The population of Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) and its parasites in Madatapa Lake (South Georgia)

Gibel carp is a very successful invasive fish species in the waters of Georgian inland and the only fish species in Lake Madatapa. However, almost nothing is known about its biology and morpho-ecological peculiarities at the national level and even the distribution data is not documented. For the first time, we studied the population characteristics of gibel carp in Lake Madatapa (South Georgia) with the aim to reveal the extent of its morphological variability, sex ratio, length-weight relationship and its parasitic community. We showed that the gibel carp population in Madatapa Lake has typical morphological characteristics. The sex ratio is significantly female biased (1/1.8) and the length-weight relationship is within the published margins. The gibel carp population is under the heavy parasitic load, but only two parasitic species (one cestoda and the other digenean species) affect the fishes. Within the framework of the obtained results, we discussed future research needs concerning the gibel carp in the lake

Flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) collected by malaise trap method in Gölcük Natural Park (Isparta, Turkey), with a new record for Turkish fauna

This study is based on Alticinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) material collected by Malaise trapping which is different from other standardized collecting methods. A total of 19 flea beetle species belonging to 6 genera were collected from Gölcük Natural Park, Isparta (Turkey) during 2009. The species are listed in a table together with distributional data in Turkey. Among them, Longitarsus curtus (Allard, 1860) is recorded for the first time in Turkey. L. monticola Kutschera, 1863 and L. curtus are recently separated synonyms and thus all data referring to the distribution of both species are currently important. Hence, the zoogeographical distribution of the new record is reviewed with some remarks; habitus and genitalia are illustrated

DNA barcode reference libraries for the monitoring of aquatic biota in Europe: Gap-analysis and recommendations for future work

Effective identification of species using short DNA fragments (DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding) requires reliable sequence reference libraries of known taxa. Both taxonomically comprehensive coverage and content quality are important for sufficient accuracy. For aquatic ecosystems in Europe, reliable barcode reference libraries are particularly important if molecular identification tools are to be implemented in biomonitoring and reports in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). We analysed gaps in the two most important reference databases, Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) and NCBI GenBank, with a focus on the taxa most frequently used in WFD and MSFD. Our analyses show that coverage varies strongly among taxonomic groups, and among geographic regions. In general, groups that were actively targeted in barcode projects (e.g. fish, true bugs, caddisflies and vascular plants) are well represented in the barcode libraries, while others have fewer records (e.g. marine molluscs, ascidians, and freshwater diatoms). We also found that species monitored in several countries often are represented by barcodes in reference libraries, while species monitored in a single country frequently lack sequence records. A large proportion of species (up to 50%) in several taxonomic groups are only represented by private data in BOLD. Our results have implications for the future strategy to fill existing gaps in barcode libraries, especially if DNA metabarcoding is to be used in the monitoring of European aquatic biota under the WFD and MSFD. For example, missing species relevant to monitoring in multiple countries should be prioritized for future collaborative programs. We also discuss why a strategy for quality control and quality assurance of barcode reference libraries is needed and recommend future steps to ensure full utilisation of metabarcoding in aquatic biomonitoring.This paper is a deliverable of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action DNAqua-Net (CA15219) Working Group 1, led by Torbjørn Ekrem and Fedor Čiampor. Thanks to the University of Minho and University of Pécs for hosting workshops and working group meetings. We also thank staff at National Environment Agencies and others that provided national checklists of taxa used in biomonitoring, and otherwise assisted with checklist proof-reading: Jarmila Makovinská and Emília Mišíková Elexová (Slovakia); Steinar Sandøy and Dag Rosland (Norway); Mišel Jelič (Croatia); Marlen Vasquez (Cyprus); Adam Petrusek (Czech Republic); Kristel Panksep (Estonia); Panagiotis Kaspiditis (Greece); Matteo Montagna (Italy); Marija Katarzyte (Lithuania); Ana Rotter (Slovenia); Rosa Trabajo (Spain); Florian Altermatt (Switzerland); Kristian Meissner (Finland), Rigers Bakiu (Albania), Valentina Stamenkovic and Jelena Hinic (Macedonia); Patricia Mergen (Belgium); Gael Denys & the French Biodiversity Agency (France); Mary Kelly-Quinn (Ireland); Piotr Panek and Andrzej Zawal (Poland); Cesare Mario Puzzi (Italy); Carole Fitzpatrick (United Kingdom); Simon Vitecek (Austria); Ana Filipa Filipe (Portugal); Peter Anton Stæhr & Anne Winding (Denmark); Michael Monaghan (Germany); Alain Dohet, Lionel L'Hoste, Nora Welschbillig & Luc Ector (Luxembourg), Lujza Keresztes, (Romania). The authors also want to thank Dirk Steinke for providing the original European ERMS list for marine taxa and Florian Malard for comments on the manuscript. The preparation of the AMBI checklist was carried out in the scope of a Short-term Scientific Mission (ECOST-STSM-CA15219-150217- 082111) granted to SD visiting AZTI, Spain. ZC was supported by grants EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004 and 20765-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT. TE was supported by the NorBOL-grant (226134/F50) from the Research Coun cil of Norway. BR, FL and MFG contributed through support from the GBOL project, which is generously funded by the German Federal Min istry of Education and Research (FKZ 01LI1101 and 01LI1501). MG contributed through support of the Polish National Science Centre, grants N N303 5794 39 and 2014/15/B/NZ8/00266. SF was funded by the project PORBIOTA - Portuguese E-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022127), supported by Operational Thematic Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)

New Alien Species Mytilopsis Leucophaeata and Corbicula Fluminalis (Mollusca, Bivalvia) Recorded in Georgia and Notes on Other Non-Indigenous Molluscs Invaded the South Caucasus

First records of invasive bivalve freshwater mollusc species Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad, 1831) and Corbicula fluminalis (O. F. Müller, 1774) in Georgia are reported. No native or alien extant dreissenid species have ever been recorded form this region so far. A finding of C. fluminalis in Georgia is also a new record for the country though this species inhabits the rivers of adjacent Azerbaijan. Apart from two mentioned bivalve molluscs three non-indigenous gastropod species are registered from Georgia: freshwater Ferrisia californica (Rowell, 1863) and Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) and land snail Eobania vermiculata (O. F. Müller, 1774)

A new and dangerous pest for the Caucasus – Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an agricultural pest originating from Southeast Asia, has been recorded for the first time in the Caucasus and may threaten crops within the region. In 2016, two introduced species, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug – Halyomorpha halys Stal (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and the Buxus moth – Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), were considered the most dangerous pest species in western Georgia and spreading rapidly east. Because the Spotted Wing Drosophila has only been recently recorded, its damage is not yet known. Keywords: Georgia, Sakartvelo, Harmful, Agriculture, Fruit

Repeatability of nest size choice and nest building in sand gobies

To be useful as mate choice cues, behavioural traits have to be performed consistently within individuals. This may also be true for nest construction, which, in addition to influencing offspring survival, can also function as an extended phenotype of the builder. We tested whether choice of a nesting resource and subsequent nest-building performance are repeatable traits in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus, a small marine fish with paternal egg care and female mating preferences that are influenced by male nest-building behaviour. When given a choice between three different-sized nesting resources (flowerpots), males, on average, preferred medium-sized nesting resources, with larger males preferring larger nests than smaller individuals. At the individual level, the choice of nesting resources was so variable between consecutive trials that choice behaviour was not repeatable. Furthermore, nest building, measured as the amount of sand piled on top of the nesting resource, was highly repeatable when males were free to choose their nest, but had only a low repeatability when males had just a single option. In neither case was the size of the nest entrance repeatable between consecutive rounds of nest building. These results highlight the context-dependent signal value of extended phenotypes. In particular, reliability of nest-building behaviour as a signal seems to be influenced by the male's opportunity to choose the object it uses for nesting.

Parasitoids and predators of pseudococcidae (Hemiptera : Coccoidea) in Ankara, Turkey

WOS: 000239855500002Natural enemies of mealybugs were surveyed in Ankara, Turkey, during the years 2001 to 2003. Twenty-three predatory species belonging to the insect orders Coleoptera (Coccinellidae, 17), Diptera (Chamaemyiidae, 3) and Neuroptera (Chrysopidae, 2; Hemerobiidae, 1); and 22 parasitoid species belonging to Hymenoptera (Aphelinidae, 2; Encyrtidae, 14; Platygasteridae, 1; Pteromalidae, 3; Signiphoridae, 2) were determined. The following ten species are newly recorded for the Turkish fauna: Sidis biguttatus Motchulsky, Nephus sinuatomaculatus Sahlberg (Coccinellidae), Leucopomyia alticeps Czerny, Parochthiphila (Euestelia) decipia Tanasijtshuk (Chamaemyiidae), Leptomastidea matritensis Mercet, Prochiloneurus bolivari Mercet, Rhopus sp.nr. acaetes (Walker), Stematosteres sp., Eunotus acutus Kurdjumov, and Chartocerus kurdjumovi (Nikol'skaya) (Chalcidoidea)