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Endemism in Italian Orthoptera

The present paper discusses about the distribution of orthopterans endemic to Italy. This country is located in the centre of the Mediterranean Basin and its palaeo-geographical origins are owed to complex natural phenomena, as well as to a multitude of centres-of-origin, where colonization of fauna and flora concerned. Out of 382 Orthoptera taxa (i.e., species and subspecies) known to occur in Italy, 160 (41.9%) are endemic. Most of them are restricted to the Alps, the Apennines or the two principal islands of Italy (i.e., Sardinia and Sicily). In addition, lowland areas in central-southern Italy host many endemic taxa, which probably originate from the Balkan Peninsula. In Italy, the following 8 genera are considered endemic: Sardoplatycleis, Acroneuroptila, Italopodisma, Epipodisma, Nadigella, Pseudoprumna, Chorthopodisma and Italohippus. Moreover, the subgenus Italoptila is endemic to Italy. For research regarding endemism, Orthoptera are particularly interesting because this order comprises species characterized by different ecological traits; e.g., different dispersal abilities, contrasting thermal requirements or specific demands on their habitats. The highest percentage of apterous or micropterous (35.3%) and brachypterous (16.2%) endemic taxa live in the Apennines, which are among the most isolated mountains of the Italian Peninsula. Finally, some endemic species are endangered at the European scale.