On the Culuccia Peninsula, a small sandy promontory in the north-east of Sardinia, science has added a new piece to the map of biodiversity. Here, a group of entomologists from Roma Tre University has identified a new species of wild bee, named Andrena culucciae in honor of the place where it was discovered.
The research, conducted by Matteo Annessi, now a doctoral student in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, began as a master’s thesis under the guidance of Professor Andrea Di Giulio, with the contribution of Dr. Alessandra Riccieri for the genetic analyses. A meticulous work that combined classic taxonomy techniques – such as observation under the optical microscope – with advanced methods, including electron microscopy and DNA barcoding.
A bee that talks about the Mediterranean
Andrena culucciae belongs to the species complex Andrena pilipes/nigrospinaa group of bees that are difficult to distinguish from each other. Scientists have confirmed that this new species has unique morphological and genetic characteristics: in males, for example, the genital capsule has distinctive shapes, while females show a particular coloring of the bristles on the hind legs.
But the discovery is not just a scientific achievement. It is also a sign of the extraordinary biological diversity that characterizes Sardinia and, more generally, the Mediterranean basin – one of the richest and most vulnerable areas on the planet. The island is home to numerous endemic species, often closely linked to specific environments, such as the coastal dunes where it lives A. culucciae.
The hidden value of coastal dunes
Specimens of the new species were observed mainly on the flowers of Armeria pungensa typical plant of dune herbaceous vegetation. These are habitats of great beauty but extremely fragile, threatened by erosion, urbanization and unsustainable tourism.
Precisely for this reason, the discovery of A. culucciae represents an ecological wake-up call. As the researchers point out, wild bees are sensitive indicators of the health of ecosystems: their presence or disappearance tells a lot about the quality of the environment. Preserving these insects means protecting the delicate balance that makes plant life and, consequently, human life possible.
A heritage to be cherished
The work of the Roma Tre entomologists is part of a collaborative project with the Naturalistic Observatory of the Island of Culuccia, coordinated by Dr. Sabrina Rossi (BIRU Srl Agricola). Together, the researchers are documenting the faunal richness of the area, which includes not only new species of bees, but also butterflies, molluscs and other pollinators never previously reported in Sardinia.
Each new discovery, they explain, helps to outline a more precise map of Italian biodiversity, still partly unknown. Knowing is the first step to protect: only by studying these species in depth can effective conservation and land management policies be implemented.
