The distance from southern Italy to Denmark is about the same as the length of Finland from south to north. A study of the biogeography of insects, such as ants, would take a lot of effort and funding to sample the whole area. Here, a citizen science approach is used to obtain distribution records for mound-building Formica ants in Finland. This resulted in samples from 2,434 ant nests, of which 2,363 were for nests of the target species group. The data obtained helps define the northern limits of the species in Finland and resulted in three new records for F. suecica Adlerz, 1902, which is a red-listed species in Finland. In addition, as a by-catch, a new imported species dispersed in a peculiar way was recorded in Finland: Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1792). Volunteer citizens are potential research assistants in the science of entomology.

Immature individuals of Afrotridactylus cf. usambaricus (Sjöstedt, 1910) were recorded on a marine sandy beach probably feeding on bacteria, microalgae and mesopsammic organisms. The larvae of this pygmy mole cricket probably obtain these organisms by manipulating grains of sand with their buccal apparatus during the excavation of tunnels close to the surface of the sand. This occurs in daytime during the ebb tide while direct migration to the sea is in progress. Therefore, the migration occurs according to a diurnal-tidal rhythm having been detected only in correspondence with the low diurnal tides. This rhythmic activity remains in phase with the diurnal-tidal periodicity even far from the sea, in a confined environment. Individuals tested in a transparent Plexiglas bowl are able to assume and maintain the sea-land direction of the beach constant throughout the day in the absence of the landscape vision.

Insects can recognize invading pathogens and initiate an immune response. Among them, Drosophila has emerged as an invertebrate model for investigating innate immune responses in which antimicrobial peptides play a crucial role. In the present study, immune-induced antimicrobial peptides were characterized in D. melanogaster and D. ananassae using the agar well diffusion method, HPLC, SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS after infection with either S. aureus or E. coli. The HPLC revealed two and three differentially induced components, respectively, in D. melanogaster and D. ananassae flies infected with S. aureus and E. coli. The tricine SDS-PAGE analysis also revealed two and five differentially induced proteins, respectively, in D. melanogaster and D. ananassae infected with E. coli. In E. coli infected flies, the ~6 kDa band was produced at higher level. Based on LCMS/MS and Mascot analysis, the peptide was identified as a putative cecropin A-like peptide, and the data suggested that both species of Drosophila have exhibited a clear immune response. The flies were also able to discriminate between bacteria, as this putative cecropin A-like peptide was produced in flies infected with E. coli but not S. aureus.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) is an invasive pest from South-East Asia that can damage a wide range of soft-skinned fruit crops (especially berries) resulting in serious financial losses. At present, control of D. suzukii is still mainly based on adult-oriented chemical pesticides that is likely to result in resistance and environmental pollution. In this context, alternative methods that are compatible with sustainable management are required. Sulphur and its different formulations are widely used for a long time as a fungicide and insecticide on many crops as it is environmentally-friendly and compatible with organic management. In this study, the effect that powdered sulphur-treated strawberries had on oviposition were evaluated under laboratory conditions in order to confirm the findings of a previous report on blueberries. No-choice and choice experiments were carried out to assess whether powdered sulphur affected the ability of the fly to detect fruit, altered its behaviour or did both. The treatment of strawberries resulted in a reduction of over 79% in the total number of D. suzukii that developed. In the no-choice experiment, there was a reduction of over 70% in the time the flies spent on treated compared to untreated fruit. In the choice experiment, 57% of the females chose untreated and 43% treated strawberries, but this difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, females took over 75% longer to visit the treated fruit than the control. Sulphur had no noteworthy effect on fly behavior, although oviposition only occurred on untreated fruit indicating that sulphur affects the acceptance and suitability of fruit for females. These results indicate that powdered sulphur could be an appropriate alternative to synthetic-organic insecticides for controlling D. suzukii and is compatible with organic crop management and waste reduction strategies.

Automated pheromone dispensers disrupt the mating behaviour of pest moths by releasing pheromone during their daily activity period, which is not the same for all target species. These periods usually occur in or close to night time and last just a few hours, so automated sampling devices are needed to characterize them. However, the commercially available automated models do not provide enough temporal resolution for characterizing the short diel periods of sexual activity of moths. Thus, we built and tested a relatively cheap and simple high-temporal-resolution image-sensor insect trap. It consisted of a Raspberry Pi computer with an infrared camera operated by open-source software and housed in a plastic box. The Raspberry Pi was powered by a solar panel and rechargeable battery that were mounted on a solid and weather-proof structure made of cheap materials. Pictures were downloaded by WiFi from the Raspberry's SD card to a computer. Six traps baited either with synthetic sex pheromone or with females of Grapholita molesta (Busk) were tested in the field. The traps were sturdy, reliable and easy to use, taking pictures at 10 min intervals, 24 h a day for over two months. These pictures confirmed previous results regarding the period of sexual activity of the oriental fruit moth, which will aid in determining the optimal time for operating automated pheromone dispensers.

Polyamines are nitrogenous compounds that alter the odour sensitivity of insects. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of polyamines on the expression levels of olfactory-related genes in male/female adult diamondback moths, Plutella xylostella. Results indicate that treatment with polyamines or α-difluoromethyl-ornithine (DFMO), a polyamine synthesis inhibitor, significantly affected the expression of various olfactory related genes. Although DFMO had no significant effect on the expression of PxylPBP1, it did significantly decrease the expression of other olfactory related genes (PxylGOBP1, PxylGOBP2 and PxylCSP1) in a gender-related fashion that correlated with the mating status of the adults. Polyamines [spermine (spm), putrescine (put) and spermidine (spd)] decreased the expression of PxylGOBP2 in naive male moths, but increased the expression of the same gene in virgin female moths. In addition, put treatment significantly increased the expression of PxylGOBP1 in virgin females and unmated male moths, but significantly decreased its expression in mated female and male moths. Based on these results we conclude that polyamines have a regulatory role in the expression of olfactory related genes and that these effects depend on the gene, gender and mating status of diamondback moths. These results indicate that polyamines affect the expression of the genes in insects that determine their olfactory ability.

Like many insects, aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) can host a wide diversity of symbiotic bacteria that can be important drivers of their evolutionary ecology. In addition to the nutritional obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola, these phloem-sap feeding insects can host various facultative symbionts whose functional diversity depends on complex interactions with the host genotype and environmental factors. During sampling in citrus orchards in northern Tunisia, we collected aphids on citrus plants. The specimens belonged either to the cotton-melon aphid Aphis gossypii or the green citrus aphid Aphis spiraecola. We analysed the prevalence of Arsenophonus, Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola, four facultative symbionts frequently found in the genus Aphis and potentially associated with phenotypic effects related to nutrition, protection against parasites and tolerance of high temperatures. We found that the diversity and prevalence of facultative symbionts differed between these two aphid species that exploit similar ecological niches. In particular, we found a high prevalence of Arsenophonus in A. gossypii populations and that the defensive symbiont H. defensa was only present in A. spiraecola populations. These results are discussed in light of the ecology and life cycles of each of the species of aphid studied.

Entomopathogenic fungi and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) might be used together in biological control. However, the effects of these fungi on T. pretiosum are not known. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria fumosorosea, on the biological parameters of T. pretiosum. Two isolates of I. fumosorosea (IBCB 367 and IBCB 394) were used for this purpose. (1) In a free choice test: cards (1.0 × 5.0 cm) with non-parasitized eggs of Anagasta kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were either sprayed with 0.2 mL of the fungus suspension (1.0 × 10⁹ conidia.mL^-1) or with sterile distilled water containing Tween^® 80 (0.01%), which were then offered to females of T. pretiosum. (2) No choice test: the isolates were sprayed at a concentration of 1.0 × 10⁹ conidia.mL^-1 on cards (1.0 × 5.0 cm) with A. kuehniella eggs. The control consisted of spraying sterile distilled water containing Tween^® 80 (0.01%). Individual females of T. pretiosum were confined for 24 h with the cards. The number of eggs parasitized, percentage of emergence, longevity, duration of the egg-adult period and sex ratio were evaluated, as well as the longevity of the females that parasitized the eggs and the mortality of the emerging adults evaluated. IBCB 367 isolate repelled T. pretiosum. The pre-parasitism and post-parasitism sprays did not affect the number of eggs parasitized or the sex ratio, however, the pre-parasitism IBCB 394 treatment the females and males survived for longer, whereas the survival of females in post-parasitism treatment with the same isolate was reduced.The presence of conidia on and mycelium of the fungus in T. pretiosum was confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy and a histological analysis. Isolates IBCB 367 and IBCB 394 from I. fumosorosea are selective to T. pretiosum in the laboratory.

This study of the role the environment in the composition of the communities of carabid beetles was carried out in several types of forests at Obihiro and Furano, Hokkaido, Japan. In addition, we analysed the altitudinal distributions of two forest specialists, Damaster gehinii (Faimaire) and Procrustes kolbei Roeschke, which occur in six mountain forests on Hokkaido. At Obihiro, the forest specialist, P. kolbei was found at only one site in a large area of broadleaf forest. A redundancy analysis indicated that the carabid assemblages were significantly different in the different types of forest, and that two species, Leptocarabus arboreus arboreus (Lewis) and Leptocarabus opaculus opaculus (Putzeys), were associated with broadleaf forests. At Furano, a forest specialist D. gehinii and a forest generalist Cychrus morawitzi Gehin were mainly collected in natural broadleaf and mixed forests, whereas the percentage made up of L. o. opaculus was very high (80.8%) in natural broadleaf forest. Pterostichus thunbergii Morawitz made up the highest percentage of the species in the conifer plantations. In the six mountain forests, D. gehinii was scarce and mainly occurred at low altitudes; however, P. kolbei was relatively abundant and mainly recorded at middle to high altitudes. The management of the forests on Hokkaido needed to maintain the diversity and abundance of carabid beetles is discussed.

Changes in body size in response to environmental factors (especially temperature) is one of the crucial traits studied in connection with insect adaptation to climate change. However, current data on the strength and direction of temperature-size responses in Lepidoptera are inconsistent and the reasons for this are unclear. This study investigates the relationship between the adult size of Aporia crataegi L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and spring weather conditions (temperature and rainfall) at different phases in its outbreak cycle (low population density or high abundance). The forewing area of A. crataegi, a univoltine and irruptive Lepidopteran species, was used as a proxy for overall body size. It was found that temperature in the last month before imago emergence (May) and temperature in the larval growth period following overwintering (April) had differing effects on imago size. The fact that the wing size of both male and female A. crataegi increased following higher temperatures in May corresponds with the converse temperature-size rule and is consistent with the predictions of life history theory for univoltine species. Conversely, while imago size decreased following higher temperatures in April, increased rainfall had a slightly positive effect on imago size. The wings of A. crataegi at the peak of abundance were larger than when sampled during periods of low population density, contradicting available data on changes in the body weight of A. crataegi recorded during outbreaks.

The cynipoid wasp Gronotoma micromorpha (Perkins) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) is a parasitoid of the leaf miner Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae). The effects of adult age and body size on egg maturation in G. micromorpha were determined. The results showed that its egg load (number of mature eggs per female) increased when offered honey, water, but not hosts for 3 or 6 days after adult emergence. However, there was no significant difference in the egg loads of 3- and 6-day-old wasps. These findings and the results of previous studies on other cynipoid parasitoids suggest that when hosts are not available, females of parasitoid Cynipoidea enhance their reproductive capacity in anticipation of a future improvement in the availability of hosts by using carbohydrates and reserves stored during the larval stage. Moreover, large female wasps had higher egg loads throughout their lifetime. Given that rapid increases in the population density of L. trifolii are commonly reported in greenhouses, the demographic data of 0- and 3-day-old G. micromorpha females fed honey, need to be compared in the future. The effects of body size on the fecundity and longevity of G. micromorpha wasps should also be determined.

Chilo partellus Swinhoe 1885 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a serious pest of maize in many parts of the world. It was reported for the first time in 2014 in the Mediterranean part of Turkey. Degree-Day (DD) models were developed to predict seasonal dynamics in maize fields using 3-parameter 'Boltzman' and a 4-parameter Logistic regressions. Larval/plant counts were monitored in pesticide-free maize fields in Adana, Turkey from 2017 to 2019. Depending on the year, the first record of C. partellus was between 03-14 May, corresponding to ~ 9-12 DD accumulated from 01 May. There were two main peaks; one in each of the maize growing seasons. The models accurately predicted the phenology of C. partellus with an Adj. R ² greater than 0.80. The 'Boltzman' regression had lower AICc, ΔAICc and Wі values than the logistic regression. Based on the 'Boltzman' model, 50% of the accumulated larvae/plant count for the first and second generations (peaks) occurred at 80DD and 375DD, 81DD and 413DD, and 54DD and 289DD in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. For the logistic regression model, 50% of the accumulated larvae/plant counts occurred for the first and second generation at 90DD and 362DD, 62DD, and 45DD and 250DD in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. Both these models could play a crucial role in the integrated pest management (IPM) of C. partellus in maize fields in Mediterranean regions.

The developmental stages of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, are widely studied because there are several ways in which this species can be utilized. In this context, the aim of the current study is to determine the loss of weight of larvae of different weights between the prepupal and reproductive adult stages and their effect on the egg clutch quality parameters. The Hermetia illucens prepupae were categorized in 3 body weight classes. The weight loss was evaluated by weighing individuals in the prepupal, pupal and adult stages. The weight and length of the individuals were positively correlated in the pupal stage and adult females. There were significant losses of weight (P = 0.000) in the prepupal, pupal and adult stages in all three weight classes. In each weight class the relationship between weights was significant (P = 0.000) for all development stages. The results clearly indicate that the largest larvae of Hermetia illucens produced the adults with the best clutch quality parameters and the existence of significant positive correlations between body weight and both weight loss and the egg clutch quality parameters.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a polyphagous species from eastern Asia, which has spread to America and Europe where it damages many crops. In recently colonized areas, facilitative interactions between H. halys and native insects are poorly investigated. In this study, we report for the first time facilitation of native wasp and ant feeding by H. halys in Europe. The facilitation was related to the outflow of plant exudates caused by H. halys feeding on manna ash trees, where they have aggregated in response to an aggregation pheromone, which then attracted species of Hymenoptera to the infested trees. Trees other than manna ash were not involved in the facilitation between these two taxa. The species that frequently visited infested manna ash were Polistes dominula, Vespa crabro, Formica (Serviformica) cunicularia and Lasius emarginatus, while Polistes cf. nimpha, Vespula germanica, Crematogaster scutellaris and Tapinoma subboreale were occasional visitors. The numbers of wasps and ants feeding on plant exudates differed at different times in a day, with more Hymenoptera foraging in the afternoon, when more H. halys individuals were actively feeding. Facilitative interactions, such as those recorded in this study, are important for furthering our understanding of the ecology of invasive species in terms of creating sources of food for native organisms.

Invasive mosquitoes are vectors of important human and animal pathogens and a serious threat to public health. Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) are good examples because of their wide occurrence, host range and vector competence. An understanding of the responsiveness of mosquitoes to olfactory stimuli is essential for implementing effective surveillance and developing repellents. The present study evaluated the behavioural responses of A. albopictus and C. quinquefasciatus to CO₂ and human skin odour in an olfactometer. In addition, CO₂ synergistic effect was assessed in association with human skin odour. Mosquitoes of different ages (3-5 and 10-15 day old) were included in the study in order to determine changes in responsiveness to attractants during an insects' lifetime. The highest numbers of mosquitoes captured associated with CO₂ were (A. albopictus, 48/77, 62.34%; C. quinquefasciatus, 117/126, 92.86%) and hand odour (A. albopictus, 211/232, 90.95%; C. quinquefasciatus, 320/374, 85.56%) in the "CO₂ vs blank" and "hand vs blank" treatments. Skin odour was the most attractive for both species (A. albopictus, 279/309, 90.29%; C. quinquefasciatus, 292/306, 95.42%) in "CO₂ vs hand" experiment. The highest mosquito responsiveness was recorded in the "CO₂ + hand vs hand" bioassay (A. albopictus, 174/265, 65.66%; C. quinquefasciatus, 231/425, 54.35%). Similar trends were recorded for 10-15 and 3-5 day old mosquitoes of both species in all the experiments. In addition, a linear mixed model was used to evaluate the interactions between species, age and attractants. Human skin odour and CO₂ were effective attractants for both A. albopictus and C. quinquefasciatus (attractant-species interaction, p-value < 0.05). CO₂ synergistic effect was recorded for both species (species-attractant interaction, p-value < 0.05) even when CO₂ was not directly combined with skin odour (p-value < 0.05). The interaction between attractant and age revealed (p-value < 0.05) that in both species, 10-15 day old mosquitoes were more responsive to CO₂ and human skin odour, than younger (3-5 days) adults. The species-age interaction (p-value < 0.05) showed that 3-5 and 10-15 day old C. quinquefasciatus were more receptive to CO₂ and skin odour, especially when used in combination, than A. albopictus.

Annual crops are generally assumed to host simplified arthropod communities that depend on immigration from the surrounding landscape. Perennial, low-input crops such as olive groves are likely to depend less on immigration from other habitats, however, studies on the landscape ecology of perennial crops are scarce. This paper studies the assemblages of arboreal spiders in three types of habitats adjoining olive groves: woods, garigue and other cultivated olive groves in a traditional olive producing landscape. Spiders were sampled during summer and the three types of habitats were compared in terms of species, families and functional groups in order to determine differences in diversity and the potential for spider spillover. As is often reported for annual crops, olive groves had a lower alpha and beta diversity than more natural habitats in terms of species, with a strong dominance of a single species, Frontinellina frutetorum (C.L. Koch, 1834). Differences in diversity between olive groves and natural habitats were not significant at family or functional group levels. With the possible exception of orb weavers, this study indicates that the spiders that were common in olive groves did not occur at higher densities in habitats that were more natural. This indicates there is limited spillover between perennial crops and other late-successional habitats. The enhancement of spiders in olive orchards for pest control may thus depend more on local management than on the presence of semi-natural habitats as a source of immigration.

Improved methods of integrated pest management of the pear psyllid Cacopsylla pyri (L.), the primary pest of pear in Europe and North America, are needed. Trechnites insidiosus (Crawford) is the most abundant parasitoid of C. pyri in pear orchards, where it is present early in the psyllid infestation period. However, little is known about its general biology, interaction with its host and potential as a control agent. The objective of this laboratory study was to evaluate the behaviour of a specialist parasitoid when presented with different larval instars of C. pyri, and assess the quality of the next generation of parasitoids. T. insidiosus was able to insert its ovipositor into all host instars. However, the fourth instar of the host appeared to be the most suitable in terms of behavioural acceptance, time spent walking, antennal activity and progeny development (mummy formation, development time and tibial length). In addition, we report a low frequency of host-feeding behaviour by this parasitoid. From a biological control perspective, we suggest that favouring T. insidiosus, either through mass releases or conservation of naturally present populations, when the first generation of psyllids reach the fourth instar, would maximize the chance of controlling psyllid populations in pear orchards.

Kritski G. 2015: The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 133 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-936138-0 (hbk). Price GBP 19.99.

The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella is a widespread pest of stored products and a classical object in experimental biology. In the present study, we determined its complete mitochondrial genome sequence. The genome is circular, consists of 15,327 bp and comprises 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA- and 22 tRNA-coding genes in an order typical for the Ditrysia clade of the order Lepidoptera. A phylogenetic study of the Lepidoptera based on complete mitochondrial genomes places E. kuehniella correctly in the family Pyralidae and supports major lepidopteran taxa as phylogenetic clades. The W chromosome of E. kuehniella is an exceptionally rich reservoir of originally mitochondrial sequences (numts). Around 0.7% of the W DNA was found to be of mitochondrial origin, 83% of the mitogenome sequence was represented between 1-11 × in the W chromosome. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that these numts are an evolutionary recent acquisition of the W chromosome.

Zaprionus indianus is a species of fly native to the Afrotropical biogeographic region, which around twenty years ago invaded the American continent. Several studies have shown that local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of an invasive species in its native range could favour the colonization of new environments. Zaprionus indianus is a holometabolous generalist polyphagous species that breeds and feeds on the fruits of several different species, which constitute different environments. In this context, we performed a comparative analysis of the phenotypic plasticity of morphological and life history traits in response to seven different breeding environments (i.e. different breeding fruits). The comparison was of native (Africa) vs. invaded range (South America) wild-derived populations. The population-level phenotypic plasticity values related to heterogeneity in different breeding environments for most traits analysed were higher for one of the native range population. This differentiation was also recorded for the ranking across breeding environments of developmental time and wing length mean phenotypic values. In addition, mean phenotypic values pooled across fruit treatments were larger for individuals from the invaded range, which suggests local adaptation. Results define a scenario in which, although not for all the populations analysed, phenotypic plasticity contributes to the invasiveness and local adaptation in native range population of Z. indianus.

Scientists and society are increasingly becoming aware of loss of insect biodiversity and biomass. The level of biodiversity determines the efficiency of ecological communities to capture essential resources, produce biomass, decompose and recycle nutrients. Relationships between plant and insect diversity can be modified by changes in insect abundance. This study determined the associations between microclimate and diversity of forest plants on overall insect abundance and abundances of different insect orders in the canopy of temperate deciduous forests dominated by Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech; Fagaceae) in Central Germany. Following model selection, a linear mixed model was used to analyse the associations between abiotic factors (air temperature and relative humidity) as well as biotic factors (species richness and cover for the ground, shrub and tree layer) and insect abundance and abundances of insect orders. Within similar strength of evidence, best models were chosen as those with a single explanatory parameter. Significant associations were recorded between abundances of Lepidoptera and Neuroptera and relative air humidity, insect abundance and species richness in the shrub layer, and between abundances of Diptera and Psocoptera and percentage cover of shrubs. Trends in associations were detected between the abundance of Hemiptera and species richness recorded in the shrub layer, and between the abundance of Thysanoptera and the species richness in the ground layer. No significant associations with single explanatory parameters were recorded for the abundances of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Phytodiversity, especially that in the shrub layer, were more often associated with the abundances of insect orders than microclimatic factors. The potential importance of the association between shrub layer parameters and the abundance of insects might be based on the shrub layer combining the associations with the ground layer (bottom-up processes) and canopy layer (environmental conditions). In addition, associations between phytodiversity and abundance of insects seem to vary most for Coleoptera and Hymenoptera in which there are markedly different functional groups.

Three new species of the hawkmoth genus Xylophanes Hübner, 1819 from Colombia are described based on morphological characters and DNA barcodes: Xylophanes camilae Correa-Carmona & Giusti sp. n., Xylophanes pijao Giusti & Correa-Carmona sp. n., and Xylophanes tayrona Correa-Carmona & Giusti sp. n. The new species are compared with the most morphologically similar species within the informal Xylophanes crotonis species-group: Xylophanes aristor (Boisduval, 1870), Xylophanes crotonis (Walker, 1856) and Xylophanes huloti Haxaire & Vaglia, 2008. Diagnoses, distribution maps, photographs of genital structures and habitus are provided for each new species. In addition, a dichotomous key is provided to identify the new species and the most morphologically similar species within the group. To stabilize the nomenclature and fix the taxon concept, a neotype is designated for Xylophanes aristor.

The expansion of urban areas is one of the most significant anthropogenic impacts on the natural landscape. Due to their sensitivity to stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata) may provide insights into the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity. However, while knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on odonates is growing, there has not been a comprehensive review of this body of literature until now. This is the first systematic literature review conducted to evaluate both the quantity and topics of research conducted on odonates in urban ecosystems. From this research, 79 peer-reviewed papers were identified, the vast majority (89.87%) of which related to studies of changing patterns of biodiversity in urban odonate communities. From the papers regarding biodiversity changes, 31 were performed in an urban-rural gradient and 21 of these reported lower diversity towards built up city cores. Twelve of the cases of biodiversity loss were directly related to the concentrations of pollutants in the water. Other studies found higher concentrations of pollutants in odonates from built-up catchments and suggested that odonates such as Aeshna juncea and Platycnemis pennipes may be candidate indicators for particular contaminants. We conclude by identifying current research needs, which include the need for more studies regarding behavioural ecology and life-history traits in response to urbanisation, and a need to investigate the mechanisms behind diversity trends beyond pollution.

At the southern limit of its range the endangered butterfly Coenonympha oedippus inhabits grasslands (wet, dry) that differ significantly in the abundance of its larval hostplants (wet > dry) and mean annual air temperature (wet < dry). We determined the difference in the wing morphology of individuals in the two contrasting habitats to test whether and how traits associated with wing size, shape and eye like spots vary in the sexes and two ecotypes. We show that sexual dimorphism follows the same (wing size and shape, number of eyespots on forewing) or different (relative area of eyespots on hindwings) patterns in the two contrasting habitats. Irrespective of ecotype, females had larger, longer and narrower wings, and more forewing eyespots than males. Sexual dimorphism in the relative area of eyespots on hindwing was female-biased in the wet, but male-biased in the dry ecotype. Ecotype dimorphism in wing size and the relative area of eyespots on the hindwing is best explained by mean annual air temperature and abundance of host-plants. While ecotype dimorphism in wing size did not differ between sexes, neither in direction (wet > dry) or in degree, in the two sexes the relative area of eyespots on hindwing had opposite patterns (males: dry > wet; females: wet > dry) and was more pronounced in males than in females. The differences in wing shape between ecotypes were detected only in the hindwings of males, with more rounded apex in the dry than in the wet ecotype. We discuss the life-history traits, behavioural strategies and selection mechanisms, which largely account for the sex- and ecotype-specific variation in wing morphology.

Tree-related microhabitats are important for forest biodiversity. Water-filled tree holes are one such microhabitat and can be abundant in temperate forests. The arthropod community in this microhabitat not only contribute to forest biodiversity but also provides food for terrestrial predators such as arthropods, small mammals and birds. The extent of the threat of attack from terrestrial predators on insect larvae in this microhabitat, however, is poorly known. To measure predation in this microhabitat, we produced fake prey resembling insect larvae using white plasticine and exposed them at the aquatic-terrestrial habitat interface. We recorded: (1) which predators attacked the fake larvae, (2) the predation probability on the fake larvae after two days and after two weeks and (3) whether predation probability on fake larvae differed between managed and unmanaged forest zones in one of the last primeval beech forests, the Uholka division of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve in the Ukrainian Carpathians. By addressing these questions, we aimed to quantify the predation pressure of terrestrial predators on insect larvae in tree-holes. The probability that a fake larva in a tree hole was attacked by predators ranged between 25-58% (95% CI) after two days and between 76-96% (95% CI) after two weeks. Overall, the highest attack rates were recorded for small mammals, followed by arthropods and birds. Arthropods took longer to detect potential prey items than small mammals and birds, and they were the only group that showed significant differences in attack rates between forest zones (unmanaged > managed). This study revealed that sentinel prey might be a suitable method for measuring the predation pressure from terrestrial predators on insect larvae in water-filled tree holes.

In pyrrhocorids, digestion of food occurs mainly in the midgut, which is divided into four parts (M1-M4), and takes between three and four days. Food is retained in M1 for about 5 h and passes quickly through M4. However, food is retained in M2 and M3 much longer, about 70 to 90 h. The different stages in digestion may be influenced by different microbial populations in the different parts of the midgut. In the present study, the microbiota in the four parts of the midgut of Pyrrhocoris sibiricus were analysed in detail using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region. The most abundant bacteria in M3 were Actinobacteria (Coriobacteriaceae) whereas it was Proteobacteria (gammaproteobacteria) in M1, M2 and M4. Actinobacteria was the second most abundant bacterial group in M2. According to the PCA analysis, M2 and M3 have the most similar bacterial communities. Burkholderia, which is closely related to the plant-associated beneficial and environmental (PBE) group, was also found in M1, M2 and M4. Predictive functional profiles of the metagenomes revealed that metabolism mostly occurred in M2 and M3. The PICRUSt results were consistent with the 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis and indicate that the bacteria in M2 and M3 play an important role in degrading complex dietary components.

Ants are common invertebrate models of many myrmecomorphic arthropods since they are unpalatable and pose a threat for many species. Natural habitats harbour a diverse community of different species of ants and their mimics. The myrmecomorphic bug, Riptortus linearis uses a variety of extrafloral nectary-bearing or hemipteran-harbouring legumes as host plants, which are also visited by various sugar-loving species of ants. In the present study, we investigated the responses of the ant-mimicking and non-mimicking stages of the pod-sucking bug, Riptortus linearis, its ant model, Camponotus compressus and a co-occurring ant, Crematogaster subnuda, during experimental encounters, under laboratory conditions. Cr. subnuda ants were much more aggressive than Ca. compressus ants towards the myrmecomorphic bug. However, the pod-sucking bug exhibited similar responses to both of the species of ants. More importantly, Ca. compressus ants did not bite the first instar nymph of the bug. The results of this study show that the non-model ant was significantly more aggressive than the ant model towards different stages of R. linearis. These results have important implications for the management of the pod-sucking bug, R. linearis, which is an important pest of many legumes.

Herbivory on liverworts is rarely reported. We studied the effects of feeding by larvae of the sciarid fly Scatopsciara cunicularius on the growth of the thalloid liverwort Marchantia polymorpha at two different constant temperatures, 12°C and 22°C. Larvae reared at the lower temperature fed slower and over a longer period of time, which resulted in more damage and a greater reduction in the growth of the liverwort than that caused by those reared at the higher temperature. The reduction in growth of the liverwort was positively density-dependent in terms of number of larvae at both temperatures. These results indicate that the larvae of S. cunicularius are likely to be an effective means of controlling M. polymorpha, which is a common weed in plant nurseries and greenhouse cultures.

Phenotypic diversity depends on genotype diversity, but the degree of genotype-by-environment interaction is species-specific. Red wood ants (Formica s. str) are keystone species in boreal forests and very variable phenotypically. These variations are used for species identification and proposed as ecological indicators of anthropogenic disturbances. However, their origin is unknown. Here we aimed to provide a preliminary answer to this question and outline the direction for future research. We determined the interrelation between nest mate worker relatedness (kinship) and the diversity of colour morphs, degree of melanisation and size of the red wood ant, Formica rufa. In Finnish populations of this species polyandry, which involves multiple mating by queens is the principal determinant of the relatedness between workers. We hypothesised, that if phenotypic diversity is a result of genetic diversity, then polyandrous colonies should produce more phenotypically diverse workers. A total of 336 individuals belonging to 20 colonies were used for this study. We collected ants from coniferous and broadleaf forests in Finland, fixed them in 96% alcohol, then digitally photographed, genotyped and analysed the phenotypic variation. The average colony nest mate worker relatedness was used as an estimate of the level of polyandry (more than one if r < 0.6). Our results revealed no associations between the diversity of the phenotypic traits measured and worker kinship in F. rufa. As a further step to reveal the degree of genotype-by-environment interaction in determining the colour traits of the red wood ant we suggest more sophisticated genetic studies indicating the heritability of phenotypic traits between patrilinies and testing of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, UV-radiation, food and pollution.

Climate change and an ever-increasing effect of humans on the great majority of freshwater ecosystems have affected not only individual organisms but also the links between them. In order to effectively protect communities or entire freshwater ecosystems, we need to understand how individual organisms react to these changes and the functional interconnections between individual species. This can be achieved by evaluating the functioning of individual species, i.e. their traits. Dragonflies and damselflies are increasingly used as indicators of changes in freshwater ecosystems. Although this taxonomic group is the subject of many ecological studies, there is no comprehensive database of the traits of European species. This is, why we decided to lay the foundations for an European database of dragonfly traits called dragonfly-database.eu, which is mainly based on Web of Science (WOS) publications and several monographs, and currently includes information on 79 European species. The main advantage of our database is that it is open to downloading, uploading, and storing of data. This is extremely important, because a database's applicability increases with the quality of the data it contains. Initially in compiling the database, we encountered several fundamental shortcomings in the knowledge of some often easily measurable traits in, some species. We believe that in combination with new statistical methods dragonfly-database.eu will become a very useful tool for many ecological studies and more effective conservation of threatened species.