Toni Koren

Fossorial morphotype does not make a species in water voles

Abstract Phenetic and ecological plasticity in Arvicola has caused a long-standing dispute over the number of species within the genus, which is currently thought to consist of two aquatic (sapidus, amphibius) and one fossorial species (scherman). We used mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene sequences to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between the fossorial and the aquatic water voles from the various regions of their European and Asiatic range. These two types differed morphologically and exhibited allopatric ranges. Our study provided 50 new haplotypes, generating a total dataset of 70 different water vole cytb haplotypes. Phylogenetic reconstructions retrieved two major lineages that were in a sister position to A. sapidus: a fossorial Swiss lineage and a widespread cluster, which contained aquatic and fossorial water voles from Europe and western Siberia. The phylogeographic architecture in water voles is explained by Quaternary climatic dynamics. Our results show that A. scherman in its present scope is not a monophyletic taxon.

Mammary number and litter size of the fat dormouse on the Southern Caspian coast

Abstract Mammary number determines the nursing ability of a female and is an important factor in the evolution of litter size. We studied the variation in the number of nipples and the mean litter size in the fat dormouse Glis glis from northern Iran. Iranian dormice have on average more nipples (mean, 12.57±1.024) than their counterparts from northern Italy (11.25±0.85) and Slovenia (10.22±0.50). Different nipples are responsible for the variation in mammary numbers between populations: inguinal nipples vary in Slovenia, and abdominal nipples vary in Italy and Iran. We estimated the litter size in the Iranian fat dormouse to be equal to 7.85±0.89, which is evidently more than that reported in populations from northern Moravia (mean, 5.0) and Slovenia (mean, 5.8). The fact that fat dormice from Iran display higher mammary number and have more litters than their conspecifics from Europe conforms to the prediction of Gilbert’s empirical “one-half rule.” Owing to its highly specialized reproductive profile, the fat dormouse can adjust its fitness only by an increase of litter size, which in turn makes greater use of available nipples. We suggest that a greater nipple count may be selectively advantageous in the evolutionary perspective and that the Iranian population displays the most derived mammary number in the species.

Molecular data do not confirm the Grecian anomalous blue Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) aroaniensis (Brown, 1976) as a member of the Croatian fauna

The presence of the Grecian anomalous blue, Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) aroaniensis (Brown, 1976) in Croatia has been recently published based on external morphology of collected specimens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the credibility of these findings by using DNA barcoding approach as the species exhibit phenotypic variability and can easily be misidentified with morphologically similar species Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) ripartii. Therefore, we performed a molecular analysis of the mitochondrial gene for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of the samples previously published as P. aroaniensis from different localities in Croatia. The results showed that all analysed samples belong to P. ripartii. Additionally, all analysed samples from different Croatian localities (Mt. Mala Kapela, Mt. Lička Plješivica, Mt. Poštak, Mt. Troglav and Mt. Kamešnica) together with previously published population of P. ripartii from Mt. Mosor belong to the same Eurasian clade of P. ripartii.

THE RIVER ZRMANJA – ANOTHER HOTSPOT OF DRAGONFLY DIVERSITY IN THE DINARIC KARST, CROATIA

The Zrmanja is one of the largest rivers in Dalmatia, along with the rivers Krka and Cetina. At the same time it is one of the least surveyed larger rivers in the region, with only a few published records about its dragonfly fauna so far. Between 1984 and 2010 the authors collected data about the dragonflies around the river Zrmanja and its surroundings. Altogether 29 species were recorded at 17 localities. Of those, 12 species were recorded for the first time for the region. The most valuable record is that of Coenagrion ornatum, a local and rare Natura 2000 species. With the overview of the data from museum collections, private field data, published data and data collected during this survey the number of species known from the Zrmanja river increases to 31, making this river one of the best studied areas in Croatia. However, this is probably not the final number of species and new records are to be expected with further research.

Three grass moths (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) new to the fauna of Croatia

During faunistic surveys of the moths of Croatia, three species of Crambidae were recorded for the first time in the country. Ostrinia quadripunctalis, a rare thermophilic species, has been found on Krč Hill, in the vicinity of Zagreb. Two migratory species, Spoladea recurvalis and Herpetogramma licarsisalis, have been found in the southern part of Croatia, on the island of Lokrum, near Dubrovnik.

On the discovery of Arytrura musculus (Menetries, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in Croatia

Background and purpose: The moth fauna of Croatia is still insufficiently surveyed. During the last several years, several overviews of the moth fauna for several locations were published and several new species for the country had been found. Only two species from Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive are listed for Croatia. A third is known to occur in the country, but has been omitted due to a lack of recent records. Presented here is the first record of a fourth species from the Annexes – Arytrura musculus.Materials and methods: This survey was carried out on one location in Nature Park Lonjsko Polje, on 17.6.2016. The habitat at the location is typical for the area, consisting of floodplain oak forests with Genista tinctoria. Two pyramidal light traps were used.Results: One specimen of Arytrura musculus was found. This is a rare and disjunctly distributed species across Eastern Europe. The closest known populations to the Croatian locality are situated in Hungary, 122 and 130 km away.Conclusions: This species needs to be added onto the list of Natura 2000 species for the Nature Park and for the whole country at the earliest possible convenience. Detailed surveys of the entire Lonjsko Polje Nature Park and other wetland areas in northern Croatia are needed in order to ascertain the distribution, assess the status and assure the long-term conservation of this species in the country.

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Hrvatsko zagorje, Croatia

During a nine-year survey of the Hrvatsko zagorje region carried out from 2008 until 2016 we recorded 112 butterfly species. Records were supplemented with seven species known only from literature data, which amounted to 119 species representing 60 % of the Croatian butterfly fauna. The highest butterfly diversity was registered on the mountains Ivanščica and Strahinjščica and along the Sutla River valley. Several rare and endangered species were recorded in the region, mostly grassland specialists such as Phengaris teleius, Ph. alcon rebeli, Polyommatus thersites, Euphydryas aurinia and Zerynthia polyxena whose habitats are declining due to changes in the use of grasslands like abandonment or, less frequently, intensification. The population of Lycaena dispar is still locally numerous, but its habitats are now rapidly overgrown with invasive alien plants. The butterfly diversity of Hrvatsko zagorje is high in comparison with the neighbouring region of Haloze in Slovenia. In order to maintain the high butterfly diversity in the region, grasslands and forest edges in the region are in a need of conservation actions and revitalization.

First record of Cortodera flavimana (Waltl, 1838) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Croatia

Cortodera flavimana is a Pontic species which occurs from Austria and Hungary, through Serbia and south-eastern Europe and Turkey. It was not previously known from Croatia. Two specimens were found, one in Cerna (E Croatia, in 2008) and one in Okuje (NW Croatia, in 2013), raising the number of known Cortodera species in Croatia to five; the other being C. humeralis, C. femorata, C. holosericea and C. villosa. These records represent an expansion of the species’ known range and indicate the possibility of new records, at least in Croatia, and the need for further research into longhorn beetles in the country.

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly and skipper fauna of northern Dalmatia mainland

the mainland of northern Dalmatia has been surprisingly omitted from recent faunistic studies of butterfly fauna in the Croatian coastal region. In order to fill this gap we summarized our observations made in the regionduring the last two decades. Altogether 81 species were recorded, including several rare and potentially threatened species. Among these the distribution of the following species is discussed in detail: Carcharodus orientalis, Gegenes pumilio, Euchloe ausonia, Cacyreus marshalli, Tarucus balkanica, Polyommatus thersites, Euphydryas aurinia, Hyponephele lupina, and Proterebia afra. Although the butterfly diversity and conservation value of the region are not exceptionally high, some locations, in particular valleys of the bijelina and karišnica, could be designated as micro-reserves for conservation of high butterfly diversity including the majority of the threatened species in the region. Abandonment and subsequent overgrowing together with habitat destruction due to building of infrastructure and extensions of urban areas have been recognised as the most important factors causing butterfly declines in the region.