Alien flora of the city of Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

In the urban area of Banja Luka, 77 species of alien plants have been found, most of them neophytes (64.94%) while a smaller percentage are archeophytes (35.06%). Most of the plants originate from America (34), and Asiatic species rank second (17). Most of the alien plants belong to the Compositae family, in terms of life form are therophytes, and intention has been involved in their arrival in this area.The anthropogenic change indicator values have been shown to have a significant anthropogenic impact on the overall flora.

Documenting new and little known leaf-mining Nepticulidae from middle and southwestern areas of the Asian continent

We review eighteen species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea) from Asia and describe eleven new species from Central Asia and the western Himalaya: Stigmella ziziphifolia Rocienė & Stonis, sp. nov., S. damocles Remeikis, sp. nov., S. pyramidata Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., S. alilediella Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., S. longa Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. latilobata Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., S. paniculata Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., Ectoedemia orbiculata Diškus, Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., Acalyptris brunipexus Stonis, Diškus & Remeikis, sp. nov., A. noctilucus Rocienė & Stonis, sp. nov., and A. nasutus Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov. The new taxa are illustrated with photographs of the adults, their genitalia, and, if available, leaf mines. We also provide the first photographic documentation of adults and male genitalia of some Asiatic species. We synonymize E. petrosa Puplesis with E. spinosella (de Joannis), and E. rosiphila Puplesis with E. ingloria Puplesis.

A revision of the French Telothelepodidae and Thelepodidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia), with descriptions of three species and first European record of a non-indigenous species

Telothelepodidae and Thelepodidae from French waters are revised based on material available in French marine stations and newly collected specimens. This work is the second part of the Spaghetti Project aiming to revise French species of “Spaghetti” worms. It describes three new species using both morphological and molecular tools: Streblosoma cabiochi n. sp., Streblosoma lindsayae n. sp. and Thelepus corsicanus n. sp. This study also permitted us to detect the presence of an Asiatic species, Thelepus japonicus, in Arcachon Bay and Normandy, introduced via oysters transfers. An identification key for European species of both families is also provided.

Identification of genome compositions in allopolyploid species of the genus Elymus(Poaceae: Triticeae) in the Asian part of Russia by CAPS analysis

The genus ElymusL., together with wheat, rye, and barley, belongs to the tribe Triticeae. Apart from its economic value, this tribe is characterized by abundance of polyploid taxa formed in the course of remote hybridization. Single-copy nuclear genes are convenient markers for identification of source genomes incorporated into polyploids. In the present work, a CAPS-marker is developed to distinguish basic St, H, and Y genomes comprising polyploid genomes of Asiatic species of the genus Elymus. The test is based on electrophoretic analysis of restriction patterns of a PCR-amplified fragment of the gene coding for beta-amylase. There are about 50 Elymusspecies in Russia, and most of them are supposed to possess one of three haplome combinations, StH, StY and StHY. Boreal StH-genomic species endemic for Russia are the least studied. On the basis of nucleotide sequences from public databases, TaqI restrictase was selected, as it produced patterns of restriction fragments specific for St, H, and Y haplomes easily recognizable in agarose gel. A sample of 68 accessions belonging to 32 species was analyzed. In 15 species, the earlier known genomic constitutions were confirmed, but in E. kamojithis assay failed to reveal the presence of H genome. This unusual H genome was suggested to originate from a different Hordeum species. In 16 species, genomic constitutions were identified for the first time. Fifteen accessions from Asian Russia possessed the genomic constitution StStHH, and E. amurensis, phylogenetically close to the StY-genomic species E. ciliaris, had the genomic constitution StStYY. It is inferred that the center of species diversity of the StH-genomic group is shifted to the north as compared to the center of origin of StY-genomic species, confined to China.

NOTES ON THE GENUS DIARSIA WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF SEVEN NEW SPECIES FROM CHINA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

The description and diagnosis of seven new Diarsia Hübner, [1821] 1816 species (D. rubrifusa sp. nov., D. alexanderi sp. nov., D. reserva sp. nov., D. sciurus sp. nov., D. zillii sp. nov., D. griseocilia sp. nov. and D. variolosus sp. nov.) are provided. In addition, the distribution of the genus Diarsia, the research history of the Asiatic species and the main external and genitalia features of the seven new species and of their closest relatives are discussed, and illustrated with 44 imagines in colour, together with 27 males and 9 females genitalia.

Modeling Agrilus planipennis F. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Spread in New Jersey

Pests and disease have become an increasingly common issue as globalized trade brings non-native species into unfamiliar systems. Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), is an Asiatic species of boring beetle currently devastating the native population of ash (Fraxinus) trees in the northern forests of the United States, with 85 million trees having already succumbed across much of the Midwest. We have developed a reaction-diffusion partial differential equation model to predict the spread of emerald ash borer over a heterogeneous 2-D landscape, with the initial ash tree distribution given by data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis. As expected, the model predictions show that emerald ash borer consumes ash which causes the local ash population to decline, while emerald ash borer spreads outward to other areas. Once the local ash population begins to decline emerald ash borer also declines due to the loss of available habitat. Our model’s strength lies with its focus on the county scale and its linkage between emerald ash borer population growth and ash density. This enables one to make accurate predictions regarding emerald ash borer spread which allows one to consider various methods of control as well as to accurately study the economic effects of emerald ash borer spread.

Revision of the Oriental species of Calleida Latreille (sensu lato). Part 1: Introduction, groups of species, and species of six species groups (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiini)

This revision focuses on the genus Calleida Latreille, 1824 (in the widest sense) in the Oriental Region, previously treated as genus or subgenus Callidiola Jeannel, 1949. In the present contribution, as first part of a series of revisions of the Asiatic Calleida species, we define nine species groups including all known Asiatic species, based on external features and morphological characters of male and female genitalia. A key for the identification of all nine species groups is provided, along with diagnostic characters, included species, geographical distribution, and brief discussion on monophyly and relationships for each species group. In particular, the present contribution deals with species of six small species groups, including eleven species in total, for which keys to all known species, descriptions, distribution maps, habitus images and genitalia illustrations are provided.Five new species are described: Calleida gressittiana Casale & Shi, sp. n. (type locality: Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo), Calleida puncticollis Shi & Casale, sp. n. (type locality: Zigui, Hubei), Calleida jelineki Casale & Shi, sp. n. (type locality: Coimbatore, India), Calleida viet Casale & Shi, sp. n. (type locality: Vung Tau, Vietnam), Calleida borneensis Shi & Casale, sp. n. (type locality: Sabah, Borneo). Lectotypes for five taxa are designated. One synonymy is newly proposed: Calleida lieftincki Louwerens junior synonym of Calleida corporaali Andrewes, syn. nov.

Impact of climate change on the occurrence and distribution of bluetongue in Europe

Climate changes may have significant impact on animal health, including changes in the distribution and seasonality of vector-borne diseases. Arboviruses, such as bluetongue virus (BTV), are particularly susceptible to climate change because of their small size and their ability to adapt to variations in the temperature of the environment. Climate also has long-term indirect effects on the transmission of BT via its effects on the distribution and availability of suitable habitats. Changes in BT incidence in Europe have been matched by spatio-temporal changes in regional climates, including the specific climatic drivers of BTV infection. The climate changes are responsible for the occurrence and distribution of BT through their impact on the viral vectors. Changes in climate, i.e. temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, etc., can influence various aspects of the Culicoides vectors’ life cycle, including survival, population numbers, vector-pathogen interactions, pathogen replication, vector behaviour and, of course, its distribution. Different species of Culicoides have different environmental tolerances, and the optimal temperature and humidity levels for populations of Afro-Asiatic species, such as C. imicola, are different from those for Palearctic species, such as the C. obsoletus and C. pulicaris groups. However, the biotic processes of changing vector roles and distribution have been as important as the climatic process in driving the invasion of Europe by multiple BTV strains. The enhanced transmission of BTV by indigenous European vectors has been instrumental in the spread and persistence of infection in cooler and wetter areas of different regions of Europe after the invasion. The vectorial capacity of Culicoides is dynamic and climate-mediated, making it difficult to state unequivocally that particular species cannot or will not be involved in transmission – even of strains that enter Europe unexpectedly from geographically remote regions. .

New insights on Lepidoptera of Southern Italy with description of the male of Coenotephria antonii Hausmann 2011 (Lepidoptera)

Southern Italy is of particular biogeographic interest due to the location at the center of the Mediterranean Basin and its great environmental heterogeneity. Despite the faunistic interest of this territory, many insect taxa are still little investigated. Among insects, Lepidoptera have a relatively well known fauna, significantly increased in recent years, but there are still some gaps of knowledge in several habitats. The aim of this work was to contribute to the knowledge of the Macrolepidoptera of Southern Italy, focusing our study in Calabria, and to offer some thoughts on the role played by the Mediterranean mountain forests for the biodiversity conservation. Samplings were carried out in three mountainous areas of Calabria (Pollino Massif, Sila Massif and Serre Mountains) in May-November 2015 and in April-November 2016, using UV-LED light traps. We found ten species of high faunistic interest. Three species, <em>Nebula</em> <em>senectaria</em>, <em>Perizoma lugdunaria</em> and <em>Acasis</em> <em>appensata</em>, were for the first time recorded from Southern Italy, while seven were for the first time recorded from Calabria: <em>Coenotephria antonii, Thera obeliscata, Triphosa dubitata, Trichopteryx carpinata, Asteroscopus sphinx, Lithophane semibrunnea</em> and <em>Sideridis reticulata</em>. Of great interest was the discovery of the first male certainly attributable to Coenotephria antonii, endemic of Southern Italy, here described for the first time. The results exposed confirm that the fauna of Southern Italy is of great conservation value, hosting endemisms and several relict populations of European and Asiatic species with differentiated genetic lineages highly vulnerable to the climate change expected for the coming decades.