ISIMEROPE, A NEW GENUS OF HYDROBIIDAE (CAENOGASTROPODA: RISSOOIDEA) FROM GREECE

ABSTRACT Isimerope semele n. gen. and n. sp., a valvatiform hydrobiid from southern continental Greece, is described based on morphological and molecular data. Isimerope is distinguished from other European and circum-Mediterranean valvatiform hydrobiid genera by a unique combination of morphological characters, including distinctive male and female genitalia. Isimerope is differentiated from morphologically similar Graecoarganiella, which is also endemic to Greece, by a 10.15% mean COI sequence divergence. Isimerope semele is composed of three small populations living in disturbed habitats, including springs and a river

Uninvited pests of an unwelcomed tree: a survey on alien chalcidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) associated with Eucalyptus trees in Cyprus

A five-month survey on Eucalyptus spp., one of the most commonly planted trees in Cyprus, was undertaken in Limassol and Akrotiri in urban, rural and protected habitats. Two alien gall-inducing Eucalyptus wasps: Leptocybe invasa Fisher and La Salle, 2004 and Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead, 1900) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were recorded for the first time from Cyprus. In addition, three new alien parasitoids: Stethynium ophelimi (Huber, 2006) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), Closterocerus chamaeleon (Girault, 1922) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Megastigmus lawsoni Doğanlar and Hassan, 2010 (Hymenoptera: Torymidae), were reared from O. maskelli and L. invasa galls. The distribution, introduction and management actions for Eucalyptus spp. and their alien Chalcidoidea associates are discussed

The conservation status of the world's freshwater molluscs

With the biodiversity crisis continuing unchecked, we need to establish levels and drivers of extinction risk, and reassessments over time, to effectively allocate conservation resources and track progress towards global conservation targets. Given that threat appears particularly high in freshwaters, we assessed the extinction risk of 1428 randomly selected freshwater molluscs using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, as part of the Sampled Red List Index project. We show that close to one-third of species in our sample are estimated to be threatened with extinction, with highest levels of threat in the Nearctic, Palearctic and Australasia and among gastropods. Threat levels were higher in lotic than lentic systems. Pollution (chemical and physical) and the modification of natural systems (e.g. through damming and water abstraction) were the most frequently reported threats to freshwater molluscs, with some regional variation. Given that we found little spatial congruence between species richness patterns of freshwater molluscs and other freshwater taxa, apart from crayfish, new additional conservation priority areas emerged from our study. We discuss the implications of our findings for freshwater mollusc conservation, the adequacy of a sampled approach and important next steps to estimate trends in freshwater mollusc extinction risk over time

A new species of hydrobiid snails (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae) from central Greece

A new minute valvatiform species belonging to the genus Daphniola Radoman 1973, Daphniola eptalophos sp. n., from mountain Parnassos, Greece is described. The new species has a transparent valvatiform-planispiral shell, wide and open umbilicus, grey-black pigmented soft body and head and a black penis with a small colorless outgrowth on the left side near its base. A comparative table of shell dimensions and a key to the species known for this endemic genus for Greece are provided

STUDY ON THE LITTER PRODUCTION. THE DECOMPOSITION RATE OF THE ORGANIC HORIZON AND THE ARTHROPOD COMMUNITY IN ECOSYSTEMS WITH PINUS HALEPENSIS MILL OF THE INSULAR GREECE

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS THE ECOLOGICAL APPROACH OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF AN INSULAR PINE FOREST WITH PINUS HALEPENSIS MILL NOT DISTRIBUTED BY MAN. THIS APPROACH WAS BASED ON THE INVESTIGATION OF FOUR ECOSYSTEMATIC CHARACTERISTICS: 1. THE STRUCTURE OF PLANT COMMUNITY 2. THE PHENOLOGY AND THE QUANTITY OF LITTER FALL 3. THE RATE OF DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATTER IN THE FOREST FLOOR AND4. THE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE ARTHROPOD COMMUNITY. THIS TYPE OFAPPROACH IS REALIZED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN GREECE. THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: 1. THE PHENOLOGY OF LITTER FALL FROM THE PINES AND DOMINANT SHRUBS IN SIMILAR TO THAT REFERRED IN THE LITERATURE FOR THE SAME OR OTHER PINE SPECIES AND SHRUBS OF MEDITERRANEAN TYPE ECOSYSTEMS. THE LITTER FALL MOSS FROM PINES AND SHRUBS IN GENERALLY LOWER THAN THAT IN OTHER M.T.E. 2. THE RATE OF DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATTER RANGES FROM LOW TO MEDIUM VALUES IN COMPARISON TO THAT IN SEVERAL M.T.E. 3. THE DENSITY OF ARTHROPODS IN THE ORGANIC HORIZON IS HIGHER THAN THAT IN OTHER M.T.E. THE SAME FACTG IS OBSERVED FOR THE ABUNDANCE OF ARTHROPODS ON THE FOLIAGE. THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF ARTHROPODS IS AFFECTED BY THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORGANIC HORIZON AND THE CLIMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE ABOVE-MENTIONED RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED.ΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΟΙΚΟΛΟΓΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΣΕΓΓΙΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑΣ ΕΝΟΣ ΑΔΙΑΤΑΡΑΚΤΟΥ ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΑΚΟΥ ΔΑΣΟΥΣ ΜΕ PINUS HALEPENSIS MILL. Η ΠΡΟΣΕΓΓΙΣΗ ΑΥΤΗ ΣΤΗΡΙΖΕΤΑΙ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΞΗΣ ΟΙΚΟΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΙΣΤΙΚΩΝ: 1) ΣΥΝΘΕΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΦΥΤΟΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑΣ, 2) ΦΑΙΝΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΥΨΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗΣ ΣΤΡΩΜΝΗΣ, 3) ΤΑΧΟΣ ΑΠΟΣΥΝΘΕΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΣΣΩΡΕΥΜΕΝΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΕΔΑΦΟΣ ΟΡΓΑΝΙΚΟΥ ΥΛΙΚΟΥ ΚΑΙ 4) ΔΟΜΗ ΣΤΟ ΧΩΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΧΡΟΝΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΘΡΟΠΟΔΩΝ. ΑΥΤΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΕΙΔΟΥΣ Η ΠΡΟΣΕΓΓΙΣΗ ΕΠΙΧΕΙΡΕΙΤΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΠΡΩΤΗ ΦΟΡΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ. ΤΑ ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΩΤΕΡΑ ΣΥΜΠΕΡΑΣΜΑΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΕΚΥΨΑΝΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΑ ΕΞΗΣ: 1) Η ΦΑΙΝΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗΣ ΣΤΡΩΜΝΗΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΠΕΥΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΚΡΑΤΕΣΤΕΡΟΥΣ ΘΑΜΝΟΥΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΟΜΟΙΑ ΜΕ ΑΥΤΗΝ ΠΟΥ ΑΝΑΦΕΡΕΤΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΙΔΙΑ 'Η ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΤΙΚΑ ΕΙΔΗ ΠΕΥΚΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΑΜΝΩΝ ΣΕ ΑΛΛΑ ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΑΚΟΥ ΤΥΠΟΥ ΟΙΚΟΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΑ. Η ΠΟΣΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΜΕΝΗΣ ΣΤΡΩΜΝΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΧΑΜΗΛΟΤΕΡΗ ΓΕΝΙΚΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΙΣ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΥΠΟΛΟΓΙΣΤΗΚΑΝ ΣΕ ΑΛΛΑ Μ.Τ.Ο,. 2) ΤΟ ΤΑΧΟΣ ΑΠΟΣΥΝΘΕΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΣΣΩΡΕΥΜΕΝΟΥ ΟΡΓΑΝΙΚΟΥ ΥΛΙΚΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΕΔΑΦΟΣ ΚΥΜΑΙΝΕΤΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΧΑΜΗΛΕΣ ΕΩΣ ΜΕΤΡΙΕΣ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΣΥΓΚΡΙΤΙΚΑ ΜΕ ΤΟ Τ.Α. ΣΕ ΑΛΛΑ ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΑΚΑ ΟΙΚΟΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΑ, 3) Η ΠΥΚΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΘΡΟΠΟΔΩΝ ΣΤΟΝ ΟΡΓΑΝΙΚΟ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΦΘΟΝΙΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΣΤΟ ΦΥΛΛΩΜΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΥΨΗΛΟΤΕΡΗ ΑΠΟ ΤΙΣ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΑΝΑΦΕΡΟΝΤΑ ΣΕ ΑΛΛΑ Μ.Τ.Ο. Η ΚΑΤΑΝΟΜΗ ΣΤΟ ΧΩΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΧΡΟΝΟ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΘΡΟΠΟΔΩΝ ΕΠΗΡΕΑΖΕΤΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΦΥΣΙΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΗΜΙΚΑ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΙΣΤΙΚΑ ΤΟΥ ΟΡΓΑΝΙΚΟΥ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΛΙΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΥΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΕΣ. ΤΑ ΠΡΟΑΝΑΦΕΡΘΕΝΤΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ ΣΥΖΗΤΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΑΝΑΛΥΤΙΚΑ

Myrtoessa hyas, a new valvatiform genus and a new species of the Hydrobiidae (Caenogastropoda, Truncatelloidea) from Greece

A new to science valvatiform hydrobiid, Myrtoessa hyas Radea, gen. n. & sp. n., from southern Greece, is described and illustrated. The new genus is a tiny gastropod thriving in a stream and is differentiated from the other known European and circum-Mediterranean valvatiform hydrobiid genera by a unique combination of the male and female genitalia features i.e. penis long, flat, blunt, with wide wrinkled proximal part and narrow distal part with a sub-terminal eversible papilla on its left side, bursa copulatrix well-developed, pyriform, fully protruding from the posterior end of the albumen gland and two seminal receptacles respectively. The new monotypic and locally endemic genus is narrowly distributed and its single known population nearby a coastal bustling village is vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors

Myrtoessa hyas, a new valvatiform genus and a new species of the Hydrobiidae (Caenogastropoda, Truncatelloidea) from Greece

A new to science valvatiform hydrobiid, Myrtoessa hyas Radea, gen. n. & sp. n., from southern Greece, is described and illustrated. The new genus is a tiny gastropod thriving in a stream and is differentiated from the other known European and circum-Mediterranean valvatiform hydrobiid genera by a unique combination of the male and female genitalia features i.e. penis long, flat, blunt, with wide wrinkled proximal part and narrow distal part with a sub-terminal eversible papilla on its left side, bursa copulatrix well-developed, pyriform, fully protruding from the posterior end of the albumen gland and two seminal receptacles respectively. The new monotypic and locally endemic genus is narrowly distributed and its single known population nearby a coastal bustling village is vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors

Myrtoessa hyas, a new valvatiform genus and a new species of the Hydrobiidae (Caenogastropoda, Truncatelloidea) from Greece

A new to science valvatiform hydrobiid, Myrtoessa hyas Radea, gen. n. & sp. n., from southern Greece, is described and illustrated. The new genus is a tiny gastropod thriving in a stream and is differentiated from the other known European and circum-Mediterranean valvatiform hydrobiid genera by a unique combination of the male and female genitalia features i.e. penis long, flat, blunt, with wide wrinkled proximal part and narrow distal part with a sub-terminal eversible papilla on its left side, bursa copulatrix well-developed, pyriform, fully protruding from the posterior end of the albumen gland and two seminal receptacles respectively. The new monotypic and locally endemic genus is narrowly distributed and its single known population nearby a coastal bustling village is vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors

A new hydrobiid species (Caenogastropoda, Truncatelloidea) from insular Greece

Daphniola dione sp. nov., a valvatiform hydrobiid gastropod from Western Greece, is described based on conchological, anatomical and molecular data. D. dione is distinguished from the other species of the Greek endemic genus Daphniola by a unique combination of shell and soft body character states and by a 7–13% COI sequence divergence when compared to congeneric species. The only population of D. dione inhabits a cave spring on Lefkada Island, Ionian Sea