Jedan rod i tri vrste mrava (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) prvi nalazi za Hrvatsku

From the last review of the ant fauna of Croatia (Bračko, 2006), three species and one genus of ants have been recorded for Croatia: Camponotus tergestinus Müller, 1921; Lasius citrinus Emery, 1922; and Proformica pilosiscapa Dlussky, 1969. Finding of the latter represents not just the first record of the genus Proformica Ruzsky, 1902 for Croatia, but also for the broader area of the neighboring countries. Here, we present data on the distribution and biology of all three species. The number of recorded species for Croatia is now 143.Od zadnje revizije vrsta mrava za Hrvatsku (Bračko, 2006), otkrivene su tri nove vrste i jedan novi rod mrava, a to su: Camponotus tergestinus Müller, 1921; Lasius citrinus Emery, 1922; i Proformica pilosiscapa Dlussky, 1969. godine. Pronalazak posljednjeg prvi je nalaz roda Proformica Ruzsky, 1902., za Hrvatsku, ali i za šire područje okolnih zemalja. Za sve tri vrste navodimo podatke o rasprostranjenosti i biologiji. Do sada su za Hrvatsku zabilježene 143 vrste

Invazivne strane vrste koje izazivaju zabrinutost u Uniji (Uredba 1143/2014) prisutne u Hrvatskoj

Regulation 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species creates the framework for the prevention, minimization, and mitigation of the harmful effects of invasive alien species on biodiversity in the European Union. Commission Implementing Regulations 2016/1141 and 2017/1263 delivered the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (“the Union list”). Out of 49 species on the Union list, 17 species are present in Croatia. They include five plants (Plantae), three crustaceans (Crustacea), two freshwater fishes (Actinopterygii), one reptile (Reptilia), one bird (Aves), and five mammals (Mammalia). Their systematics and biology, native and introduced range, history of introduction, introduction pathway to Croatia, impact in the introduced range, including any known impacts in Croatia, are presented. Furthermore, their distribution in Croatia, based on the available data, is shown on the distribution maps.Uredba 1143/2014 o sprječavanju i upravljanju unošenja i širenja invazivnih stranih vrsta određuje okvir za sprječavanje, svođenje na najmanju moguću mjeru i ublažavanje štetnih učinaka invazivnih stranih vrsta na bioraznolikost u Europskoj uniji. Provedbenim uredbama Komisije 2016/1141 i 2017/1263 donesen je popis invazivnih stranih vrsta koje izazivaju zabrinutost u Uniji (“Unijin popis”). Od ukupno 49 vrsta na Unijinom popisu, 17 vrsta je prisutno u Hrvatskoj. One uključuju pet biljaka (Plantae), tri raka (Crustacea), dvije slatkovodne ribe (Actinopterygii), jednog gmaza (Reptilia), jednu pticu (Aves) i pet sisavaca (Mammalia). Ovdje predstavljamo njihovu sistematiku i biologiju, prirodno područje rasprostranjenosti i područje unosa, povijest unosa, putove unosa u Hrvatsku, utjecaj u području unosa, uključujući i poznate utjecaje u Hrvatskoj. Također, njihova rasprostranjenost u Hrvatskoj, temeljem dostupnih podataka, prikazana je kartama rasprostranjenosti

Razlike u sastavu i morfološko-ekološkim značajkama mrava i trčaka u prirodnim šumama na području Parka prirode Medvednica

The aim of this study was to investigate responses of ant and carabid assemblages and their morpho-ecological traits to habitat differences within natural temperate forests in Medvednica Nature Park. Toquantify ha bitat differences in examined areas, both structural heterogeneity of the vege tation and taxonomic diversity of plants were measured on six plots. Habitat complexity was quantified using four habitat characteristics wit hin the site: tree canopy cover; shrub canopy cover; ground herbs and leaf lit ter cover. Ants and carabids were sampled using pitfall traps. Ant species richness and abundance, unlike carabid species richness were positively correlated with habitat complexity, especially with leaf litter cover on plots. The responses of insects morpho-ecological traits to habitat were recor ded, with more large bodied carabids present in more complex site and higher abundance of opportunist ant species in more open sites with low complexity of vegetation. Higher dominance of certain carabid species at the lower plots then those on the top of the mountain, suggest competitive exclusion, confirming lower areas as more stable. Species adapted to colder climate, that inhabit hig her elevations such as flightless forest specialist Cychrus caraboidesandCara-bus irregularis, and boreo-montane ant species Camponotus herculeanus, are less competent to colonize lower areas. Furthermore, they may not survive se vere instability of their habitats, especially in a changing climate. Overall re­sults suggest that conservation issues need to be focused on preserving stability and structural complexity of forest habitat in summit areas of the mountain.Ovim istraživanjem željeli smo utvrditi razlike u sastavu te morfološkim i ekološkim značajkama trčaka i mrava u različlitim šumskim staništima na području Parka prirode Medved nica. Kako bi kvantificirali razlike između istraživanih područja, odredili smo raznolikost strukture prisutne vegetacije te raznolikost biljnih vrsta na šest ploha. Značajke kao što su pokrovnost drveća, grmlja, prizemnog bilja te listinca na svakoj plohi, koristili smo u mjerenju kompleksnosti strukture staništa. Strukturna kompleksnost staništa opadala je s nadmorskom visinom. Mravi i trčci uzorko vani su metodom lovnih posuda. Bogatstvo vrsta mrava pozitivno je korelirano s kompleksnošću staništa, posebice s količinom listinca, za razliku od trčaka. Veći udio mrava koji su ekološki oportunisti zabilježen je u otvoreni jim staništima sa slabije izraženom heterogenom strukturom staništa, za razliku od trčaka kod kojih veličina tijela korelira s kompleksnošću staništa. Stabilnija struktura zajednica trčaka s većom brojnosti dominantnih vrsta na plohama smještenim na nižoj nadmorskoj visini može se objasniti kompetitivnim isključivanjem, kao posljedicom stabilnijih ekoloških uvjeta u odnosu na plohe smještene na vrhu planine. Vrste koje su prilagođene hladnijim klimatskim uvjetima te na stanjuju zasjenjena područja na višim nadmorskim visinama, kao što su beskrilne vrste trčaka, specijalistiCychrus caraboidesiCarabus irregularis, te boreo-montana vrsta mrava Camponotus herculeanus, zabilježene su na najvišim nadmorskim visinama i sjevernim ekspozicijama Medved nice. Neke od ovih vrsta ne nastanjuju niža područja, te u slučaju uništavanja povoljnih staništa njihov opstanak na Medvednici može postati ugrožen. Jedan od razloga može biti i uslijed klimat skih promjena koje utječu na visokoplaninske vrste hladnijih područja. Sveukupni rezultati ovog istraživanja ukazuju na potrebu očuvanja složene strukture šumskih staništa, posebice na vršnim dijelovima Medvednice

Functional annotation.

<p>Percentages of BLAST-hits, annotated sequences, mapped sequences, and no-BLAST hits for each species.</p

Gene Ontology (GO) distributions by level, by species.

<p>Gene Ontology (GO) distributions by level, by species.</p

Phylogenomics and Divergence Dating of Fungus-Farming Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Genera <i>Sericomyrmex</i> and <i>Apterostigma</i>

<div><p>Fungus-farming ("attine") ants are model systems for studies of symbiosis, coevolution, and advanced eusociality. A New World clade of nearly 300 species in 15 genera, all attine ants cultivate fungal symbionts for food. In order to better understand the evolution of ant agriculture, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed transcriptomes of four different attine ant species in two genera: three species in the higher-attine genus <i>Sericomyrmex</i> and a single lower-attine ant species, <i>Apterostigma megacephala</i>, representing the first genomic data for either genus. These data were combined with published genomes of nine other ant species and the honey bee <i>Apis mellifera</i> for phylogenomic and divergence-dating analyses. The resulting phylogeny confirms relationships inferred in previous studies of fungus-farming ants. Divergence-dating analyses recovered slightly older dates than most prior analyses, estimating that attine ants originated 53.6–66.7 million of years ago, and recovered a very long branch subtending a very recent, rapid radiation of the genus <i>Sericomyrmex</i>. This result is further confirmed by a separate analysis of the three <i>Sericomyrmex</i> species, which reveals that 92.71% of orthologs have 99% - 100% pairwise-identical nucleotide sequences. We searched the transcriptomes for genes of interest, most importantly <i>argininosuccinate synthase</i> and <i>argininosuccinate lyase</i>, which are functional in other ants but which are known to have been lost in seven previously studied attine ant species. Loss of the ability to produce the amino acid arginine has been hypothesized to contribute to the obligate dependence of attine ants upon their cultivated fungi, but the point in fungus-farming ant evolution at which these losses occurred has remained unknown. We did not find these genes in any of the sequenced transcriptomes. Although expected for <i>Sericomyrmex</i> species, the absence of arginine anabolic genes in the lower-attine ant <i>Apterostigma megacephala</i> strongly suggests that the loss coincided with the origin of attine ants.</p></div

Crown-group and stem-group age estimates.

<p>In units of million years ago, with standard error given in parentheses. An asterisk (*) indicates a posterior probability of 1.</p

Gene searches.

<p>Number of gene copies and isoforms per species.</p

Specimen data.

<p>Specimen data.</p