Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) of the North-West Caucasus: fauna, ecology, landscape and biotopic distribution

Sixty one species of grasshoppers from 35  genera and 8  subfamilies are recorded for the North-West Caucasus. The features of biotopic distribution of grasshoppers are analyzed on the main types of landscapes in the region. In the Kuban  – CisAzov biogeographic province, the highest diversity of grasshoppers is characteristic of steppe biotopes with forb-grass vegetation, where 25  species are noted. The highest diversity is typical for low-mountain meadows and mountain steppes, which number 22 grasshoppers species each in the Black  Sea  – Kuban province. At the same time, these landscapes are characterized by a low value of the measure of similarity of Sørensen-Chekanovsky (0.51). Gramineous chortobionts (52%) and facultative chortobionts (16%) dominate in the fauna of the NorthWest Caucasus, the remaining life forms of grasshoppers are represented by a relatively small number of species. Among the grasshoppers, seven endemic species for the North-West Caucasus, as well as two endemic species for the whole Caucasus, are noted

Notes to the fauna and bionomics of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) of the Taman Peninsula with record of a new species for the Caucasus

Twenty seven species of grasshoppers are recorded for the territory of the Taman Peninsula, from which 2 species are given according to the literature data. Ramburiella turcomana (Fischer von Waldheim, 1846) and Stenobothrus miramae Dirsh, 1931 are recorded for the Taman Peninsula for the first time and Acrotylus longipes (Charpentier, 1845) is new for the fauna of the Caucasus. The description of the laying eggs process and the egg capsules of Acrotylus longipes are described

Notes to the fauna of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) of Uchkulan subarid mountain valley (headwater of the Kuban River, Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia)

Twelve species of grasshoppers is recorded on the territory of Uchkulan subarid mountain valley (Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia). Landscape-geographical characteristics of Acridoidea in connection of altitudinal zones is given in the paper

New insects including invasive species for the fauna of Rostov Region (Russia)

Data about new insects including invasive species for the fauna of Rostov Region (Russia) are considered. Distribution of invasive pest Aproceros leucopoda is studied. New species (potential pests) of Acrididae (Ramburiella turcomana, Psophus stridulus, Epacromius tergestinus, Sphingonotus rubescens) and Noctuidae (Хestia trifida) are record

Preliminary data on the fauna of spiders (Aranei) of Taman Peninsula and Tuzla Island (Russia)

Eighty five species of spiders belonging to 18 families are found in Taman Peninsula and Tuzla Island, from which 13 species were collected in Tuzla Island and 80 species in Taman Peninsula. The following species, Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802), Singa hamata (Clerck, 1758), Devade tanella (Tystshenko, 1965), Lathys stigmatisata (Menge, 1869), Harpactea alexandrae Lazarov, 2006, Gnaphosa cumensis Ponomarev, 1981, G.  leporina (L. Koch, 1866), G.  ukrainica Ovtsharenko, Platnick et Song, 1992, Haplodrassus orientalis (L.  Koch, 1866), Zelotes hermani (Chyzer in Chyzer et Kulczyński, 1897), Z.  orenburgensis Tuneva et Esyunin, 2003, Centromerus abditus Gnelitsa, 2007, Sintula retrovesus (O.  Pickard-Cambridge, 1875), Stemonyphantes lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Agroeca dentigera Kulczyński, 1913, Liocranoeca spasskyi Ponomarev, 2007, Evippa apsheronica Marusik, Guseinov et Koponen, 2003, Pardosa italica Tongiorgi, 1966, Pulchellodromus medius (O.  Pickard-Cambridge, 1872), Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875, Thanatus mongolicus (Schenkel, 1936), Heliophanus lineiventris Simon, 1868, Logunyllus vittatus (Thorell, 1875), Pellenes allegrii Caporiacco, 1935, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (P.  Rossi, 1790), Zodarion thoni Nosek, 1905 are recorded for Krasnodar Region for the first time. In addition, Tegenaria hasperi Chyzer, 1897 is a new record for the fauna of Russia