Intraguild dietary overlap and its possible relationship to the coexistence of mesocarnivores in intensive agricultural habitats

The stone marten (Martes foina) and the pine marten (M. martes) are closely related mammalian carnivores potentially subject to exploitative competition. The recent expansion of the pine marten into the intensively cultivated plain of the River Po (NW Italy), where previously only stone marten occurred, offered an interesting opportunity to analyse their relationships. We studied the distribution and diet of Martes species and trophic niche overlap between martens and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in two study areas, each with two pseudoreplicates, by analysing genotyped faeces. Our results seem to confirm the displacement of the stone marten from one study area, the pine marten being the only Martes species occurring where previously the stone marten had been reported. We found a large food niche overlap between red fox and both stone and pine martens, but with evidence of size-related differences in the consumption of some food items. We hypothesised that, due to the poor prey-base of the environment, highly altered by intensive crop cultivation, intense interspecific competition originally occurred between the red fox and stone marten. The heightening of interspecific competition caused by the entry of the pine marten in the predator guild may have caused the displacement of the stone marten, at least temporarily. The mechanism of such displacement needs to be clarified through further surveys in areas where the three species occur sympatrically.     

Triterpenoids from Salvia phlomoides, three new lupane derivatives

Three new triterpenoids have been isolated from the aerial parts of Salvia phlomoides. Their structures have been established by chemical and spectroscopic means and by correlation with known products as lupane-3β,11α,20-triol, 3β-acetoxy-lupane-11α,20-diol and 3-keto-lupane-11α,20-diol.     

Two new species of Zospeum Bourguignat, 1856 from the Basque-Cantabrian Mountains,Northern Spain (Eupulmonata,Ellobioidea, Carychiidae)

Two new species of the genus Zospeum Bourguignat, 1856 are described from caves in the Sierra de Aitzgorri (Gipuzkoa) and the Sierra Salvada (Burgos) in Northern Spain. The taxa Zospeum vasconicum sp. n. and Zospeum zaldivarae sp. n. have recently, without a formal name, been included in a molecular study of worldwide members of the Carychiidae. In the present paper, the shell morphology and variation of these species is described and illustrated.     

A rearranged abietane diterpenoid from the root of Salvia aethiopis

From the root of Salvia aethiopis a new diterpenoid, salvipisone, has been isolated. Its structure, 12-hydroxy-4,5-seco-5,10-friedo-4(18),5(10),6,8,12-abietapentaen-11,14-dione, was established by spectroscopic means and by partial synthesis from aethiopinone. The previously known diterpenoids aethiopinone and royleanone were also found in the same source.