Cordulegaster bidentata Selys, 1843 in fragmented landscape of the Wielickie Foothills: reassesement of the northern limit of species range in the Western Carpathians

In 2018–2019, the occurrence of Cordulegaster bidentata Selys, 1843 in the Wielickie Foothills, located between the Beskidy mountain ranges (in the south) and the Vistula river valley (in the north) was investigated. It was examined whether C. bidentata inhabits fragmented landscape, with forest patches of various sizes. Larvae of this dragonfly were searched in the forest streams, the bottom of which was visually scanned using binoculars. The presence of 49 larvae was confirmed on 17 stream sections out of 53 (32%). They were recorded in almost the entire geographical extent of the study area, from the southernmost to the northernmost forest patches. The neighboring occupied streams were separated by a maximum of 3.7 km, and breeding sites were found in forest patches of an area of 75–1280 ha. It was confirmed that C. bidentata occurs up to the orographic edge of the Western Carpathians. Its range is continuous between the northern edge of the Beskidy Mountains and the Vistula valley. New data shift the northern range limit of C. bidentata in the Western Carpathians by nearly 20 km. The field method used proved to be efficient in assessing the distribution of larvae in large areas, with relatively little field effort. Its wider use would allow a more complete recognition of distribution of C. bidentata in the Carpathian Foothills.

Biased sex-ratio in woodland grouse population of the Tatra National Park, suggested by molecular sexing of non-invasive samples

Sex ratio (ratio between the number of male and female individuals in a population) is an important factor contributing to the survival rates of the population in wild. Imbalanced sex ratio is often the cause of diminished survival rates of endangered species. The analysis of DNA collected through noninvasive methodologies effectively allows to monitor populations of rare species or species that are difficult to observe in the wild. Such method was used to determine the sex ratio in populations of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) in the Tatra National Park. We collected over 250 samples (mostly excrement) in the area of the Tatra National Park and identified species via microsatellite genotyping and determined the sex using fragments of the CHD gene. We found that the majority of the samples belonged to male specimens irrespective of the species suggesting a large deviation from an equal sex ratio in wild populations of capercaillie and black grouse in the Tatra National Park. Our results point out the fundamental contribution of genetic assessment of sex ration to monitor the viability of both species in the Tatra National Park.

An unusually coloured individual of the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

The background colouration of the spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus, an anuran species found in Europe is typically light grey/yellow grey/light olive-green. However, an atypical specimen, whose background was brightly coloured yellowish green (light green/lime/yellow coloured), with darker small spots distributed through dorsal parts and four main spots slightly shaped was observed in Poland (Great Poland, Mościejewo village), near to two ponds. The ecological effects of green coloured individual can be adaptively important, through its similarity to the vegetation (predator avoidance).

Records of scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) visiting flowers of Cryptogorynae crispatula (Araceae), including new species, in China

The collection of the scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) visiting flowers of Cryptogorynae crispatula (Araceae) caught in Yunnan, China were studied. They were identified to 24 species of which only five were known, seven species are hereby described as new to science and next 13 species cannot be named until linked to their opposite sexes. The following are described. Conicera species female YG, cannot be named until linked to its male. Dohrniphora guangchuni n. sp., Megaselia duolobata n. sp., M. excrispatula n. sp., M. interstinctus n. sp., M. leptotibiarum n. sp., M. menglaensis n. sp., M. shooklinglowae n. sp., Megaselia species Y1 female that cannot be named until linked to its male. The recognition of M. chippensis (Brues, 1911), described from a single female, is augmented. Males of 6 species (Y1-Y6) of Puliciphora Dahl, cannot be named until linked to their females and 5 species of Woodiphora Schmitz.

First record of Andrena chrysopus Perez, 1903 (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Andrenidae) in Poland

The paper presents data about the first record of Andrena chrysopus Perez, 1903 in Bydgoszcz, Poland (the Wielkopolsko-Kujawska Lowland). It is an oligolectic species, closely linked to plants in the genus Asparagus sp. During 2018–2019 (May–June), 54 speciemens of the species were collected at 9 sites during the flowering period of the host plant. The bees were recorded in dry and well sunlit biotopes on the outskirts of the city and in residential-industrial districts. The observations confirmed the occurrence of stable populations of A. chrysopus. However, increasing urbanisation and succession may threaten the presence of the species in the genus Asparagus sp., and thus A. chrysopus, which strongly relies on these species' food sources.

First record of Platypsyllus castoris Ritsema, 1869 (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) from Siberia

Holarctic species Platypsyllus castoris Ritsema, 1869 previously noted in Palaearctic only Europe and European part of Russia is found in Siberia (Russia, Altai Krai) for the first time. This species was collected on Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758).

Greenhouses – urban biodiversity hotspot of alien Oribatida (Acari) species

Palm houses and other greenhouses, due to maintaining constant temperature and humidity, allow the cultivation in Europe of plants from different parts of the world, even from tropical regions. However, sometimes they are also a habitat for alien species of spiders, mites, insect, etc. These animals have been introduced accidentally with contaminated plants, seeds, seedlings, soil and thanks to stable conditions maintained in greenhouses, they may colonize these places. Example of arthropods, of which even tropical species occur in several greenhouses, are oribatid mites – minute saprophagous arachnids that mostly inhabit soil. In Europe they are represented by about 2,000 species, while worldwide – over 10,000 taxa were described. The aim of this research was to investigate the selected greenhouses for the biodiversity of oribatid mites and the presence of non-native species. In total, 49 taxa were recorded, including 23 alien species (for example, a Neotropical taxon Galumna hamifer, or Oriental Suctobelbella parallelodentata). These results confirm that greenhouses are the places of occurrence of many alien oribatid species. The obtained results may be used in future research on the biology of poorly known tropical mites.

Checklist of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in the Wigry National Park, North-East Poland

Detailed faunistic research of soil oribatid mites was caried out at 11 localities representing important forest types in the territory of Wigry National Park. Altogether 140 oribatid species were found in this territory, belonging to 42 families and 80 genera or subgenera; from them 127 oribatid species were found on the territory NP Wigry for the first time. Records of four species Brachychthonius impressus Moritz, 1976, Quadroppia monstruosa Hammer, 1979, Suctobelba regia Moritz, 1970 and Zetorchestes flabrarius Grandjean, 1951 are new for the fauna of Poland.

Preliminary data of the scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in the linden-oak-hornbeam forest of the Wigry National Park, North East Poland

Faunistic data on 66 species of geophilous scuttle flies cought by emergence traps placed in 6 sites of the linden-oak-hornbeam forest in the Wigry National Park in summer season of 2017 and 2018 are presented. About 60% of the individuals captured each year were species with at least 10 individuals. The same four dominants: Megaselia pulicaria-complex, M. flava, M. abdita and Gymnophora arcuata reached the highest abundance in the compared communities during both study seasons. Species with known biology accounted for only half of the captured species, but among them the most numerous (82%) were species whose larvae were classified as sapro-/necro- and mycophagous.