The freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes (Decapoda: Astacidae) in Campania (Southern Italy): a survey with report of new records

The white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) (Astacidae; Decapoda) is a species complex with controversial taxonomic classification, which is considered vulnerable and protected by the "Council directive 92/43/ECC". Little is known about the distribution of the freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes complex in the Campania region (Southern Italy). Our field investigation allows us to report for the first time the presence of two populations never censused before: one in the province of Salerno (Rio Freddo river) and one in the province of Caserta (gardens of the Royal Palace of Caserta). The present communication describes also the results of a preliminary study aimed to characterize at a morphological and molecular level the latter population. The use of these historical gardens as a protection site for this endangered species is also suggested