The pilot field studies here presented are part of a long-term research program aimed to develop a cost-effective sterile insect technique (SIT) methodology to suppress Aedes albopictus (Skuse) populations. Aedes albopictus is a mosquito species mainly developing in man-made containers and with an island-like urban and suburban distribution. These two features make the application of the sterile insect technique a possible control strategy. Five trials have been performed in three small towns from 2005 to 2009 (Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy). Reared male pupae, sexed by a sieving technique allowing the recovery of
26-29% of males, were exposed to gamma rays and immediately released in the field. Adult population density was estimated based on a weekly monitoring of egg density in the ovitraps, whereas induced sterility was estimated by measuring the hatching percentage of weekly collected eggs in SIT and control areas. Results showed that sterile males released at the rate of 896Ð1,590 males/ha/wk induced a signiÞcant sterility level in the local population. In addition, when the sterility level achieved values in the range of 70-80%, a similar reduction also was found for the egg density in the ovitraps. We could estimate that the minimum egg sterility value of 81% should be maintained to obtain suppression of the local population. Immigration of mated females was not a main issue in the small villages where trials have been run.

Grapevine remains show that this plant has been important for humans since ancient times. This paper presents a synthesis of archaeobotanical studies on grapevine remains (pollen, wood, charcoal, seed/fruit and other botanical remains) from Epigravettian to Bronze Age sites. Carpological remains are the most important ones, because they often allow to distinguish cultivated and wild grapevines. Grapevine findings are rare in Mesolithic sites, they increase during Neolithic period and become frequent in Bronze Age. Archaeobotanical data show that during Neolithic and in the Early Bronze Age a good level of knowledge concerning grapevine utilization was already acquired; during Middle and Late Bronze Age the grapevine diffusion increases. Based on archaeobotanical data, the wild grapevine evolution by indigenous people was probably accompanied by an input of allochtonous vines from Mycenaean world, and then from Hellenic world. Therefore, the critical period of grapevine domestication can be placed between Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.

A new collaborative Greek-Italian project called “Development & demonstration of management plans against -the climate change enhanced-invasive mosquitoes in Southern Europe” has been selected for the financial support of the EU Commission in the frame of the LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance program (LIFE CONOPS - LIFE12 ENV/GR/000466). CONOPS (Greek, κώνωψ=mosquito).
The starting date was the July 1st, 2013, the ending date December 31st, 2017.

The project focuses on two main topics:
1 - the use of pollinators to carry to the target crop
flowers beneficial microorganisms that act as an-
tagonists of plant pathogens that penetrate through
the flowers;
2 - the improvement of the pollination of organic hor-
ticultural and fruit crops.
The Italian working group, Agen.Ter., is the leader
partner of the Work Package on the study of Landscape
Management initiatives to support pollination and Bene-
ficial Control Agents (BCA) dissemination. The main
objectives are to determine the impact of pres-
ence/absence of key ecological infrastructures (pollen
and nectar food, nesting sites) on the colonisation effi-
cacy of managed solitary bees in the target crop system,
as well as their impact on the abundance of wild pollina-
tors; establish the role of vegetation management using
‘push-pull’ strategy on enhancing managed and wild
pollinator activity in strawberry fields; assess the bene-
fits to fruit pollination of managing solitary bee popula-
tions.
In 2012 two studies were carried out: the first study
focused on the efficacy of the efficient pear pollinator
Osmia cornuta (Hymenoptera Megachilidae) in carrying
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a preliminary step necessary
to develop a pollinator-mediated biocontrol programme
against Erwinia amylovora on pear; the second study
focused on the efficacy of Apis mellifera to protect or-
ganic strawberry cultivation from its most important
disease, the grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, dispersing its
antagonist Gliocladium catenulatum.