Two new Ptychoptera Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Ptychopteridae) from the Western Palaearctic

Ptychoptera xanthopleura Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Ptychoptera staryi Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Bulgaria are described. P. xanthopleura sp. nov. differs from the other member of the lacustris group mainly by having almost completely yellow pleurae, and by the shape of the epandrium and gonocoxites. The diagnostics of P. staryi sp. nov. and P. incognita Török, Kolcsár & Keresztes, 2015 based on male genitalia are provided

The first evidence of microplastics in plant-formed fresh-water micro-ecosystems: Dipsacus teasel phytotelmata in Slovakia contaminated with MPs

Tiny pieces of plastic, or microplastics, are one of the emerging pollutants in a wide range of different ecosystems. However, they have, thus far, not been confirmed from phytotelmata – specific small water-filled cavities provided by terrestrial plants. The authors confirmed microplastics (141 μm – 2.4 mm long fibres of several colour and blue and orange fragments with diameters of 9–81 μm) in quantities from 101 to 409 per ml in Dipsacus telmata from two different periods. The phytotelmata, therefore, appear to be possible indicators of current and future microplastic pollution of the environment. However, further research is needed to obtain accurate information and verify the methodology for possible assessment of the local environmental burden of microplastics

Updated taxonomic keys for European Hippoboscidae (Diptera), and expansion in Central Europe of the bird louse fly Ornithomya comosa (Austen, 1930) with the first record from Slovakia

The available keys for European Hippoboscidae are outdated and do not cover all species currently known from Europe. Therefore, identification keys to the eleven genera and 31 species of the European hippoboscids are provided here. Ornithomya comosa (Austen, 1930) (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) is recorded for the first time from the territory of Slovakia based on one female found on a sand martin, Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758). The list of keds and louse flies recorded from the territory of Slovakia is increased to 20 species. New host records for Slovakia are presented

The possibility of using the regranulate of a biodegradable polymer blend based on polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate in FDM 3D printing technology

The study's main objective is the possible application of regranulate based on PLA and PHB bioplastics in the FDM 3D printing technique. The idea of using regranulate in the tested PLA/PHB biodegradable polymer blend can help to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced after defective or unwanted 3D printing from these types of materials suitable for 3D printing or after the industrial production of filaments with inadequate geometric parameters, which may help to economize raw material resources and, ultimately, lower the cost of studied polymer materials producing. The regranulate was added to the non-recycled biodegradable polymer blend with the same chemical composition in two different processes for making the filament for 3D printing. Based on testing the processing and utility properties of the processed regranulate materials, it was found that the regranulate partially degrades during multiple processing and thereby reduces the average molar mass and viscosity of the tested material during its processing. However, it was proven that despite the reduction of molecular characteristics after regranulate additions, it was possible to prepare the filaments by both investigated technologies of the regranulate addition and subsequently, it was possible to print such filaments using FDM 3D printing technology, even when the polymer blend contained a high content of regranulate. It was also proven that PLA/PHB materials containing regranulate exhibit comparable thermophysical and strength characteristics to the virgin PLA/PHB polymer blend