Urban parks as a refuge for the Wood-cricket, Nemobius sylvestris (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae)

Abstract

The Wood-cricket Nemobius sylvestris was surprisingly found in a park in the northern part of Bucharest, an area under exponential residential development. The species was also confirmed molecularly through DNA-barcoding and a median joining network was constructed using available COI sequences from public databases, showing moderate genetic variability within European samples. Our results stress again the importance of peri-urban areas in the conservation of biodiversity, providing a refuge for local fauna. The urban and peri-urban green spaces of Bucharest dwindled in the last 50 years, due mostly to residential development and the protection of the remaining areas is very important for arthropod diversity. The maintenance of Nemobius sylvestris populations in this area is conditioned by the preservation of urban and peri-urban woodland habitat of Bucharest together with its semi-wild herb layer and leaf-litter. Implications for insect conservation. Numerous small vertebrates and invertebrates rely on peri-urban and urban parks to survive in cities, since green spaces are typically sparsely distributed and poorly connected. In addition to supporting a variety of habitats other than woodland, such as grasslands and marshes, these forests are vital animal refuges in places that are increasingly becoming urbanized. It has been demonstrated that both a complex vegetation structure and a high plant variety positively affect insect diversity. The finding of Nemobius sylvestris proves the importance of such habitats for preserving biodiversity.