Parnassius Mnemosyne Research Articles

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Central Slovenia

The southwestern Posavsko hills and northern Suha krajina are among the least studied areas regarding the butterfly fauna in Slovenia. To fill this knowledge gap, we selected all unpublished records of butterflies since 2014, in addition to the focused field surveys performed in the 2019–2022 period. We recorded a total of 105 butterfly species, presenting almost 60% of all species found in Slovenia. Among the species found, there are several habitat specialists of high conservation importance, e.g., Leptidea morsei, Euphydryas aurinia, Parnassius mnemosyne, Phengaris arion, Carcharodus floccifera, Lycaena dispar. Locations harbouring these species and those with the highest species richness are of great importance for preserving the diverse butterfly fauna of the region.

A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly and Annotation for the Clouded Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne): A Species of Global Conservation Concern.

The clouded apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) is a palearctic butterfly distributed over a large part of western Eurasia, but population declines and fragmentation have been observed in many parts of the range. The development of genomic tools can help to shed light on the genetic consequences of the decline and to make informed decisions about direct conservation actions. Here, we present a high-contiguity, chromosome-level genome assembly of a female clouded apollo butterfly and provide detailed annotations of genes and transposable elements. We find that the large genome (1.5 Gb) of the clouded apollo is extraordinarily repeat rich (73%). Despite that, the combination of sequencing techniques allowed us to assemble all chromosomes (nc = 29) to a high degree of completeness. The annotation resulted in a relatively high number of protein-coding genes (22,854) compared with other Lepidoptera, of which a large proportion (21,635) could be assigned functions based on homology with other species. A comparative analysis indicates that overall genome structure has been largely conserved, both within the genus and compared with the ancestral lepidopteran karyotype. The high-quality genome assembly and detailed annotation presented here will constitute an important tool for forthcoming efforts aimed at understanding the genetic consequences of fragmentation and decline, as well as for assessments of genetic diversity, population structure, inbreeding, and genetic load in the clouded apollo butterfly.

Taxonomic Structure and Wing Pattern Evolution in the Parnassius mnemosyne Species Complex (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae).

In our study, using the analysis of DNA barcodes and morphology (wing color, male genitalia, and female sphragis shape), we show that the group of species close to P. mnemosyne comprises the western and eastern phylogenetic lineages. The eastern lineage includes P. stubbendorfii, P. glacialis, and P. hoenei. The western lineage includes three morphologically similar species: P. mnemosyne (Western Eurasia), P. turatii (southwestern Europe), and P. nubilosusstat. nov. (Turkmenistan and NE Iran), as well as the morphologically differentiated P. ariadne (Altai). The latter species differs from the rest of the group in the presence of red spots on the wings. Parnassius mnemosyne s.s. is represented by four differentiated mitochondrial clusters that show clear association with specific geographic regions. We propose to interpret them as subspecies: P. mnemosyne mnemosyne (Central and Eastern Europe, N Caucasus, N Turkey), P. mnemosyne adolphi (the Middle East), P. mnemosyne falsa (Tian Shan), and P. mnemosyne gigantea (Gissar-Alai in Central Asia). We demonstrate that in P. ariadne, the red spots on the wing evolved as a reversion to the ancestral wing pattern. This reversion is observed in Altai, where the distribution areas of the western lineage, represented by P. ariadne, and the eastern lineage, represented by P. stubbendorfii, overlap. These two species hybridize in Altai, and we hypothesize that the color change in P. ariadne is the result of reinforcement of prezygotic isolation in the contact zone. The lectotype of Parnassius mnemosyne var. nubilosus Christoph, 1873, is designated.

Inter-annual variation in adult demography, but no sex bias in a large lowland population of the threatened Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne butterfly

The Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne is a charismatic West Palaearctic butterfly, threatened in some European countries and listed in Appendix IV of the Habitats’ Directive. We investigated a large lowland population of the species inhabiting a complex of irregularly coppiced light forest and adjacent wet meadows in the anthropogenic landscape in the valley of the Narew river in NE Poland. A mark-release-recapture (MRR) method was used over 4 years to estimate population size, adult catchability, daily survival and lifespan. The beginning and length of the flight period (which lasted 4–6 weeks) differed over the years and was clearly related to weather conditions (temperature, sunshine) in April, i.e. the most important period for larval development. The seasonal population size varied from 555 to 942 adults. In contrast to some previous studies, the sex ratio turned out to be well balanced, although the catchability of males was significantly higher than that of females in each year. The quality of the wings deteriorated during the season in both sexes, but it was generally better in the case of females, which indicates that they are less active. Inter-seasonal variation in the lifespan (6.36–12.45 days) is more difficult to interpret, but it is worth noting that individuals lived the longest in the coldest and least sunlit flight period. The temporal fragmentation index (i.e. the ratio of flight-period length to adult lifespan) also varied (3.37–5.97) but was generally relatively low, which suggests that there is no threat of reduction of the effective population size at the moment. Nevertheless, the investigated population may be at risk of decline due to the observed intensification of meadow use and especially the possible conversion of grasslands into cornfields.

Mate-guarding success depends on male investment in a butterfly.

Males of many insects, including butterflies, produce mate-guarding devices, such as mating plugs, to prolong guarding and prevent future female matings in the male's absence. In a few butterflies, large external mate-guarding devices, that is, sphragides, occur. Gór et al. (Behaviour, 160, 2023 and 515-557) found conspicuously large size and morphological variation of mate-guarding devices within a single population of the potentially polyandrous Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne, L.) butterfly. They termed the externally visible male-produced devices as Copulatory opening APpendices (CAP) consisting of small devices, termed small CAPs and the much larger shield (i.e. sphragis). Our aim was to reveal CAP replacement dynamics within females during their lifetime and to understand how male investment into small CAPs or shields was (i) related to CAP persistence on the female, that is securing paternity, (ii) associated with female quality, measured as size and (iii) with actual adult sex ratio. We investigated a univoltine Clouded Apollo population to estimate CAP replacement risks, using multistate survival models, in an extensive observational study through 6 years based on mark-recapture. Shields were the most frequent mate-guarding devices and were more persistent than small CAPs, often lasting for life, excluding future matings. Thus, most females bearing a shield were deprived of postcopulatory female choice, and the genetic variance in their offspring could be reduced compared to those bearing small CAPs, thus mating more often. The ratio of shields to all CAPs gradually decreased towards the end of the flight period. Males were more prone to produce a shield when mating females with wider thoraces and when the ratio of males (i.e. competition) was higher in the population. To our best knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to investigate potential factors on which male investment in mate-guarding devices may depend, and how the variation in these devices impacts CAP persistence on females.

Facultative male investment in prolonged mate-guarding in a butterfly

Abstract Sexual conflict over mating may induce male mate-guarding prolonged in time in the absence of males, via devices such as mating plugs, widespread in insects. In most Lepidoptera, internal plugs are common, while in some butterfly families large external devices, called sphragides, evolved independently. Lack of, or incomplete sphragis in a few individuals were reported in sphragis-bearing species. Previous studies focused on typifying species-specific devices in a few specimens of many species. In contrast, we investigated alternative mate-guarding devices in detail of a sphragis-bearing butterfly. We conducted a six-year observational field study in a Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne population. Inspecting 492 females, we identified 3 different devices, filament, stopple and shield (i.e., sphragis) increasing in size and structure complexity, implying differential male investment and effectiveness in securing paternity. Shield dimensions, colour and all devices’ shapes varied considerably. Shields were far more frequent than other devices. Some devices were lost, and a few were video-recorded when removed by males, showing the role of different parts of male external genitalia. We discuss potential causes of device variation and the role of removal attempts, and assess potential costs and benefits for both sexes.

Whole genome re-sequencing uncovers significant population structure and low genetic diversity in the endangered clouded apollo (Parnasssius mnemosyne) in Sweden

The clouded apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) used to have a wide distribution in Fennoscandia. Recent population declines have, however, led to regional extinctions and in Sweden it is currently one of the most endangered butterflies, confined to three geographically separated metapopulations: Blekinge, Roslagen and Västernorrland. Especially the Blekinge population has declined dramatically and few imagines have been observed during recent census efforts (< 10 in some localities). The clouded apollo is subject to a species action plan which includes both habitat restorations and captive breeding to produce individuals for release and reintroductions. Here, we apply whole-genome resequencing of clouded apollo individuals collected in the three natural populations and the captive population in Sweden and apply population genomic approaches to get a better understanding of the genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity in the species. We find that the clouded apollo populations in the different geographic regions have similar, but comparatively low levels of genetic diversity and we find evidence for significant genetic differentiation between the northernmost population and the populations in southern Sweden. Additional analysis, including previously available mitochondrial data, unveil that a bi-directional re-colonization of Fennoscandia after the latest glacial maximum most likely is the explanation for the considerable differentiation between some Swedish populations. Finally, we find evidence for population sub-structure in one of the Swedish populations. The results provide insights into the genetic consequences of population size declines and fragmentation in general and provide important information for direct conservation actions for the clouded apollo in Sweden in particular.

Phenotypic senescence in a natural insect population.

Senescence seems to be universal in living organisms and plays a major role in life-history strategies. Phenotypic senescence, the decline of body condition and/or performance with age, is a largely understudied component of senescence in natural insect populations, although it would be important to understand how and why insects age under natural conditions. We aimed (i) to investigate how body mass and thorax width change with age in a natural population of the univoltine Clouded Apollo butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne, Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) and (ii) to assess the relationship of this change with sex and wing length. We studied a population between 2014 and 2020 using mark-recapture during the whole flight period each year. Repeated measurements of body mass and thorax width and single measurements of wing length were performed on marked individuals. We analyzed body mass and thorax width change with age (days since marking), wing length, and the date of the first capture. Both body mass and thorax width declined nonlinearly with age. Individuals appearing earlier in the flight period had significantly higher initial body mass and thorax width and their body mass declined faster than later ones. Initial body sizes of females were higher, but males' body sizes decreased slower. Initial thorax width showed higher annual variation than body mass. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that revealed phenotypic senescence in a natural butterfly population, using in vivo measurements. We found sexual differences in the rate of phenotypic senescence. Despite the annual variation of initial body sizes, the rate of senescence did not vary considerably across the years.

The relevance of transition habitats for butterfly conservation

Biodiversity is declining across the globe. Main drivers causing the vanishing of species are habitat destruction and the transformation of former heterogeneous landscapes into homogeneous and intensively used landscapes. Modern land management focuses on the creation of landscape configuration with sharp boundaries between ecosystems. In consequence, transition zones between two ecosystems such as between forest and open grassland are rare, as it counteracts the efficient and commercial use of space. However, there are many species relying on such transition zones between habitats, as the Clouded Apollo butterfly Parnassius mnemosyne. This highly endangered butterfly species occurs in light deciduous forests, interspersed with extensively used grasslands. In our study, we analysed habitat requirements of this butterfly species. We recorded larvae and feeding marks at its primary larval food plant, Corydalis cava, and assessed microhabitat characteristics, including microclimatic conditions. We captured high-resolution multispectral aerial imagery with an unmanned aerial vehicle. We subsequently combined ground-truthing data with information from high resolution aerial pictures to calculate habitat suitability models. We found that P. mnemosyne larvae mainly occur in the transition zone between deciduous light forest and extensively used grasslands with C. cava. Caterpillars of P. mnemosyne are particularly found around trees, basking on foliage and grass to rapidly reach high operation temperatures. Results from Species Distribution Models underline the relevance of transition zones between habitats for P. mnemosyne, and for biodiversity in general. The Clouded Apollo may serve as excellent indicator species for light deciduous forests, and as flagship to promote the conservation and restoration of transition zones between habitats in nature conservation.

Butterfly diversity (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mt. Blegoš and Mt. Koprivnik (Škofjeloško hribovje, Slovenia)

An overview of the surveys of butterfly fauna of Mt. Blegoš, Mt. Koprivnik and their surroundings is provided. In 2018, 14 surveys were performed and 80 butterfly species on eight transects recorded in the process. Additional surveys in 2019 and 2020 yielded 5 additional butterfly species. Among the butterflies observed, Parnassius mnemosyne, Lycaena hippothoe, Euphydryas maturna, Euphydryas aurinia, Melitaea britomartis, Melitaea diamina, and Pyrgus alveus are identified as vulnerable species, while both Phengaris arion and Phengaris alcon are classified as endangered species in Slovenia. The latter was found on two occasions in July 2018 and July 2020 on a single locality. Eggs of P. alcon were found on the host plant Gentiana cruciata at the same locality. Despite the fact that many species characteristic of higher altitudes were observed, like Aricia artaxerxes, Pyrgus alveus, Erebia stiria and Lasiommata petropolitana, other, which had still been present a few decades ago, were not found (Parnassius apollo and Boloria pales). In this article, the problem of loss of important butterfly habitats in the region due to overgrowing, and the negative impacts of overgrazing is also highlighted.

Diversity of Hesperiidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) in the mountain massif Shkoza in Kosovo

In this paper we present the results of a survey of three butterfly families: Hesperiidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae, in the Mountain massif Shkoza in central Kosovo, conducted from May to October 2016. Among 29 recorded butterfly species in this survey, 14 (48%) species belong to Pieridae, 10 (24%) to Hesperiidae and 4 (13.7%) to Papilionidae. Recorded species belong to five faunal elements according to Kudrna, Pennestorfer &amp; Lux (2015) (KPS): 14 are Euro-Siberian (ES), 10 are Euro-Oriental (EO), two species are Mediterranean (EM), two are Holarctic (Hol) and one Boreo-Montane. Regarding the IUCN Red list status (van Swaay et al., 2010), three species Carcharodus floccifera (Zeller, 1847), Thymelicus acteon (Rottemburg, 1775) and Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) are Near Threatened (NT), while the other 27 are of Least Concern (LC). From our results we can conclude that the massif Shkoza has a well developed butterfly fauna, however further research is needed to have a complete picture of its diversity.

Parnassius nebrodensis: A threatened but neglected Apollo butterfly species from Southern Europe (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Recent multi-locus phylogenetic studies repeatedly showed that what was thought to be the Clouded Apollo butterfly Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) represents a cryptic species complex. This complex contains at least three distant species-level phylogenetic lineages. Here, we compile a set of morphology- and DNA-based evidences supporting the distinctiveness of two species in this group, i.e. P. mnemosyne s. str. and P. nebrodensis Turati, 1907 stat. rev. These species can be distinguished from each other based on a combination of diagnostic characters in the male genitalia structure, wing scale patterns, and the forewing venation. The species status of P. nebrodensis is supported based on unique nucleotide substitutions in the mitochondrial (COI, ND1, and ND5) and nuclear (Wg and EF-1a) genes. P. nebrodensis is endemic to the Western Mediterranean Region. This species shares a disjunctive range through the Pyrenees, Western and Central Alps, Apennines, and the Nebrodi and Madonie mountains on Sicily. Altogether 38 nominal taxa initially described as P. mnemosyne subspecies are considered here to be junior synonyms of P. nebrodensis. At first glance, P. nebrodensis can be assessed as an endangered species due to its restricted distribution, narrow range of habitats, and ongoing population decline. Isolated populations of this species scattered through mountain ranges need special management and conservation efforts.

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the north-eastern part of the Republic of Kosovo

Butterflies are highly sensitive to habitat and climate changes, and are recognized as important indicators of the state of the environment. Therefore their diversity needs to be studied on a regional scale in order to take actions for their protection by national and international legislation. Here, the results of a butterfly survey in the northeastern part of Kosovo are presented. A total of 93 species were recorded from 2014 to 2017 in six localities, including seven Hesperiidae, four Papilionidae, 15 Pieridae, 25 Lycenidae, 41 Nymphalidae and a single species of Riodinidae. Six of them are listed in the Red List of European Butterflies, all as Near Threatened: Cupido decoloratus (Staudinger, 1886), Pseudophilotes vicrama (Moore, 1865), Hipparchia statilinus (Hufnagel, 1766), Melitaea aurelia (Nickerl, 1850), Melitaea diamina (Lang, 1789) and Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758). Five species are listed in the recently published Red book of the fauna of Kosovo: two species as Vulnerable (VU), Lycaena dispar (Haworth, 1802) and Thecla betulae (Linnaeus, 1758) and three as Near Threatened, Cupido decoloratus (Staudinger, 1886), Papilio machaon (Linnaeus, 1758) and Zerynthia cerysi (Godart, 1824). From a zoogeographical point of view, the reported species represent eight faunal elements: 51 Euro-Siberian (ES), 27 Euro-Oriental (EO), six Euro-Meridional (EM), five Holarctic (Hol), two Tropical (Tro), one Boreo-Montane (BM), one Cosmopolitan (Cos) and one Mediterranean (Med). We conclude that 93 species of butterfly fauna recorded in this survey represent a relatively high diversity, but further surveys need to be organized in order to gather more data.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The decline of the charismatic &lt;em&gt;Parnassius mnemosyne&lt;/em&gt; (L.) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in a Central Italy national park: a call for urgent actions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Here we report the strong decline of a population of the endangered species Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in the National Park of Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna (Italy). We compared historical presence data (before 1969) with current data from two years of monitoring (2018–2019) and provided evidence of a drastic reduction in the number of sites inhabited by the species. A preliminary assessment suggested that the population of P. mmemosyne occurring in the Park is limited to a few individuals. We argue that the population of this iconic and charismatic butterfly is at the verge of extinction in this National Park, probably because of a combination of habitat loss (i.e. decrease in size and number of areas of open grassland on the mountain belt) and climatic changes. Being one of the few populations of P. mnemosyne in the Northern Apennines, the implementation of protection measures is a high conservation priority. Several other butterfly species on the Italian mountains that are facing the same survival challenges would also benefit from the establishment of conservation actions aimed at improving habitat quality for P. mnemosyne. Present article is meant to call for action researchers, stakeholders, and especially decision-makers in order to increase the efforts to upturn the evident decline in abundance of this population. Key words: biodiversity conservation, butterflies, habitat loss, habitat management, Lepidoptera, Parnassinae

Are all butterflies equal? Population-wise proboscis length variation predicts flower choice in a butterfly

Intraspecific morphological variation fundamentally influences individual resource exploitation. In plant–pollinator systems, variation in floral morphologies and pollinator mouthparts may affect pollinators' resource use. This relationship has frequently been studied across species, but hardly ever at the intraspecific level in natural circumstances. We studied flower visits of clouded Apollo butterflies, Parnassius mnemosyne . (1) We investigated whether proboscis (mouthpart) length variability influenced individual nectar plant choice within a single population. We hypothesized that flower depths would constrain butterflies’ flower visits via their proboscis lengths. (2) We studied whether individual proboscis length constrained feeding on the sticky catchfly, Silene viscaria , a species with ample nectar and the deepest corolla among the plants visited. We hypothesized that individuals observed visiting S. viscaria had longer proboscides than those not observed on this nectar source. We captured clouded Apollos, then measured proboscis length. We surveyed the population daily, identified marked individuals and recorded feeding on nectar plant species. We compared proboscis length to the flower depth of the six most-visited nectar plants and investigated whether individual visits on flowering plants were related to proboscis length. We found large intrapopulation variation in proboscis length, and high intra- and interspecific variation in flower depth of the six nectar plants. Flower depth of S. viscaria largely overlapped with proboscis length, while the other five plants had shorter flowers. Individuals with longer proboscides visited S. viscaria flowers more often than those with short proboscides. These results indicate the importance of morphological variation in the interaction between plants and pollinators. We provide the first evidence that individual variation in mouthpart length affects lepidopteran foraging in natural circumstances. We suggest that interactions between species in plant–pollinator systems are partially based on individually different continuous traits, rather than on well-defined discrete traits of different taxa as implied by the pollination syndrome hypothesis. • Clouded Apollo butterflies' mouthpart lengths show high population-wise variability. • Similar variability is found in the visited nectar sources' corolla depth. • Butterflies with long proboscides visit nectar plant with deepest flowers more often. • Intraspecific variation is important to understand plant-pollinator interactions. • Intraspecific variation's impact does not support pollination syndrome hypothesis.

«Vakalivsky slopes» - projected local nature reserve in Sumy region

The article presents the scientific substantiation of the ravine complex near the Vakalivshchyna village (Sumy district of Sumy region) as a landscape reserve of local significance "Vakalivsky slopes" and the nature protection regime of this territory is proposed. According to the public Ukrainian cadastral map the territories of the projected landscape reserve are listed as reserve lands. The area of the projected reserve "Vakalivsky slopes" is 52.37 hectares. The studies of biodiversity were conducted from 2014 to 2020. The route-field method was used to study flora and lichen biota as well standard entomological methods were used to study entomofauna. The inventory of floristic biodiversity showed the presence of 128 species of higher vascular plants. Four species from that list are regionally rare (Campanula persisifolia L., Muscari neglectum Guss. Ex Ten., Ranunculus illyricus L., Jurinea arachnoidea Bunge.) and one species (Adonis vernalis L.) is presented in the Red Book of Ukraine and the International List of Nature Conservation.Rare lichen species Sarcosagium campestre (Fr.) Poetsch &amp; Schied and Peltigera didactyla (With.) J. R. Laundon were found on the territory of the designated reserve. The latter one is a candidate for the Red List of the Sumy region. The habitats in which these lichen species grow need to be preserved. As a result of entomological research, six insects species are registered in the Red Book of Ukraine (Papilio machaon (L.), Iphiclides podalirius (L.), Parnassius mnemosyne (L.), Zerynthia polyxena (Den. &amp; Schiff), Aglia tau ( L.), Catocala fraxini (L.)) and twenty insects species are included in the list of regionally rare species. To ensure the effective conservation of biodiversity and natural complexes of this area, a nature protection regime of its territory has been developed in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine".Ravive system with meadow-steppe phytocoenosis has a special environmental, scientific, aesthetic and educational significance. A promising protected area should be created in order to preserve landscape and biological diversity, the gene pool of fauna and flora, maintain the overall ecological balance in the region and ensuremonitoring of the environment.

Видове різноманіття безхребетних (Invertebrata) на маршрутах зоологічної практики студентів у Західній Чорногорі (Українські Карпати)

Since the second half of the 19th century invertebrate fauna of the Carpathians has been studied in detail by numerous scientists. The western branches of the Chornohora massif of the Ukrainian Carpathians has been attractive for the researchers of different groups of invertebrates. However, there is no possibility to evaluate their diversity dynamics in this area due to the lack of generalized comparative long-term data. With regard to that and considering the advantageous localization of the high-mountain biological station of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv as a convenient place for such investigation, the aim of our study was to describe the species diversity of invertebrates in the Western Chornohora for the initiation of stationary research of its dynamics. The material was collected by students according to the standard zoological methods during their field practice trips in July 2015–2019 on seven radial routes in various coenotic conditions and on different sites of the Western Chornohora. 149 species of invertebrate animals from 9 classes were identified in total. Insects considerably predominate among them by the species composition (about 80 %). The most common species of the 14 registered orders of Insecta represent Coleoptera (about 40 %), Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera (15 % each). Some of the invertebrate species were found on several different routes. For example, Gastrophysa viridula , Carabus auronitens , C. glabratus , Geotrupes stercorarius, Silpha carinata, Gordius aquaticus were sampled on three of them. The “Keveliv” route possesses the highest species richness of invertebrates (45 species) being almost twice higher than the average one (26 species), whereas the “Sheshul” route has the lowest richness (17 invertebrate species). The study revealed seven species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine ( Apatura iris , Aromia moschata , Chrysolina carpatica , Cordulegaster bidentata , Emus hirtus , Papilio machaon , Parnassius mnemosyne ), and three ones listed in the Red Data Book of the Ukrainian Carpathians ( Bombus wurflenii , Carabus transsylvanicus , Pieris bryoniae ). The presented findings can be used for the following analysis of invertebrate species diversity changes depending on habitats transformation with the consequent development of efficient biodiversity conservation measures in the Western Chornohora.

Lepidopterological fauna of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., forests in the Sila Massif (southern Italy) (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

In this paper we described the Lepidoptera fauna of the Calabrian black alder forests in the Sila Massif, southern Italy. We sampled eight stands for moths and four stands for diurnal Lepidoptera, at 1250-1397 meters of altitude. One UV-Led light traps per stand was turned on once per month from March to November 2017 to sample moths, one semi-quantitative transect per stand carried out once every two weeks from April to September 2017 to sample diurnal Lepidoptera. We collected 9,140 individuals belonging to 402 species, of which 117 species of diurnal Lepidoptera and 306 of nocturns Lepidoptera. Orthosia incerta (Noctuidae) andEilema lurideola (Erebidae) were the most abundant nocturns Lepidoptera species, Maniola jurtina (Nymphalidae) and Polyommatus icarus (Lycaenidae) were the most abundant diurnal species. Particularly interesting was the presence of many species of great biogeographic and/or conservation interest such as Dychagiris signifera, Acossus terebra, Plusidia cheiranthi, and Zygaena nevadensis among Heterocera, and Zerynthia cassandra, Parnassius mnemosyne, Brenthis ino and Phengaris arion among Rhopalocera. Furthermore, the finding of Eupithecia trisignaria strongly improve the importance of black alder forests for the conservation of biodiversity.

Lifelong foraging and individual specialisation are influenced by temporal changes of resource availability

Resource availability largely determines the distribution and behaviour of organisms. In plant–pollinator communities, availability of floral resources may change so rapidly that pollinator individuals can benefit from switching between multiple resources, i.e. different flowering plant species. Insect pollinator individuals of a given generation often occur in different time windows during the reproductive season. This temporal variation in individual occurrences, together with the rapidly changing resource availability, may lead individuals of the same population to encounter and use different resources, resulting in an apparent individual specialisation. We hypothesized, that 1) individual pollinators change their resource use (flower visitation) during their lifetime according to the changing availability of floral resources, and that 2) temporal variation in individual occurrences of pollinators and in resource availability will partly explain individual specialisation. To test these hypotheses, we observed flower visitations of individually marked clouded Apollo butterflies Parnassius mnemosyne during one reproductive season. We found temporal changes in lifetime individual resource use that followed the changes in resource availability, indicating that butterflies can adjust foraging to varying resource availability. Individuals differed considerably in their resource use. This variation was partly explained by temporal variation in both floral resource availability and temporal occurrence of individual butterflies. We suggest the butterfly as a sequential specialist, i.e. short‐term specialist and long‐term generalist. This foraging plasticity can be essential for short‐living insect pollinators in rapidly changing environments. Although flowering dynamics do not fully explain the variability in foraging, our results highlight the importance of temporal dimension in resource use studies. Ultimately, the relative pace of environmental change compared to individual lifespan may be a key factor in resource use plasticity.

&lt;b&gt;Biology and distribution of the Clouded Apollo &lt;I&gt;Parnassius mnemosyne&lt;/I&gt; (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), a rare butterfly in the Republic of Mordovia, Russia&lt;/b&gt;

Information is presented on incidence of the Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne in the Republic of Mordovia (Russia). Over the period 2006–2016, more than 30 sites of the species were identified. The main increase in the number from 2 to 22 specimens per 1km of route was observed in 2006–2011. Biotopes of the species, fodder plants of the imago, and measures for species protection are described.