Efficiency of traps in collecting selected Diptera families according to the used bait: Comparison of baits and mixtures in a field experiment

Traps made from PET bottles were used to assess the efficiency of four baits in terms of the number of individuals for selected Diptera families collecting in Eastern Slovak gardens in summer and autumn. Bait used in traps significantly affected the taxonomical composition of the samples obtained. Moreover, significant differences in bait efficiencies and temporal shift in bait efficiencies were confirmed for the Diptera order and for selected dipteran families. The most effective bait for baited-trap Diptera sampling was beer, followed by wine, meat, and syrup from the summer sampling season. In the autumn sampling season, the wine was most effective, followed by beer, syrup, and meat. For the family Scatopsidae wine, and for the family Platystomatidae, meat were the most effective baits. Drosophilidae were most attracted to beer in summer and to wine bait in autumn

Properties of quantizer and dequantizer operators for qudit states and parametric down-conversion

We review the method of quantizers and dequantizers to construct an invertible map of the density operators onto functions including probability distributions and discuss in detail examples of qubit and qutrit states. The biphoton states existing in the process of parametric down-conversion are studied in the probability representation of quantum mechanics

Zmeny spoločenstiev bystruškovitých rôznych typov habitatov poľnohospodárskej krajiny v závislosti od vybraných environmentálnych faktorov vrátane pôdnych vlastností

The variations in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages across the three types of farmland habitats, arable land, meadows and woody vegetation were studied in relation to vegetation cover structure, intensity of agrotechnical interventions and selected soil properties. Material was pitfall trapped in 2010 and 2011 on twelve sites of the agricultural landscape in the Prešov town and its near vicinity, Eastern Slovakia. A total of 14,763 ground beetle individuals were entrapped. Material collection resulted into 92 Carabidae species, with the following six species dominating: Poecilus cupreus, Pterostichus melanarius, Pseudoophonus rufipes, Brachinus crepitans, Anchomenus dorsalis and Poecilus versicolor. Studied habitats differed significantly in the number of entrapped individuals, activity abundance as well as representation of the carabids according to their habitat preferences and ability to fly. However, no significant distinction was observed in the diversity, evenness neither dominance. The most significant environmental variables affecting Carabidae assemblages species variability were soil moisture and herb layer 0-20 cm. Another best variables selected by the forward selection were intensity of agrotechnical interventions, humus content and shrub vegetation. The other from selected soil properties seem to have just secondary meaning for the adult carabids. Environmental variables have the strongest effect on the habitat specialists, whereas ground beetles without special requirements to the habitat quality seem to be affected by the studied environmental variables just little.Zmeny v spoločenstvách bystruškovitých (Coleoptera: Carabidae) troch typov habitatov poľnohospodárskej krajiny, t.j. ornej pôdy, trvalo trávnych porastov a mimolesnej krovinovej vegetácie boli sledované v závislosti od štruktúry vegetačnej pokrývky, intenzity agrotechnických zásahov a vybraných pôdnych vlastností. Materiál bol zbieraný metódou formalínových zemných pascí v rokoch 2010 a 2011 v rámci 12-tich stanovíšť poľnohospodárskej krajiny v urbánnej zóne mesta Prešov a jeho blízkeho okolia na východnom Slovensku. V rámci uvedeného zberu bolo odchytených celkovo 14 763 jedincov a determinovaných 92 druhov bystruškovitých. Dominantnými druhmi boli: Poecilus cupreus, Pterostichus melanarius, Pseudoophonus rufipes, Brachinus crepitans, Anchomenus dorsalis and Poecilus versicolor. Spoločenstvá sledovaných biotopov sa signifikantne líšili v počte odchytených jedincov, epigeickej aktivite ako aj zastúpení bystrušiek vo vzťahu k ich habitatovým preferenciám a letovým schopnostiam. Výskum však nepotvrdil signifikantné rozdiely v diverzite, ekvitabilite ani dominancii. Z nami sledovaných environmentálnych premenných kompozíciu spoločenstva bystruškovitých najvýznamnejšie ovplyvňuje pôdna vlhkosť a vegetačný kryt s výškou 0-20 cm. Ďalšími významnými premennými, ktoré vplývajú na kompozíciu spoločenstva sú intenzita agrotechnických zásahov, obsah pôdneho humusu a krovinová vegetácia. Ostatné zo sledovaných pôdnych vlastností majú na dospelé jedince bystrušiek len sekudárny vplyv. Rovnako, environmentálne premenné najvýraznejšie ovplyvňujú habitatových špecialistov, zatiaľ čo druhy bystrušiek bez vyhranených nárokov na podmienky prostredia sú ovplyvnené uvedenými faktormi len málo

Current state of invasion of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) in Ukraine

Ukraine is on the invasion front of spotted-wing Drosophila suzuki (Matsumura, 1931) spreading in Europe. Despite this globally important pest was confirmed only on the southernmost tip of its territory, recently published species distribution models expect its occurrence also in other Ukrainian regions. Therefore, we conducted two-year monitoring (2018-2019) during the whole fruit ripening season; samples were collected on the whole Ukrainian territory; standard bait traps and active capture by an insect net were employed. Individuals of the species were recorded only at the end of the vegetation season (August–October) and only in the westernmost part of Ukraine (Transcarpathian region); in the region predicted by recent ecological niche modeling. The late occurrence of D. suzuki probably reflects the presence of suitable food/fruit for the larvae at the end of the growing season. Our results confirm the importance of monitoring of this pest, together with the investigation of factors that may affect its invasion

On the identity and distribution of the rare Rymosia tolleti Burghele-Balacesco, 1965 (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) encountered in European caves

The identity and distribution of a neglected fungus gnat species, Rymosia tolleti Burghele-Balacesco, 1965, in Europe is reviewed based on examination of newly collected specimens as well as available museum materials. Rymosia tolleti is widespread but rather rare in Central Europe, with confirmed records from Romania, Slovakia, Germany, and France. All the specimens with known collection details originate from cave environments. Detailed photographs of the male terminalia are provided for the first time, along with two unique DNA barcodes for the species

Two new Ptychoptera Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Ptychopteridae) from the Western Palaearctic

Ptychoptera xanthopleura Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Ptychoptera staryi Dvořák, Oboňa & Manko, sp. nov. from Bulgaria are described. P. xanthopleura sp. nov. differs from the other member of the lacustris group mainly by having almost completely yellow pleurae, and by the shape of the epandrium and gonocoxites. The diagnostics of P. staryi sp. nov. and P. incognita Török, Kolcsár & Keresztes, 2015 based on male genitalia are provided

Checklist of Empididae and Hybotidae (Diptera) flies from selected sites in Slovakia (Central Europe), with new records of five species for Slovakia

A checklist of Diptera families Empididae and Hybotidae from 25 selected sites in Slovakia is presented. The checklist comprises 91 taxa (51 species of family Empididae and 40 species of family Hybotidae) including the first records of Platypalpus eximius (Oldenberg, 1924) and P. optivus (Collin, 1926) from family Hybotidae, and Hilara lugubris (Zetterstedt, 1819), H. sturmii Wiedemann in Meigen, 1822 and Rhamphomyia (Holoclera) caliginosa Collin, 1926 from family Empididae

On the Trichoptera of the Caucasus with western and eastern relatives

This caddisfly study is based mostly on the material collected in the framework of the International Visegrad Fund reseach project on the aquatic insects of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Applying the principles and procedures of fine phenomics we have delineated and characterised several Trichoptera species complexes; reinstated the species status of Hydropsyche derek Oláh & Kiss, 2015 stat. rest., Badukiella subnigra Oláh, 1985 stat. rest., Rhyacophila aliena Martynov, 1916 stat. rest., Stenophylax caspicus (Schmid, 1959) stat. rest., Stenophylax lasarea (Oláh, 1985) stat rest.; raised the subspecies status to species rank of Halesus caucasicus Oláh, 1985 stat. nov. and Potamophylax armeniacus Mey, 1979 stat. nov.; described the Sakala gen. nov in the Limnephilini tribe; and furthermore 70 species new to science: Wormaldia davidi Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., W. elvesta Oláh sp. nov., W. harma Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., W. holaga Oláh & Manko sp. nov., W. hoska Oláh sp. nov., W. kimera Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., W. kitera Oláh sp. nov., W. obola Oláh sp. nov., W. sakaorum Oláh sp. nov., W. tomora Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Diplectrona albanica Oláh sp. nov., D. georgica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., D. serbica Oláh sp. nov., Hydronema turkestanica Oláh sp. nov., Hydropsyche harmada Oláh sp. nov., H. rovnaka Oláh sp. nov., H. togana Oláh & Kerimova sp. nov., H. pupka Oláh sp. nov., H. sukula Oláh sp. nov., H. ejsaka Oláh sp. nov., Agapetus gouriensis Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Rhyacophila kveda Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. nakra Oláh & Vinçon, R. zekara Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. gouria Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. mtirala Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. ordua Oláh sp. nov., R. rizea Oláh sp. nov., R. sacokia Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. trabzona Oláh sp. nov., R. iranica Oláh sp. nov., R. kora Oláh sp. nov., R. pakistanica Oláh sp. nov., R. kimara Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Apataniana bacurianica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., A. goderdza Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., A. kintrisha Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Drusus erdes Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., D. sukul Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., D. teslenkoae Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., D. alapos Oláh sp. nov., D. chechensis Oláh sp. nov., D. csupasz Oláh sp. nov., D. johansoni Oláh sp. nov., D. megnot Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., D. mankoi Oláh sp. nov., D. janjulae Oláh sp. nov., Sakala adjarica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Badukiella kinula Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., B. kurta Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Chaetopteryx vinconi Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., Kelgena adjarica Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., K. bakurianica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., K. bunka Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., K. imeretica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., K. meyi Oláh sp. nov., K. parhuza Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., K. svanetica Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., K. tolaka Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., K. topora Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Rizeiella bayae Vinçon & Oláh sp. nov., R. ereda Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. odva Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., R. oldala Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., R. tavola Oláh & Vinçon sp. nov., Halesus kampos Oláh sp. nov., H. karmos Oláh sp. nov., Stenophylax vallas Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., S. ujjas Oláh & Kovács sp. nov., Ernodes ordubadensis Oláh & Kerimova sp. nov

A new species of Epeorus (Caucasiron) (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae) from Azerbaijan and Iran

A new species, Epeorus (Caucasiron) hyrcanicus sp. nov., is described based on larval morphology and molecular data (COI) containing sequences from all Caucasian Caucasiron species described to date. The species is distributed in the Hyrcanian forest of southeastern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. Based on our wide-range sampling, the new species is likely endemic to this area. The most pronounced larval morphological diagnostic characters are the coloration pattern of abdominal sterna (a pair of oblique stripes and stripe-like medio-lateral maculae) and terga (triangular medial maculae), poorly developed projection of the costal margin of gill plates III, presence of hair-like setae on the surface of abdominal terga, and relatively wide shape of gill plates VII (in natural position from ventral view). The diagnostic characters are compared to related species, and primary information to habitat is provided

First record of the rare aquatic dance fly Chelifera aperticauda Collin, 1927 (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) from Slovakia

The scarce European dance fly Chelifera aperticauda Collin, 1927 (Diptera: Empididae: Hemer­odromiinae) is recorded for the first time from Slovakia. One male was found in the Pieniny Mts. The distribution and habitats of this species are reviewed and briefly discussed