Search

Five meadows along the Litavka River highly contaminated with heavy metals from mining were sampled for insects and spiders using pitfall traps. The sites are in the Příbram region of central Bohemia, Czechia, which was previously reported as one of the most polluted areas in Europe due to intensive mining and metal processing. The determination of pseudo-total risk elements in soil revealed that all the sampled sites were contaminated with heavy metals, especially As, Cd, Pb, and Zn, with levels ranging from moderate to extreme. The trap results showed a total of 1142 beetles from 21 species, 946 ants from 16 species, 548 spiders from 28 species, and 96 harvestmen from 3 species. With the exception of the scabrous ground beetle, Carabus scabriusculus, all captured specimens were species common to the wet meadows and forest edges of Czechia. With respect to species richness, the dominant spider and beetle taxa were less abundant at the heavily polluted locations than at the moderately polluted locations. In the case of ants, however, there was no relationship between contamination level and abundance or species richness. Thus, it is worthwhile recording and analyzing the differential changes in abundance of the dominant spider and beetle species in polluted areas.

Scientists around the world are focusing their interest on the use of probiotics in honey bees as an alternative method of prophylaxis against causative agents of both American and European foulbrood. In our study we tested inhibitory activity against Paenibacillus larvae and the biofilm formation activity by various lactic acid bacteria isolated from honey bee guts or fresh pollen samples in the presence of different sugars added to the cultivation media. In addition, we tested the probiotic effect of a newly selected Apilactobacillus kunkeei V18 in an in situ experiment in bee colonies. We found antibacterial activity against P. larvae in four isolates. Biofilm formation activity of varying intensity was noted in six of the seven isolates in the presence of different sugars. The strongest biofilm formation (OD570 ≥ 1) was noted in A. kunkeei V18 in the presence of fructose; moreover, this isolate strongly inhibited the growth of P. larvae under laboratory conditions. Inhibition of P. larvae and Melissococcus plutonius by A. kunkeei V18 in situ was confirmed in a pilot study.

In the second half of the 20th century, change of land use in the name of intensive agriculture was one of the most important factors caused significant loss of butterfly diversity in Europe. Phengaris nausithous and Phengaris teleius belong among the flagship species associated with wet meadows and are directly threatened by the intensive agriculture practises or management abandonment. Due to their very specific lifecycle, they are closely linked to their habitats and appropriate mowing management on their patches is thus crucial for their survival. Our research took place in Dolní Labe, Děčín, Czech Republic, on 16 patches and has been performed using Mark-Release-Recapture since 2009. This paper will illustrate how intensive mowing management, applied on only one of the patches, which forms only 9.4% of total locality size, can influence the entire local Phengaris metapopulation. The selected patch was intentionally mowed in the middle of flight season annually for four years. Even though, no significant effect was identified after the first year of study, after the second and third seasons, there was evidence of population decline of both studied species.

Because biological invasions may cause loss of biodiversity, accurate predictions are necessary for implementing effective restrictions aimed at specific high-risk taxa. The majority of freshwater macroinvertebrate invaders are molluscs and crustaceans. The pet trade has been considered one of the main pathways for new introductions of such species. Risk assessment is usually focused on traded ornamental species whereas, despite their potential importance, incidental “hitchhiking” molluscs are usually given only minimal consideration. We surveyed the Czech Republic, which is one of the leading markets for aquarium species in the European Union (EU), and found 41 freshwater mollusc species (25 ornamental gastropods, 6 ornamental clams, and 10 “hitchhiking” gastropods) representing 13 families. We extrapolated data from the Czech Republic and, using Climatch v. 1.0, matched the climate in each species’ native range to the entire territory of the EU. We also assessed the risk associated with each species by FI-ISK. “Hitchhiking” gastropods were found to be significantly more hazardous and with higher potential to become established within the EU than were ornamental gastropods and bivalves. Many “hitchhikers” may be easily overlooked due to their small size and cryptic coloration or shape. Thus, they easily can be accidentally imported in association with aquarium plants. Therefore, we recommend here to disinfect imported ornamental plants to eradicate these unwanted faunal assemblages.

Černý, Ladislav, Vrabec, Vladimír (2019): Mylabris (Mylabris) snizeki sp. nov. from Jordan, with a key to the Jordanian species of the nominotypical subgenus (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Zootaxa 4555 (1): 146-150, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4555.1.13

In recent decades, changes in meadows maintenance have reduced the populations of endangered butterfly species Phengaris nausithous (Bergsträsser, 1779) and P. teleius (Bergsträsser, 1779). Currently, meadows are either abandoned or intensively used. Unfortunately, both these managements are considered unfavourable for grassland butterfly species. In this study, the effect of suitable meadow management on population sizes of both the above mentioned Phengaris species was investigated. The experiment was performed at the locality Dolní Labe (Děčín, Czech Republic). The most suitable models, based on the lowest values of Akaike’s information criterion corrected for small sample sizes, were selected using MARK statistical software. The results were subsequently compared with data obtained from this locality prior to the management application. Unexpectedly, no significant positive effects were found. To reach the desirable status, suitable management practices should be applied for long-term. To verify the management effect on the population size, the meadows were divided into three groups: (i) application of favourable management, (ii) mowing in inappropriate term, (iii) without management. Based on the statistical evaluation, the management application proved to be the most favourable option for both studied butterflies species.

As the demand for sustainable, cost-effective food production increases, edible insects are an important alternative to traditional livestock as a source of human food. Understanding the differences in the nutritional composition of edible insects is essential for the optimization of rearing process. This study investigated the effects of developmental stage on the quantity and quality of nutrients in “superworms” (Zophobas morio), and the death’s head cockroach (Blaberus craniifer). Superworms at 60, 90, and 120 days of age showed no significant variation in basic nutrient content, and no significant differences were found in protein quality (expressed as the essential amino acid index). In contrast, adult cockroaches contained significantly more digestible protein than either small or large nymphs, but of lower quality. Cockroach nymphs contained significantly higher amounts of fat than the adults, and the lipid quality (described by the atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices) increased over time. Conversely, the lipid quality of superworm larvae decreased with age. The study provides a better understanding of the chemical composition of insects over their lifespan and may help to optimize rearing technology in order to harvest insects as high-quality nutritional biomass, facilitating their application as a potential food source for humans.

In the Czech Republic, the scarce fritillary (Euphydryas maturna) had been considered extinct until the rediscovery of an extant population in Domanovický les, Central Bohemia. Subsequent efforts to protect the locality were thwarted by disputes between landowners and researchers. In 2010, when the population size was reaching critically low levels, appropriate management was finally established at the locality. To evaluate the current status of the population, an intensive mark-release-recapture study was conducted in the area in 2016 and 2017, comprising several hundreds captured individuals. The total population size was estimated at 764 butterflies for 2016 and 518 butterflies for 2017. In comparison with the pilot study performed in 2002, the population size was slightly higher, but the dispersal rates were lower. These results indicate that Euphydryas maturna in the Czech Republic has managed to bounce back from a critical population size. On the other hand, the risk of extinction has not been averted due to continued habitat loss and stochastic environmental effects. Management efforts should aim to expand the habitats used by the breeding populations, at present predominantly confined to temporary forest clearings and to open canopy forest with low tree density. Moreover, assisted reintroductions of this only surviving population to the surrounding areas should be considered.

Since January 2018, insects have been recognised as novel foods in the EU, but their nutritional value varies, and factors affecting their nutritional composition have been debated. We investigated the effect of sex on the nutritional value and chemical composition of the house cricket (Acheta domestica L.). Both sexes were rich in protein and lipids. The proximate composition was partly influenced by sex; females contained a significantly higher amount of lipids (18.3–21.7 vs 12.9–16.1 g/100 g dry matter, p = 0.0001) and fewer proteins than males (61.2–64.9 vs 66.3–69.6 g/100 g dry matter, p = 0.0001). Males contained more chitin (p = 0.0015) and nitrogen chains (p = 0.0003) than females. Only the ash (p = 0.4314) and nitrogen-free extract (p = 0.4871) were uninfluenced by sex. Furthermore, nutrient quality expressed as essential amino acid (72.3–77.1), thrombogenicity (1.22–1.45), and atherogenicity indices (0.53–0.58) did not differ between sexes (p > 0.05).

The aardvark is popular in many zoological gardens in the European Union. These creatures are nocturnal, and aardvarks in the wild are known to walk distances of 4 km to 7 km per night. Despite what is known about their biology, most aardvarks are kept in zoological gardens in indoor enclosures with little space for movement. This lack of space leads to a tendency toward obesity and compromised welfare. With their wide distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa, aardvarks are perceived as thermophilic nonhuman animals. Nevertheless, some records suggest they may be able to adapt to colder climates and can be active outside their burrows when temperatures fall to 2°C. These findings suggest there may be a wild African population that is suitable for partial outdoor keeping under European climatic conditions. Therefore, a climate match was computed between the source area with aardvark occurrence and a target area of the European Union. Data revealed that the Free State, a South African province, was the area with the best climate similarity, and aardvarks from this area are recommended as suitable for the aforementioned purpose.

The monitoring of sympatrically occurring Phengaris teleius and P. nausithous metapopulations in the surroundings of Přelouc, Czech Republic, was launched over a decade ago in connection with the planned waterway construction on the Elbe river. The mark-recapture surveys were initially restricted to 10 habitat patches on the right river bank, but in 2010 three new patches were discovered on the opposite bank. We use the monitoring results for 2011–2015 to assess how the discovery of additional populations alters the impact evaluation of the prospective construction. The overall abundance of P. teleius in the recently discovered populations was about twice as high as on the right bank (ca. 2,800 vs. 1,400 adults on average), while the numbers of P. nausithous on both banks proved to be balanced (at ca. 600 adults on average). Furthermore, we confirmed a substantial exchange of butterflies between population representing both banks, which indicates a well-integrated metapopulation in both species. Since the waterway would partly destroy the two largest populations on the right bank, the potential loss due to its construction is estimated at 40.1–64.3% P. teleius individuals and 20.2–47.4% P. nausithous individuals occurring there. Nevertheless, concerning the entire metapopulation, the predicted decline is considerably smaller, reaching 13.9–25.7% in P. teleius and 8.5–20.0% in P. nausithous. Consequently, a long-term survival of the species is likely even in the case of the waterway construction, as long as appropriate management is applied on the unaffected habitat patches.

Metapopulation models typically assume that suitable habitats occupied by local populations and unsuitable matrix separating them form a 'black- and-white' landscape mosaic, in which dispersal is primarily determined by the spatial configuration of habitat patches. In reality, however, the matrix com- position is also likely to influence dispersal. Using intensive mark-recapture surveys we investigated inter-patch movements in Maculinea (Phengaris) nausithous and M. teleius occurring sympatrically in six metapopulations. Three of these metapopulations had the matrix dominated by forest, an inhospitable environment for grassland butterflies, whereas in the remaining three the matrix was mostly composed of open environments. Dispersal parameters derived with the Virtual Migration model revealed significant differences between both groups of metapopulations. Both species had a lower propensity to emigrate from their natal habitat patches, and they suffered substan- tially higher dispersal mortality in the metapopula- tions with forest matrix. On the other hand, mean dispersal distances were roughly an order of magni- tude longer in forest matrix as compared with open landscapes (ca. 500-1,500 vs. 100-200 m). Our results suggest that inhospitable forest matrix induces strong selection against dispersal, leading to a reduced emigration rate. At the same time, the selection may promote emigrants with good dispersal abilities, which are able to perform long-distance movements. Thus, while it is generally believed that a matrix

In recent years, the keeping of ornamental freshwater animals and plants in garden ponds has been growing in popularity. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the preferred macrophytes seasonally imported mainly from South-eastern Asia throughout the world. This constitutes a secondary introduction inasmuch as the species is native to South America. Although many assemblages of aquatic invertebrates have been described as associated with this plant in the wild, there has been no research focused on their potential introduction via the international plant trade. We examined 216 specimens of water hyacinths imported for ornamental purposes from Indonesia into the Czech Republic. Numerous meio- and macroinvertebrates belonging to at least 39 species were captured. On the total number of individuals, the highest prevalence was of Tubulinea and Rotifera. Most of these were still alive and vital, including a caterpillar of the Indo–Australian invasive moth Spodoptera litura. Water hyacinths are usually placed into outdoor ponds immediately after import, which facilitates the release of non-target alien species. The present paper aims to draw attention to “hitchhikers” associated with the ornamental trade.

A positive effect of (meta)population density on emigration has been predicted by many theoretical models and confirmed empirically in various organisms. However, in butterflies, the most popular species for dispersal studies, the evidence for its existence has so far been equivocal, with negative relationships between density and emigration being reported more frequently. We analysed dispersal in sympatric metapopulations of two Maculinea butterflies, intensively surveyed with mark–release–recapture methods for 7 years. Dispersal parameters, derived using the virtual migration model, were assessed against butterfly densities, which fluctuated strongly over the study period. Emigration was positively correlated with density, and this effect was particularly strong at densities above carrying capacity, when emigration increased up to threefold in females and twofold in males compared with the normal levels. In turn, density had little impact on other dispersal parameters analysed. Our findings provide good evidence for positive density-dependence of emigration in butterflies. Emigrating at high densities is particularly beneficial for females, because it gives them a chance to lay part of their egg-load in less crowded patches, where offspring survival is higher due to lower intraspecific competition. Even though the rise in emigration becomes considerable at densities exceeding carrying capacity, i.e. relatively infrequently, it still has serious implications for many ecological phenomena, such as species range expansions, gene flow, and metapopulation persistence. Consequently, instead of treating emigration as a fixed trait, it is worth allowing for its density-dependence in applications such as population viability analyses, genetic models or metapopulation models. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2025-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Currently, insects are considered as a potential substitute for fishmeal and Currently, insects are considered as a potential substitute for fishmeal and soybean meal in feeding mixtures for farm animals. However, detailed information regarding insects’ nutritional values is available only for some species. We suggested criteria for insect suitability to mass production and found 15 species from 5 orders which meet our requirements: Blattaria: Blaptica dubia, Blatta lateralis, Eublaberus distanti, Coleoptera: Alphitobius diaperinus, Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas morio, Diptera: Hermetia illucens, Musca domestica, Lepidoptera: Antheraea assamensis, Bombyx mori, Galleria mellonela, Samia riciini, Orthoptera: Acheta domestica, Locusta migratoria, Zonocerus variegates. We have collected available information about their nutritional composition and compared it to soybean meal and fishmeal. Protein content was found to be similar to (or slightly higher than in) soybean and fish meals. In terms of protein quality, it was found that insect protein composition is more similar to soybean protein or fishmeal with low protein concentration, than to that of high concentration fishmeal or casein. Due to highest lysine and metionin contents, we recommend Musca domestica and Samia riciini as most suitable protein sources for poultry and pigs feeding

Recent land use changes, namely the intensification of agriculture and forestry as well as the abandonment of traditional grassland management methods, have resulted in the decline of butterfly diversity in Europe. Appropriate management of butterfly habitats is thus required in order to reverse this negative trend. The aim of our study was to review the available literary information concerning the effects of various types of management on European butterflies of conservation concern, and to provide practical recommendations for the management of butterfly habitats. Since vegetation succession is a major threat to butterfly populations, there is a need for activities to suppress this process. Extensive grazing and rotational mowing, which imitate the traditional way of meadow use, appear to be the most suitable management in this respect. Both grazing and mowing should optimally be of low intensity and follow a mosaic design, with different land fragments being successively used at different times. Habitat disturbance through trampling, either associated with grazing or various sporting activities (hiking, biking, horse riding), or through occasional small-area burning, also prove to be beneficial for many butterflies. In the case of woodland species, maintaining open habitats within forests (glades, clearings, wide road verges) and thinning forest stands is recommended. Among the unfavourable management activities identified, the most harmful are afforestation of open lands and drainage works. Therefore, such activities must be stopped at butterfly sites in order to ensure the effective conservation of species of conservation concern.

In most metapopulation models dispersal is assumed to be a fixed species-specific trait, but in reality dispersal abilities are highly sensitive to various selective pressures. Strict isolation of a metapopulation, which precludes any influx of immigrants (and their genes) from outside and makes it impossible for emigrants to reach other localities with suitable habitat, thus reducing fitness benefits of long-distance dispersal to zero, may be expected to impose strong selection against dispersal. We tested the above prediction by comparing dispersal parameters derived with the Virtual Migration model for isolated and non-isolated metapopulations of two species of large blue Maculinea (= Phengaris) butterflies, surveyed with intensive mark-recapture. Mortality during dispersal was found to be twice (in M. teleius) to five times higher (in M. arion) in isolated metapopulations. Isolation also resulted in significantly reduced dispersal distances in isolated metapopulations, with the effect being particularly strong in M. arion females. Apart from its evolutionary and ecological consequences, dispersal depression in isolated butterfly metapopulations implied by our results has serious conservation implications. It provides a clear argument against using parameter values obtained in a different environmental setting in modelling applications, e.g., Population Viability Analyses or environmental impact assessment. Furthermore, it underlines the importance of establishing well-connected networks of suitable habitats prior to species release in areas where reintroductions are planned.

Butterflies of the genus Phengaris have a highly specialised life cycle involving an obligatory relationship with Myrmica ants. A knowledge of the host ant specificity is essential for understanding the relationship between a particular Phengaris species and its hosts and also important for the conservation of these butterflies. Data on host ant specificity were collected in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine. Five different Myrmica species were used by P. teleius as hosts (M. scabrinodis, M. rubra, M. ruginodis, M. rugulosa and M. gallienii) and at most localities it was not possible to distinguish a primary host - i.e. several Myr- mica species were parasitized to similar extents. Three populations of P. nausithous were found in Poland and Ukraine. In every case, M. rubra was its primary host, although in the Krakow region (Poland) two nests of M. scabrinodis and two of M. ruginodis were infested by this butterfly species. P. alcon in the four populations investigated in Poland and Ukraine invariably only used M. scabrinodis as a host despite the presence of other Myrmica species. These results obtained suggest lack of host specificity in P. teleius and high host specificity in P. nausithous, which mainly uses M. rubra as its host across Europe. Moreover, the three populations of P. alcon investigated seem to be highly specific and use M. scabrinodis as a host, which confirms the high local spe- cialisation of these populations.