CHEILOSIA HERCULANA BRĂDESCU, 1982, A NEW HOVERFLY (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) SPECIES FOR THE FAUNA OF SERBIA

Cheilosia Meigen, 1822 represents a large genus of blackish hoverflies, with nearly 300 species in the Palaearctic. In Europe, about 175 species occur (78 of them is registered in the Balkans), making it Europe’s largest genus (Peck, 1988; Vujić, 1996; van Veen, 2004; Speight, 2018). During a survey of hoverflies on Mt. Jadovnik, one female individual was collected by a standard sweeping net method. Identification was based on the key in Ståhls & Barkalov (2017). The prepared individua lof Cheilosia herculana Brădescu, 1982 is deposited in the author’s private collection

New records of allochthonous Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 (Mantodea: Mantidae) from Southeastern Europe, with evidence of its spread across the Pannonian Plain

In the last few years, the allochthonous mantid species, Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 has spread vigorously across Europe. To date, the species has been recorded in many countries in the southern and eastern parts of the continent, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Ukraine. On October 22, 2022, in Szeged, a city in the southern part of Hungary, one ochre-colored female specimen of H. tenuidentata was found. The finding presented in this article is the first recording of this species in Hungary and indicates the further spread of the species towards Central Europe. We also present a few new records of this species from Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia. We discuss the spread of H. tenuidentata in the Pannonian Plain, as well as the potential importance of climate change and the heat island effect in population establishment in this part of Europe

THE FIG BARK BEETLE HYPOBORUS FICUS ERICHSON, 1836 (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE: SCOLYTINAE) IN SERBIA: FIRST RECORDS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY

The fig bark beetle (Hypoborus ficus Erichson, 1836) was recorded under the bark and in the wood of frost-damaged top branches of fig (Ficus carica L.) in two locations in Vrčin, in the vicinity of Belgrade, as well as in the "Jevremovac" Botanical Garden in Belgrade. Numerous specimens were found, and a total of 39 adults, as well as several larvae and pupae, were collected. The findings presented here are new data on the presence of the mentioned species of bark beetle on the territory of Serbia (the first precise data), after more than a century. This is another Mediterranean species that has been confirmed to have established populations in Serbia

THE FIRST RECORD OF THE WEB-SPINNING SAWFLY CAENOLYDA RETICULATA (LINNAEUS, 1758) (HYMENOPTERA: SYMPHYTA: PAMPHILIIDAE) FROM THE BALKANS

During project field activities conducted in May 2021 in the territory of the Landscape of Outstanding Features “Dolina Pčinje” at the locality Vogance, one dead and trampled specimen of the web-spinning sawfly Caenolyda reticulata (Linnaeus, 1758) was found. The new finding is the first report of the species from Serbia, as well as from the Balkans, and significantly expands its known distribution into southeast Europe. The host plants of this species are pines (Pinus spp.), of which black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. nigra) occurs in the Pčinja River valley

The first arrival of the Chinese sand roach Polyphaga cf. plancyi (Blattodea: Corydiidae) in Europe

Polyphaga plancyi Bolívar, 1883, also known as Chinese sand roach, it is a large Corydiidae species with a native distribution that includes several Chinese provinces and southern part of the Russian Far East. It is a well-known insect in traditional Chinese medicine, and the biological activity of the compounds isolated from it are actively studied. So far, there are no records of this species outside its natural range, at least outside China. In this article, we present the first record of P. cf. plancyi specimen collected in Europe, probably imported from Shanghai. The specimen was recognized as a non-native cockroach species to Europe via photo posted on social media, and it was subsequently taxonomically identified. Details of its possible origin, its morphology, importance of citizen science, as well as annotations on the other synanthropic cockroaches in Serbia are provided

LITTLE TIGER BLUE, TARUCUS BALKANICUS (FREYER, 1845) – NEW BUTTERFLY SPECIES IN THE FAUNA OF SERBIA

The fauna of butterflies in Serbia is richer for another species - Tarucus balkanicus (Freyer, 1845). During the research of the Landscape of Outstanding Features of the "Valley of Pčinja", on August 3rd and 4th, a total of 6 individuals of this species were recorded at the site of Čivčija. The feeding plant of this species is Paliurus spina-christi, on the basis of which the popular Serbian name for T. balkanicus – “dračac” was proposed

NEW FAUNAL DATA ON TRUE BUGS (HETEROPTERA) IN SERBIA

Three new true bugs were recorded in Serbia and species are listed with notes on records. Anisops sardeus Herrich-Schäffer, 1849; Henestaris laticeps (Curtis, 1836); Caenocoris nerii (Germar, 1847)

HOVERFLY FAUNA (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) OF THE LANDSCAPE OF OUTSTANDING FEATURES “VLASINA”

In the many years of research organized between 1977 and 2017, a total of 76 hoverfly species were collected in the protected Landscape of Outstanding Features “Vlasina” (southeastern Serbia) on six localities. Among the identified taxa there is a rare species, Cheilosia longula (Zetterstedt, 1838), which is protected in Serbia. Additionally, one potentially new hoverfly species is registered (Merodon aff. cinereus). The first species checklist of hoverflies for Vlasina is proposed

Novi podaci za faunu muha pršilica (Diptera: Syrphidae) Bosne i Hercegovine

Hoverflies (Syrphidae) are a large Dipteran family, distributed almost worldwide. They play very important ecological roles such as plant pollination, nutrient recycling and predation of plant pests. The members of the genus Epistrophe Walker, 1852 are medium-sized hoverflies of which about 75 species have been described in the World, and 12 of them occur in Europe. During a survey, conducted from 16th June to 4th July 2021 at Blidinje Nature Park (Bosnia and Herzegovina), a new species, of the fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was recorded – Epistrophe diaphana (Zetterstedt, 1843) and new records for species Epistrophe leiophthalma (Schiner & Egger, 1853) were observed. Specimens were collected from inflorescences of Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium L.). Information about the records, species habitats, distribution and status in the country and the region is presented and discussed in this research work.Cvjetne muhe (Syrphidae) velika su porodica dvokrilaca, rasprostranjena u skoro cijelom svijetu. One sudjeluju u važnim ekološkim procesima kao što su oprašivanje biljaka, recikliranje hranjivih tvari i predacija nad biljnih štetočinama. Pripadnici roda Epistrophe Walker, 1852 srednje su velike cvjetne muhe kojih je do sada u svijetu opisano 75 vrsta od čega 12 u Europi. Tijekom istraživanja, provedenog od 16. lipnja do 4. srpnja 2021. godine u Parku prirode Blidinje (Bosna i Hercegovina), zabilježena je jedna nova vrsta za faunu Bosne i Hercegovine - Epistrophe diaphana (Zetterstedt, 1843), te i novi nalazi vrste Epistrophe leiophthalma (Schiner & Egger, 1853). Jedinke su prikupljene iz cvatova obične svinjske trave (Heracleum sphondylium L.). Predstavljeni su i raspravljani podaci o nalazima, staništima vrsta, rasprostranjenosti te statusu u zemlji i regiji

A FIRST RECORD OF THE ALIEN MANTIS SPECIES HIERODULA TENUIDENTATA (MANTODEA: MANTIDAE) IN SERBIA

An alien mantis species, Hierodula tenuidentata, has expanded its areal in Europe in the last few years. It was registered in several European countries, including some on the Balkan Peninsula. Herein are presented for the first time records of H. tenuidentata on the territory of Serbia, several from the capital city of Belgrade, and one from Novi Kneževac, a town in the northern part of country. The species was recognized for the first time in photos posted in a Facebook group of insect lovers and enthusiasts in 2019, but positive identification only took place in 2020 after group members collected specimens. Social networks can be a very important tool for the monitoring of invasive species in general, and invasive mantids in particular, especially due to their size and attractiveness