Lithuanian Fauna Research Articles

An annotated checklist of Prioninae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) of Lithuania

We present the first annotated checklist of the subfamily Prioninae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera, Ceram-bycidae) in Lithuania. At least 140 published and unpublished records of Prioninae were analyzed and collected specimens were verified. As a result, one species, Aegosoma scabricorne (Scopoli, 1763), was found to be new for Lithuanian fauna and three species, Ergates faber (Linnaeus, 1761), Tragosoma depsarium (Linnaeus, 1767), and Prionus coriarius (Linnaeus, 1758), were confirmed in the country. The information on the local occurrence, natu-ral history, general distribution, and conservation status of these species is reviewed. 

Trophic relationships and mining seasons of the Nepticulidae of Lithuania: an updated survey

This study provides updated summarised data on host-plant preferences and mining seasons of the Nepticulidae of the Lithuanian fauna. It revealed that the Lithuanian Nepticulidae are trophically associated with 34 genera and 14 families of host plants. Four of these host-plant families stand out in a number of mining Nepticulidae species and all together host about 80% of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae. As regards feeding specialisation, the fauna of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae consists of three constituents: monophagous species (about 44%), narrow oligophagous species (about 48%), and true oligophagous species (about 8%). There are two distinctive peaks of mining: the summer peak from mid-June until mid-July and the autumn peak from early September until mid-October, when most species mine simultaneously.

Aphids of the family Adelgidae in Lithuania: distribution, host specificity and molecular (mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF-1α) diversity

Based on the original research of 2017–2018, also reference data, four aphid species and five species complexes of the family Adelgidae listed for Lithuanian fauna. Pineus (Pineus) strobi (Hartig, 1839) is a new species for the fauna of Lithuania. Summarized information on the distribution and host specificity of adelgid species in Lithuania is presented. The most common species recorded from all geographical regions of Lithuania were the ones belonging to the species complexes Adelges laricis – A. tardus, Pineus orientalis – P. pini, Sacchiphantes viridis – S. abietis and Gilletteella cooleyi – G. coweni. Six species of Adelgidae inhabit host plants of the genus Picea, three live on Larix, three – on Pinus, two – on Abies, one – on Pseudotsuga. Partial sequences of mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (EF-1α) DNA of Lithuanian samples were analysed in comparison with available data from GeneBank representing samples from Central Europe. Pairwise distances of COI and EF-1α fragments between samples belonging to species complexes Adelges laricis – A. tardus, Dreyfusia nordmannianae – D. piceae, Sacchiphantes viridis – S. abietis, Gilletteella cooleyi – G. coweni and Pineus orientalis – P. pini suggest each species complex being a single species.

Faunistic review of Tetratomidae and Melandryidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) in Lithuania with an annotated checklist of the species.

This paper presents the first faunistic review of species composition and distribution of Tetratomidae and Melandryidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) in Lithuania. An annotated checklist of the species is given. The peculiarities of some morphological structures of Dircaea australis, Phloiotrya subtilis, Orchesia fusiformis, O. micans and Zilora cf. obscura are briefly reviewed and illustrated. Information on five species of Tetratomidae and twenty-two species of Melandryidae is given, including faunistic data, prior records, general distribution, and notes on frequency, ecology and morphological peculiarities of some species. Eustrophus dermestoides (Tetratomidae), Phloiotrya rufipes, Hypulus bifasciatus and Phryganophilus ruficollis (Melandryidae) known from previous literature records are excluded from the Lithuanian fauna due to suspect data on their occurrence in the country. Phloiotrya subtilis and Orchesia fusiformis are recorded from Lithuania for the first time. The presence of Tetratoma fungorum and Abdera flexuosa in the Lithuanian fauna was confirmed by actual faunistic data, which were previously absent. Four species of Tetratomidae and 19 species of Melandryidae are confidently included in the Lithuanian fauna, corresponding to 50% of the total European fauna of both families excluding regional endemics.

A faunistic review of ground beetles of Lebiinae Bonelli, 1810 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Lithuania

The paper presents the first review on species composition and distribution of ground beetles of Lebiinae Bonelli, 1810, subfamily (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Lithuania. During the study, all available related published sources have been reviewed. A total of 482 records have been analyzed and more than 700 specimens collected since 1923 have been examined. Lebiinae subfamily is presented by 2 tribes in Lithuania. The tribe Odocanthini is monotypical with a single species. The other one, Lebiini tribe, is more diverse, represented by 4 subtribes, 7 genera and 24 species. The information on distribution, frequency and some features of ecology and zoogeography of 25 Lebiinae species found in Lithuanian is detailed. Demetrias atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1758) is reported for the first time for Lithuanian fauna and Philorhizus notatus (Stephens, 1827) is removed from the list of Lithuanian beetles.

New country and host records for Lithuanian Tachinidae (Diptera)

This paper updates the knowledge on the family Tachinidae (Diptera) in the Lithuanian fauna. As the result, 68 species are first records from the country and eight species are deleted from the previous list. Among species listed in this paper, 54 represent first records for the Baltic States and 16 are new for all of Eastern Europe. Parasitoid-host associations for 13 species of Tachinidae with 15 host taxa that comprise 17 couples are recorded for Lithuania for the first time. Among these, Meigenia uncinatata is a new parasitoid of the leaf beetle Gonioctena quinquepunctata (Chrysomelidae).

Terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Oniscidea) at the Baltic Sea coast in Lithuania

A survey between 2004 and 2010 yielded 2434 individuals of seven terrestrial isopod species – Cylisticus convexus, Oniscus asellus, Trachelipus rathkii, Porcellio scaber, Porcellio spinicornis, Porcellium conspersum, along Ligidium hypnorum – along the Curonian Spit and in various woodlands in Lithuania. The data on the Lithuanian fauna of all terrestrial isopods are presented for the first time. Isopod richness was the highest in woody habitats (dune pine forests and old mixed forests) where common European and Holarctic species (O. asellus, P. scaber, and T. rathkii) formed the majority of isopod assemblages. Additionally, more specialized isopods (L. hypnorum, P. conspersum) were also found in mixed and deciduous forests. Porcellio scaber and T. rathkii, the species tolerating human and natural disturbances, were the only isopods found in sand dunes at the coast. The article includes a detailed list of Isopoda occurrences and the numbers of individuals captured. 2004–2010 metais Kursių nerijoje ir įvai...

The checklist of Lithuanian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae)

This paper summarizes data on all spider (Arachnida, Araneae) species found in Lithuania. The list of 445 Lithuanian spiders (Araneae) of 29 families is based on 35 sources of literature published until 2011. Family names, generic and species nomen­ clature are in compliance with the classification proposed by N. I. Platnick. All the published sources containing information about spider species found in the territory of Lithuania are provided. Taking into account the described diversity of spider fauna of the neighbouring countries we may expect approximately 100 spider species to be recorded in Lithuanian fauna in the future.

New and insufficiently known leaf-beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the Lithuanian fauna

The current article presents faunistic data on 18 leaf-beetle (Chrysomelidae) species in Lithuania. Three species of them, Chrysolina herbacea (Duftschmid, 1825), Gonioctena intermedia (Helliesen, 1913) and Phyllotreta dilatata Thomson, 1866, are mentioned for the local fauna for the first time. The reviewed material is deposited in collections of Kaunas Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum. A short review of the history of leaf-beetle research in Lithuania is given.

Moths Caught in Traps during the Survey ofChoristoneura Rosaceana(Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) in Lithuania

A survey of the oblique-banded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris, 1841)) was carried out from 2002 to 2004 using sticky traps baited with the respective synthetic sex pheromone blend. The traps were deployed in 128 localities throughout Lithuania: in orchards, botanical gardens, nurseries, town parks with non-native broadleaved trees. No specimens of C. rosaceana were found, but a total of 139 other moth species were trapped and identified. Aphelia (Zelotherses) paleana (Hubner, 1793), Yponomeuta cagnagella (Hubner, 1813), Y. evonymella (Linnaeus, 1758), Archips rosana (Linnaeus, 1758) were the most frequently detected species. Other species of trapped moths provided new information on the Lithuanian fauna. Three species, i. e. Bucculatrix humiliella Herrich-Schaffer, 1855, Coleophora saxicolella (Duponchel, 1843) and Epermenia (Calotripis) insecurella (Stainton, 1854), caught in three localities, were recognized as new records for the Lithuanian fauna. Fifteen newly recorded localities have ext...

Moths Caught in Traps during a Survey ofChoristoneura Fumiferana(Clemens, 1865) – Lepidoptera, Tortricidae – in Lithuania

A survey for the North American spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens, 1865)) was carried out using sticky traps baited with a synthetic sex pheromone blend from 2002 to 2004. The traps were deployed at 90 localities throughout Lithuania: in parks, botanical gardens, forest trees nurseries and forest lots, where non-native coniferous trees were planted. No C. fumiferana were found, but a total of 88 other moth species were trapped and identified. Acleris ferrugana (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) was the most frequently found species. Other species of trapped moths revealed new information on the Lithuanian fauna. Merrifieldia leucodactyla (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) moths, a new species for the Lithuanian fauna, were caught in six localities. Seven new localities were recorded for the occurrence of the following very rare species: Diplodoma laichartingella Goeze, 1783, Depressaria (Depressaria) sordidatella Tengstrom, 1848, Elachista (Elachista) consortella Stainton, 1851, Mompha (Mompha) st...

Moths trapped during the search for Dendrolimus sibiricus (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae) in Lithuania

A search for the Siberian silk moth – Dendrolimus sibiricus (Tschetverikov, 1908) was carried out from 2002 to 2004 using sticky traps baited with a synthetic sex pheromone blend. Traps were deployed in 98 localities throughout Lithuania: in town parks, botanical gardens, forest trees nurseries and forest lots. No D. sibiricus specimens were found, but a total of 52 other moth species were trapped and identified. D. pini (Linnaeus, 1758) was the most frequently found species. Other species of trapped moths revealed new information on the Lithuanian fauna. Three new localities of the occurrence of very rare for Lithuania moth species, Parornix loganella (Stainton, 1848) and Dichelia histrionana (Frolich, 1828) were found. Six new localities were recorded for the occurrence of five moth species which are rare in Lithuania.

The first record of Oulema duftschmidi (Redtenbacher, 1874) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Lithuanian fauna

Oulema duftschmidi (Redtenbacher, 1874) is mentioned from Lithuania for the first time. Eight specimens of the species were identified in the collection of Kaunas T. Ivanauskas Zoological Museum (Lithuania). General information on this leaf-beetle species and figures of aedeagus with everted endophallus are presented. Additional faunal data on sibling species O. melanopus (Linnaeus, 1758) and a list of Oulema of Lithuanian fauna are also given.

Notes on Moth Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) Inhabiting Fungal Fruit Bodies

The development in the fruit bodies of fungi was determined for five species of moth flies: Panimerus albifacies (Tonnoir), Clytocerus rivosus (Tonnoir), Psychoda lobata Tonnoir, P. cinerea Banks and P. pusilla Tonnoir. P. albifacies is reported as a new species for the Lithuanian insect fauna. Larval trophic and topic relationships with fungal fruit bodies were established for the first time for three species of moth flies: P. albifacies, C. rivosus and P. pusilla. The results of this study and literature data suggest that trophic and topic relationships with fungal substrate in Europe have been established for 15 species of moth flies.

The Updated Checklist of Lithuanian Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) with Notes on Species Rarity

The updated checklist of caddisflies (Trichoptera) of Lithuania includes 173 species and 1 subspecies. During the current study (1987–2007), 151 caddisfly species and 1 subspecies were recorded. Among them, four species are new for the Lithuanian fauna: Hydroptila vectis Curtis, 1834, Hydropsyche Saxonica McLachlan, 1884, Apatania wallengreni McLachlan, 1871, and Ceraclea excise (Morton, 1904). For 20 species that were not observed during the current study, there are historical records available, which were published before 1969. One new species has been reported recently. However, this record warrants verification. Information on caddisfly distribution and rarity is presented.

New Leaf-beetle Species, Cryptocephalus solivagus Leonardi & Sassi, 2001 (Coleoptera: ChrysomelidaE) in the Lithuanian fauna

The first record of the leaf-beetle, Cryptocephalus solivagus Leonardi & Sassi, 2001 in the Lithuanian fauna is presented. Two specimens of this species were found in the Siauliai district, Girkautai (northwestern Lithuania). This species is new to the Baltic and Fennoscandian fauna. General information on its distribution and ecology is given. The figures of the habitus and the sclerites of the endophallus of Cryptocephalus solivagus Leonardi & Sassi, 2001 are presented.

THE GENUSCRYPTOMYZUS(HEMIPTERA, STERNORRHYNCHA: APHIDIDAE) IN LITHUANIA: THE SPECIES LIST, BIOLOGY, AND DISTRIBUTION

The aim of this paper was to summarise the present knowledge about Cryptomyzus species in Lithuania. Seven species of the genus Cryptomyzus are listed: C. alboapicalis, C. galeopsidis, C. korschelti, C. leonuri, C. ribis, C. stachydis and C. ulmeri, the latter being a new species to the Lithuanian fauna. Three more European species are expected to be found in Lithuania, because their host plants are present in the country. The species complex C. galeopsidis represents a particular problem in Lithuania, because the key characters offered by Guldemond (1991a) for discrimination between aphid species appeared to be of little use when considering Lithuanian material.

THE ORTHOPTERA (INSECTA) OF LITHUANIA

This study summarises previously published and new faunal data on the Orthoptera of Lithuania based on recent collections and observations. The checklist comprises 45 species, of which 42 species are included based on the studied collection material; two of them (Modicogryllus frontalis and Barbitistes constrictus) are new to the Lithuanian fauna. Three species are added to the list based on the information of the Fauna Europaea online database. Two species have not been observed in Lithuania since the first half of the 20th century: Locusta migratoria (last collected in 1948) and Bryodemella tuberculata (last observed in 1924 and 1925), the latter species is considered locally extinct. Five species (Modicogryllus frontalis, Gryllus campestris, Stenobothrus stigmaticus, Chorthippus pullus and Psophus stridulus) are regarded as deserving protection.

UPDATED CHECKLIST OF LITHUANIAN WINTER GNATS (DIPTERA: TRICHOCERIDAE)

The updated checklist of Trichoceridae of Lithuania is presented after the analysis of earlier published data and new collections. Now the list comprises 19 species with five winter gnat species - Trichocera (Saltrichocera) dahlae Mendl, 1971, Trichocera (Saltrichocera) recondita, Stary 2000, Trichocera (Saltrichocera) rufulenta Edwards, 1938, Trichocera (Saltrichocera) sparsa Starý & Martinovský, 1996 and Trichocera (Trichocera) geigeri Staryacute; & Krzeminska, 2000 reported as new to the Lithuanian fauna.

First Breeding Attempt of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos L.) in Lithuania

Golden Eagle is treated as extinct species in Lithuania, though the birds are regularly observed in suitable habitats in various places of Lithuania during migration and even during the breeding season. Nevertheless, there has been no reliable data on the breeding of this species since 1843. In 2004, Golden Eagle was recorded attached (foraging and displaying) to one territory in eastern Lithuania, but the nest was not found. In March 2005, adult Golden Eagle was observed in the same territory decorating its nest in an old pine stand. Despite unsuccesseful breeding in 2005, Golden Eagle could be regarded as a breeding species of the Lithuanian fauna.