Usporedba faune komaraca Kopačkog rita u razdoblju 1990.–1998.

Research into the flora and fauna of Kopački rit, the flood area of the Danube and Drava rivers, was not possible in the period between 1991–1997, due to ongoing hostilities. The research into the mosquitoes in Kopački rit started in 1990 was continued in 1998. The research results obtained in 1998 were compared to the 1990 results (MERDIĆ, 1993). The total number of mosquitoes collected in 1998 was 7788, which is approximately 25 times smaller than the total number of mosquitoes collected in 1990 (199952). The mosquito fauna is characterised by species that have their breeding sites in the marsh itself, among which Aedes vexans is dominant, and by species whose breeding sites can be found in the oak forest, the Genisto elate – Quercetum roboris community, in the nearby Nature Park. The dynamics of the mosquito population, which is in correlation with the water level of Danube, are significantly different in 1990 and 1998, but we do not suppose this was due to the influence of the war, but rather to the different ecological conditions in 1998.Istraživanja flore i faune u Kopačkom ritu, poplavnom području rijeke Dunava i Drave, nisu bila moguća od 1991. do 1997. godine, zbog ratnih djelovanja. Proučavanja komaraca Kopačkog rita započeta 1990. nastavljena su u sezoni 1998. godine. Rezultati dobiveni istraživanjem faune komaraca Kopačkog rita 1998. godine uspoređeni su sa rezultatima iz 1990. (MERDIĆ, 1993). Ukupan broj jedinki komaraca prikupljenih 1998. godine iznosio je 7788, što je približno 25 puta manje od ukupnog broja komaraca prikupljenih 1990. godine (199952). Faunu komaraca karakteriziraju vrste koje svoja legla imaju u samom poplavnom području, među kojima dominira vrsta Aedes vexans, te vrste čija legla možemo naći u hrastovoj šumi zajednice Genisto elate – Quercetum roboris u obližnjem Parku prirode. Dinamika populacija komaraca, koja je u korelaciji s vodostajem Dunava, značajno se razlikuje 1990. i 1998. godine, ali ipak pretpostavljamo da se ne radi o utjecaju rata na faunu komaraca nego o razlici u ekološkim uvjetima u 1998. godini

Usporedba faune komaraca Kopačkog rita u razdoblju 1990.–1998.

Research into the flora and fauna of Kopački rit, the flood area of the Danube and Drava rivers, was not possible in the period between 1991–1997, due to ongoing hostilities. The research into the mosquitoes in Kopački rit started in 1990 was continued in 1998. The research results obtained in 1998 were compared to the 1990 results (MERDIĆ, 1993). The total number of mosquitoes collected in 1998 was 7788, which is approximately 25 times smaller than the total number of mosquitoes collected in 1990 (199952). The mosquito fauna is characterised by species that have their breeding sites in the marsh itself, among which Aedes vexans is dominant, and by species whose breeding sites can be found in the oak forest, the Genisto elate – Quercetum roboris community, in the nearby Nature Park. The dynamics of the mosquito population, which is in correlation with the water level of Danube, are significantly different in 1990 and 1998, but we do not suppose this was due to the influence of the war, but rather to the different ecological conditions in 1998.Istraživanja flore i faune u Kopačkom ritu, poplavnom području rijeke Dunava i Drave, nisu bila moguća od 1991. do 1997. godine, zbog ratnih djelovanja. Proučavanja komaraca Kopačkog rita započeta 1990. nastavljena su u sezoni 1998. godine. Rezultati dobiveni istraživanjem faune komaraca Kopačkog rita 1998. godine uspoređeni su sa rezultatima iz 1990. (MERDIĆ, 1993). Ukupan broj jedinki komaraca prikupljenih 1998. godine iznosio je 7788, što je približno 25 puta manje od ukupnog broja komaraca prikupljenih 1990. godine (199952). Faunu komaraca karakteriziraju vrste koje svoja legla imaju u samom poplavnom području, među kojima dominira vrsta Aedes vexans, te vrste čija legla možemo naći u hrastovoj šumi zajednice Genisto elate – Quercetum roboris u obližnjem Parku prirode. Dinamika populacija komaraca, koja je u korelaciji s vodostajem Dunava, značajno se razlikuje 1990. i 1998. godine, ali ipak pretpostavljamo da se ne radi o utjecaju rata na faunu komaraca nego o razlici u ekološkim uvjetima u 1998. godini

Investigation of mosquito larvae (Diptera, Culicidae) in the coastal area of Dalmatia, Croatia

Background and Purpose: The coastal region of Croatia was an autochthonous area of malaria until the first half of the 20th century. An investigation of mosquitoes in Dalmatia was carried out in order to obtain a better insight into the composition and distribution of mosquito species. Dalmatia is a very specific region with a high diversity of breeding sites. Material and Methods: Mosquitoes were collected in the larval stage with a larva net (20 cm in diameter), small glasses and an aspirator. The sampling took place from April to November during the period from 2001 to 2004 at 41 localities from Maslenica bridge to Prevlaka. Results and Conclusions: The investigation of mosquito fauna showed the presence of 25 species in natural and artificial breeding habitats. According to this investigation the most abundant mosquito species in Dalmatia were: Cx. pipiens complex (55,58 %), Cs. longiareolata (37,91 %) and Cs. annulata (33,34 %). The species whose presence in different types of breeding habitats varied between 10 % and 30 % were: Ae. vexans, An. claviger, An. maculipennis compleks, An. plumbeus, Cx. hortensis, Oc. caspius and Or. pulcripalpis. The remaining 15 species were rare for the region of Dalmatia

Investigation of mosquito larvae (Diptera, Culicidae) in the coastal area of Dalmatia, Croatia

Background and Purpose: The coastal region of Croatia was an autochthonous area of malaria until the first half of the 20th century. An investigation of mosquitoes in Dalmatia was carried out in order to obtain a better insight into the composition and distribution of mosquito species. Dalmatia is a very specific region with a high diversity of breeding sites. Material and Methods: Mosquitoes were collected in the larval stage with a larva net (20 cm in diameter), small glasses and an aspirator. The sampling took place from April to November during the period from 2001 to 2004 at 41 localities from Maslenica bridge to Prevlaka. Results and Conclusions: The investigation of mosquito fauna showed the presence of 25 species in natural and artificial breeding habitats. According to this investigation the most abundant mosquito species in Dalmatia were: Cx. pipiens complex (55,58 %), Cs. longiareolata (37,91 %) and Cs. annulata (33,34 %). The species whose presence in different types of breeding habitats varied between 10 % and 30 % were: Ae. vexans, An. claviger, An. maculipennis compleks, An. plumbeus, Cx. hortensis, Oc. caspius and Or. pulcripalpis. The remaining 15 species were rare for the region of Dalmatia

Dva tipa prezimljavanja Culex pipiens kompleksa (Diptera: Culicidae) u Hrvatskoj

An investigation of different ways in which the Culex pipiens complex hibernates has been carried out in cellar environments with two different ecological conditions. These two types of hibernation are as follows. The first type includes continuous exchange of generations in dark concrete basements with water, with 45 days for the development of a new generation. The second potential type of hibernation of adult mosquitoes is in dark and cold cellars where they lose 44.5 % of body weight and only 41.86 % of hibernating specimens survive.U ovom radu predstavljeni su rezultati istraživanja različitih načina prezimljavanja Culex pipiens complex u podrumima u kojima vladaju različiti ekološki uvijeti. U odnosu na ekološke uvijete postoje dva načina prezimljavanja. Prvi tip uključuje kontinuiranu izmjenu generacija u mračnom betonskom relativno toplom podrumu s vodom, u kome razvoj generacije traje 45 dana. Drugi oblik prezimljavanja odraslih komarca je u tamnim i hladnim podrumima starih zgrada, gdje prezimljuju na račun rezervnih masti i gube 44,5% na težini, a prezimi samo 41% jedinki

Novi nalazi tulara (Insecta, Trichoptera) za Hrvatsku: vrste Oecetis furva (Rambur, 1842) and Orthotrichia tragetti (Mosely, 1930)

Two species, Oecetis furva and Orthotrichia tragetti, are recorded for the first time in Croatia. Moreover, O. tragetti is recorded for the first time in the limno-ecoregion Hungarian Lowlands (ER11). Adult caddisflies were collected from 2010 to 2012 in Kopački rit Nature Park. Sampling was conducted using light traps (15 W UV lamp) that were operated monthly, with the exception of May when two light trap samples were taken. Both species were collected at various habitats, from both perennial and ephemeral bodies of water (river course, lake, channels). O. furva was collected on the lower reach of the Drava River, in the eutrophic Lake Sakadaš and in two different channels; Vemeljski dunavac (intermittent channel) and Čarna (perennial reclamation channel). O. tragetti was collected in the eutrophic Lake Sakadaš and the Čarna channel. These data represent a significant contribution to the general knowledge of caddisflies in Croatia, and particularly of insufficiently investigated wetlands and lakes in the continental region.Vrste Oecetis furva i Orthotrichia tragetti po prvi puta su zabilježene za faunu Hrvatske. Osim toga, vrsta O. tragetti prvi puta je zabilježena u Panonskoj ekoregiji (ER11 Mađarska nizina). Odrasle jedinke tulara prikupljane su u periodu od 2010. – 2012. godine na području Parka prirode Kopački rit. Uzorkovali smo jednom mjesečno, uz izuzetak svibnja kada smo uzorkovanja obavili dva puta. Kao atraktant koristili smo UV lampu jačine 15 W. Obje su vrste zabilježene na različitim tipovima stalnih i povremenih staništa (riječni tok, jezero, različiti kanali). Vrsta O. furva zabilježena je na donjem toku rijeke Drave, zatim na eutrofnom jezeru Sakadaš, te na dva različita tipa kanala; Vemeljski dunavac (povremeni kanal) i Čarna (stalni melioracijski kanal). Vrsta O. tragetti zabilježena je na eutrofnom jezeru Sakadaš i kanalu Čarna. Ovi podatci predstavljaju značajan doprinos poznavanju faune tulara Hrvatske općenito, a posebice nedovoljno istraženih močvarnih i jezerskih staništa kontinentalnog dijela Hrvatske

First record of Berosus geminus (Reiche et Saulcy, 1856) and Enochrus affinis (Thunberg, 1794) (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) for Croatian fauna

Research on aquatic beetle fauna was conducted in the aquatic habitats of Kopački rit Nature Park during the year 2005. One species of water scavenger beetle (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) Berosus geminus Reiche et Saulcy, which had not been recorded in Croatia before, was found during this inventory research. Although endangered in Europe, the species Berosus geminus has an optimal habitat in Kopački rit, as has been proven by the collection of 17 specimens. Enochrus affinis Thunberg, was also found during the study, representing the first documented occurrence in Croatia. Both species were found in the unique flooded areas of Kopački rit. Some morphological, biological and distributional features of these two species are discussed

Aquatic insects in Nature Park Kopacki rit (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Coleoptera: Hydradephaga, Hydrophiloidea)

Fauna and seasonal dynamics of aquatic insects have been investigated in the wider area of Kopa~ki Rit Nature Park over a period of two years. The investigation, carried out at biological localities, included channels as permanent habitats of water insects. Among 42 species of water insects, 14 belong to the order Heteroptera and 28 to the order Coleoptera. Fluctuation in numbers of water insects during the season has been recorded and the greatest numbers of insects were recorded during August. The most abundant are Plea minutissima and Ilyocoris cimicoides. Situated in the midst of the floodplains, Kopa~ki Rit provides specific ecological living conditions for water insects