Costs and benefits of masting: economies of scale are not reduced by negative density-dependence in seedling survival in Sorbus aucuparia.

Masting is a widespread reproductive strategy in plants that helps to reduce seed predation and increase pollination. However, masting can involve costs, notably negative density-dependent (NDD) seedling survival caused by concentrating reproduction in intermittent events. Masting benefits have received widespread attention, but the costs are understudied, which precludes understanding why some plant species have evolved intense masting, while others reproduce regularly.

A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland).

Evidence of mobiliary art and body augmentation are associated with the cultural innovations introduced by Homo sapiens at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. Here, we report the discovery of the oldest known human-modified punctate ornament, a decorated ivory pendant from the Paleolithic layers at Stajnia Cave in Poland. We describe the features of this unique piece, as well as the stratigraphic context and the details of its chronometric dating.

"O Sister, Where Art Thou?"-A Review on Rescue of Imperiled Individuals in Ants.

Altruism is defined as an action that decreases the lifetime direct fitness of an actor and benefits one or more recipients. This phenomenon, which is generally difficult to understand and explain, requires special research attention. The subject of this review, rescue, is a type of altruistic behavior in which the actor puts itself at risk to save another individual, the recipient, that is in danger.

The Tien Shan vole (; Rodentia: Cricetidae) as a new species in the Late Pleistocene of Europe.

Grey voles (subgenus ) represent a complex of at least seven closely related and partly cryptic species. The range of these species extends from the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains, but most of them occur east of the Black Sea. Using ancient DNA analyses of the Late Pleistocene specimens, we identified a new mtDNA lineage of grey voles in Europe.

Highly divergent karyotypes and barcoding of the East African genus Gonatoxia Karsch (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae).

East Africa is a hotspot of biodiversity of many orthopteran taxa, including bushcrickets. Gonatoxia Karsch, 1889 species are fully alate Phaneropterinae, which are perfectly adapted to the foliage of forests. We examined five species using combined cytogenetic and molecular data to determine the inter- and intraspecific genetic diversity.

Bioacoustics and systematics of Mecopoda (and related forms) from South East Asia and adjacent areas (Orthoptera, Tettigonioidea, Mecopodinae) including some chromosome data.

Bush-crickets (or katydids) of the genus Mecopoda are relatively large insects well-known for their sounds for centuries. Bioacoustic studies in India and China revealed a surprisingly large diversity of sound patterns. We extend these studies into the tropics of South East Asia using integrative taxonomy, combining song analysis, morphology of sound producing organs and male genitalia as well as chromosomes, to get a better understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of this widespread group.

Jurassic brachyurans of the genus Bucculentum.

The genus Bucculentum Schweitzer Feldmann, 2009 is exceptional among the brachyuran decapods in having the augenrest dorsally inclined. Hitherto, the genus comprised two species, both from European Upper Jurassic localities; here, further two species are described, Bucculentum horstkuscheli, n. sp.

A remarkable new species of Hypogastrura (Collembola, Hypogastruridae) from the Romanian Carpathiansnbsp.

A new species of Hypogastrura from the Romanian Carpathians is described and illustrated. The new species is characterised by unique combination of morphological characters: presence of seven ocelli, the antennal segment IV with 4 thin, cylindrical sensilla, the presence of 5 setae on ventral tube, the short anal spines situated on high papillae and distinct chaetotaxy. The species is not easy to classify in the present system of the generic subdivision.

Baseline and stress-induced prolactin and corticosterone concentrations in a species with female offspring desertion - The case of Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida.

To understand the proximate mechanisms regulating brood desertion, we studied hormonal and behavioural stress responses during the chick-rearing period in adult Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida), a socially monogamous, semi-precocial species with prolonged post-fledging parental care. In contrast to males, almost all females of this species desert during the chick-rearing and post-fledging periods. Because of the expected link between corticosterone, prolactin and parental investment, we hypothesized that males and females should differ in circulating prolactin and corticosterone concentrations.

Operant conditioning in antlion larvae and its impairment following exposure to elevated temperatures.

Although ambush predators were previously considered limited in their cognitive abilities compared to their widely foraging relatives, there is accumulating evidence it does not hold true. Pit-building antlions are already known to associate vibrations in the sand with the arrival of prey. We used a T-maze and successfully trained antlions to turn right or left against their initial turning bias, leading to a suitable substrate for digging traps.

Drivers of species invasion in Central Europe-Case study in the landscape of the Carpathian Mountains and their foreground.

Aim: The invasion process is a complex, context-dependent phenomenon; nevertheless, it can be described using the PAB framework. This framework encompasses the joint effect of propagule pressure (P), abiotic characteristics of the environment (A), and biotic characteristics of both the invader and recipient vegetation (B). We analyzed the effectiveness of proxies of PAB factors to explain the spatial pattern of and .

Fungal Associates of Soft Scale Insects (Coccomorpha: Coccidae).

fungi are commonly known as virulent, specialized entomopathogens; however, recent studies indicate that fungi belonging to the Ophiocordycypitaceae family may also reside in symbiotic interaction with their host insect. In this paper, we demonstrate that fungi may be obligatory symbionts of sap-sucking hemipterans. We investigated the symbiotic systems of eight Polish species of scale insects of Coccidae family: , , , , , , and .

Is there tree senescence? The fecundity evidence.

Despite its importance for forest regeneration, food webs, and human economies, changes in tree fecundity with tree size and age remain largely unknown. The allometric increase with tree diameter assumed in ecological models would substantially overestimate seed contributions from large trees if fecundity eventually declines with size. Current estimates are dominated by overrepresentation of small trees in regression models.

Malagasy Polka Dot Moths (Noctuoidea: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Syntomini) of Ambohitantely-endemism in the most important relict of Central Plateau rainforest in Madagascar.

Malagasy Syntomini (Polka Dot Moths) are one of the largest endemic lineages of Lepidoptera on the island, belonging to the Tiger Moth subfamily (Arctiinae). This diverse radiation comprises nearly 100 valid described species that share a single ancestor. Despite a monograph in 1964 by Paul Griveaud, systematics of the group greatly needs modern revision, and their distribution on the island is still poorly known.

Phylogeny and biogeography of the enigmatic ghost lineage Cylindrotomidae (Diptera, Nematocera).

Ghost lineages have always challenged the understanding of organism evolution. They participate in misinterpretations in phylogenetic, clade dating, biogeographic, and paleoecologic studies. They directly result from fossilization biases and organism biology.

Taxonomic papers on Collembola in Zootaxa, 2001 to 2020.

We summarise here publications on Collembola in the journal Zootaxa over the years 2001 to 2020 and include numbers and nationalities of authors and referees. We also list numbers of new species and genera described. For a relatively small pool of taxonomists, we conclude their output has been considerable and Zootaxa has provided a useful vehicle in which to publish their research findings.

Past thermal conditions affect hunting behaviour in larval antlions.

Some sit-and-wait predators, such as antlion larvae, construct traps to capture passing prey. The location of these traps depends on many abiotic and biotic factors, including temperature and the presence of conspecifics, which probably stimulate behaviours that minimize the costs and maximize the benefits of trap building. Here, we exposed second instar antlion larvae to elevated temperatures of 25°C (mild treatment) or 31°C (harsh treatment) for one month and then transferred them to common conditions (20°C) to examine the effects of previous thermal treatment on aggregation tendency and trap size.

Two new long-rostrum cranefly species from the Cretaceous Iberian amber (Diptera, Limoniidae, Helius).

First record of the genus Helius-long-rostrum cranefly from Maestrazgo Basin (eastern Spain, Iberian Penisula) is documented. Two new fossil species of the genus Helius are described from Cretaceous Spanish amber and compared with other species of the genus known from fossil record with particular references to these known from Cretaceous period. Helius turolensis sp.

Discontinued alcohol consumption elicits withdrawal symptoms in honeybees.

The honeybee continues to be developed as a model species in many research areas, including studies related to the effects of alcohol. Here, we investigate whether workers display one of the key features of alcoholism, namely withdrawal symptoms. We show that workers fed for a prolonged time on food spiked with ethanol, after discontinuation of access to such food, exhibited a marked increase in the consumption of ethanol and a slight increase in mortality.

Congruence between the prioritisation of conservation problems at the local and national scale: an evaluation by environmental scientists in Poland.

The anthropogenic pressure on the environment depends on the spatial scale. It is crucial to prioritise conservation actions at different spatial scales to be cost-efficient. Using horizon scanning with the Delphi technique, we asked what the most important conservation problems are in Poland at local and national scales.

Seasonal Activity of Urban Bats Populations in Temperate Climate Zone-A Case Study from Southern Poland.

Municipal greenery can mitigate the negative impact of urbanization on biodiversity, including bats, by providing a migration corridor, food base and roosts. Our study aimed to evaluate the species composition and diversity, test the differences in activity between seasons, and identify the atmospheric conditions influencing the bats' activity in the Planty Park (Cracow). Fieldworks were conducted in 2016 and 2017.

The Oldest Evolutionary Lineage of Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Limoniidae) and the First Evidence of This Genus in Cretaceous Spanish Amber.

A new subgenus subgen. nov. of (Diptera, Limoniidae) is established with one new species: () subgen.

Diversification of the Balloon bushcrickets (Orthoptera, Hexacentrinae, Aerotegmina) in the East African mountains.

East African mountains constitute a network of isolated habitat islands among dry savannah and are thus ideal for studying species diversification processes. This study elucidated the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships of all bushcricket species comprising the genus Aerotegmina. Our analysis indicated that large-scale climatic and topographic processes in Africa are likely to have driven speciation in this group, and revealed the cytogenetic traits of the species.