Die Zikadenfauna des Maggelhansluches: Tyrphobionte und tyrphophile Indikatoren für die naturschutzfachliche Bewertung eines brandenburgischen Kesselmoores: (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha)

The Auchenorrhyncha fauna of the Maggelhansluch – tyrphobiotic and tyrphophilous insects as indicators for habitat evaluation of a hollow peat bog in Brandenburg (Germany). – In 2001 and 2002 the Auchenorrhyncha fauna of an intermediate bog called ‚Maggelhansluch‘ (Brandenburg, Germany) was surveyed as part of a broader project monitoring the tyrphophilic and tyrphobiotic species of several invertebrate groups. Although a motorway cuts through the site since the 1930‘s, still a total of 56 Auchenorrhyncha species was found, including 9 peatland specialists. This considerable high number of specialists indicates a particular importance of the surveyed bog for conservation. Noteworthy, threatened, or stenotopic species included the rare and little known delphacid planthoppers Kelisia confusa and Criomorphus moestus

Pioneering biological control of alien species

In the UK, and much of Europe and the rest of the world, invasive weeds are destroying natural habitats through exclusion of native species, reduction of biodiversity, and removal of ecosystem services. Some invasive weeds even damage the groundwork of buildings, causing structural problems. The costs to the UK economy alone totals almost £2billion per year highlighting them as key targets for control or removal. Efforts to control these weeds is also problematic and expensive, partly due to lack of control measures and partly because of the vigorous nature of the plant spread and deep-rooted establishment of the plants. One of these problem plants is Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam), which is now the most commonly occurring non-native plant species on riparian (riverside) systems in England and Wales. The plant severely reduces native plant and insect biodiversity and is expensive and difficult to control, because herbicides cannot be used near water courses. Balsam plants die off in winter, leaving exposed areas susceptible to erosion, while summer populations choke water courses, increasing the likelihood of flooding. DEFRA selected Balsam as target weed for biological control, emphasising the importance of this research. In July 2014, CABI received Ministerial approval to release the rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae, a pathogen of Himalayan Balsam found in Pakistan and India, at trial sites in the UK. This is the first approved release of a non-native fungal pathogen anywhere in Europe. It therefore provides a unique opportunity to determine the impact of the rust release on the plant and the communities it has invaded. It is important not just to examine what factors affect the efficacy of the rust in the field, but also how native plant communities recover as weed populations decline. This proposal is a joint one involving CABI, Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Reading. Together, we will monitor rust release, determine the factors that affect its establishment in the field and discover how invaded communities recover after balsam removal. We will conduct this research alongside DEFRA, who have pledged money to monitor rust release. We will carry out a series of experiments to examine the impact of soil-dwelling beneficial fungi (termed arbuscular mycorrhizas) on rust infection. Mycorrhizas provide plants with essential nutrients and some species are known to increase susceptibility to foliar pathogens. We will also examine the foliar tissues of balsam plants, as these also contain fungi (termed endophytes). New research is emerging to suggest that microbes living on plant surfaces and inside plants could have anti-microbial effects on potential invading pathogens. It is critical to determine whether we can manipulate the plant's growth conditions to maximise the efficiency of the rust, either through encouraging microbes that help the rust or removing conditions for detrimental microbes. This is a unique opportunity to discover how the native plant, insect and soil microbial communities start to recover after weed removal. Biocontrol is usually about reducing the health or performance of target organisms and to date it has generally been assumed that a native, diverse community will readily establish. However, we know that balsam somehow alters the soil to severely reduce growth of other plants. Thus, a key outcome of the study will be to determine how we can use beneficial microbes to allow native plants to recolonise. A particularly exciting part is that the mycorrhizal fungi which we hope to use to aid rust efficacy also have the potential to help native plants to grow, thus we will be able to develop a unique, double-headed strategy to have a genuine impact on the control of this weed

Rapid impact of Impatiens glandulifera control on above- and belowground invertebrate communities

The annual plant Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) is the most widespread invasive non-native weed in the British Isles. Manual control is widely used, but is costly and laborious. Recently, biological control using the rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae has been trialled. We designed an experiment to assess the impact of these control methods on invertebrate communities in relation to unmanaged and uninvaded habitats, and to determine whether mycorrhizal inoculation aided post-control recovery of these communities. Sixty invaded and twenty uninvaded field soil blocks were transplanted to the experiment site, where a mycorrhizal inoculum was added to half of all blocks. Biological and mechanical control treatments were applied to twenty invaded blocks independently; the twenty remaining invaded blocks were left intact. Above- and belowground invertebrate samples were collected from the blocks at the end of the growing season. Overall, aboveground invertebrate abundance increased with the removal of I. glandulifera, and several groups showed signs of recovery within one growing season. The effect of mechanical control was more variable in belowground invertebrates. Biological control did not affect aboveground invertebrate abundance but resulted in large increases in populations of belowground Collembola. Our experiment demonstrates that mechanical removal of I. glandulifera can cause rapid increases in invertebrate abundance and that its biological control with P. komarovii var. glanduliferae also has the potential to benefit native invertebrate communities

Zur Fauna der Zikaden, Blattflöhe und deren Parasitoide der Alp Flix (Graubünden, Schweiz): (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha und Psylloidea; Diptera: Pipunculidae, Strepsiptera: Elenchidae)

During the 13th Central European Auchenorrhnycha meeting in the Swiss Alps (Alp Flix, Grisons) in August 2006 a total of 75 Auchenorrhyncha species, 29 species of Psylloidea, 2 Pipunculidae (Diptera) species and 1 species of Strepsiptera have been collected. Together with two excursions in 2002 and 2006 a total of 86 Auchenorrhyncha species are reported from the area of Alp Flix. The four auchenorrhynchous species Kelisia sima Ribaut, Muellerianella extrusa (Scott), Aphrodes diminuta Ribaut and Zygina rubrovittata (Lethierry) are recorded here for the first time for Switzerland. One species, viz. Sonronius dahlbomi (Zetterstedt) was rediscovered after a period of more than 100 years. On exkursions in 1978, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 additional psyllids were collected giving a total of 47 species recorded for Alp Flix.During the 13th Central European Auchenorrhnycha meeting in the Swiss Alps (Alp Flix, Grisons) in August 2006 a total of 75 Auchenorrhyncha species, 29 species of Psylloidea, 2 Pipunculidae (Diptera) species and 1 species of Strepsiptera have been collected. Together with two excursions in 2002 and 2006 a total of 86 Auchenorrhyncha species are reported from the area of Alp Flix. The four auchenorrhynchous species Kelisia sima Ribaut, Muellerianella extrusa (Scott), Aphrodes diminuta Ribaut and Zygina rubrovittata (Lethierry) are recorded here for the first time for Switzerland. One species, viz. Sonronius dahlbomi (Zetterstedt) was rediscovered after a period of more than 100 years. On exkursions in 1978, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 additional psyllids were collected giving a total of 47 species recorded for Alp Flix

Two new species of Rhogadopsis Brèthes (Braconidae: Opiinae) as solitary <br />parasitoids of Merochlorops species complex (Diptera: Chloropidae) from India

Gupta, Ankita, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Ballal, Chandish R., Maczey, Norbert, Djeddour, Djami, Bhutia, Sangay Gyampo, Rajeshwari, S. K. (2019): Two new species of Rhogadopsis Brèthes (Braconidae: Opiinae) as solitary parasitoids of Merochlorops species complex (Diptera: Chloropidae) from India. Zootaxa 4550 (2): 268-276, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4550.2.

Horizon scanning for potential invasive non-native species across United Kingdom Overseas Territories

Invasive non-native species are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity, ecosystems, and economies globally. Preventing high-risk invasive non-native species from being introduced is the most cost-effective way to avoid their adverse impacts. We applied a horizon scanning approach to identify potentially invasive non-native species in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (OTs), ranging from Antarctica to the Caribbean, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic. High-risk species were identified according to their potential for arrival, establishment and likely impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem function, economies and human health. Across OTs, 231 taxa were included on high-risk lists. The highest-ranking species were the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis), little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and mesquite tree (Prosopis juliflora). Shipping containers were identified as the introduction pathway associated with the most species. The shared high-risk species and pathways identified provide a guide for other remote islands and archipelagos to focus ongoing biosecurity and surveillance aimed at preventing future incursions

Horizon scanning for potential invasive non-native species across the United Kingdom Overseas Territories

Invasive non-native species (INNS) are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity, ecosystems, and economies globally. Preventing high-risk INNS from being introduced is the most cost-effective way to avoid their adverse impacts. We applied a horizon scanning approach to identify potentially INNS in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (OTs), ranging from Antarctica to the Caribbean, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic. High-risk species were identified according to their potential for arrival, establishment, and likely impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function, economies, and human health. Across OTs, 231 taxa were included on high-risk lists. The highest ranking species were the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis), little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and mesquite tree (Prosopis juliflora). Shipping containers were identified as the introduction pathway associated with the most species. The shared high-risk species and pathways identified provide a guide for other remote islands and archipelagos to focus ongoing biosecurity and surveillance aimed at preventing future incursions