MonLeSa – Monitoring lepidoptera and saproxylic beetles
Staff
17/12/2025
Project sheet
The MonLeSa project was created to rediscover and protect the hidden richness of the Nature Reserves of the Metropolitan City of Rome, studying diurnal butterflies and saproxylic beetles – delicate and European-protected species – to update the conservation status of the Monte Soratte and Macchia di Sant’Angelo Romano SACs. Alongside scientific research, an engaging citizen science journey comes to life: bioblitzes, activities in schools, outdoor events and reporting through iNaturalist that will turn citizens and students into protagonists of biodiversity protection. The project fills a knowledge gap, lays the foundations for new conservation actions and strengthens an innovative model of participatory management, capable of uniting science, territory and community in a shared vision of nature protection.
Keywords
Monitoring
Project name
MonLeSa – Monitoring lepidoptera and saproxylic beetles.Duration
20 months
Location
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Department III – Service 3 “Protected Areas – Protection of Biodiversity.”
Responsible organisation
NBFC
Partners
CREA – Council for Defense in Agriculture and Analysis of Agricultural Economics; Defense and Certification Center.
Goals
The goals of the project weave science and participation into a path capable of telling and protecting the biodiversity of Metropolitan Nature Reserves.
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Scientific research and conservation: through careful studies on diurnal butterflies and saproxylic beetles, species protected at the European level, the project analyzes their diversity in relation to habitats and updates the conservation status of the Monte Soratte and Macchia di Sant’Angelo Romano SACs, contributing to the reporting of the Habitats Directive.
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Education and active involvement: a dedicated citizen science campaign-between bioblitzes, seminars, activities with schools, outdoor events, and the use of iNaturalist-transforms students, citizens, and volunteers into privileged observers of nature, eventually building a model of participatory management that unites community and land protection.
Stakeholders involved
The project’s stakeholders form a living and dynamic network, capable of transforming biodiversity protection into a shared commitment:
– Associations, cooperatives and the entire local community will be protagonists of the citizen science campaign, contributing observations, enthusiasm and knowledge of the area.
– Alongside them, educational institutions will play a central role: students and teachers will be involved in dedicated activities, becoming an active part of a training course that combines environmental education, direct experience and responsibility toward nature.
Main expected results
MonLeSa aims to generate concrete and valuable results for the knowledge and protection of metropolitan biodiversity. It will provide an in-depth view of the saproxylic lepidopteran and coleopteran beetle communities found in the four Nature Reserves through updated checklists, analyses of their abundance and community structure in relation to habitats.
These data will make it possible to define targeted conservation actions useful for improving the management of protected areas. In parallel, the project will strengthen the involvement of local communities, who will become protagonists of citizen science activities and active guardians of the area’s natural heritage.
Dissemination results
The dissemination and repeatability of the results is one of the strengths of the project, which is capable of generating an impact far beyond the boundaries of the Reserves involved. For scientific research and conservation, the checklists, ecological data and analyses produced will provide a solid reference, easily reusable in other areas of the metropolitan territory. This wealth of information will make it possible to replicate studies, target interventions, and strengthen the ecological network that connects protected habitats.
On the education and participation front, the experience gained in the citizen science campaign will transform citizens, students and local communities into true guardians of biodiversity. The knowledge gained will become a fertile seed, capable of spreading and replicating, nurturing a culture of environmental protection and a model of participatory management that can be successfully exported to many other realities.
