Longhorn beetles of the Ficuzza woods (W Sicily, Italy) and their relationship with plant diversity (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

The woods in Sicily are the result of centuries of anthropogenic activities that have reduced the surface of woodand changed the original composition even with the introduction of alien species to native flora. The value interms of biodiversity of these forests remains, however, high for they are the last refuge areas for many animalsand plant species. This study was conducted within the Ficuzza woods (West Sicily), extended about 5,000hectares on the slopes of limestone-dolomite rock of Busambra (1615 m asl), within which lies the largestremaining forest area in western Sicily. It is an area with a wide diversity of vegetation, represented mainly bynative forests (holm oak, cork oak, deciduous oaks), groups of riparian vegetation, shrubs, bushes, grasslands,and of non-native forest formations (Pinus and Eucalyptus woods). The study on Cerambycidae in this area isfragmented and does not specify a relation the species with the surrounding vegetation. This study wasperformed by choosing among various groups of insects, xylophagous Coleoptera Cerambycidae; existingliterature data and extensive collected field data were reviewed. The analysis was also performed by thecollection of dead wood in order to distinguish the relationship between the plant species and coleoptera. Theresults summarize and supplement the data registered so far, shedding further light on the ecological role ofthis group of insects that are also valid biomarkers of the integrity and complexity of the forest.