsia slovaca was detected in D. marginatus collected from wild boars. This study provides the first evidence of the presence of Ri. monacensis in I. ricinus ticks isolated from a dog in Corsica. In conclusion, our data revealed wide dispersal of SFG Rickettsiae and their arthropod hosts in Corsica, highlighting the need for surveillance of the risk of infection for people living and/or working close to infected or infested animals.

Background: Island species are vulnerable to rapid extinction, so it is important to develop accurate methods to determine their occurrence and habitat preferences. In this study, we assessed two methods for modeling the occurrence of the Corsican endemic Salamandra corsica, based on macro-ecological and fine habitat descriptors. We expected that models based on habitat descriptors would better estimate S. corsica occurrence, because its distribution could be influenced by micro-environmental gradients. The occurrence of S. corsica was modeled according to two ensembles of variables using random forests. Results: Salamandra corsica was mainly found in forested habitats, with a complex vertical structure. These habitats are associated with more stable environmental conditions. The model based on fine habitat descriptors was better able to predict occurrence, and gave no false negatives. The model based on macro-ecological variables underestimated the occurrence of the species on its ecological boundary, which is important as such locations may facilitate interpopulation connectivity. Conclusions: Implementing fine spatial resolution models requires greater investment of resources, but this is advisable for study of microendemic species, where it is important to reduce type II error (false negatives)

Ehrlichiosis are severe, feverish tick‐borne illnesses caused by specific species within the genus Ehrlichia (Anaplasmataceae family). Recent data suggest that ruminants in Corsica area reservoir for several Anaplasmataceae species. The purpose of our study was to determine whether Ehrlichia species could be detected in ticks collected in Corsican ruminants by using molecular methods. Ticks were collected in northern Corsica: (i) in May 2016 from sheep bred in one farm located in a 5000‐inhabitants village and (ii) from cattle in June and July 2016 in a slaughterhouse. There sheep and cattle whole skin was inspected and ticks were collected manually. A total of 647 ticks was collected in northern Corsica during this study: 556 (86%) belonged to the Rhipicephalus bursa species and 91 (14%) to Hyalomma marginatum. The 91 H. marginatum ticks were organized in 27 pools, of which one (3.7%) was found positive for the presence of E. minasensis; this pool consisted of six ticks collected from a cow bred and raised northwestern Corsica. Ehrlichial DNA was not detected in R. bursa ticks. The 16S rRNA and groEL gene sequences of Ehrlichia detected in the H. marginatum pool showed 100% (303/303 bp) and 99.8% (555/556) of nucleotide identity with E. minasensis, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated the highest closeness with E. minasensis UFMG‐EV genotype than to any other E. canis strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. minasensis outside of Brazil, Ethiopia and Canada. This identification of E. minasensis in H. marginatum merits to be further investigated and pleads for translational studies addressing the potential impact of vector‐borne diseases of human and veterinary impact through large‐scale research and surveillance programmes in Corsica.

International audience; The Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) comprises two mitochondrial lineages that diverged during the mid-Pleistocene. One palaeoendemic lineage has an allopatric range currently restricted to the island of Corsica and the Caucasus region, whereas the second one has a very large Eurasian range. Here, we used microsatellites (N = 6) and mitochondrial DNA (COI) to assess the genetic structure of insular and mainland populations from Corsica, mainland France and Central Italy (N = 258) and the level of mitochondrial and nuclear gene flow among these populations. Concordant with the mitochondrial DNA signal, the results for microsatellites clearly demonstrate that the Corsican population (Certhia familiaris corsa) is strongly divergent from nearby mainland populations (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla). Microsatellite data also support significant divergence and low gene flow between the Central Italian and mainland French populations. Our results suggest low nuclear gene flow from the mainland into Corsica and no mitochondrial gene flow. Sporadic gene flow from the nearby mainland might explain the presence of continental nuclear alleles in the genome of 5% of sampled insular birds. Our study confirms the existence of an endemic Corsican treecreeper lineage with important conservation value. Our results also imply that Eurasian treecreepers from Central Italy constitute a distinct management unit.

Buçalışmada, Korsika ve Pireneler'deki yüksek dağlarda yer alan glasiyalrheokrenler ve akarsulardan toplanmış materyal incelenmiş ve Rheocricotopus cinsineait iki yeni tür (R. costai sp. n. and R.pyrenaeus sp. n.) tanımlanmıştır. Rheocricotopus costai sp. n. erkek birey ve pupal kılıf iletanımlanırken R. pyrenaeus sp.n. yetişkin erkek ve dişi bireyler ve pupal kılıf ile tanımlanmıştır. Rheocricotopus costai sp. n. hem Batı Korsika'danhem de Pireneler’in doğusundan elde edilirken R. pyrenaeus sp. n.'nıncoğrafik dağılımı Doğu Pirenler’de bir koruma alanı olan Mantet doğa korumaalanı ile sınırlıdır. Hem R. costai sp. n. hem de R.pyrenaeus sp. n. larvaları yüksek rakımlardaki lotik habitatlardasınırlı olduklarından reofilik özelliktedirler. Rheocricotopus costai sp. n., pupal kılıfın 3.tergiti üzerinde medyan alanda yer alan küçük dairesel spinül yamasına ekolarak yetişkin erkeklerdeki çeşitli spesifik karakterleri ile effusus-grubuiçinde yer almaktadır. Rheocricotopus pyrenaeus sp. n. ise özellikle distalde içe doğru dönük olansuperior volsellanın olağan olmayan şekli bakımından Finlandiya, Norveç ve UzakDoğu Rusyası'ndan bilinen R. reduncus Sæther & Schnell, 1988ile Uzak Doğu Rusyası'ndan bilinen R. tchernovskii Makarchenko& Makarchenko, 2005'e benzemektedir. Rheocricotopus cinsi Fransa'da 10, Korsika'da ise 8 tür iletemsil edilmekteydi (Moubayed-Breil 2016). Sonuç olarak, R. costai sp.n. and R. pyrenaeus sp. n.'nın tanımlanması ile cinsinFransa'daki tür sayısı 12'ye, Korsika'daki tür sayısı ile 9'a çıkmıştır. İkiyeni türün ekolojileri ve coğrafik dağılımları ile ilgili taksonomik notlar,görüşler ve değerlendirmeler verilmiştir., Twonew species of the genus Rheocricotopus subgenus Rheocricotopus (R. costai sp. n. and R. pyrenaeus sp. n.) are diagnosed anddescribed, based on material collected in some glacial rheocrenes and streamslocated in the high mountains of Corsica and the Eastern Pyrenees. Rheocricotopus costai sp. n. isdescribed as male and pupal exuviae, while R. pyrenaeus sp. n. isdescribed as male and female adults and pupal exuviae. Rheocricotopus costai sp.n. is known from both western Corsica and the Eastern Pyrenees, while thegeographical distribution of R. pyrenaeussp. n. is restricted to the protected area of the Mantet Nature Reserve(Eastern Pyrenees). Larvae of both R.costai sp. n. and R. pyrenaeus sp. n. are exclusivelyrheophilic being confined to lotic habitats located at high altitude (crenaland rhithral). Apart from the presence of an additional median circular smallpatch of spinules on tergite III of the exuviae, R. costai sp. n. directlykeys into the effusus-group on thebasis of several specific characters found in the male adult. Nevertheless, R. pyrenaeus sp. n. keys near both of R. reduncus Sæther & Schnell, 1988(known from Finland, Norway and Russian Far East) and R. tchernovskii Makarchenko & Makarchenko, 2005 (known fromRussian Far East), based in particular, on the unusual shape of the superiorvolsella which is inwardly markedly turned over distally. The genus Rheocricotopus is currently represented by 10 species in continental France and by 8species in Corsica (Moubayed-Breil 2016). Consequently, the description of R. costaisp. n. and R. pyrenaeus sp. n.increases the total number in the genus to 12 for continental France and to 9for Corsica. Taxonomic remarks, discussion and comments on the ecology andgeographical distribution of the two new species are given.

In amphibians, the study of trophic niche is important to better understand the species ecological adaptation, in particular along gradients or in heterogeneous habitats. In this framework, we anal...

International audience; Recent surveys at slaughterhouses confirmed the presence of three different species of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato in France: E. granulosus sensu stricto, E. ortleppi, and E. canadensis G6/7. The latter species was only identified on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, with a high prevalence in pigs and wild boar. In order to investigate the life cycle of E. canadensis in this region, dog feces were collected in 31 municipalities, mainly from individual kennels. The analysis of fecal samples from 259 dogs by multiplex real-time PCR shows no infection by E. granulosus sensu stricto, but three dogs were infected by E. canadensis G6/7. Genetic analyses of mitochondrial genes (cox1, nad1, nad3, atp6) revealed in two dogs a haplotype previously identified in pigs. The third dog was infected by a new haplotype differing only from the two others from dogs by two mutations in the nad3 gene. This latter haplotype is genetically closer to those identified in pigs rather than those from wild boars. Analysis of questionnaires completed by the owners revealed that the sampled dog population was almost exclusively composed of hunting dogs that had been infrequently dewormed. Most of the owners (78%) leave carcasses of hunter-harvested wild boar in close proximity to their dogs. Nevertheless, genetic results seem to indicate that the three dogs were infected due to their consumption of a pig's infected viscera following home slaughtering. This study confirms the role of dogs as definitive hosts of E. canadensis G6/7 in Corsica. Further molecular studies, notably in human cases, are needed to assess the zoonotic impact of E. canadensis G6/7 in this region.

Karyological, flow-cytometric and molecular analyses indicate that the genus Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) is represented in Corsica (Corse) by two species: the tetraploid L. ircutianum DC. and the hexaploid L. corsicum (Less.) DC. The indication of the occurrence of the diploid L. vulgare Lam. on the island and of a tetraploid chromosome number for L. corsicum, given in former treatments of the genus for Corsica, could not be corroborated. AFLP fingerprinting further suggests that the infraspecific taxonomy of L. corsicum with two subspecies (L. corsicum subsp. corsicum and subsp. fenzlii) and three forms (L. corsicum f. corsicum, f. pinnatifidum and f. eschenlohrianum), which is mainly based on differences in the degree of leaf dissection, is not backed by genetic discontinuities. Owing to the observed little variation in leaf dissection within populations in the wild and the constancy of these features under cultivation, we propose the rank of varieties to taxonomically acknowledge these different stages in the broad spectrum of leaf-dissection grades exhibited by L. corsicum. As a consequence, the two new combinations L. corsicum var. eschenlohrianum (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. and L. corsicum var. fenzlii (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. are proposed.

WOS: 000369963000005 PubMed ID: 27006597 Tricimba rudolfi Kubik, sp. n. (Czech Republic, Portugal), Tricimba chalupi Kubik, sp. n. (Czech Republic), and Tricimba dursuni Kubik, sp. n. (Turkey) are described and illustrated. First records of Tricimba kaplanae Dely-Draskovits, 1983 from Corsica and Tricimba hungarica Dely-Draskovits, 1983 from Turkey are listed. MSMT (Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth) This paper was supported by grant of MSMT (Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth). We thank our colleagues from Mugla University (Turkey) for their help with field studies in Turkey. Our special thanks are due to anonymous reviewers for improving earlier versions of the manuscript.

International audience; Hyalomma scupense (Acari, Ixodidae) is a common tick species found in several areas in North Africa, Asia and South Europe and an efficient natural vector of bovine tropical theileriosis (Theileria annulata), a livestock disease with an important economic impact. For one year, 1938 ticks were collected on cattle in several Corsican slaughterhouses; 168 of them were morphologically identified as H. scupense. This result was confirmed by genetic identification using sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genes. The presence of 2 different stages (adults and nymphs), collected in various areas of the island, indicates that a population of H. scupense is established in Corsica. However, bovine tropical theileriosis has not been diagnosed on the island so far.

High-resolution seismic reflection data have been used over the last decades to estimate the thickness of the long-term Blue Carbon sink associated to the below-ground sediment deposit (matte) of the Posidonia oceanica meadows. Time-to-depth conversion of these geophysical datasets was usually performed assuming a sound velocity in this structure, but appropriate seismic interval velocity measurements is necessary to achieve accurate calibration. This study describes the first methodology to estimate the seismic interval velocity in the matte. This approach performed on the eastern continental shelf of Corsica island (France, NW Mediterranean) is based on measurements of the vertical matte profile from high-resolution seismic reflection profiles (s TWTT) and from seafloor morpho-bathymetric DTM (multibeam echosounders - MBES and Light Detection and Ranging - LiDAR surveys) calibrated with ground-truthing data. A biogeosedimentological analysis of horizontal cores sampled in vertical matte escarpments has been undertaken to identify the potential relationship of sediment and environmental parameters with sound velocity. The cross-comparison and the data intercalibration show significant correlation of MBES (R2 = 0.872) and LiDAR datasets (R2 = 0.883) with direct underwater measurements. Seismic interval velocities (n = 367) have been found to range between 1631.9 and 1696.8 m s−1 (95% confidence interval) and are estimated on average at 1664.4 m s−1, which is similar to the literature for unconsolidated marine sediments. The prediction map provided by the ordinary kriging method emphasized, however, a high variability of sound velocity within the study area. The results showed that changes in sound velocity in the matte are positively and strongly correlated with sand and gravel content and environmental factors such as distance to coastal river mouths and coastline. However, it was found that a negative relationship linked sound velocity with total and coarse organic content of matte deposits.

Juniperus communis L. var. communis is widespread in European countries. In Corsica a very small population grows wild in the North-Eastern side of the island. The chemical compositions of nine needle oil samples and three berry oil samples from Corsican J. communis L. var. communis have been investigated by GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C NMR. The composition of needle oils was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons, α-pinene (2/9 oil samples, 70.4 and 67.1%) or sabinene (7/9 oil samples, 24.4–45.3%). Berry oils displayed α-pinene/myrcene (43.0/24.1%) or α-pinene/sabinene/limonene/terpinen-4-ol (19.9/17.3/14.0/13.8%) as main components. A third oil sample contained mainly α-pinene (22.0%) accompanied by 21 sesquiterpenes (42.0% in total). It is noticeable that various needle and berry oil compositions have been observed within a really small population of J. communis L. var. communis.

Seven cases of urogenital schistosomiasis occurred in Corsica in 2015 and 2016. The episodes were related to exposure to the same river and involved the same parasite strain as an outbreak with 106 cases in summer 2013. The connection calls for further investigations on the presence of an animal reservoir and the survival of infested snails during winter. However, recontamination of the river from previously infected bathers remains the most likely hypothesis. Since 2015, seven cases of urogenital schistosomiasis reported exposure to the Cavu river in southern Corsica. They had no history of contact to fresh water in endemic areas. Here, we describe the cases indicating persistent schistosomal transmission linked to this river since 2013. To date, no contamination has been related to an exposure in 2017, but cases might arise in the coming months considering the long parasitic cycle in humans. Therefore, physicians in France and elsewhere should test possible clinical cases, regardless of the year of exposure to the Cavu river.

International audience; We investigated whether the diversity, endemicity and specificity of alder symbionts could be changed by isolation in a Mediterranean glacial refugium. We studied both ectomycor-rhizal (EM) fungi and nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria associated with alders, and compared their communities in Corsica and on the European continent. Nodules and root tips were sampled on the three alder species present in Corsica and continental France and Italy. Phylogenies based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and a multilo-cus sequence analysis approach were used to characterize fungal and Frankia species, respectively. Patterns of diversity, endemism and specialization were compared between hosts and regions for each symbiont community. In Corsica, communities were not generally richer than on the mainland. The species richness per site depended mainly on host identity: Alnus glutinosa and Alnus cordata hosted richer Frankia and EM communities, respectively. Half of the Frankia species were endemic to Corsica against only 4% of EM species. Corsica is not a hotspot of diversity for all alder symbionts but sustains an increased frequency of poor-dispersers such as hypogeous fungi. Generalist EM fungi and host-dependent profusely sporulating (Sp+) Frankia were abundantly associated with Corsican A. cordata, a pattern related to a more thermophilic and xerophylic climate and to the co-occurrence with other host trees.

We report 11 cases of schistosomiasis in international travelers who had bathed in rivers in Corsica, France, during 2012–2014. The infections were diagnosed in 2014 and reported to the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network and European Travel Medicine Network. Travelers can be sentinels for emerging infections; thus, this situation warrants a concerted human and veterinary epidemiologic response.

International audience; The chemical composition of Frullania tamarisci essential oil from Corsica was investigated using GC-FID, GC-MS and NMR analyses. The essential oil compositions were further studied analyzing samples prepared from three different Corsican locations and during a seasonal vegetative cycle. 40 components, which accounted for 78.3-89.8% of the total amount of F. tamarisci essential oils were identified. The main components were tamariscol coeluted with pacifigorgiol (30.4-41.5%), germacra-1(10)E,5E-dien-11-ol (3.6-7.1%), gamma-cylocostunolide (1.8-20.1%), gamma-dihydrocyclocostunolide (1.2-8.0%) and frullanolide (1.7-4.9%). Among them, germacra-1(10)E,5E-dien-11-ol was never reported in the Frullania genus and pacifigorgiol, a tamariscol GC-overlapped compound, was for the first time reported in Bryophytes. Finally using 1D and 2D NMR experiments, we reported gamma-dihydrocyclocostunolide as a new natural compound. Two Corsican F. tamarisci essential oils with different GC profiles were assessed for their phytotoxic behavior against onion seeds and seedling in order to evaluate their capacity to inhibit germination and alter the development of plantlets. According to the essential oil-compositions, a stimulation of the onion seedling was observed when sesquiterpene lactones amount was higher, whilst the inhibition of roots growth occurs when sesquiterpene alcohols were predominantly.

A live colony of a non-indigenous zooxanthellate scleractinian coral was found in shallow water at the west coast of Corsica, western Mediterranean. Its diameter of 6 cm suggests that it has already survived for some years. It was identified as Oulastrea crispata, a species native on near-shore coral reefs in the central Indo-Pacific with a high tolerance for low water temperatures at high latitudes. Based on its morphology it can be distinguished from other zooxanthellate colonial scleractinians in the Mediterranean. O. crispata has a reputation of being a successful colonizer because it is able to settle on a wide variety of substrata and because it utilizes various reproductive strategies as simultaneous hermaphrodite and producer of asexually derived planulae. Owing to its original distribution range in temperate and subtropical waters, it is likely that it will be able to meet a suitable temperature regime in the Mediterranean for further range expansion.

Morphological a nd molecular investigation conducted in France and the Tyrrhenian islands reveal that Aphaenogaster subterranea is composed of two distinct species. We propose to raise A. subterranea var. ichnusa Santschi, 1925, described from Sardinia, to the species status, A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925 stat. nov . This species differs from A. subterranea by having shorter propodeal spines and a less sculptured cuticle. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial marker COI shows that the two species form well separated clades, with a genetic distance (K2p) of 9.8 %. In the studied area, the two species are parapatric, A. ichnusa occurring in Sardinia, Corsica and the Mediterranean area of continental France, and A. subterranea occurring North of this area. We propose a redescription of both species and designation of a neotype for A. subterranea .

Continuous mapping of the benthic marine habitats along the coast of Corsica is based on a synthesis of all available historical data as well as new studies concerning sectors that are poorly taken into account and/or that are of particular interest. The mapped area covers more than 310 000 ha, almost all infralittoral and circalittoral, with a survey up to 150 m deep around the coast of Cap Corse. While within the infralittoral zone, Posidonia oceanica meadows are predominant, with a surface area of about 53 735 ha, in the circalittoral zone, soft bottoms (eg coastal detritic bottoms) are largely dominant, with the rhodolith association particularly well represented (26 493 ha). The coralligenous biocenosis (2 111 ha) covers relatively small areas but includes unique formations at Mediterranean scale: the coralligenous atolls. The reliability scale proposed to assess the accuracy of these maps shows satisfactory results (62% on average), with a higher value for the infralittoral zone (74%). The results confirm that Corsica's coastline is characterized by a significant expansion of the Blue Carbon ecosystems, and in particular the Posidonia oceanica meadows, which regularly reach more than 35 m depth and cover 61% of the of the seabed between 0 and -40m, and free-living coralline algae (8% of the known surfaces in the western Mediterranean basin). The areas covered by Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean basin are estimated at between 1.0 and 1.5 million hectares, and show a decreasing pattern along a north-west to southeast gradient.

Many sedimentary processes can lead to the formation of mixed carbonate–siliciclastic sediments in shallow shelf environments. The Miocene Saint-Florent Basin (Corsica), and in particular the Monte S. Angelo Formation, offers the possibility to analyze coarse mixed sediments produced by erosion of a rocky coast, ephemeral stream input, and shallow-water carbonate production dominated by red algae. The Monte S. Angelo Formation was deposited during the Burdigalian to Langhian interval. During this interval, the island of Corsica experienced increased subsidence related to the development of the Ligurian-Provencal Basin and associated Sardinia-Corsica block rotation. Four main rhodolith-rich subfacies have been recognized: conglomerate with rhodoliths, massive rhodolith rudstone, well-bedded rhodolith rudstone, and rhodolith floatstone. The four facies have been interpreted as having been deposited in different environments of a gravel-dominated, nearshore to offshore prograding wedge. Deep-water melobesioids dominate the red algal assemblage from shoreface to offshore. Shallow-water subfamilies of lithophylloids and mastophoroids occur in only accessory amounts. Poor illumination is believed to be due to terrigenous input by ephemeral streams and wave- and current-resuspension. Resuspension processes are favored by the limited occurrence of seagrasses. Two types of siliciclastic–carbonate mixing processes characterize the investigated rhodolith-rich deposits: (1) punctuated mixing, produced by the re-deposition of terrigenous sediments by debris-flow processes during flooding events onto carbonate sediments together with rhodoliths of the shoreface environments, and (2) in situ mixing, produced by growth of coralline algae on siliciclastic pebbles to form the rhodoliths.

Background The Neptune grass, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813, is the most widespread seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea. This foundation species forms large meadows that, through habitat and trophic services, act as biodiversity hotspots. In Neptune grass meadows, amphipod crustaceans are one of the dominant groups of vagile invertebrates, forming an abundant and diverse taxocenosis. They are key ecological components of the complex, pivotal, yet critically endangered Neptune grass ecosystems. Nevertheless, comprehensive qualitative and quantitative data about amphipod fauna found in Mediterranean Neptune grass meadows remain scarce, especially in insular locations. New information Here, we provide in-depth metadata about AxIOM, a sample-based dataset published on the GBIF portal. AxIOM is based on an extensive and spatially hierarchized sampling design with multiple years, seasons, day periods, and methods. Samples were taken along the coasts of Calvi Bay (Corsica, France) and of the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy). In total, AxIOM contains 187 samples documenting occurrence (1775 records) and abundance (10720 specimens) of amphipod crustaceans belonging to 72 species spanning 29 families. The dataset is available at http://ipt.biodiversity.be/resource?r=axiom.

To the Editor: We would like to add some specification and clarification to the discussion regarding the diagnostics and case definitions for urinary schistosomiasis in travelers to Corsica, France (1–3). Evidence for a Schistosoma haematobium infection typically depends on the detection of viable ova in the urine. However, in regard to S. haematobium infections acquired in Corsica, several ova excreted by the first 2 published case-patients (i.e., the 12-year-old boy and his father) exhibited atypical morphology (4). Therefore, we supplemented our morphologic study with a molecular study of miracidia by using cytochrome c oxydase mitochondrial DNA barcoding and the internal transcribed spacer 2 gene. The results indicated that the schistosome responsible for the infection of the first case-patient reported in Corsica was S. haematobium that had been introgressed by genes of zoonotic S. bovis through a hybridization process. S. bovis is the cause of bovine intestinal schistosomiasis and uses the same intermediate host (Bulinus truncatus snails) that S. haematobium uses (5). Such interactions between S. haematobium and S. bovis have also been reported in Benin (5). These findings imply that the clinical course of case-patients and diagnostic test results might be affected by atypical schistosomiasis. Whereas the boy in our study experienced a clinically typical schistosomal infection of the bladder, his father and his siblings, who had identical histories of exposure, were seropositive for S. haematobium but were asymptomatic (4). We recommend that clinicians treat any suspected case of S. haematobium infection, whether or not the patient excretes ova, given that the disease is potentially serious and the indicated drug for treatment (praziquantel) is safe. Epidemiologic analyses should take into account the role of zoonotic S. bovis infection and supplement parasitological investigations with molecular analyses (5,6).

A 12-year-old male patient suffered hematuria. Histopathology of a biopsy showed granulomata suspicious for schistosomiasis. The patient had never travelled outside Europe during his entire lifetime. He had taken frequent bathes in various rivers during his last family holidays 5 months earlier in Corsica. Microfiltration of urine revealed viable ova of Schistosoma haematobium with alterated size and shape. Ultrasonography showed a large focal echopoor mass attached to the bladder roof. Four days after antihelminthic therapy, the patient suffered inferior abdominal pain and acute anuria. Ultrasound revealed an approximately 5-cm mass in the bladder lumen suspicious for a large blood clot. After taking non-invasive measures such as drinking high amounts of fluid and treating the lower abdomen with a warm water bag and massage, the clot was excreted with urine and symptoms subsided. The further course was uneventful until 11 months later when hematuria recurred. This time, parasitological urine examination confirmed non-viable schistosome ova. Hematuria was likely due to erosion of the bladder mucosa by calcified non-viable ova.

There is an increasing interest in the taxonomy and distribution of the forms of the Portulaca oleracea complex. The information accruing from specimens collected in the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands (Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Malta) is here described. Eleven morphotypes were recorded: ‘P. cypria’, ‘P. granulatostellulata’, ‘P. nitida’, ‘P. oleracea’, ‘P. papillatostellulata’, ‘P. rausii’, ‘P. sardoa’, ‘P. sativa’, ‘P. sicula’, ‘P. trituberculata’, ‘P. zaffranii’ and a still unclear form Portulaca oleracea f. Three occur in almost all the Italian peninsula and adjacent islands; three are scattered in the Italian peninsula and in the adjacent islands; the remnant have a distribution restricted to the islands such as Sicily and Sardinia. The morphotypes can be divided into two main categories: seeds smooth, without ornamentations; seeds with ornamentations. The morphotypes with ornamentations are more widespread than smooth ones, probably because seed ornamentations play an important role in seed dispersal, which is perhaps mainly anthropochorous given that P. oleracea is a synanthropic species that can tolerate mechanical disturbance. There are cases of multiple occurrence, as evidenced by the presence of different morphotypes in some of the sites. Such populations can count up to five morphotypes growing together. Seven morphotypes were here recorded from Malta; they are all hexaploid, even those which in other areas are tetraploid.

In Response: Regarding the comments by Berry et al. (1) on our previously published letter, we acknowledge that, in strict parasitological terms, confirmation of the diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis requires the identification of eggs by microscopic examination of urine. Nevertheless, we aimed at an operational case definition, providing criteria for identifying cases most likely to be true infections. We should not forget that microscopy has an unacceptably low sensitivity (2). We should also consider that currently available serologic tools are hampered by both a poor sensitivity and a poor specificity for Schistosoma haematobium (3). Regarding immunoblot, Berry et al. are correct in saying that there is not yet any formally published evidence of its accuracy for S. haematobium and that the high specificity declared, close to 100%, is based on data provided by the manufacturer. A formal study on the accuracy of this test is underway at the Centre for Tropical Diseases of Sacro Cuore Hospital. This assay has been less extensively assessed than that in which purified S. mansoni antigen is used, as described previously, which has shown very high accuracy (4). However, Western blot is already accepted as a diagnostic standard for the identification of other infectious diseases, including parasitic infections such as cysticercosis (for which, indeed, the direct parasitological confirmation is often impossible), and has become the test of choice for the latter (5). Moreover, the population in our study was composed of persons not exposed to other parasites. Therefore, cross-reactions with other helminths would be extremely unlikely. In conclusion, although we recognize that, by a strictly semantic definition, the term “confirmed” should be reserved for cases for which there is a parasitological proof, in operational terms, we could not rely on a direct test that has such a poor sensitivity in this particular patient population. Had we done so, we would have found a subestimated, and therefore totally incorrect, picture of the true prevalence, leading to inappropriate conclusions and actions (or lack thereof).

Aim Mediterranean islands have been the subject of intense phylogeographical investigation. While most studies have focused on the processes of colonization and dispersal between landmasses, the phylogeographical structures within islands have received less attention. Here, we investigate the Pleistocene evolutionary history of the fire salamander Salamandra corsica. Our main aim is to shed more light on the importance of intra-island micro-evolutionary processes in structuring the patterns of biodiversity on Mediterranean islands. Location Corsica Island. Methods We sampled 165 individuals across the entire range of S. corsica, and we sequenced two mitochondrial (cytb and cox1) and one nuclear (sfib) gene fragments. We used Bayesian phylogeographical and historical demographic analyses based on DNA sequence data, together with species distribution modelling (SDM) under the present and past bioclimatic envelopes. Results Bayesian phylogeographical analyses indicated that S. corsica (re)colonized its northern range during the Last Interglacial period from an ancestral area located in central-southern Corsica. According to these analyses and the SDM, S. corsica was already established throughout the island during the last glacial phase, although likely with a fragmented distribution. Historical demographic analyses suggested a post-glacial demographic expansion, probably associated with the climate-driven spatial and temporal dynamics of forested habitats. Main conclusions Despite its restricted and insular distribution, S. corsica showed past demographic and range dynamics that are comparable to those of wide-ranging species on the continent. These dynamics are not consistent with temporal, spatial, and demographic patterns previously seen for other Corsican endemics. Such patterns of complex Pleistocene evolutionary histories and extensive phylogeographical discordance are also emerging from other insular systems. We conclude that island endemics should not be considered, a priori, as single populations and conservation units, and that the use of co-occurrence patterns of island populations as inferential tools in historical biogeography should also be carefully reconsidered.

Background: Toscana virus (TOSV) is an arbovirus belonging to the Bunyaviridae, a family of negative-stranded, enveloped RNA viruses. The virus can be transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female sand fly of the genus Phlebotomus. Infections are usually asymptomatic but the virus is known to cause aseptic meningitis and/or meningo-encephalitis in the Mediterranean countries. Dogs are good sentinels for detection of viral circulation and are more easily accessible than wild animals.Findings: In 2013 and 2014, we collected sera from 231 adult dogs living in 26 counties in two departments in Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean. The virus microneutralization-based seroprevalence assay revealed a seropositivity of 3.9 % dogs on the eastern coast of Corsica.Conclusions: Our study confirms the circulation of TOSV in Corsica. Accordingly, in geographical areas where dogs possess TOSV neutralizing antibodies, direct and indirect TOSV diagnosis should be implemented in patients presenting with febrile illnesses and central nervous system infections such as meningitis and encephalitis.

Published and unpublished data on the centipedes of Corsica (France) is summarised and critically reviewed in this paper. Thirty-three species are listed and discussed (1 Scutigeromorpha, 11 Lithobiomorpha, 4 Scolopendromorpha, 17 Geophilomorpha), one of which is new to the island: Henia (Pseudochaetechelyne) brevis (Silvestri, 1896). General geographical distribution, chorotype, exact localities and ecological notes (altitudinal range, habitats) are given for each species. Eight species are Corsican endemics. Taxonomic remarks are given for some species. General notes on the composition of the centipede fauna of Corsica and its zoogeographic affinities as well as remarks on the ecology of the species and their assemblages are also included.

International audience; We present a case of acute schistosomiasis acquired in Corsica after bathing in the Cavu River during the summer of 2015. The diagnosis was made following epidemiological, laboratory and serological assessments. After a previous outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis during the summer of 2013, when more than 120 infections were diagnosed, this further case indicates transmission was still effective in 2015, thus suggesting a permanent presence of schistosomiasis in Corsica.

Algyroides fitzingeri is a Corso-Sardinian endemic lizard belonging to a relictual genus within the Lacertini radiation. In recent phylogeographic studies of Corso-Sardinian endemic lizards incongruent patterns are emerging. We investigated the mitochondrial genetic variation of A. fitzingeri across Corsica and Sardinia to obtain a preliminary portrait of its phylogeographic history. This species showed some polymorphism, but with low genetic differentiation between populations, that probably originated during the Pleistocene. Corsican populations are closely related to those from North Sardinia and are likely to have originated from them, given the higher diversity and deeper phylogeographic structure observed in Sardinia than in Corsica. While the phylogeographic structure of A. fitzingeri in Corsica is surprisingly shallow when compared with other co-distributed lizards, in Sardinia a common pattern apparently emerges. Further research is needed to confirm the hypotheses here presented and to provide a conclusive assessment of the phylogeography of this species.

Karyological analysis has been carried out on Stictotarsus griseostriatus (De Geer, 1774) from Tjøme in southern Norway, one of the type localities of Deronectes maritimus Helliesen, 1890, as well as from the Canton of Valais in the Swiss Alps and Bavaria in the German Alps. True S. griseostriatus is shown to occur over much of the central Alps, and the synonymy of S. griseostriatus var. nigrescens Favre, 1890 is confirmed. Analysis of Corsican material shows that the species inhabiting the island is S. ibericus Dutton et Angus, 2007. The known distributions of the S. griseostriatus group species occurring in the Alps and on Corsica are given, and Pleistocene fossil material from Starunia in the Ukrainian Carpathians is figured and discussed. A syntype of Potamodytes multilineatus Falkenström, 1922, in Helliesen’s collection in Oslo, is noted and a neotype designated for Deronectes maritimus Helliesen, 1890 as the original material on which the description was based cannot be found.

Hypogeous beetles from Corsica. XXXV. The genus Parabathyscia Jeannel, 1908 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae). Study of the Corsican species belonging to the genus Parabathyscia Jeannel, 1908 : P. corsica (Abeille de Perrin, 1875), P. meridionalis Jeannel, 1949, n. stat., P. remyi Jeannel, 1947, P. gracilicornis Jeannel, 1947 (= P. longicornis Jeannel, 1949 = P. lamilzai Raffaldi, 2007 = P. raffaldii Lemaire, 2008, n. syn.), P. rugulosa Jeannel, 1949., Etude des espèces de Corse du genre Parabathyscia Jeannel, 1908 : P. corsica (Abeille de Perrin, 1875), P. meridionalis Jeannel, 1949, n. stat., P. remyi Jeannel, 1947, P. gracilicornis Jeannel, 1947 (= P. longicornis Jeannel, 1949 = P. lamilzai Raffaldi, 2007 = P. raffaldii Lemaire, 2008, n. syn.), P. rugulosa Jeannel, 1949., Orousset Jean. Coléoptères hypogés de Corse. XXXV. Le genre Parabathyscia Jeannel, 1908 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 114 (1),2009. pp. 91-109.

Description of the female of Rhacocleis bonfilsi Galvagni, 1976 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae). The authors describe the female of Rhacocleis bonfilsi (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), discovered for the first time in Corsica (France). The morphological characteristics of these females are compared to those of females of the other Corsican species [R. germanica (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1840) and R. corsicana Bonfils, 1960]. Although absent from Corsica, R. neglecta (Costa Lima, 1863) is also included in the analysis. It appears that the diagnostic features are the size and the shape of the ovipositor, and the sub-genital plate., Les auteurs décrivent la femelle de Rhacocleis bonfilsi (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), découverte pour la première fois en Corse. L''article expose les caractéristiques morphologiques de ces femelles en les comparant à celles des autres espèces de Corse [R. germanica (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1840), R. corsicana Bonfils, 1960]. R. neglecta (Costa Lima, 1863), absente de Corse, est également incluse dans l''analyse. Les caractères diagnostiques sont la forme et la taille de l''ovipositeur et la plaque sous-génitale., Bardet Olivier, Boitier Emmanuel, Petit Daniel. Description de la femelle de Rhacocleis bonfilsi Galvagni, 1976 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 114 (4),2009. pp. 431-436.

Cette etude vise a la determination des concentrations metalliques dans les limbes et les bases des feuilles adultes de Posidonia oceanica, au niveau de 16 stations du littoral de la Corse. Elle montre qu'a l'exception de Cr, tous les metaux sont preferentiellement accumules dans les limbes. Ce resultat est particulierement interessant puisqu'il implique que les analyses de metaux traces peuvent etre effectuees uniquement sur les limbes, permettant ainsi d'eviter de prelever la totalite du faisceau. De plus, cette etude montre que les concentrations metalliques sont globalement parmi les valeurs les plus faibles de la litterature et refleteraient le bruit de fond de la Mediterranee. La station 15 (Canari) peut cependant etre distinguee des autres stations par ses fortes concentrations en Co, Cr et Ni. Ce resultat peut etre mis en relation avec la presence d'une ancienne mine d'amiante situee a proximite de cette station. Par consequent, cette etude renforce l'interet de l'utilisation de P. oceanica en tant que traceur de la contamination metallique.