About Barbitistes vicetinus Galvagni & Fontana, 1993
Barbitistes vicetinus, commonly called the Vicentine saw-tailed bush-cricket, is a species of katydid cricket that belongs to the family Phaneropteridae. It is endemic to Italy. This species was first formally described by scientists Antonio Galvagni and Paolo Fontana in 1993. It occurs in vineyards and woody vegetation within the Italian regions of Veneto and Trentino, particularly in the province of Vicenza – the location that gives the species its name. In 2016, the IUCN listed Barbitistes vicetinus as a Near Threatened species. This listing is due to the species' restricted geographic range and extreme fluctuations in its population. Its current extent of occurrence (EOO) measures approximately 580 km² (220 sq mi), while its area of occupancy (AOO) falls between 50–100 km² (19–39 sq mi). Even though it was only formally described as a new species in 1993, unexpected population outbreaks of this insect have severely damaged forests and crops in northern Italy in recent years.
