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Cave "Grotta della Mottera" - photo G. Vanzetti, 1993
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The author, recorded to the registry office under the
name of Enrico Lana, is more famous in the piemontese
speleological environment as "Baboia", that interpreted from the cuneese
standard (dialect of South Piemonte) means "bug", not a nice bug, but the classic
"beetle", base to the more part of the humans. The nickname has been given
to the author already during the Course of Introduction to the Speleology
that he has attended in the spring 1992 under the guide of the
instructors of G.S.P.-C.A.I.-UGET (Speleological Piemontese Group) in
Turin.
The passion for Natural Sciences is but much more ancient
and goes back to the first years of one wild infancy lived in a little country village; the Arthropods in a generalized manner have attracted to his
attention since the beginning. |
Being of not wealthy family, he began work
when he was 17, after to have attended a three-year course
of professional specialization as mechanical designer.
In the four following years, he has achieved the
school-leaving examination as Geometrician, after to have attended an evening course.
Then he was enrolled to the Course of Bachelor in
Biological Sciences at the University of Turin. In
1979 there were evening courses and he has attended with profit the first
year, but after he has had to abandon because of the fact that for the 2nd
year weren't evening courses and on the job it was not possible to
have the necessary permissions.
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![](baboia4.jpg)
"Cave of the Archaeologists" - Vollein - AO
Photo G. Vanzetti, 1993
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"Cave of the Rio Martino" - photo G. Vanzetti.
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Bossea: The author on the "Loser Lake".
Photo G. Vanzetti, 1994
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A decade passed and during this time the author was busy with several
things, as music, for exemple, but he never abandoning the naturalistic
passion; in 1989, after agreements with the company where he
works, the author has finally been able to return at the University, but
he was enrolled to the Course of Bachelor in Natural Sciences in the Turinese Athenaeum.
Since 1989 he attends regularly a course a year
supporting relative examinations (currently - 2001 - he's preparing the 10th examination).
A visit to the Cave of Rio Martino , in 1991, has been
illuminant for his address of study, and the
Biospeleology, with the study of the specialized Arthropods that
live in the hypogean environment, has become its main field of interest.
He obtained in 1992 a thesis of Bachelor titled
"Fauna of the natural cavities of the Piemonte and the
Aosta's Valley" (supervisor: Prof. Pietro Passerin d'Entrèves)
Little after he has been admitted in the staff of
the Scientific Station of Bossea, directed from Guido Peano, with precise
biological assignments. He has arranged and replaced in function the
Biological Laboratory that was abandoned
since 1972. Here he's studying the fauna
of the cave and he's taking care of the survival problems of the
numerous Arthropods that he has transported from several caves of all over the
Piemonte; many photos in this site have been performed in this laboratory.
At the same time the author has known Dr. Pier Mauro Giachino of the
Regional Natural History Museum of Turin (M.R.S.N.T.) that has taught
to him the first foundations to the Biospeleological search.
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Actually this collaboration continues and has been
strengthened with the discovery of two new Insecta Cholevidae Leptodirinae
(subfamily in which Dr. Giachino is specialist).
In 1993 the author has discovered the Leptodirinae
Canavesiella lanai Giachino, 1993 , new genus and new species,
currently the most specialized of the Piemonte. In 1994 the author has
discovered another Leptodirinae: Archeoboldoria lanai Giachino & Vailati, 1997 , new species of a previously
monospecific genus. |
![](cala19.jpg)
One of the first photos of Canavesiella lanai executed in the
"Custreta" cave in August 1993 |
During these years of search on the territory the
author has carried to the light also new species of Crustacea Isopoda and Amphipoda , Diplopoda , Araneae (spiders) , Acari (mites) and Opiliones of the genus
Ischyropsalis , all in study.
With passing of the time, the author has felt the necessity of
to specialize in one systematic group and has at first collaborated with Dr.
Giachino for some short works on the larvas of Insecta Trechinae and on genus of Leptodirinae . Recently (december 2000) he has described another new species of Leptodirinae, Archeoboldoria pascuttoi , as co-author with Giachino & Vailati. |
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Crossosoma cavernicola - Higher cave of
the "Camoscere". |
Recently he has decided, also
thanks to the encouragement of colleagues and teachers, to begin to
study the Diplopoda , group that in our Country is
not more studied, althoug it having had in past celebrates specialists
that unfortunately are by now passed to better life. He previews that
within not many years it will be possible for him to begin to move the first
steps in this very interesting study.
Currently the author carries out one intense biospeleological activity on the territories of the Piemonte and Valley of Aosta regions; he
is enrolled to the S.C.V.D.A. (Speleo C.A.I. - Italian Alpine Club - Valley of Aosta) since 1992 and
to the G.S.A.M. (Speleological Group Maritimes Alps) since 1999. He continues to work in the Scientific Station
of Bossea and has become collaborating of the Regional Natural History
Museum of Turin under the aegis of which he has given in 1999 a
substantial support to the realization of a DOCUMENTARY on HYPOGEAN FAUNA
of the Cuneese (South - Piemonte).
He is member of the A.G.S.P. (Association of the Piemontese Speleological Groups) and in this garment he's actively collaborating to
the realization of one speleological integral bibliography of the Piemonte, work directed by Renato
Sella.
In 1999 he was enrolled to the S.S.I. (Italian
Speleological Society) and he's associate since 1991 to the A.I.N. (Italian Naturalists Association).
He has published articles of biospeleological subject on
speleological and naturalistic magazines; he carries out divulgation of biospeleological matters for the local speleological groups. In november 1998 he has been supervisor of
the section of Biospeleology during the National Speleological Convention "Chiusa '98".
Since 1999 the author is member of the "Société Internationale de
Biospéologie" (Biospeleological International Society) and he has taken part to "THE XIVTH INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM OF BIOSPELEOLOGY ", in the marvelous scene of Makarska in Croatia, introducing one "demo " of the documentary on
the Biospeleology of the Piemonte product by the Regional Natural History Museum of Turin. |
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