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The taxonomic relationship between the genera Phragmataecia Newman, 1850 and Phragmacossia Schawerda, 1924 is considered. Diagnostic characters and distribution of the species Phragmataecia castaneae (Hbner, 1790), Phragmataecia albida (Erschoff, 1874), Phragmacossia ariana (Grum-Grshimailo, 1899), Phragmacossia territa (Staudinger, 1879), and Phragmacossia minos Reisser, 1963 are studied in detail. A new species, Phragmacossia bozanoi sp. n., is described from the Peloponnese Peninsula and the South Greek mainland.

Three new species of the genus Afropselaphus Jeannel, 1950, Afropselaphus taygetensis sp. n., Afropselaphus tymficus sp. n. and Afropselaphus euboicus sp. n. are described and illustrated. Pselaphogenius treskanus (Karaman, 1940) is redescribed and new data of its distribution are provided.

A new species of fungus moths (Tineidae), Neurothaumasia cretica sp. nov., is described from specimens collected on Crete isl. (Greece). It differs from congeneric taxa by the characteristic black and white forewing pattern which is only shared with N. fasciata Petersen, 1959 from the Middle East, and the widespread western Palaearctic N. ankerella (Mann, 1867). However, the new species differs strongly from the former by several characters of male and female genitalia, and from the latter species particularly from external appearance and by the highly divergent DNA barcode (cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1) (unknown for N. fasciata). Adult and genitalia of N. cretica sp. nov. and the only similar European species N. ankerella are shown for comparison. Finally, a complete checklist of the genus is added.

Aim To study the composition of fauna in Greece and adjacent areas around 3000 years ago based on the knowledge of Homeric man about the animal kingdom. Location Greece and adjacent areas. Method Analysis of information derived from a thorough study of the first written documents of Greek literature, the epics, attributed to Homer and Hesiod. Results Records of 2442 animals were found, corresponding to 71 different animal names. All animal names were attributed to recent taxa, at different category levels; the majority (65%) were assigned to taxa at the species level and the rest to supraspecific taxa. Most of the animal names recorded in the epics have been retained as integral words or roots in Modern Greek and they have been used in the formation of the Latin scientific taxa names. Five animal phyla appear in the texts: (1) Chordata (mostly birds and mammals), (2) Arthropoda, (3) Mollusca, (4) Porifera, and (5) Annelida. Information in the epics also includes morphology, biology, ecology (habitat and prey–predator relationships), and behaviour. The presence of several species in the area in that period is documented on the basis of archaeological and/or palaeontological findings from various Greek localities. Main conclusions The knowledge of Homeric man about animals, as reflected in the epics, seems to concentrate mainly, but not exclusively, on animals involved in human activities. The populations of some common animal species of the Homeric Age in Greek populated areas have become extinct or reduced at the present time. On the other hand, some common animals of the present time do not appear in the epics, since they were introduced later. Useful zoological information can be derived from the study of classical texts, which may help historical biogeographers as a supplement to archaeology and art, in the reconstruction of faunas of older periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe and illustrate a new species of pselaphine beetles, Paramaurops zagoricus sp. n., from the Zagori region of Epirus, Greece. A list summarising the distribution of Amauropini known from Greece is also provided.

A new genus of Entiminae, an endogean weevil of the tribe Otiorhynchini, Giavarhynchus Bellò, Osella Ruzzier, gen. n., and its type species Giavarhynchus amicorum Bellò, Osella Ruzzier, sp. n. are described. The new taxon is readily distinguished from all other members of the tribe due to the unique combination of lack of eyes, elongate rostrum with a ventral transverse furrow and excised lateral margins located at apical third, punctation of pronotum of two distinct sizes arranged in a distinctive pattern, interval 7 of elytra protruding from base of pronotum and crenulate basally, metafemora bearing a spine-like tooth much larger than that of pro- and mesofemora, female tibiae granulate on inner margin, bisinuous mesotibiae. The following synonymy is proposed: Nematocerus Reiche, 1849 (= Cyrtozemia Pascoe, 1872, syn. n.; = Holcorhinosoma Voss, 1939, syn. n.). New combinations are: Nematocerus cognatus (Marshall, 1916), comb. n.; Nematocerus dispar (Pascoe, 1872), comb. n.; Nematocerus pilipes (Morimoto, 2015), comb. n., all from Cyrtozemia; Nematocerus subtuberculatus (Voss, 1939), comb. n. from Holcorhinosoma. New tribal placement is: Pseudocratopus Hustache, 1921 from Otiorhynchini to Peritelini. New subgeneric placement is that of Otiorhynchus deceptorius Białooki, Germann Pelletier, 2017 and of Otiorhynchus incisirostris Białooki, Germann Pelletier, 2017 from Otiorhynchus (Lixorrhynchus) Reitter, 1914 to Otiorhynchus (Aranihus) Reitter, 1912.

West Nile virus (WNV) cases were seasonally recorded in humans and animals in Greece, from 2010 to 2014, and circulation of the virus was detected in different Regional Units of the country. Small scale entomological surveillance activities were carried out by several regions and regional units in Greece, during 2014-2016, with the participation of subcontractors for the vector control programs aiming to record presence/absence of mosquito species, and monitor and control mosquito populations. Mosquito traps were placed in rural and urban sites; specimens were collected, morphologically characterized, and pooled by date of collection, location, and species types. Mosquito pools containing Culex pipiens , Aedes caspius , and Aedes albopictus were examined for the presence of WNV and positive pools were detected in different areas of the country. Sequencing of a selected number of amplicons revealed WNV lineage 2 partial NS5 gene sequences. In this study, we present data on the mosquito species composition in the areas of study and WNV detection from several parts of Greece, in 6, 11, and 26 mosquito pools corresponding to the years 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. A total of 15 WNV human infections were reported to the public health authorities of the country in 2014, whereas no human cases were detected for 2015-2016. Taking into consideration the complex epidemiological profile of WNV and unforeseen changes in its circulation, re-emergence of WNV human cases in Greece was possible and expected, thus rendering surveillance activities imperative.

A new species of the costal genus Brachemys Abeille de Perrin, 1890 is described from Crete, B. minotaurus n.sp. (Coleoptera, Malachiidae). The species is included in the subgenus Atelestodes Abeille de Perrin, 1890 due to the lack of modified protarsi, although the subgeneric classification of Brachemys may need to be revised. Specimens of the new species were found running on bare rock in the supralittoral zone, bearing a striking resemblance to ants.

Two new species of Pseudamaurops Jeannel, 1948 are described, P. hristovskii sp. n. from North Macedonia and P. tymficus sp. n. from Greece. Redescriptions of P. albanicus (Apfelbeck, 1907) and P. muellerianus (Ravasini, 1923) are provided, and an identification key for the genus is provided.

The aequata-group of the subgenus Eucera s. str. Scopoli from the Eastern Mediterranean region, Bulgaria, and Iran is described, and the three species included are revised. The little-known E. aequata Vachal 1907 known from Turkey, Cyprus, Syria and Israel, is redescribed and a Lectotype is designated. Two species are described as new: E. dafnii sp. nov. from Iran, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece, and E. wattsi sp. nov. from Israel and Lebanon. An identification key is provided, and natural history information including assessment of preferred pollen host plants is presented.

New taxonomic data on the ground spiders of the families Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae and Prodidomidae from the Greek islands Rodos and Symi are presented resulting from extensive field work conducted in 2006. Additional material from Karpathos is also included. In total, 48 species are recorded, and five new species (Drassodes mylonasi Chatzaki sp.n., Echemus kaltsasi Chatzaki sp.n., Minosiella apolakia Chatzaki sp.n., Phaeocedus vankeeri Chatzaki sp.n., and Turkozelotes attavirus Chatzaki sp.n.) are proposed. Although the Gnaphosidae of Cyprus are not the focus of the present paper, the unknown female of Echemus levyi Kovblyuk, 2009 found in Cyprus, is also described here for comparative purposes. Leptodrassex memorialis (Spassky, 1940) is justifiably transferred to the genus Leptopilos Levy, 2009 and it is therefore regarded as Leptopilos memorialis comb.nov. The male of Zelotes daidalus Chatzaki, 2003 and the female of Z. minous Chatzaki, 2003 are newly matched and Z. daidalus is further synonymised with Z. shaked Levy, 1998.The new matching of Z. minous males with Z. daidalus females is justified. Two species are new records for Greece: Zelotes limnatis Chatzaki Russell-Smith, 2017 and Agraecina scupiensis Deltshev, 2016.

The potential effects of climate change on the distribution of benthic species commonly used in marine ecological quality assessment were investigated using a spatial modelling approach. In this work, the relevance of the ecological groups that macrofaunal molluscs are assigned according to their sensitivity or tolerance to environmental disturbance was examined under the scope of the RCP 8.5 severe emissions scenario. The effects of climate change were more profound on species that are indicative of a specific suite of climatic conditions regarding temperature and salinity. Significant loss of habitat suitability was observed for the tolerant species Corbula gibba and Abra prismatica whereas the sensitive species Moerella donacina was least affected. In contrast, an overall expansion of the distributional potential was observed for the sensitive species Flexopecten hyalinus as newly suitable habitats are formed. As hypothesised, the current ecological grouping that depicts the sensitivity of a benthic species to an environmental stressor is irrelevant when assessing the effects of climate change. We propose a new standpoint of using benthic species as biotic tools based on their ecological niche requirements., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mediterranean lotic waters such as rivers, streams and springs are poorly monitored for non-indigenous fish species (NIFS). Since these systems are stressed by multiple anthropogenic pressures, it is important to build robust procedures to track NIFS distribution and spread. This study applies a multi-faceted assessment of NIFS in the lotic ecosystems of Greece at different spatial scales by providing: a) a historical review of temporal patterns and arrival pathways of fish introductions in river basins of Greece (140 basins) across 100years; b) an analysis of occurrence and abundance data of NIFS assemblages at the lotic site scale (644 electrofished sites); c) the mapping of NIFS distributional patterns at river basin (75 basins) and regional scales (7 freshwater ecoregions); and, d) a vector analysis of fish translocations using an ecoregional framework. In total, 55 NIFS were recorded (25 alien and 30 translocated); however, there is a low incidence of NIFS in lotic waters at the site scale (30 NIFS recorded in the field samples; 10 alien and 20 translocated). NIFS introductions in Greece appear to be influenced by specific socio-historical periods, indicating a gradual increase since late 1970s. Despite this increase, our study provides evidence that only four alien species are currently widespread and common in the rivers and streams of Greece: Gambusia holbrooki, Carassius gibelio, Pseudorasbora parva, and Lepomis gibbosus (in order of recorded abundance). NIFS tend to be absent or distributed in very low numbers in upland streams and in smaller river basins. However, the issue of translocated fish species is shown to be a sorely neglected problem that is difficult to track. This review tests a readily transferable screening procedure, contributes to the application of the European Union Regulation on Invasive Alien Species; it suggests gaps and uncertainties, and proposes conservation and management actions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Mediterranean sperm whale population is listed as 'Endangered". The Hellenic Trench is the core habitat of the eastern Mediterranean sperm whale sub-population that numbers two to three hundred individuals. Major shipping routes running on or very close to the 1000 m depth contour along the Hellenic Trench are causing an unsustainable number of ship-strikes with sperm whales reviewed in this paper. Sperm whale sighting and density data were combined with specific information on the vessel traffic in the area (e.g., types of vessels, traffic patterns, speed and traffic density), in order to estimate the risk of a whale/ship interaction. Routing options to significantly reduce ship strike risk by a small offshore shift in shipping routes were identified. The overall collision risk for sperm whales in the study area would be reduced by around 70%, while a maximum of 11 nautical miles would be added to major routes and only around 5 nautical miles for the majority of ships. No negative impacts were associated with re-routing by shipping away from sperm whale habitat and there would be additional shipping safety and environmental benefits. A significant contribution to the overall conservation status of the marine Natura2000 sites in the area and very important population units of threatened species such as Cuvier's beaked whales, monk seals and loggerhead turtles would be achieved, by the reduction of shipping noise and reduced risk of any oil spills reaching the coasts, which are also important touristic destinations in Greece., Competing Interests: DL is employed by and receives salary from MarineTraffic Operations SA. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Species of the tolutarius species group of the genus Stomodes Schoenherr, 1826 are revised. A redescription of the genus is provided and all available male and female genitalia are illustrated. Two new species, S. benedikti sp. n. and S. dodocunevi sp. n. from Greece, are described. A lectotype is designated for S. amorei Desbrochers des Loges, 1904. The redescriptions of the following species are provided: S. marocanus Hoffmann, 1956; S. muelleri Lona, 1922; S. leonhardi Wagner, 1912; S. letzneri Reitter, 1889 and S. tolutarius Schoenherr, 1826. S. muelleri is for the first time recorded for Macedonia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Greece; S. tolutarius for Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. An identification key to species of the tolutarius species group is given.

Poecilimon Fischer (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) consists of about 130 species and a functional taxonomy of the genus requires arranging species into phylogenetic groups. However, this is a task that requires detailed empirical testing. This paper documents data on Poecilimon species with an inflated pronotum. The Poecilimon (Poecilimon) inflatus group is a lineage ranging along a narrow zone in the south-west corner of Anatolia and in Crete plus some other Aegean islands. By producing data of morphology and calling songs of males and responding songs of females the composition and intra-group diversity of P. inflatus group are studied. Both morphology and male calling and female responding songs, exhibited a considerable intra-group diversity. In the light of data obtained the following nomenclatural changes were made. The genus Parapoecilimon Karabağ, 1975 syn. n. is synonymised with Poecilimon Fischer and Parapoecilimon antalyaensis Karabağ, 1975 is given a new combination, Poecilimon antalyaensis (Karabağ, 1975) comb. n. Four new taxa are described in the group: (i) Poecilimon isopterus sp.n.; (ii) Poecilimon inflatus lyciae subsp. n.; (iii) Poecilimon antalyaensis myrae subsp. n., and (iv) Poecilimon antalyaensis anemurium subsp. n. The Poecilimon (P.) inflatus species group consists of the following species: (i) Poecilimon inflatus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1891; (ii) Poecilimon martinae Heller, 2004; (iii) Poecilimon cretensis Werner, 1903; (iv) Poecilimon antalyaensis (Karabağ, 1975) comb. n.; (v) Poecilimon bilgeri Karabağ, 1953 and (vi) Poecilimon isopterus sp.n. The species group is defined by a combination of characters including the pronotum inflated in metazona and a male cerci mostly black in their apical 1/2-1/3. The male calling song has typically two types of short syllables and the females respond acoustically with very short latency times. By using combination of morphology and song data we suggest three main lineages in the group: (i) P. bilgeri, (ii) P. antalyaensis and (iii) the other four species.

Complementary revisionary information is provided for the click-beetle genus Dima Charpentier, 1825 in the Balkan Peninsula. Five species are described as new for science: Dima bialookii sp. nov. (Greece), D. blazeji sp. nov. (Albania), D. gazureki sp. nov. (Albania), D. timfristosensis sp. nov. (Greece), and D. tomorrensis sp. nov. (Albania). The male of D. hirtipennis Platia, 2011 is described for the first time. Dima etoliensis Platia, 2012 syn. nov. is a subjective junior synonym of D. evritaniensis Schimmel Platia, 2008. New specimens and distributional data are reported for D. assingi Schimmel Platia, 2008, D. dalmatina Küster, 1844, D. elateroides Charpentier, 1825, D. evritaniensis, D. florinensis Platia, 2012, D. hirtipennis, D. hladilorum Schimmel, 1987, D. lebenbaueri Schimmel Platia, 2008, D. macedonica Schimmel, 1993, D. marvani Mertlik Dusanek, 2006, D. neumanni Platia, 2013, D. olympica Meschnigg, 1934, D. parnonensis Schimmel Platia, 2008, D. pecoudi Fleutiaux, 1944, D. pelikani Mertlik, Németh Kundrata, 2017, D. pelionensis Mertlik, Németh Kundrata, 2017, D. vailatii Schimmel Platia, 2008, and Dima sp. cf. orientalis Mertlik, Németh Kundrata, 2017. Morphological variability in D. hladilorum is discussed. Figures of habitus and main diagnostic features are provided for all new species, D. evritaniensis from Nerosirtis surroundings in Panetolikó Mts. (i.e., type locality of D. etoliensis syn. nov.), and for the male of D. hirtipennis. Additionally, we update the distribution maps for the genus Dima in the Balkans based on the new findings. Currently, 37 described species of Dima are known from the Balkan Peninsula. We discuss the morphological diagnostic characters for Dima species and call for the molecular phylogenetic study for this group.

In the present work, we sampled individuals of the processionary pine moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller; Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) from different areas of Greece between 2014 and 2016. These samples were sequenced for a 760-bp long mtDNA COI locus and the haplotypes retrieved clearly showed that the occurrence of T. pityocampa in Greece is being considerably restricted, with only 8 individuals out of the 221 exhibiting T. pityocampa haplotypes and the rest being identified as T. pityocampa ENA clade haplotypes. To that, one haplotype in particular exhibited the highest abundance and broadest geographic distribution, occurring both in mainland and on islands. Our data suggest a rather recent and rapid population expansion of the ENA clade in Greece and a concomitant recent displacement of T. pityocampa. It thus seems that the relation between T. pityocampa and T. pityocampa ENA clade needs to be further and thorough analyzed before the taxonomic status of T. pityocampa ENA clade can be concluded with confidence.

Closely related species with divergent life history traits are excellent models to infer the role of such traits in genetic diversity and connectivity. Ophioderma longicauda is a brittle star species complex composed of different genetic clusters, including brooders and broadcasters. These species diverged very recently and some of them are sympatric and ecologically syntopic, making them particularly suitable to study the consequences of their trait differences. At the scale of the geographic distribution of the broadcasters (Mediterranean Sea and northeastern Atlantic), we sequenced the mitochondrial marker COI and genotyped an intron (i51) for 788 individuals. In addition, we sequenced 10 nuclear loci newly developed from transcriptome sequences, for six sympatric populations of brooders and broadcasters from Greece. At the large scale, we found a high genetic structure within the brooders (COI: 0.07 < F(ST) < 0.65) and no polymorphism at the nuclear locus i51. In contrast, the broadcasters displayed lower genetic structure (0 < F(ST) < 0.14) and were polymorphic at locus i51. At the regional scale, the multilocus analysis confirmed the contrasting genetic structure between species, with no structure in the broadcasters (global F(ST) < 0.001) and strong structure in the brooders (global F(ST) = 0.49), and revealed a higher genetic diversity in broadcasters. Our study showed that the lecithotrophic larval stage allows on average a 50-fold increase in migration rates, a 280-fold increase in effective size and a threefold to fourfold increase in genetic diversity. Our work, investigating complementary genetic markers on sympatric and syntopic taxa, highlights the strong impact of the larval phase on connectivity and genetic diversity., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Different mechanisms such as selection or genetic drift permitted e.g. by geographical isolation can lead to differentiation of populations and could cause subsequent speciation. The two subspecies of Poecilimon veluchianus, a bushcricket endemic to central Greece, show a parapatric distribution and are partially reproductively isolated. Therefore, P. veluchianus is suitable to investigate an ongoing speciation process. We based our analysis on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the mitochondrial control region (CR). The population genetic analysis based on the nuclear marker ITS revealed a barrier to gene flow within the range of Poecilimon veluchianus, which corresponds well to the described subspecies. In contrast to the results based on the nuclear ITS marker, the mitochondrial CR marker does not clearly support the separation into two subspecies with restricted gene flow and a clear contact zone. Furthermore, we could identify isolation by distance (IBD) as one important mechanism responsible for the observed genetic structure (based on the ITS marker). The population genetic analysis based on the nuclear marker ITS also suggests the existence of hybrids in the wild. Furthermore, the simultaneous lack of strong prezygotic barriers and the presence of postzygotic mating barriers, observed in previous laboratory experiments, suggest that a secondary contact after an allopatric phase is more likely than parapatric speciation.

This paper presents an updated checklist of the Greek scale insect fauna and the results of the first zoogeographic analysis of the Greek scale insect fauna. According to the latest data, the scale insect fauna of the whole Greek territory includes 207 species; of which 187 species are recorded from mainland Greece and the minor islands, whereas only 87 species are known from Crete. The most rich families are the Diaspididae (with 86 species), followed by Coccidae (with 35 species) and Pseudococcidae (with 34 species). In this study the results of a zoogeographic analysis of scale insect fauna from mainland Greece and Crete are also presented. Five species, four from mainland Greece and one from Crete are considered to be endemic. Comparison with the scale insect fauna of other countries is provided.

The mostly cavernicolous and endogean millipede genus Typhloiulus Latzel, 1884 (Julida: Julidae) is hitherto known to comprise 33-36 species distributed in the Balkan and Apennine peninsulas, as well as the adjacent parts of the Alps and the Carpathian Arch. Here we describe three new species, T. bulgaricus sp. n., T. orpheus sp. n. and T. rhodopinus sp. n., collected from caves and other subterranean habitats in Bulgaria and Greece. Furthermore, the taxonomic descriptions of some poorly known species are emended and/or new distribution data given. T. staregai Strasser, 1973, is synonymized with T. strictus (Latzel, 1882). A neotype of T. kotelensis Jawłowski, 1938, of which the original type material is thought to be lost, is designated, and a checklist of Typhloiulus species is provided.

In our study we use a 690 bp fragment of the COI gene to analyze a taxon from southern Greece, usually treated as Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) iphigenia nonacriensis (Brown, 1977). The previous conclusions on taxonomy and nomenclature of P. (A.) iphigenia nonacriensis were not supported by molecular or cytological data, therefore the problem of identity of this taxon has remained unsolved. We found that with respect to COI haplotypes, P. (A.) iphigenia nonacriensis from Greece is similar to the studied populations of P. (A.) iphigenia (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847) from Turkey and Armenia. Thus, we confirm that the only Greek Agrodiaetus butterfly with blue wing coloration in males actually belongs to the species P. (A.) iphigenia.

Two new species of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (subgenus Euscorpius s.str.) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) are described based on morphology and the COI DNA barcoding marker: E. deltshevi sp. n. from northern Bulgaria and neighbouring Serbia (formerly reported as E. carpathicus) and E. solegladi sp. n. from southwestern Bulgaria and neighbouring Greece (formerly reported as E. hadzii).

The Elachista puplesisi group is defined. Its characterization is based on two species, E. puplesisi Sruoga, 2000, known from the holotype collected in Turkmenistan and E. helia sp. nov., from Rhodos, Greece. The group is assigned to the subgenus Atachia of Elachista, but its affinities within Atachia remain unknown.

The genus Agistemus Summers (Acari: Stigmaeidae) is reported for the first time in Greece. Agistemus duzgunesae Koç, Çobanoğlu & Madanlar, a new record for the Greek fauna, is re-described and illustrated based on specimens collected from various plants. Furthermore, Agistemus macrosetosus Stathakis & Kapaxidi n. sp. is described and illustrated based on specimens collected on Rubus sp. A list of all species of the genus Agistemus is provided.

The European protected-area network will cease to be efficient for biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean region, if species are driven out of protected areas by climate warming. Yet, no empirical evidence of how climate change influences ecological communities in Mediterranean nature reserves really exists. Here, we examine long-term (1998-2011/2012) and short-term (2011-2012) changes in the butterfly fauna of Dadia National Park (Greece) by revisiting 21 and 18 transects in 2011 and 2012 respectively, that were initially surveyed in 1998. We evaluate the temperature trend for the study area for a 22-year-period (1990-2012) in which all three butterfly surveys are included. We also assess changes in community composition and species richness in butterfly communities using information on (a) species' elevational distributions in Greece and (b) Community Temperature Index (calculated from the average temperature of species' geographical ranges in Europe, weighted by species' abundance per transect and year). Despite the protected status of Dadia NP and the subsequent stability of land use regimes, we found a marked change in butterfly community composition over a 13 year period, concomitant with an increase of annual average temperature of 0.95°C. Our analysis gave no evidence of significant year-to-year (2011-2012) variability in butterfly community composition, suggesting that the community composition change we recorded is likely the consequence of long-term environmental change, such as climate warming. We observe an increased abundance of low-elevation species whereas species mainly occurring at higher elevations in the region declined. The Community Temperature Index was found to increase in all habitats except agricultural areas. If equivalent changes occur in other protected areas and taxonomic groups across Mediterranean Europe, new conservation options and approaches for increasing species' resilience may have to be devised.

The phylogeographic structure of the land snail Xerocrassa mesostena on Crete inferred from AFLP markers and mitochondrial cox1 sequences can be explained by three mechanisms: gene flow restriction, population expansion and leptokurtic dispersal. Gene flow restriction by geographic barriers caused subdivision of the gene pool into distinct clusters. Population expansion was probably facilitated by deforestation of Crete in the postglacial. Newly available areas were colonized by leptokurtic dispersal, i.e. slow active expansion resulting in isolation by distance within the clusters and occasional long distance dispersal events that resulted in departures from the isolation by distance model. Less than one percent of the AFLP markers show correlations with environmental variables. Random phylogeographic breaks in the distribution of the mitochondrial haplotype groups indicate that single locus markers, especially mitochondrial DNA, might result in a misleading picture of the phylogeographic structure of a species. Restriction of gene flow between metapopulations caused by geographical barriers can interact with sexual selection resulting in the differentiation of these metapopulations into separate species without noticeable ecological differentiation. Evidence for gene flow between parapatrically distributed evolutionary units representing different stages of the speciation process suggests that the ongoing process of fragmentation of the X. mesostena complex might be an example for parapatric speciation. The lack of ecological differentiation between these units confirms theoretical predictions that divergent selection for local adaptation is not required for rapid speciation.

In this study we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of eastern Mediterranean freshwater planarians of the genus Dugesia, estimated divergence times for the various clades, and correlated their phylogeographic patterns with geological and paleoclimatic events, in order to discover which evolutionary processes have shaped the present-day distribution of these animals. Specimens were collected from freshwater courses and lakes in continental and insular Greece. Genetic divergences and phylogenetic relationships were inferred by using the mitochondrial gene subunit I of cytochrome oxidase (COI) and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) from 74 newly collected individuals from Greece. Divergence time estimates were obtained under a Bayesian framework, using the COI sequences. Two alternative geological dates for the isolation of Crete from the mainland were tested as calibration points. A clear phylogeographic pattern was present for Dugesia lineages in the Eastern Mediterranean. Morphological data, combined with information on genetic divergences, revealed that eight out of the nine known species were represented in the samples, while additional new, and still undescribed species were detected. Divergence time analyses suggested that Dugesia species became isolated in Crete after the first geological isolation of the island, and that their present distribution in the Eastern Mediterranean has been shaped mainly by vicariant events but also by dispersal. During the Messinian salinity crisis these freshwater planarians apparently were not able to cross the sea barrier between Crete and the mainland, while they probably did disperse between islands in the Aegean Sea. Their dependence on freshwater to survive suggests the presence of contiguous freshwater bodies in those regions. Our results also suggest a major extinction of freshwater planarians on the Peloponnese at the end of the Pliocene, while about 2Mya ago, when the current Mediterranean climate was established, these Peloponnese populations probably began to disperse again. At the end of the Pliocene or during the Pleistocene, mainland populations of Dugesia colonized the western coast, including the Ionian Islands, which were then part of the continent., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two new taxa, Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) bulgaricus Donev & Triapitsyn (Bulgaria, and also apparently mainland Greece) and G. (Lymaenon) mediterraneus Donev & Triapitsyn (Greece-Crete Island) are described, diagnosed, and illustrated. Also, a species tentatively identified as G (Lymaenon) ?beshbarmak Triapitsyn is reported from mainland Greece. If the species is indeed G. beshbarmak then this is the first record of it from Greece.

Four species of talitrid amphipods (Orchestia montagui Audouin, 1826, Orchestia stephenseni Cecchini, 1928, Orchestia xylino sp. nov. and Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808)) are reported from a set of fragmented pocket beaches to the east of Heraklion on the north coast of Crete. Aside from a previous record of O. stephenseni these are the first records of talitrid amphipods from the island of Crete. 2) Along a coastal segment of only 4.36 km, characterised by habitat fragmentation and substrate patchiness, a clear correlation between talitrid species and beach type is indicated. Talitrus saltator occurs only on sandy beaches. Orchestia montagui and O. xylino occur on banquette beaches and O. montagui, O. stephenseni and O. xylino occur on mixed sand/gravel and cobble beaches. 3) The genus Orchestia is redefined and confined to 15 marine supralittoral species from eastern North America, islands in the North-eastern Atlantic, and western-Europe, including the Baltic and the Mediterranean Seas plus a perplexing group in New Zealand. 4) The new genus Cryptorchestia is described, based on nine terrestrial species previously included in the genus Orchestia and occurring in western Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the Azores and Canary islands in the North-eastern Atlantic. 5) The new species Orchestia xylino sp. nov. is described. 6) An extensive bibliography for the species in this study is provided.

Two new species, Neoseiulus elisiensis n. sp. and Neoseiulus neomarginatus n. sp., are described from Greece. Neoseiulus leucophaeus (Athias-Henriot) is re-described and illustrated based on specimens collected on Thymelaea hirsuta (L.) Endl. A key to all species of the genus Neoseiulus Hughes reported from Greece is provided.