Landscape scale study of diversity and interaction in cereal aphids - parasitoids system (Homoptera; Hymenoptera)

Intenzifikacija poljoprivrede predstavlja jedan od globalnih procesa sa izrazito negativnim efektima na biodiverzitet. Održavanje visokog nivoa biodiverziteta neophodno je za obezbeđivanje ekosistemskih usluga, od kojih su neke, poput biološke kontrole štetočina, od velike važnosti u agroekosistemima. Rezultati sve većeg broja studija ukazuju na to da elementi i karakteristike kompozicije i konfiguracije poljoprivrednih predela imaju ključnu ulogu u očuvanju, odnosno, narušavanju agrobiodiverziteta. Predeono-ekološki pristup u agroekologiji proučava uticaj različitih obrazaca i procesa u savremenoj poljoprivrednoj praksi na mehanizme degradacije biodiverziteta i gubitak funkcionalnosti njegovih komponenti. Posebno je značajno upoznati obrazce i trendove u trofičkim interakcijama koje povezuju intenzivno korišćene agroekosisteme i okolna poluprirodna i prirodna staništa. U ovom istraživanju, analizirani su efekti predeonih karakteristika na diverzitet i interakcije model sistema žitne vaši – parazitoidi na području Pančevačkog rita. Istraživanje je bilo podeljeno u tri dela kako bi se ispitali efekti tri različita aspekta predeone heterogenosti. Cilj prvog dela istraživanja bio je određivanje efekta predeone kompleksnosti izražene preko procenta prirodnih i poluprirodnih staništa (heterogenost tipova staništa) na model sistem. Odabrane su dve jasno diferencirane kategorije predela: 1) kompleksni predeli (>50% poluprirodnih staništa) i 2) jednostavni predeli (20 ha). Analizirano je 24 predeona sektora u toku dve godine (2008-2009). Treći deo bio je fokusiran na određivanje efekata različitog tipa ivice polja na model sistem. Kontrastirana su dva tipa ivice polja: 1) ivica sa poluprirodnom vegetacijom i 2) ivica bez poluprirodne vegetacije...Agricultural intensification and associated farming practices are among the most significant human impacts on the global environment. Increase in agricultural land-use area and the intensification of crop management are causing numerous environmental problems, including loss of biodiversity and degradation of some key ecosystem services, such as biological control. Numerous studies have emphasized the importance of landscape scale effects in these processes. To determine how agricultural intensification affects agrobiodiversity and accompanied ecological service (biological control), we examined effects of key landscape features on aphid–parasitoid complex in winter wheat agroecosystems in Pančevački rit region. Study was organized in three parts. Aim of the first part was to determine effect of landscape compositional heterogeneity defined through proportion of crop vs. non-crop land in landscape sectors. Two broadly contrasting classes were selected: complex landscapes, characterized by more than 50% of non-crop land cover (forests, fallows, pastures, hedgerows and shrubs), and simple landscapes, with much less than 30% of non-crop land. Total of 50 landscape sectors were sampled in course of four years (2008-2011). In the second part of the study, effects of configurational landscape heterogeneity of crop habitats were tested through contrasting landscape sectors dominated by small fields (field size averaging less than 3 ha) and landscape sectors dominated by large fields (field size averaging more than 20 ha). Total of 24 sectors were sampled in two years (2008-2009). In the third part, aim was to analyze edge effects of field margin types on aphid–parasitoid interactions. Two markedly different margin types were selected: one bordering on irrigation canal with permanent semi-natural shrub vegetation, and the other close to service road without semi-natural vegetation. Total of 12 fields were sampled in two years (2008-2009). Additionally, changes in aphid population growth and parasitism rates between phases were monitored to determine parasitism threshold value for effective biological control. In total, 4 aphid species, 7 parasitoid species and 9 hyperparasitoid species were found..

FURTHER RANGE EXPANSION OF THE SCULPTURED RESIN BEE (MEGACHILE SCULPTURALIS) IN SERBIA AND BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Megachile sculpturalis is the first non-native bee species established in Europe, originating from E-Asia. Since early detections in SW-Europe (2008–2010) its spreading resulted in a range currently spanning nearly 2,800 km x 1,100 km across the southern and central Europe. In SE-Europe establishment was confirmed since 2015 in NE-Hungary, followed by detection in N-Serbia (2017), and wider spreading across the eastern Pannonian Plain (2018–2019); eventually it was detected in NW-Bosnia & Herzegovina (2020). Accordingly, the repeated calls for monitoring of M. sculpturalis spread were voiced, aiming to address its potential invasiveness, but mostly lacking a more specific assessment protocol. A 'working concept' for a comprehensive monitoring of M. sculpturalis was proposed within the survey conducted in Belgrade (Serbia) during 2017–2019, based on quantitative assessment of bee population trends in relation to focal plant resources. There was a need to improve and broaden this initial framework, e.g., to allow for different spatio-temporal scales and various potential usage requirements. Therefore, in 2020 we considerably extended the research scope, defined at two spatial scales: LOCAL, for the Belgrade area – the continuation of protocol development, through a high-intensity assessment of M. sculpturalis abundance, bionomics, and distribution, in parallel with assessment of extended set of relevant plants (and potential bee-plant interactions); REGIONAL, a survey covering the bee spreading across Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, aiming to provide a reference time-section in expanding SE-European front, while also extending the knowledge of its environmental affinities. The study included the launching of a pioneering citizen science project, which enabled a remarkable geographic coverage despite modest return of positive reports. The Belgrade-scale survey yielded a modest increase in recorded locations, relative to 2019, but the recording efficiency was decreased, despite a much intensified surveying efforts and extended coverage. This corroborated the importance of inter-seasonal variation of key food resources, which affects both the population dynamics and detectability of this bee, through alternating concentration and dilution effects. We confirmed the strong association of detection success with availability and variability of blooming Styphnolobium, at both scales, indicating the highest relevance of inclusion of this plant into monitoring assessment protocols. The established phenological extent of M. sculpturalis activity (>70 days) also closely corresponded with the phenology of Styphnolobium blooming; yet it does not represent the entire phenological span for the region. Almost no record came from surveying other plants. The regional expansion of M. sculpturalis during 2017–2020 is documented from 19 wider locations (16 added in 2020). It is particularly well established in the Pannonian, and to a lesser extent in peri-Pannonian area of Serbia and B&H, while the approximated range extent was likely doubled during 2019–2020. Further south records were scarce, indicating the slower expansion across the hilly-mountainous part of the Balkans. Records largely came from urban or other settlements, only about a third from semi-natural or agricultural environments

FIRST RECORDS OF THE INVASIVE AMERICAN WASP ISODONTIA MEXICANA (HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE) IN SERBIA

The first verified occurrences of the invasive American sphecid wasp, Isodontia mexicana (Saussure, 1867), in Serbia are reported. It was first collected from a trap-nest sample in the northern surroundings of Belgrade in 2010. During 2012, we recorded well-established, abundant populations in the central city area of Belgrade, its surroundings, and also at a single site on the Fruška Gora Mt. We briefly review the circumstances and course of its recent eastward and northeastward spreading in Europe since1990, from Slovenia and Croatia to Hungary and Austria. Establishment of I. mexicana in northern Serbia and its probable range expansion further south represent the expected continuation of its spreading throughout western Europe, following its initial introduction into southern France around 1960

Pripravci na bazi lekovitog bilja koji se mogu koristiti u urbanoj poljoprivredi

The paper presents the possibilities of using different types of preparations prepared from certain types of medicinal plants, which can be used in plant nutrition and protection, as well as in the composting process for the needs of plant cultivation in urban agriculture. The trend of importance of urban agriculture, both in terms of food safety and innovative practices, is increasingly present in highly developed countries as well as developing countries. This type of agriculture can play an important role in justice and fairness in terms of food distribution, but also in improving air quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this regard, the application of preparations based on medicinal plants introduces innovative methods of urban agriculture that can be considered a tool to ensure future food safety.U radu se prikazuju mogućnosti upotrebe različitih vrsta pripravaka pripremljenih od pojedinih vrsta lekovitog bilja, a koji se mogu primenjivati u ishrani i zaštiti bilja, kao i u procesu kompostiranja za potrebe gajenja bilja u urbanoj poljoprivredi. Trend značaja urbane poljoprivrede kako u pogledu bezbednosti hrane, tako i u inovativnim praksama je sve više prisutan kako u visokorazvijenim, tako i državama u razvoju. Ova vrsta poljoprivrede može igrati važnu ulogu u pravdi i pravičnosti u pogledu hrane, ali i unapređenju kvaliteta vazduha, biodiverziteta i eko-sistemskih usluga. S tim u vezi, primenom pripravaka na bazi lekovitog bilja uvode se inovativne metode urbane poljoprivrede koje se mogu smatrati alatom za osiguravanje buduće sigurnosti hrane

STATUS OF THE POTENTIALLY INVASIVE ASIAN SPECIES SCELIPHRON DEFORME IN EUROPE, AND AN UPDATE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF S. CURVATUM (HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE)

We reviewed the distribution of the two Asian species of the genus Sceliphron Klug, introduced into Europe in the late 1970s to early 1980s: S. (Hensenia) curvatum (Smith) and S. (Hensenia) deforme (Smith). Both species are routinely considered as invasive in Europe, but the status and effects of their (eventual) invasiveness are yet to be documented and evaluated. We had a focus on two areas, the Balkan Peninsula and European Russia, based principally on the study of specimens collected over the last 15 years, but we also reviewed the extensive published evidence (including some very important internet-based records), and for S. curvatum we provided a concise overview of the entire European range. We confirmed that the latter recorded species, S. deforme, has been introduced into Europe at least twice, first in the central part of European Russia, and then in the SW Balkans, and we established that these introductions originated from different source populations, belonging to a geographically widely separated Asian subspecies. Based on the most recent evidence, we confirmed successful establishment of S. deforme in both areas, and documented its ongoing spreading: from central European Russia southwards/southeastwards, and most probably from the Balkans eastwards. We rectified several erroneous country records for S. deforme (France, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, “central Europe”), which have been extensively perpetuated in several important publications about the invasive species in Europe in the last three years (n.b. – for Greece, we have positively documented its presence only now). For S. curvatum, we added a new country record (Georgia/Abkhazia), and provided a few important earlier records from the Balkans (Serbia, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria), which shift the timing of the previously published “first appearance” dates in the area (for two years for N Serbia and C Greece), or otherwise modify the knowledge of its history of spread. Since the most recent evidence suggests the rapid eastward advancing of both introduced species towards their respective westernmost/northernmost native range limits in western to central Asia, we considered it important to briefly review the state of knowledge about their possible coexistence in that area. We also provided detailed maps of their allochtonous ranges in Europe (currently exceeding the longitudinal span of 4,000 km) and westernmost part of their native ranges in Asia. Finally, we very briefly commented on some ecological aspects of their existence within the allochtonous range (parasitism, sex ratio, phenology)

Crop pests and predators exhibit inconsistent responses to surrounding landscape composition

The idea that noncrop habitat enhances pest control and represents a win–win opportunity to conserve biodiversity and bolster yields has emerged as an agroecological paradigm. However, while noncrop habitat in landscapes surrounding farms sometimes benefits pest predators, natural enemy responses remain heterogeneous across studies and effects on pests are inconclusive. The observed heterogeneity in species responses to noncrop habitat may be biological in origin or could result from variation in how habitat and biocontrol are measured. Here, we use a pest-control database encompassing 132 studies and 6,759 sites worldwide to model natural enemy and pest abundances, predation rates, and crop damage as a function of landscape composition. Our results showed that although landscape composition explained significant variation within studies, pest and enemy abundances, predation rates, crop damage, and yields each exhibited different responses across studies, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing in landscapes with more noncrop habitat but overall showing no consistent trend. Thus, models that used landscape-composition variables to predict pest-control dynamics demonstrated little potential to explain variation across studies, though prediction did improve when comparing studies with similar crop and landscape features. Overall, our work shows that surrounding noncrop habitat does not consistently improve pest management, meaning habitat conservation may bolster production in some systems and depress yields in others. Future efforts to develop tools that inform farmers when habitat conservation truly represents a win–win would benefit from increased understanding of how landscape effects are modulated by local farm management and the biology of pests and their enemies

Seasonal and diel movement patterns of brown bears in a population in southeastern Europe

Most animals concentrate their movement into certain hours of the day depending on drivers such as photoperiod, ambient temperature, inter- or intraspecific competition, and predation risk. The main activity periods of many mammal species, especially in human-dominated landscapes, are commonly set at dusk, dawn, and during nighttime hours. Large carnivores, such as brown bears, often display great flexibility in diel movement patterns throughout their range, and even within populations, striking between individual differences in movement have been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated how seasonality and reproductive class affected diel movement patterns of brown bears of the Dinaric-Pindos and Carpathian bear populations in Serbia. We analyzed the movement distances and general probability of movement of 13 brown bears (8 males and 5 females) equipped with GPS collars and monitored over 1–3 years. Our analyses revealed that movement distances and probability of bear movement differed between seasons (mating versus hyperphagia) and reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and subadult males showed a crepuscular movement pattern. Compared with other reproductive classes, females with offspring were moving significantly less during crepuscular hours and during the night, particularly during the mating season, suggesting temporal niche partitioning among different reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and in particular subadult males traveled greater hourly distances during the mating season in May-June than the hyperphagia in July–October. Subadult males significantly decreased their movement from the mating season to hyperphagia, whereas females with offspring exhibited an opposite pattern with almost doubling their movement from the mating to hyperphagia season. Our results provide insights into how seasonality and reproductive class drive intrapopulation differences in movement distances and probability of movement in a recovering, to date little studied, brown bear population in southeastern Europe

Early-phase colonisation by introduced sculptured resin bee (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Megachile sculpturalis) revealed by local floral resource variability

There is a growing interest to document and better understand patterns and processes involved in non-native bee introductions and subsequent colonisation of new areas worldwide. We studied the spread of the East Asian bee Megachile sculpturalis in Serbia and south-eastern Europe; the bee was earlier established in the USA (since 1994) and western Europe (since 2008). Its establishment in Serbia remained dubious throughout most of 2017–2019, following its first detection. We hereby report on its establishment and spreading, which were corroborated in 2019 under specific circumstances. Owing to an exceptionally poor blooming of Styphnolobium japonicum in 2019, we recorded a high activity density of M. sculpturalis concentrated on a scarce key food resource. We present a novel quantitative approach for an improved early detection of M. sculpturalis, based on the interplay between the bee local occurrence pattern and dynamics of key food-plant(s) availability. This approach seems particularly effective during the early-phase colonisation, at initially low population density of introduced bees. We address the importance of integration of the genuine plant usage patterns with context-specific bee assessment options in establishing effective monitoring. The improved understanding of M. sculpturalis local dynamics triggered the questions about possible origin(s) and modes of its dispersal east of the Alps. To explore the possible scenarios of M. sculpturalis introduction(s), we extended the study to a wider spatio-temporal context – the region of SE Europe (2015–2019). The two complementary study approaches (at local and regional scale) provided more comprehensive evidence of bee dispersal history and the detection patterns in varied recording contexts. Based on this two-scale approach, we suggest that a diffusive mode of M. sculpturalis introduction into Serbia now seems to be a more plausible scenario (than a long-distance jump). We argue that the integration of outcomes from the contrasting approaches (a systematic surveillance, based on plant resources and a broad-scale opportunistic recording) could be of great methodological relevance for the development of future monitoring protocols

Unprecedented Density and Persistence of Feral Honey Bees in Urban Environments of a Large SE-European City (Belgrade, Serbia)

It is assumed that wild honey bees have become largely extinct across Europe since the 1980s, following the introduction of exotic ectoparasitic mite (Varroa) and the associated spillover of various pathogens. However, several recent studies reported on unmanaged colonies that survived the Varroa mite infestation. Herewith, we present another case of unmanaged, free-living population of honey bees in SE Europe, a rare case of feral bees inhabiting a large and highly populated urban area: Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. We compiled a massive data-set derived from opportunistic citizen science (>1300 records) during the 2011–2017 period and investigated whether these honey bee colonies and the high incidence of swarms could be a result of a stable, self-sustaining feral population (i.e., not of regular inflow of swarms escaping from local managed apiaries), and discussed various explanations for its existence. We also present the possibilities and challenges associated with the detection and effective monitoring of feral/wild honey bees in urban settings, and the role of citizen science in such endeavors. Our results will underpin ongoing initiatives to better understand and support naturally selected resistance mechanisms against the Varroa mite, which should contribute to alleviating current threats and risks to global apiculture and food production security

Agrotechnical aspect of using flower strips in agricultural production

Cvetni pojasevi predstavljaju jednu od mera IPARD III program za period 2021-2027. godine koju će Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije u narednom periodu sufinansirati. Cvetni pojasevi seju se uz ivicu parcele i služe kao staništa za oprašivače (polinatore), druge korisne insekte i ptice, doprinose poboljšanju biodiverziteta (biološke raznolikosti), zatim sprečavaju eroziju zemljišta i služe za unapređenje ruralnog ambijenta. U radu je dat prikaz pojedinih cvetnih vrsta koje najčešće koriste u smeši semena za cvetne pojaseve, kao i agrotehnički aspekt primene cvetnih pojaseva i njihova dobrobit za agroekosistem.Flower strips are one of the measures of the IPARD III program for the period 2021-2027. which will be co-financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia. Flower strips are sown along the edge of the plot and serve as habitats for pollinators, other beneficial insects and birds, contribute to the improvement of biodiversity, then prevent soil erosion and serve to improve the rural environment. The paper presents the description of certain flower species that are most often used in the seed mixture for flower strips, as well as the agrotechnical aspect of the application of flower strips and their benefit for the agroecosystem