Larval morphology of genus Megacephala Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae).

Die Larvalmerkmale der Gattung Megacephala Latreille werden beschrieben und ein Larvenbestimmungsschlüssel für 5 der 6 Untergattungen vorgelegt. Larven von Megacephala sind durch die Y-förmig Gularsutur (ein Merkmal aller Megacephalini) und das fehlende Doppelsklerit ventral am Prämentum charakterisiert. Nur die Untergattung Phaeoxantha besitzt einen gezähnelten Clypeus, den wahrscheinlich plesiomorphen Zustand dieses Merkmals im Verwandtschaftskreis. Die Untergattung Tetracha umfaßt mindestens zwei verschiedene Artengruppen, die sich durch ihre Chaetotaxie am Pronotum und Abdomen deutlich unterscheiden.A description of larval characters of the genus Megacephala Latreille and a larval key to five of the six subgenera are given. The most characteristic larval characters of Megacephala are the Y-shaped gular suture (known from all Megacephalini) and the lack of an oval double sclerite on the prementum. The anterior margin of the clypeus of the subgenus Phaeoxantha is serrated, which is probably the plesiomorphic character state. The subgenus Tetracha includes at least two distinct species groups, which are distinguished by the chaetotaxy of the pronotum and abdomen

A New Subspecies of the Genus Leistus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Western Caucasus

Leistus (s. str.) denticollis adygeicus subsp. n. from West Caucasus (Adygeya, Caucasian reservation, Abago pasture) is described. Its comparison analyse with nominotypical subspecies is given.Описан Leistus (s. str.) denticollis adygeicus subsp. n. (Автономная Республика Адыгея, Кавказский государственный биосферный заповедник, пастбище Абаго). Приведен его сравнительный анализ с номинативным подвидом

Rare species of Carabidae and Cicindelidae in Dnipropetrovsk Region, Ukraine

Dnipropetrovsk Region is situated in the steppe zone of Ukraine, in conditions of insufficient moisture. Forest vegetation covers only 5.1% of the region. Over 80% of the region’s area is used for agricultural purposes. A total of 281 species of ground beetles is known for the region, of which this article gives the data on biology and distribution of 82 species that need protection: Cephalota atrata, C. besseri, C. elegans, Cicindela maritima, C. soluta, Cylindera arenaria, Leistus terminatus, Notiophilus rufipes, Calosoma sycophanta, C. denticolle, C. investigator, Carabus stscheglowi, C. clathratus, C. excellens, C. hungaricus, C. besseri, C. estreicheri, C. sibiricus, Blethisa multipunctata, Elaphrus uliginosus, Scarites terricola, Dyschirius chalceus, Dyschirius obscurus, Blemus discus, Epaphius secalis, Bembidion ephippium, B. aspericolle, Pogonus cumanus, Pogonistes convexicollis, Patrobus atrorufus, Stomis pumicatus, Pedius inquinatus, Pterostichus chamaeleon, P. elongatus, P. macer, P. melas, Taphoxenus gigas, Laemostenus terricola, Agonum impressum, A. marginatum, A. monachum, A. sexpunctatum, A. viridicupreum, Olisthopus sturmii, Synuchus vivalis, Amara chaudoiri, A. crenata, A. equestris, A. fulva, A. sabulosa, Curtonotus convexiusсulus, Anisodastylus poeciloides, Diachromus germanus, Acupalpus interstitialis, A. suturalis, Stenolophus discophorus, Daptus vittatus, Harpalus cephalotes, H. dispar, H. hirtipes, Н. laeviceps, H. luteicornis, H. melancholicus, H. steveni, H. subcylindricus, Microderes brachypus, Ophonus diffinis, Dixus eremita, Panagaeus bipustulatus, Callistus lunatus, Dinodes decipiens, Chlaenius alutaceus, Ch. festivus, Licinus cassideus, Badister dorsiger, Masoreus wetterhalli, Lebia humeralis, Demetrias imperialis, Cymindis axillaris, Polystichus connexus, Brachinus ejaculans, B. hamatus, Mastax thermarum. To formalize the data on each species, the article provides characteristics of its ecological niche: thermal preferendum, hygro-preferendum, biotopical characteristic, biogeohorizon, trophic preferences, practical significance and protection measures. The main factors of decline in diversity of the fauna of ground beetles in Dnipropetrovsk Region are arable farming, chemical treatment of agricultural land, unregulated cattle grazing, recreational loading, large scale construction in floodplain areas

Ecological-faunistic analysis of ground beetles and tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Cicindelidae) of metropolises of Ukraine

Ground beetles and tiger beetles are the most noticible representatives of predatory invertebrates often used in bioidentificational studies. This article provides quantitative and ecological characteristics of Caraboidea in five metroplises of Ukraine (Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Lviv). In total, in these cities, 237 species of Caraboidea were recorded, belonging to 63 genera and two families – Carabidae (231 species, 61 genera) and Cicindelidae (6 species, 2 genera). By abundance of Carabidae in megapolises, 33 species were identified to abundant. Eudominants were represented by three species: Harpalus rufipes, Pterostichus melanarius and P. оblongopunctatus, dominants – five: Amara aenea, Anchomenus dorsalis, Calathus fuscipes, Harpalus distinguendus and Poecilus versicolor. Subdominants were 25 species: Amara similata, Asaphidion flavipes, Badister bullatus, Bembidion lampros, B. properans, Broscus cephalotes, Calathus ambiguus, C. melanocephalus, Carabus cancellatus, C. coriaceus, C. granulatus, Cylindera germanica, Harpalus affinis, H. anxius, H. griseus, H. latus, H. tardus, Limodromus assimilis, Microlestes minutulus, Nebria brevicollis, Notiophilus palustris, Poecilus cupreus, Pterostichus niger, P. ovoideus and P. strenuus. In the studied cities, 53 species are rare, 151 species were identified to the group of accidental species. For separate cities, number of eudominants ranged from 4 (Donetsk, Kyiv) to 6–8 (Kharkiv, Lviv). Ten species discovered: Amara famelica, A. majuscula, Anisodactylus nemorivagus, Asaphidion pallipes, Badister lacertosus, Blemus discus, Harpalus laeviceps, Limodromus krynickii, Pterostichus minor and Tachyta nana were new for the Steppe zone of Ukraine. Chlaenius aeneocephalus and Brachinus brevicollis were recorded for the first time in the Right Bank of the northern subzone of the steppe zone, and Stenolophus abdominalis mentioned earlier for the far south of Ukraine was for the first time reported for the northern Steppe. Microlestes nеgrita was new for the Forest Steppe, and Masoreus wetterhalli and Syntomus foveatus, known earlier for the forest zone and the south of the steppe zone, were for the first time reported for its northern subzone. The levels of faunistic similarity of Caraboidea for different metropolises ranged within 0.20–0.60 for all species and 0.32–0.90 for abundant species. Most similar were carabidofaunas of Kharkiv and Dnipro (similarity index of Jaccard equaled 0.58–0.87), slightly lower in Dnipro and Kyiv (0.50–0.72). Lowest parameters were seen for Lviv compared with the other cities (0.20–0.32). According to the species composition, the most numerous were meadow (119) and forest elements (59 species). To the polytopic group, 25 species are identified, 23 to the steppe group, and 11 species to the litoral group. In numbers in all the metropolises, the polytopic group dominated, among which abundant species comprised almost half. Within the forest group in Dnipro, Donetsk and Kharkiv, 4–6 abundant species were recorded, whereas in Kyiv and Lviv their number was 14–17 species. Within the meadow group, common species were represented by 4–11 species, and in the steppe and litoral groups such species were absent. In relation to moisture, eudominants were mesophiles (165 species), including 31 abundant species. According to the trophic specialization, zoophages dominated (146 species), including 24 abundant species. Among zoophytophages, 60 species (seven abundant) were recorded. Phytozoophages were represented by 30 species (two abundant). According to mechanical composition of soil, the more diverse groups were observed to be made up species preferring loamy and clay-loamy soils (85 species each), but to the abundant species from these groups, 6 and 10 species respectively were identified. The group of ground beetles with non-manifested preferences to mechanical composition of soil was represented by 41 species, though by number of abundant (17 species), the group was dominant. To inhabitants of heavy loamy, sandy and sabulous soils, 4, 6 and 16 species correspondingly were identified, and no abundant species were observed. At the level of abundant species, the ecological structure was more similar than shown by the analysis of all the species of ground beetles. Hypothetically, typical representatives of carabid beetles of Ukrainian metropolises could be considered polytopic or meadow (to a lesser extent forest) mesophile zoophages or zoophytophages which prefer loam-clayey soils without preference to one or the other type of soil

Description of the Larva of the Tiger Beetle Pogonostoma majunganum (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)

The 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of Pogonostoma majunganum Jeannel, 1946 reared to imago are described. Brief ecological data and comparative discussion are given.Описаны личинки 2-го и 3-го возрастов Pogonostoma majunganum Jeannael, 1946 с о. Мадагаскар. Приведены короткие экологические сведения и сравнительный таксономический анализ известных личинок рода Pogonostoma

Summer fire in steppe habitats: long-term effects on vegetation and autumnal assemblages of cursorial arthropods

Being an essential driving factor in dry grassland ecosystems, uncontrolled fires can cause damage to isolated natural areas. We investigated a case of a small-scale mid-summer fire in an abandoned steppe pasture in northeastern Ukraine andfocused on the post-fire recovery of arthropod assemblages (mainly spiders and beetles) and vegetation pattern. The living cover of vascular plants recovered in a year, while the cover of mosses and litter remained sparse for four years. The burnt site was colonised by mobile arthropods occurring in surrounding grasslands. The fire had no significant impact on arthropod diversity or abundance, but changed their assemblage structure, namely dominant complexes and trophic guild ratio. The proportion of phytophages reduced, while that of omnivores increased. The fire destroyed the variety of the arthropod assemblages created by the patchiness of vegetation cover. In the post-fire stage they were more similar to each other than at the burnt plot in the pre- and post-fire period. Spider assemblages tended to recover their pre-fire state, while beetle assemblages retained significant differences during the entire study period

A New Species of the Genus Leistus (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebriini) from Kazakhstan

Leistus (Pogonophorus) tatianae Kabak et Putchkov, sp. n. is described from the right bank of the Bayankol River (South-Eastern Kazakhstan). Its differences from the closely related species L. mitjaevi Kabak, 2008 and L. tschitscherini Semenov, 1906 are discussed.Описан Leistus (Pogonophorus) tatianae Kabak et Putchkov, sp. n. с горы по правому берегу р. Баянкол (Юго-Восточный Казахстан). Обсуждены его отличия от близких видов, L. mitjaevi Kabak, 2008 и L. tschitscherini Semenov, 1906

Larval Morphology of the Subgenus Megacephala s. str. (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)

General morphological characteristic of larvae in the subgenus Megacephala s. str. and their differences from larvae in other subgenera are given. The III instar larva of M. regalis Bohemann, 1848 is described. Some morphological characters allow to distinguish the larvae of certain taxa in Megacephala s. str.Приведена общая морфологическая характеристика личинок подрода Megacephala s. str. и даны их отличия от личинок других подродов. Описана личинка III возраста M. regalis Bohemann, 1848. Выделены основные морфологические признаки, позволяющие различать личинок в отдельных таксонах номинативного подрода

Ecologo-faunistic review of lamellicorn beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) of urbocenosis of Kharkov city (Ukraine)

This article presents a general overview of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea in five parks of Kharkov city and some adjacent agrocenosises. The species composition includes 32 species from four families of Scarabaeoidea. The Scarabaeidae family dominated in biodiversity and abundance (26 species from 16 genera). Six species (Dorcus parallelopipedus, Platyderes caraboides, Anoplotrupes stercorosus, Aphodius melanostictus, Pleurophorus caesus and Onthophagus coenobita) were sporadically registered as common, but in separate urban cenosises the number of species did not exceed one or three. The species composition and abundance of lamellicorn beetles was higher in large parks with only slight recreational disturbance. Here from 13 to 20 species were registered. On lawns in the center and in other districts of the city Scarabaeoidea species met very rarely. In the agrocenosises on the outskirts of Kharkov city – 16 species are noted, almost half of which were registered as common. The faunistic similarity of different urban cenosises was at low to medium levels (an average 0.20–0.47). These indices were slightly higher (0.38–0.67) for areas with lower recreational pressure. The indices of faunal similarity of separate parks and agrocenoses were lower (0.18–0.56, but on average – 0.33). At the level of common species, there was no faunistic similarity. The significance of such differences was due to both the low number of most Lamellicorn species and some of their ecological characteristics. The main differences were observed in the ratio of trophic groups and features of the spatial distribution of the dominant species. Smaller differences were observed on biotopic characteristic of most species. There were no differences in the hygropreference of the scarabeid species. In the parks herpetobiont saprophagous species dominated (mainly coprophagous and dendrophagous). In the agrocenoses, dendrochordobiontic phytophagous species predominated. The peculiarities of the ratio of different ecological groups of Scarabaeoidea in urban and agrocenosises are discussed.В результате исследований в пяти парках г. Харьков выявлено 32 вида из четырех семейств Scarabaeoidea. По видовому составу и численности доминировали представители семейства Scarabaeidae (26 видов из 16 родов). Обычными оказались шесть видов, причем в отдельных урбоценозах их число не превышало одного-трех видов. Видовой состав и численность скарабеоидных жуков оказались выше в крупных, рекреационно слабо нарушенных парках, где отмечено от 13 до 20 видов. На газонах как в центре города, так и в отдаленных микрорайонах, пластинчатоусые жуки встречались единично. В прилегающих к Харькову агроценозах отмечено 16 видов, из которых почти половина – обычны. Среднее фаунистическое сходство Scarabaeoidea в разных парках оказалось невелико (0,20 по Жаккару и 0,47 по Чекановскому – Серенсену). Эти показатели были чуть выше (0,38–0,50 / 0,61–0,67) для территорий с меньшей рекреационной нагруз­кой. Фаунистические индексы отдельных парков и агроценозов составляли 0,18–0,31 / 0,31–0,56 (в среднем – 0,33 / 0,50). На уровне обычных видов, фаунистическое сходство отсутствует. Значимость таких различий обусловлена как низкой численностью большинства видов, так и некоторыми экологическими характеристиками видов. Основные различия наблюдались в соотношении трофических групп и особенностях пространственного распределения доминантных видов. Меньшие различия отмечены при сравнении видов по биото­пической приуроченности и гигропреферендуму. По трофической специализации в парках доминировали герпетобионтные сапрофаги разной специализации (в основном копрофаги и дендрофаги), тогда как в агроценозах преобладали фитофаги – дендрохортобионты. Обсуждены особенности соотношения разных экологических групп Scarabaeoidea в урбо- и агроценозах.В результате исследований в пяти парках г. Харьков выявлено 32 вида из четырех семейств Scarabaeoidea. По видовому составу и численности доминировали представители семейства Scarabaeidae (26 видов из 16 родов). Обычными оказались шесть видов, причем в отдельных урбоценозах их число не превышало одного-трех видов. Видовой состав и численность скарабеоидных жуков оказались выше в крупных, рекреационно слабо нарушенных парках, где отмечено от 13 до 20 видов. На газонах как в центре города, так и в отдаленных микрорайонах, пластинчатоусые жуки встречались единично. В прилегающих к Харькову агроценозах отмечено 16 видов, из которых почти половина – обычны. Среднее фаунистическое сходство Scarabaeoidea в разных парках оказалось невелико (0,20 по Жаккару и 0,47 по Чекановскому – Серенсену). Эти показатели были чуть выше (0,38–0,50 / 0,61–0,67) для территорий с меньшей рекреационной нагруз­кой. Фаунистические индексы отдельных парков и агроценозов составляли 0,18–0,31 / 0,31–0,56 (в среднем – 0,33 / 0,50). На уровне обычных видов, фаунистическое сходство отсутствует. Значимость таких различий обусловлена как низкой численностью большинства видов, так и некоторыми экологическими характеристиками видов. Основные различия наблюдались в соотношении трофических групп и особенностях пространственного распределения доминантных видов. Меньшие различия отмечены при сравнении видов по биото­пической приуроченности и гигропреферендуму. По трофической специализации в парках доминировали герпетобионтные сапрофаги разной специализации (в основном копрофаги и дендрофаги), тогда как в агроценозах преобладали фитофаги – дендрохортобионты. Обсуждены особенности соотношения разных экологических групп Scarabaeoidea в урбо- и агроценозах

Ecological and faunistic survey of the true bugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera) in the urban cenoses of Kharkiv City (Ukraine)

A total of 63 species of true bugs in 53 genera and 11 families of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha was recorded from the city of Kharkiv. For one species, Carpocoris purpureipennis (Pentatomidae), we obtained the first record from Left-Bank Ukraine. Formerly, this species was known from Western and Central Ukraine only. Four species of the family Lygaeidae (Nysius ericae, Perithrechus geniculatus, P. gracilicornis, Taphropeltus contractus) are new to Kharkiv Region. The families Lygaeidae (23 species of 19 genera, 38.3% of the total collected bugs), Pentatomidae (16 species of 14 genera, 26.7%), Rhopalidae (7 species of 5 genera, 11.7%), and Coreidae (6 species of 6 genera, about 3%) were the most rich in species and individual numbers. The families of Berytidae, Cydnidae and Scutelleridae were represented by two species each (3.3% out of the total collected bugs). Six species (Myrmus miriformis, Lygaeus equestris, Scolopostethus pictus, Aelia acuminata, Graphosoma lineatum, and Pyrrhocoris apterus) were abundant, eight species common, 14 species rare, and 32 species belonged to occasional elements of the urban cenoses. The true bug species composition and individual abundance were the highest in the suburban meadows and large city parks (44 and 27 species, respectively). By contrast, only seven species were registered in the green areas of the city centre (lawns, public gardens). Faunal similarity (Jaccard / Chekanovsky-Sørensen indices) of the true bug assemblages was the lowest when comparing public gardens of the city centre with the habitats of the suburbs and city parks (0.04–0.06 / 0.07–0.12), and the highest between the meadows and urban parks with glades and grassy vegetation under low recreational pressure (0.52 / 0.68). Jaccard similarity indices for the other six pairs of compared urban cenoses were low (0.1‒0.42). The average Pentatomomorpha similarity in different urban cenoses was also low (Jaccard index 0.27, Chekanovsky-Sørensen index 0.39). The essential faunal differences can be explained by both the low number of most Pentatomomorpha species and their ecological peculiarities. The proportions of various ecological groups of bugs in different urban cenoses were analyzed and discussed. Major differences were observed in the species habitat distributions while the lesser differences concerned trophic groups and hygropreferences of most species. Hortobiont and herpetohortobiont polyphytophagous species dominated all the habitats