Impact of Long-Term Floods on Spatial Dynamics of , a Host Ant of a Highly Threatened Scarce Large Blue ().

Extensively used wet meadows with high species diversity are under threat in Europe by anthropogenic pressure. The increasing frequency of prolonged flooding is emerging as an additional threat to this fragile environment. In our study, we investigated how prolonged flooding affects the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics (through mortality and recolonization process) of the host ant species , which is essential for the survival of the endangered Scarce large blue ().

Five nuclear protein-coding markers for establishing a robust phylogenetic framework of niphargid crustaceans (Niphargidae: Amphipoda) and new molecular sequence data.

The data presented here includes selection of 5 successfully amplified protein-coding markers for inferring phylogenetic relationships of the family of amphipod crustaceans Niphargidae. These markers have been efficiently amplified from niphargid samples for the first time and present the framework for robust phylogenetic assessment of the family Niphargidae. They are useful for phylogenetic purposes among other amphipod genera as well.

An updated checklist of the European Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea).

This paper presents an updated checklist of the butterflies of Europe, together with their original name combinations, and their occurrence status in each European country. According to this checklist, 496 species of the superfamily Papilionoidea occur in Europe. Changes in comparison with the last version (2.

Revised checklist of the butterflies of Serbia (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea).

With studies spanning almost two centuries, butterflies are one of the best known insect groups in Serbia. However, there are still several inconsistencies regarding the number and selection of species included in national checklists published in the last decades. In order to overcome the confusing situation we provide a taxonomically up-to-date checklist of the butterflies for the country, including Kosovo, based on a comprehensive survey of the literature, inspection of available museum collections and from intensive field surveys over the last twenty years.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of the Platystictidae of Sri Lanka (Insecta: Odonata).

The 22 Sri Lankan representatives of the family Platystictidae, all endemic to the island and belonging to the distinct endemic subfamily Platystictinae, are revised, and a new reconstruction of the phylogeny based on molecular characters is provided. Five new species are described: Ceylonosticta venusta sp. nov.

Species delimitation in the Grayling genus Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) supported by DNA barcodes.

The Palaearctic Grayling genus Pseudochazara encompasses a number of petrophilous butterfly species, most of which are local endemics especially in their centre of radiation in SW Asia and the Balkans. Due to a lack of consistent morphological characters, coupled with habitat induced variability, their taxonomy is poorly understood and species delimitation is hampered. We employed a DNA barcoding approach to address the question of separate species status for several European taxa and provide first insight into the phylogeny of the genus.

Parallels between two geographically and ecologically disparate cave invasions by the same species, Asellus aquaticus (Isopoda, Crustacea).

Caves are long-known examples of evolutionary replications where similar morphologies (troglomorphies) evolve independently as the result of strong natural selection of the extreme environment. Recently, this paradigm has been challenged based on observations that troglomorphies are inconsistent across taxa and different subterranean habitats. We investigated the degree of replicated phenotypic change in two independent cave invasions by the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus; the first in a sulphidic aquifer in Romania, the second in a sinking river in the Dinaric Karst in Slovenia.

Annotated checklist of Albanian butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea).

The Republic of Albania has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. However, due to its political isolation, it has never been studied in great depth, and consequently, the existing list of butterfly species is outdated and in need of radical amendment. In addition to our personal data, we have studied the available literature, and can report a total of 196 butterfly species recorded from the country.

The colonization of Europe by the freshwater crustacean Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda) proceeded from ancient refugia and was directed by habitat connectivity.

Recent continental-scale phylogeographic studies have demonstrated that not all freshwater fauna colonized Europe from the classic Mediterranean peninsular refugia, and that northern or central parts of the continent were occupied before, and remained inhabited throughout the Pleistocene. The colonization history of the ubiquitous aquatic isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus was assessed using mitochondrial COI and a variable part of nuclear 28S rDNA sequences. Phylogeographic analysis of the former suggested that dispersion proceeded possibly during late Miocene from the western part of the Pannonian basin.

Genetic differentiation between two species of the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis and the neglected H. verbana, based on random-amplified polymorphic DNA.

The medicinal leech is one of the few parasitic invertebrates widely used in medicine and as a scientific model object. Because of a dramatic decline in its natural populations, it is subject to considerable conservation effort. Despite all attention, there is confusion regarding the taxonomic status of different morphological forms.

Phylogeography of subterranean and surface populations of water lice Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda).

The water louse Asellus aquaticus is a widespread, euryoecious species, mostly uniform throughout its range. However, six subspecies are known from the Dinaric karst in the northwestern Balkans. They include some specialized subterranean populations.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA diversity among surface and subterranean populations of Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda).

The ecological and evolutionary processes leading to isolation and adaptation of cave animals compared to their surface ancestors are not yet unequivocally understood. In this study the genetic relations of four cave and three surface population of the freshwater crustacean Asellus aquaticus in the Karst region of SW Slovenia and NE Italy were assessed using RAPDs as genetic markers. The results suggest that specialized populations from two caves invaded their subterranean habitat independently, and that their morphological similarity is a result of convergent evolution.