Between the ancient alleys and the natural cavities of the island of Lampedusa, where the breath of the Mediterranean mixes with the echo of the Sahara, an African bat made its appearance, marking an event of scientific reach. The Miniopterus Maghrebensisalso known as Miniottero del Maghrebwas identified for the first time in European territory by a group of researchers from the National Research Council (CNR) and the National Center for Biodiversity (NBFC). The discovery was published in the Mammalian Biology magazine, and in addition to expanding the well -known geographical boundaries of the species, it opens unpublished scenarios on the distribution of chiroteri in the Mediterranean basin.
Research
The discovery is the result of a widespread investigation conducted in October 2024 on the island of Lampedusa by a joint team of theInstitute for Research on Water (CNR-Irsa) of Verbaniaof‘Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CNR-ATET) of Florence and of the NBFC. The research has combined automatic acoustic monitoring tools, genetic analysis on guano collected in strategic sites and inspections of hypogeal shelters – including gods Bunker dating back to the Second World Wartoday they have become excellent shelters for night fauna.
«The small islands are fragile ecosystems, often ignored but crucial. In Lampedusa, the combination of scarcity of water, climate change and anthropic pressure places a serious risk to the survival of bats », he explains Fabrizio GiliCNR-Irsa researcher and active part of the study group. «Historically, the reports were fragmentary. Only now, thanks to a systematic work, do data emerge that return the image of a richer and genetically distinct community ».
Precisely from the champions collected near the old cemetery of the island, the genetic analyzes conducted in the workshops of Florence have revealed sequences compatible with the Miniopterus Maghrebensis, especially known so far in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The genetic confirmation of the African identity of the little chiroptero represents an absolute first for Europe.
The discovery has much wider implications than the mere taxonomic novelty. The official recognition of the species in European territory automatically involves the extension of the protection measures provided for by the Bat Agreement – part of the Bonn Convention – for the protection of bats and their habitats. The inclusion of the Maghreb miniopter would thus bring to 56 the total number of European species protected by the Treaty.
The investigation was not limited to only miniopterus, given that the research team has in fact documented the presence of at least Seven other species on the island. Among these stand out Gaisler’s ears (Plecotus Gaisleri), so far attested in Europe only in Malta and Pantelleria, and the horseshoe of mehely (Rhinolophus mehelyi), rare chiropter and discontinuous distribution in the Mediterranean basin. For both species, genetic analysis highlighted unpublished mitochondrial aplotypes, exclusive of the island of Lampedusa: a strong clue of genetic isolation and local adaptation.
“It is a genetic heritage that has no equal elsewhere,” underlines Gili. «The insular populations, precisely because of their isolation condition, tend to develop unique characteristics. But this uniqueness, if not adequately protected, risks dissolving before it is even fully understood ».
Prospects for the future
The study therefore highlights how much remains The picture of the European Chirotterofauna is still darkespecially in the small islands of the Mediterranean. These territories, too often considered marginal, instead prove to be natural biodiversity workshops, miniature caskets where evolution plays its silent but decisive matches.
The research conducted at Lampedusa represents A virtuous example of interdisciplinary collaboration and non -invasive approachable to return fundamental information without disturbing the species observed. A way to follow, urgently and continuity, to understand and protect the fragile naturalistic wealth of our continent.
