Extensively used wet meadows with high species diversity are under threat in Europe by anthropogenic pressure. The increasing frequency of prolonged flooding is emerging as an additional threat to ...this fragile environment. In our study, we investigated how prolonged flooding affects the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics (through mortality and recolonization process) of the host ant species Myrmica scabrinodis, which is essential for the survival of the endangered Scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius). The study was conducted in the flood-prone Ljubljansko barje plain situated on the southern edge of the species’ global range. Prolonged flooding in the study area, possibly affecting the past and current distribution of the host ant M. scabrinodis, was recorded in 2010, 2013, and 2017. In 2020, we set 160 ant traps to estimate the distribution of host ants in a system of meadows covering the entire gradient of flood history. Results indicate that M. scabrinodis survives the flooding for up to three days, starting to disappear if flooding persists longer. After the flooding recedes, ants gradually recolonize empty habitats from the surrounding upland refugia. Our spatial analyses predict that the average recolonization speed was about 29 m per year and that in a year, ants compensate for the mortality effects of 1.8 days of flooding by recolonization in a year. These results show that flooding should be considered as an additional (in some areas, a major) threat to the endangered P. teleius through its deleterious effects on the host ant species.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper presents an updated checklist of the butterflies of Europe, together with their original name combinations, and their occurrence status in each European country. According to this ...checklist, 496 species of the superfamily Papilionoidea occur in Europe. Changes in comparison with the last version (2.6.2) of Fauna Europaea are discussed. Compared to that version, 16 species are new additions, either due to cryptic species most of which have been discovered by molecular methods (13 cases) or due to discoveries of Asian species on the eastern border of the European territory in the Ural mountains (three cases). On the other hand, nine species had to be removed from the list, because they either do not occur in Europe or lost their species status due to new evidence. In addition, three species names had to be changed and 30 species changed their combination due to new evidence on phylogenetic relationships. Furthermore, minor corrections were applied to some authors’ names and years of publication. Finally, the name
Polyommatusottomanus
Lefèbvre, 1831, which is threatened by its senior synonym
Lycaenalegeri
Freyer, 1830, is declared a
nomen protectum
, thereby conserving its name in the current combination
Lycaenaottomana
.
V letih 2007 in 2019 je bil opravljen kvantitativni popis favne dnevnih metuljev v osrednjem delu vojaškega poligona Poček sciljem primerjave stanja obeh vzorčenj ter ovrednotenja vpliva vojaških ...aktivnosti na pestrost favne dnevnih metuljev. S standardizirano metodo transektnega popisa na linijah, ki so vključevale vse za območje poligona reprezentativne habitatne tipe, smo v obeh letih skupaj opazili 73 vrst (2007: 62, 2019: 61), med njimi 11 ogroženih (2007: 9, 2019: 8). Favni obeh vzorčenj stase značilno razlikovali v sestavi vrst, ne pa v vrstni pestrosti, povprečni populacijski gostoti vrst na posameznem transektu in povprečni populacijski gostoti vrst na poligonu. Različnost v sestavi favne je posledica vrstnega obrata ter sprememb v velikosti in prostorski razporeditvi populacijskih gostot vrst po transektih. Med vrstami, ki se jim je populacijska gostota v 2019 zmanjšala v primerjavi z 2007 so prevladovale take, ki so imele v 2007 največje gostote v gozdnih vegetacijskih tipih; med vrstami, ki so v 2019 dosegale višje populacijske gostote kot v 2007 pa tiste, ki so bile najštevilčnejše na traviščih. To pomeni, da redne, vendar časovno in prostorsko neenakomerne vojaške aktivnosti predstavljajo heterogene motnje, ki vzdržujejo izjemno pester mozaik habitatnih tipov, v katerem imajo največjo naravovarstveno vrednost obsežni ekstenzivno vzdrževani suhi kamniti kraški travniki in suhi travniki v zgodnjih fazah zaraščanja. Vojaške aktivnosti tako pomembno prispevajo k ohranjanju biotske in krajinske pestrosti območja.
Na območju zahodnega dela Ljubljanskega barja, smo pregledali vse do sedaj znane lokacije sviščevega mravljiščarja in območja, kjer smo iz satelitskih posnetkov prepoznali potencialno primeren ...življenjski prostor za to vrsto. Sviščevega mravljiščarja smo potrdili le na območju med Vrhniko in Ligojno. Vrsta se pojavlja na dveh habitatnih krpah, ki sta med seboj oddaljeni 300 metrov. Velikost populacij smo ocenili s pomočjo metode MRR (mark-release-recapture) in s metodo štetja jajčec na hranilnih rastlinah močvirskih sviščev. Kljub majhni oddaljenosti med habitatnima krpama ni prišlo do izmenjave osebkov, smo pa posamezne osebke opazili tudi izven obeh poseljenih krp. Z MRR metodo smo določili dnevno velikost populacije na habitatni krpi A med 50 in 130 osebki, na B pa približno 50 osebkov. Z metodo štetja jajčec, smo ocenili velikost populacije na obeh krpah na približno30 osebkov. Ugotovili smo, da je gostota jajčec in odraslih osebkov na večji habitatni krpi manjša, dnevne velikosti populacij pa so bile večje na večji habitatni krpi. Glavni razlog za tako razporeditev je v pomanjkanju hranilnih rastlin na manjši krpi, saj so bili včasu cvetenja močvirskega svišča vsi sosednji travniki pokošeni. Ugotovili smo tudi, da samice za odlaganje jajčec raje uporabljajo rastline bolj v sredini krpe. Poleg košnje v neprimernem času, sta glavna ogrožajoča dejavnika fragmentiranost življenjskega prostora in hidromelioracijski ukrepi, ki dolgoročno zmanjšujejo nivo podtalnice na tem območju, kar vpliva na habitat vrste.
The data presented here includes selection of 5 successfully amplified protein-coding markers for inferring phylogenetic relationships of the family of amphipod crustaceans Niphargidae. These markers ...have been efficiently amplified from niphargid samples for the first time and present the framework for robust phylogenetic assessment of the family Niphargidae. They are useful for phylogenetic purposes among other amphipod genera as well. In detail, the data consists of two parts: 1. Information regarding markers, specific oligonucleotide primer pairs and conditions for PCR reaction that enables successful amplification of specific nucleotide fragments. Two pairs of novel oligonucleotide primers were constructed which enable partial sequence amplification of two housekeeping genes: arginine kinase (ArgKin) and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), respectively. Additionally, 3 existing combinations of oligonucleotide primer pairs for protein-coding loci for glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase (EPRS), opsin (OP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were proven to be suitable to amplify specific nucleotide fragments from selected amphipod specimens; 2. Information on novel nucleotide sequences from amphipod taxa of the family Niphagidae and related outgroup taxa. Unilocus phylogenetic trees were constructed using Bayesian analysis and show relationships among selected taxa. Altogether 299 new nucleotide sequences from 92 specimens of the family Niphargidae and related outgroup amphipod taxa are deposited in GenBank (NCBI) repository and available for further use in phylogenetic analyses.
Several pathogens are important causes of the observed pollinator decline, some of which could be transmitted between different pollinator species. To determine whether honeybee viruses can be ...transmitted to butterflies, a total of 120 butterflies were sampled at four locations in Slovenia. At each location, butterflies from three families (Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae/Lycenidae) and Carniolan honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica) were collected. The RNA of six honeybee viruses, i.e., acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus A (DWV-A), Sacbrood bee virus (SBV), and Lake Sinai virus 3 (LSV3), was detected by a specific quantitative method (RT-PCR). The presence of ABPV, BQCV, LSV3, and SBV was detected in both butterflies and honeybees. All butterfly and bee samples were negative for CBPV, while DWV-A was detected only in honeybees. The viral load in the positive butterfly samples was much lower than in the positive bee samples, which could indicate that butterflies are passive carriers of bee viruses. The percentage of positive butterfly samples was higher when the butterflies were collected at sampling sites with a higher density of apiaries. Therefore, we believe that infected bees are a necessary condition for the presence of viruses in cohabiting butterflies. This is the first study on the presence of pathogenic bee viruses in butterflies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The Republic of Albania has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. However, due to its political isolation, it has never been studied in great depth, and consequently, the existing list of butterfly ...species is outdated and in need of radical amendment. In addition to our personal data, we have studied the available literature, and can report a total of 196 butterfly species recorded from the country. For some of the species in the list we have given explanations for their inclusion and made other annotations. Doubtful records have been removed from the list, and changes in taxonomy have been updated and discussed separately. The purpose of our paper is to remove confusion and conflict regarding published records. However, the revised checklist should not be considered complete: it represents a starting point for further research.
Occurrences of the Little Tiger Blue, Tarucus balkanicus (Freyer, 1844) in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina represent the northern and western distribution limits of this species in its entire range. ...During our surveys the species was observed at 27 locations in Croatia and two new locations in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The most interesting records are from the three northern Adriatic islands: Cres, Rab and Pag, which represent a significant northward extension in the known range of the species in Croatia. While the records from Bosnia & Herzegovina fall into their known range, they represent the only observations of the species in more than 30 years. We redefined the distribution limits of its range in the Balkan Peninsula, including four Adriatic islands. Its habitat in the region is not under direct threat, at least in the short-term. Moreover, its hostplant P. spina-christi Mill., thrives in abandoned pastures and grasslands in Mediterranean and submediterranean regions in both countries and is one of the more successful colonizers of such abandoned areas. Thus, the species is not considered threatened at least in Croatia and could benefit from ongoing abandonment of the pastures and grasslands as well as climate change.
In an ever more artificially illuminated world, common moth behaviour, flight-to-light, causes declines in their abundance and diversity that can have severe impacts on ecosystems. To test if it is ...possible to reduce the number of moths attracted to artificially illuminated objects, the original lighting of 15 cultural heritage buildings in Slovenia was substituted with blue or yellow lighting. These three illumination types differed in the amount of luminance, percentage of UV and short-wavelength light which are known to affect flight-to-light of moths. During our three-year field study approximately 20% of all known moth species in Slovenia were recorded. The blue and yellow illumination type attracted up to six times less specimens and up to four times less species compared to the original illumination type. This was true for all detected moths as well as within separate moth groups. This gives our study a high conservation value: usage of alternative, environmentally more acceptable illumination can greatly reduce the number of moths attracted to artificially illuminated objects.
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