Novi podatki o razširjenosti in razponu nadmorskih višin pojavljanja dalmatinskega rjavčka, Proterebia afra dalmata (Godart, [1824]) (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae) na Hrvaškem

During the survey of butterfly fauna of Dalmatian mountains in the last years, Proterebia afra dalmata (Godart, 1824) was found on several new sites, including the first records of this subspecies at higher altitudes (Poštak, Svilaja, Promina, Kamešnica and Dinara Mts.). In this paper we present a much more complete picture of the distribution of this presumably rare butterfly and discuss its altitudinal distribution. The species was found at altitude of almost 1500 m, therefore the characterization of the subspecies as a lowland butterfly can be dismissed.Med raziskavami favne metuljev dalmatinskih hribov v zadnjih letih smo vrsto Proterebia afra dalmata (Godart, 1824) našli na več novih lokalitetah, vključno s prvimi najdbami te podvrste na višjih nadmorskih višinah (gore Poštak, Svilaja, Promina, Kamešnica in Dinara). V članku predstavljamo veliko popolnejšo sliko razširjenosti tega domnevno redkega metulja in razpravljamo o njegovi višinski razširjenosti. Vrsto smo našli na skoraj 1500 m višine, zat omoramo zavreči opredelitev vrste kot nižinske

Age Estimates for Some Subterranean Taxa and Lineages in the Dinaric Karst

Using a comparative phylogeographic approach and different independent molecular clocks we propose a timescale for the evolution of troglobionts in the Dinaric Karst that is relatively consistent over a wide taxonomic range. Keystone events seem to belong to two age classes. (1) Major splits within holodinaric taxa are from the mid-Miocene. They present the potential upper limit for the age of cave invasions. (2) Regional differentiation, including speciation, which can at least in part be associated with a subterranean phase, took place from early Pliocene to mid-Pleistocene. We suggest two to five million years as the time when most of the analyzed lineages started invading the Dinaric Karst underground

Translating Niphargus barcodes from Switzerland into taxonomy with a description of two new species (Amphipoda, Niphargidae)

The amphipod genus Niphargus (Amphipoda: Niphargidae Bousfield, 1977) is the most species-rich genus of freshwater amphipods in the World. Species of this genus, which live almost exclusively in subterranean water, offer an interesting model system for basic and applied biodiversity science. Their use, however, is often limited due to the hitherto unresolved taxonomy within the whole genus. As a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the currently >425 Niphargus species is too demanding, it has been suggested that the taxonomy of the genus could be advanced in smaller steps, by reviewing regional faunas, that would eventually integrate into a global revision. In this study, we provide such a revision of Niphargus in Switzerland. First, we molecularly delimited, morphologically diagnosed, and formally described two new species, namely Niphargus luchoffmanni sp. n. and Niphargus tonywhitteni sp. n. Second, we updated and revised a checklist of Niphargus in Switzerland with new findings, and prepared a list of reference sequences for routine molecular identification, available at BOLD and GenBank. All available specimens of 22 known species from the area were morphologically examined, and their morphological variation was compiled in a data file of DEscription Language for TAxonomy, which can be used for automated generation of dichotomous or interactive keys. The data file is freely available at the World Amphipoda Database. Together, the checklist, the library of reference sequences, the DELTA file, but also a list of hitherto unresolved aspects are an important step towards a complete revision of the genus within a well-defined and biogeographically interesting area in Central Europe

New records and unusual morphology of the cave hydrozoan Velkovrhia enigmatica Matjašič & Sket, 1971 (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Bougainvilliidae)

Velkovrhia enigmatica is the only freshwater hydrozoan living exclusively in groundwater. It is endemic to the Dinarides in the Balkan Peninsula, where it has been known from four caves only. Here we report on a new V. enigmatica population from cave Logarček near Laze in southwestern Slovenia. In addition, after almost 30 years since its last recorded presence, we confirm the current presence of numerous V. enigmatica individuals in the type locality, Planinska jama. Individuals from the two caves were morphologically different: polyps from the type locality had 49 tentacles, while the ones from Logarček had 1436 tentacles. The mitochondrial DNA sequences in populations from both caves did not differ. Additional research is needed to provide further insights into species taxonomy, biology and distribution.Velkovrhia enigmatica je edini sladkovodni trdoživnjak, ki živi izključno v podzemeljskih vodah. Doslej so tega endemita Dinarskega krasa na Balkanskem polotoku našli le v štirih jamah. V prispevku poročamo o najdbi nove populacije v jami Logarček pri Lazah v jugovzhodni Sloveniji. Poleg tega lahko, po skoraj 30 letih, ponovno potrdimo pojavljanje velkovrhije na tipski lokaliteti v Planinski jami. Osebki iz obeh jam se medsebojno morfološko razlikujejo: polipi iz tipske lokalitete imajo 49 lovk v primerjavi s polipi iz Logarčka s po 1436 lovkami. V zaporedjih mitohondrijske DNA obeh populacij ni razlik. Šele z dodatnimi raziskavami bi lahko izboljšali vpogled v taksonomijo, biologijo in razširjenost te vrste

Koliko zapravo poznajemo čovječju ribicu, simbol Dinarskog krša? Novosti u poznavanju taksonomije, biologije, biogeografije i ponašanja naše najpoznatije podzemne životinje

Proteus anguinus, čovječja ribica, jedna je od najpoznatijih, ako ne i najpoznatija podzemna životinja na svijetu. Unatoč svojoj prepoznatljivosti o njoj ne znamo mnogo, a još uvijek tražimo odgovore na osnovna pitanja, kao što su područje njene raširenosti, brojnosti populacija, veličine jedinki ili pak srodstvenih odnosa među populacijama rasprostrtima po dinarskom kršu. U proteklih deset godina dio smo istraživačkih aktivnosti posvetili rješavanju upravo ovakvih pitanja. Odgovore na neka od njih možete pronaći u predstojećem tekstu, a zasigurno najupečatljiviji je onaj koji svjedoči kako čovječja ribica nije jedna vrsta s dvije podvrste, svijetlom i tamnom, već skupina devet vrsta, razdvojenih milijunima godina i raširenih na velikom dijelu dinarskog krša. Promjene u našem razumijevanju taksonomije, biogeografije i ponašanja ovog jedinstvenog organizma donose promjene u razumijevanje, ne samo čovječje ribice kao takve već i općenitog djelovanja dinarskog krša. Osim toga, pod upit postavljaju ili naglašavaju slabosti trenutnog sustava zaštite podzemlja, ali istovremeno pružaju mogućnost njegovog poboljšanja u ime cjelovitije zaštite čitavog područja raširenosti, na kojem osim čovječje ribice žive i stotine drugih podzemnih vrsta

Morphologically cryptic amphipod species are “ecological clones” at regional but not at local scale: a case study of four niphargus species

Recent studies indicate that morphologically cryptic species may be ecologically more different than would be predicted from their morphological similarity and phylogenetic relatedness. However, in biodiversity research it often remains unclear whether cryptic species should be treated as ecologically equivalent, or whether detected differences have ecological significance. In this study, we assessed the ecological equivalence of four morphologically cryptic species of the amphipod genus Niphargus. All species live in a small, isolated area on the Istrian Peninsula in the NW Balkans. The distributional ranges of the species are partially overlapping and all species are living in springs. We reconstructed their ecological niches using morphological traits related to feeding, bioclimatic niche envelope and species’ preference for epihypogean habitats. The ecological meaning of differences in niches was evaluated using distributional data and co-occurrence frequencies. We show that the species comprise two pairs of sister species. All species differ from each other and the degree of differentiation is not related to phylogenetic relatedness. Moreover, low co-occurrence frequencies in sympatric zones imply present or past interspecific competition. This pattern suggests that species are not differentiated enough to reduce interspecific competition, nor ecologically equivalent to co-exist via neutral dynamics. We tentatively conclude that the question of ecological equivalence relates to the scale of the study: at a fine scale, species’ differences may influence dynamics in a local community, whereas at the regional level these species likely play roughly similar ecological roles