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Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are abundant predators in ecosystems that act as agents in biocontrol against pest species in agroecosystems and forestry. Studies have shown that exposure to pesticides, including neonicotinoids, can cause lethal and sub-lethal effects on their behaviour and physiology, which can impact predation efficiency. Here we test the impact of thiamethoxam, among the most used neonicotinoids on the feeding rate, locomotion, metabolomics, and oxidative stress level in a predatory carabid, Abax parallelus. Beetles were exposed to increasing concentrations of thiamethoxam by dipping method, and left to feed overnight. The mass of the consumed food per body weight was calculated for each beetle. The locomotor ability was observed for 48 hours after the treatment. Metabolomics profile and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in their tissue were scanned. The results showed that individuals treated with higher concentrations (20 and 40 mg/L) had significantly lower feeding rates and a higher share of intoxicated and moribund individuals. Feeding rate and locomotion did not differ significantly between control and groups treated with lower concentrations of thiamethoxam. There are statistically significant differences in concentrations of some metabolites between treated individuals and control group, primary in succinate and d-glucose, indicating a disruption in energy production. On the other hand, there is no statistically significant differences in SOD activity among the groups. To conclude, short-term exposure to thiamethoxam can result in negative sub-lethal effects in predatory activity, behaviour and energy budget, while the effects of long-term exposure to lower doses require further research.

Maslina (Olea europaea L.) je neizostavan dio mediteranske kulture od antičkih vremena. Maslinina muha Bactrocera oleae (Rossi 1790) je glavni štetnik u maslinicima, sposobna uništiti do 90% uroda ako se ne kontrolira. Danas se sve više poljoprivrednika okreće integriranom (IPM) i ekološkom (EPM) tipu gospodarenja koji se oslanjaju na prirodne procese i metode u zaštiti bilja, uključujući i biološku kontrolu štetnika. Prva dva ličinačka stadija maslinine muhe hrane se unutar ploda, ali sredinom jeseni, treći stadij pada na tlo gdje se zakukulji do trenutka piljenja. To ga čini ranjivim prema predatorima aktivnima na tlu, poput trčaka (Insecta: Carabidae). Cilj istraživanja bio je istražiti koje su vrste trčaka potencijalni predatori ličinki i kukuljica maslinine muhe u dva maslinika mediteranskog područja Hrvatske, s integriranim (IO), odnosno ekološkim tipom upravljanja (EO). Uzorci su sakupljani lovnim zamkama od travnja do studenog 2018. godine i određeni do vrste. Njihove ekološke i morfološke karakteristike su zabilježene: veličina, prehrana i vrijeme aktivnosti. Rarefakcijske krivulje su izračunate na temelju broja vrsta u odnosu na broj uhvaćenih jedinki. Jedanaest vrsta predatornih trčaka uhvaćeno je u jesenskim mjesecima u ekološkom masliniku. Carabus coriaceus i Licinus silphoides bili su dominantne vrste. Integrirani maslinik imao je devet predatornih vrsta uhvaćenih u jeseni, a dominirali su Calathus fuscipes i Pterostichus melas. Rarefakcijske krivulje ukazuju da bi se broj nađenih vrsta povećao s daljnjim sakupljanjem jedinki. Rad je proveden u sklopu projekata: MEDITERATRI (Neonikotinoidi i bakar u mediteranskoj poljoprivredi – učinci na neciljanu faunu beskralješnjaka kroz trofičke interakcije) - HRZZ: Uspostavni istraživački projekti (UIP-05- 2017) i Fond „Jedinstvo uz pomoć znanja“ br. 10/19. ESF Projekt razvoja karijera mladih istraživača – izobrazba novih doktora znanosti (DOK-01-2018 HRZZ) – Voditeljica projekata je dr. sc. Lucija Šerić Jelaska.

Carabids, as well-known bioindicators, have been used to study the long term changes that have occurred in their communities in the Dinaric Alps. This study involved eight sites in the protected forests of the Risnjak National Park in the years 2015 and 2016 of which three were previously studied in 1990 and 1991. A total of 9, 521 individual ground beetles belonging to 17 genera and 33 species were collected. Species diversity and community composition, including percentages of species grouped according to their habitat preferences, body size, wing morphology, preferred moisture and temperature were used to compare the sites sampled in 1990 and 1991 and resampled in 2015 and 2016. Even though this study was carried out in protected forests within the National Park with minimal anthropogenic pressure and the fact that available climatic data didn’t show any significant change in climate over the last 25 years, there was a reduction in the abundance of specialist species and increase in the spread of generalist species. Furthermore, the lower abundance of a mountain specialist and endemic species, Pterostichus variolatus, and the lack of mountain specialists Molops alpestris, Pterostichus unctulatus and Trechus croaticus in the catches indicate the importance of further monitoring of these mountain forest ecosystems and for a well-timed and appropriate conservation approach.

Postmortalnim intervalom (PMI) nazivamo vrijeme koje je proteklo od trenutka uginuća životinje. Njegovom procjenom dolazimo do spoznaja vezanih uz način i okolnosti smrti, a u pojedinim slučajevima pomaže nam u pronalaženju počinitelja. U ovom radu prikazan je slučaj u kojemu je postavljena sumnja da je došlo do počinjenja kaznenog djela ubijanja i mučenja životinje te je osim uzroka uginuća bilo potrebno ustvrditi postmortalni interval. Određivanje PMI-a se temeljilo na procjeni postmortalnih promjena i entomološkog nalaza. Nakon smrti, životinjsko tijelo prolazi kroz određene promjene koje su posljedica prestanka životnih funkcija i smrti stanica. Nastale promjene su nepovratne i progresivne te u konačnici dovode do potpunog raspadanja tijela. Tijekom razudbe ustvrđeni su uznapredovali znaci truljenja i izostanak mrtvačke ukočenosti te je bilo nemoguće precizno ustvrditi PMI isključivo na temelju postmortalnih promjena. U ovakvim ili sličnim slučajevima gdje postoji postmortalna kolonizacija kukcima moguće je ustvrditi PMI određivanjem vrste i starosti razvojnih stadija te utjecaja okolišnih faktora na njihov razvoj. Prema dostupnim entomološkim dokazima na temelju uočenih morfoloških obilježja ustvrđeno je da se radi o ličinkama iz porodice muha zujara (Calliphoridae) te se s određenom razinom sigurnosti pretpostavilo da je riječ o vrsti Calliphor vicina. Naime, zbog propusta pri prikupljanju i pohrani uzoraka nije bilo moguće na temelju morfološke razudbe i molekularnim analizama ustvrditi točan identitet vrste. Unatoč tome, entomološki nalaz je bitno doprinio u procjeni PMI i na taj način pomogao u rješavanju slučaja., The post-mortem interval (PMI) is the time elapsed since the death of an animal. The assessment of PMI leads us to determine the manner and circumstances of death, and in some cases, aids in finding the offender. This article presents a case of a suspected crime of killing and torturing animals, and apart from the cause of death, it was necessary to determine the post-mortem interval. The determination of PMI was based on the assessment of postmortem changes and entomological findings. After death, the animal body undergoes certain changes resulting from the cessation of vital functions and cell death. These changes are irreversible and progressive, leading ultimately to complete decomposition of the body. During the investigation, signs of putrefaction and the absence of postmortem muscle rigidity were advanced, and it was impossible to precisely establish PMI based solely on postmortem changes. In cases where post-mortem insect colonization is present, it is possible to establish PMI by determining insect type and development stage, and the influence of environmental factors on their development. According to the available entomological evidence and observed morphological characteristics, the larvae were classified to belong to the fly family (Calliphoridae), and determination was made to the species Calliphora vicina with a given level of certainty. Namely, due to the inability to collect and store samples, it was not possible to establish the exact species determination based on morphological and molecular analyses. Nevertheless, this finding contributed significantly to PMI assessment and helped to solve the case.

1. The wrinkled bark beetle Rhysodes sulcatus is an endangered Natura 2000 saproxylic beetle listed in the European Habitats Directive and in the Bern Convention (Annex II). It is considered a relict of primeval forests and belongs among the most threatened saproxylic beetles in Europe. 2. The purpose of this study was to identify the key habitat requirements of the species. The study was carried out at several locations within different forest types in mid elevation hill forest dominated by oak, beech and spruce and montane beech-fir forests in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia. 3. Coarse woody debris was checked for the presence of the beetle, and parameters of each inspected dead wood unit and its surroundings were recorded, including diameter, length, humidity, insolation, decomposition level and rot type. Surrounding forest characteristics, such as canopy density, main tree species, undergrowth, the amount and quality of the dead wood were also recorded. 4. The analysis shows that the presence of the beetle is affected mainly by the diameter of dead wood as well as its humidity, as R. sulcatus was almost exclusively found in large, moist and well rotten fallen logs with a diameter greater than 60 cm. These findings may provide useful guidelines for sustainable forest management, specifically emphasising the need to retain large fallen logs at sites inhabited by R. sulcatus populations.

Carabid fauna is not sufficiently explored in Central and Western Balkan areas, especially in mountain ecosystems with unique biodiversity which is a result of specific environmental factors and geologic history. Furthermore, distribution of species and adaptation to varying environmental parameters change along the altitudinal gradients. All this highlights the need for biodiversity and ecological studies in order to assess the state of the mountain ecosystems and conservation significance. Carabids as good bioindicator group can be used as a tool for monitoring those changes. The aim of this study was to analyse the differences of body size distribution and mean individual biomass (MIB) of ground beetle assemblages as a response of changing conditions and vegetation types along an altitudinal gradient on Belasitsa Mountain in south Macedonia. Both parameters significantly decreased with increasing altitude and were consequently associated with the vegetation type. Larger bodied individuals and higher values of MIB were recorded in the white oak and oriental hornbeam forest stands with the values decreasing in sessile oak forests towards submontane and montane beech forest stands. This research yielded first list of carabid species inhabiting Belasitsa Mountain with insight of carabid body length and biomass distribution along altitudinal gradient.

Ice storm, a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, in February of 2014 destroyed more than 680,000 m3 of wood mass in the Risnjak National Park. This natural disturbance and activities that followed in addition to remove some of the destroyed trees affected the ecosystem at a certain extent. Carabids, well-known bioindicators, have been selected as a study material. The study was conducted on three sites in the protected forests of the Risnjak National Park during the years 2015 and 2016. The data were compared with those sampled in 1990-1991 on the same three sites. A total of 4 110 individual ground beetles representing 15 genera and 29 species were collected. The mean individual biomass, wing morphology, temperature affinity, and moisture affinity were used for comparison of sites. Available climatic data didn't show any significant deviation in climatic conditions in the last 25 years but changes were detected in the reduced abundance of specialist species and the spread of generalist species. Observed lower abundance of some endemic species (Pterostichus variolatus, Pterostichus unctulatus, Trechus croaticus) requires further monitoring of these forest ecosystems in order to identify carabids' responses to extreme weather conditions and the development of possible mitigation strategies.

Neonicotinoids have been the most commonly used insecticides worldwide in the last two decades, whereas application of Copper (Cu) has a much longer history, especially in Mediterranean agriculture, (e.g. vineyards). Lately, large numbers of studies have shown negative effects of neonicotinoids on non-target species (especially on bees but also on other insects, and indirectly on insectivorous species like birds) being thus recently banned by EU commission. On the other hand, intensification of production in favour of ecological pest management increases the use of copper in pest control schemes and its absorption in agroecosystems. In this study we aimed to quantify the relationships between pesticide concentrations, including those with copper compounds, in soil, carabids and its prey at four sampling sites, in vineyards and olive groves under integrated (IPM) and ecological pest managements (EPM), and in pristine habitats in Zadar County, in Mediterranean region of Croatia. Soil, carabids, earthworms, snails and woodlice were sampled using pitfall traps and by hand. LC-MS/MS and ICP-MS technique were utilised to quantify pesticides and Cu concentrations in the soil and in the animals representing different trophic guilds. In addition we analysed changes in body shape symmetry of Poecilus koyi, one of the most dominant predatory carabid species in the study sites, in order to evaluate the potential environmental stress between maned and pristine habitats that can affect carabids during their development. Geometric morphometrics (GMM) has been used to analyse pronotum and abdomen shape variations, and left/right asymmetries in up to100 individuals of P. koyi per study site. Some preliminary results showed that body burden with pesticides differ between prey and predator organisms, and body concentrations of certain pesticides in carabid beetles did not correlate with those in the soil. Distribution of pesticide along different trophic guilds and changes in body shape and fluctuating asymmetry in P. koyi populations will be presented and discussed in details.

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is used in assessing the effect of environmental stress on the development stability of individuals by measuring small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry. Here, we checked for FA on two predatory carabid beetles, Pterostichus melas and Poecilus koyi, in order to evaluate species response to agricultural practices within Mediterranean agroecosystems, as well as FA as a method. The samples were collected in vineyards and olive groves, both under integrated pest management (IPM) and ecological pest management (EPM), and in pristine habitats in the Mediterranean region of Croatia. Geometric morphometrics (GMMs) were used to analyze the pronotum and abdomen shape variations and left&ndash, right asymmetries of each population. In respect to the FA measurements, analyzed species responded differently, with P. koyi displaying a lower intensity of FA than P. melas. On the other hand, P. melas beetles from vineyards showed a higher intensity of FA compared with populations from pristine habitats and olive groves. Accordingly, FA pointed out olive groves as potentially less adverse habitats to predatory carabids, keeping in mind the different levels of asymmetry between the two species. Our study singled out P.melas as a more suitable species for further research, in the effect that different agricultural practices can have their impact on non-target invertebrates analyzed by measuring the FA.

There are abundant phenotypic variations of Carabus croaticus Dejean 1826, an endemic species of the Dinaric Alps, and its sister species Carabus caelatus Fabricius 1801, resulting in taxonomic inflation at intraspecific level, synonymy and inconsistency between relevant catalogues and checklists. The main aims of this research were to explore population structure based on morphology and geographic patterns of phenotypic variability, and compare the results with taxa described by nonmetric visual comparisons of morphological traits. Our study included 224 specimens of C. croaticus and 192 specimens of C. caelatus, covering most of their distributional range. Shapes of the pronotum and head were analysed using geometric morphometrics (GMM). Principal component and canonical variate analyses were used to characterize the main features of shape variation between populations and mountain ranges. GMM delimitated interspecific morphological variations but at the intraspecific level it showed many overlaps within populations for both species. Conducting the morphological analyses for the first time on most of the described phenotypic variants of studied species, we wanted to provide a new evidence for the possible solution of the taxonomic relations within these two endemic species by measuring body shape variability, and thus to enable a better understanding of the evolutionary processes in the Dinaric Mountains.

Contamination pathways in complex food chains in soil ecosystems can be difficult to elucidate. Molecular analysis of predator gut content can, however, rapidly reveal previously unidentified trophic interactions between invertebrates and thereby uncover pathways of pollutant spread. Here, we measured concentrations of the toxic metals lead, cadmium and mercury in carabid beetle predators and their prey. Invertebrates were sampled at one control and four heavy metal-polluted sites to reveal the impact of diet composition and seasonal variation in prey availability on metal burden in carabids and metal transfer pathways through forest ecosystems. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of carabid diet composition based on PCR analysis of gut contents at the forest community level, rather than in cultivated fields. Extensive screening using group- and species-specific primers revealed that carabids ate primarily earthworms and slugs, as well as smaller numbers of woodlice and springtails. Metal concentrations in carabids correlated with seasonal changes in diet. Mercury accumulated in beetle predators more than in their slug prey. As earthworms, slugs and carabid beetles are the major prey of many birds and mammals, prey–predator transfer and associated toxicity are major risks at mercury-contaminated sites. Carabids may be useful bioindicators for assessing the impact of pollutants on soil ecosystems, as long as species and seasonal factors are taken into account.

The caddislfies fauna is poorly known in the karstic area which covers about 50% of the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia. The Krka River is a karstic Mediterranean river with specific travertine barriers and 2 lakes. The spring of the Krka River is located 45 kilometres from the coast. The river flows into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Šibenik. In 1998 and 1999, systematic collecting of Trichoptera was performed in that area, and in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2009 caddisflies were collected periodically. Sampling was performed at 9 locations representing different types of habitats: springs, travertine barriers, upper, middle and lower parts of the Krka River and lakes. During 16 on–site visits, 4792 adults were collected, belonging to 50 species. Diversity, distribution, ecology and biogeography of this material were analyzed.

In this study, we compared the composition and abundance of carabid species according to their habitat affinity, wing form and mean body size between continuous and isolated forest areas. Investigated plots were located in temperate forests of Mt. Medvednica that represent an island of forest embedded in a lowland matrix of urban ecosystems, agricultural fields and meadows and in similar forest types in large, continuous montane forests in the Gorski kotar area. Data for the proportions of species traits and habitat affinities of 10 plots were compared using principal component analysis (PCA) and nested ANOVA followed by post Hoc tests. We found significant differences between the proportions of forest specialist and generalist carabids and in the morphological characteristics of carabid communities between isolated and continuous forest areas. Isolated area had less forest specialists and more generalist species than large, continuous forest. More macropterous species were present in isolated habitat and more brachypterous in continuous forest area, especially medium-sized brachypterous beetles. Higher proportions of small-sized carabids were present in isolated area and large species were more common in continuous forest areas. In isolated area, we found a decrease in forest specialists and medium-sized brachypterous species and an increase in species with better dispersal abilities (winged species and large running species). Our results suggest that the power of dispersal is an important factor that can be used in analyses of isolation effects on carabid assemblages, not only at small scales, but at larger scales as well, showing the uniqueness of large, continuous forest areas.

The 17th European Carabidologists Meeting (17th ECM) was organised in 2015, and for the first time in Croatia. This was a great honour and privilege to join the 12 European countries that have already hosted these distinguished meetings. 48 years have passed since the first meeting was held in Wijster in the Netherlands (1), organised by the Dutch famous ecologist Piet den Boer. The 17th ECM was attended by 112 participants including organisation team members, coming from 21 European countries and form Canada.

Background and purpose: Generalist predatory carabid beetles have an important role in controlling the abundance of various prey species within ecosystems, including certain pests. In terms of bio-control, these unspecialised predators may be sustained in the field when pest populations are low by predating on other animals such as earthworms. The aim of this study was to reveal patterns in predation by beetles, represented by the carabid community in the field, on different earthworm species with respect to anecic, endogeic and epigeic earthworm ecotypes. Materials and methods: We utilised DNA extracted from the gut content of 23 carabid species to reveal predation on earthworms directly in the field, considering spring and autumn aspects. The extracted DNA from each carabid species collected in the field was then screened using PCR with earthworm species-specific primers. Results and discussion: After screening the carabids using five earthworm species-specific primer pairs, 20 species, including 53% of all tested individual beetles, were positive for earthworms, with similar proportions in the spring and autumn samples and between the sexes. Earthworms from all three ecotypes were confirmed within the predator guts and were widely consumed within the carabid community. Conclusions: These results suggest that predation on earthworms might be an important mechanism sustaining populations of generalist predatory carabids in the field, which can be advantageous for biological control. Therefore, non-conventional management should be improved to maintain the three ecotypes of the earthworm community as prey for beneficial predatory carabids. Key words: Molecular gut content analyses, anecic, endogeic, epigeic earthworms, ecotypes, multiplex PCR, beneficial soil fauna, predatory insects

Knowledge of patterns of genetic diversity in populations of threatened species is vital for their effective conservation. Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is an endangered and strictly protected beetle. Despite a marked decline in part of its range, the beetle has recently expanded to the lowlands of Central Europe. To facilitate a better understanding of the species' biology, recent expansion and more effective conservation measures, we investigated patterns of genetic structure among 32 populations across Central and South-east Europe. Eight microsatellite loci and a partial mitochondrial gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) were used as markers. Both markers showed a significant decline in genetic diversity with latitude, suggesting a glacial refugium in north-western Greece. The cluster analysis of the nuclear marker indicated the existence of two genetically distinct lineages meeting near the border between the Western and Eastern Carpathians. By contrast, one widespread mtDNA haplotype was dominant in most populations, leading to the assumption that a rapid expansion of a single lineage occurred across the study area. The genetic differentiation among populations from the north-western part of the study area was, however, surprisingly low. They lacked any substructure and isolation-by-distance on a scale of up to 600 km. This result suggests a strong dispersal capacity of the species, as well as a lack of migration barriers throughout the study area. That the lowland populations are closely related to those from the nearby mountains indicates repeated colonization of the lowlands. Our results further suggest that R. alpina mostly lives in large, open populations. Large-scale conservation measures need to be applied to allow for its continued existence.

Predatory carabid beetles are important for regulating prey abundance in terrestrial ecosystems. While surveys of carabid diet have revealed many insights into trophic interactions, the high species diversity and heterogeneous developmental stages of prey identified in the gut have made further advances difficult. In addition, the carabid gut contains partially digested and mainly soft tissue parts of the prey species, difficult to identify by traditional methods. Molecular gut content analysis (MGCA) avoids these disadvantages but to date has been limited primarily to revealing pest species in agricultural fields. Here we used MGCA to screen for the presence of Lepidoptera in carabid guts, in woodland ecosystems, in both Croatia and the UK. Data on carabids positive for Lepidoptera were compared with those from previous work on the same carabid assemblages, screened for earthworms, slugs, woodlice and springtails. In both locations, the prey group most frequently detected was earthworms, followed by slugs and Lepidoptera and then finally by woodlice and springtails. The composition of the diet changed with season, carabid sex, and carabid size. In both locations, Lepidoptera were the third most frequent prey, with 27% of carabids testing positive in Croatia and 20% in UK, suggesting that carabids could be significant predators of Lepidoptera in woodland ecosystems and may potentially play an important role in controlling moth pests.

This is the first paper from the series Catalogus collectionum entomologicarum Divisionis zoologicae Facultatis scientiarum naturalium et matematicarum Zagrabiae (Catalogue of the entomological collections of the Division of Zoology of the Faculty of Science in Zagreb). The paper presents the catalogue of the Boža Pokopac Orthoptera collection made in 1956 during Boža’s master’s thesis research into the Orthopteran fauna in the vicinity of Bjelovar. In total, 99 specimens of the 286 reported in the master’s thesis were found. Among them is a new species for Croatian fauna – Stenobothrus crassipes. The need for the conservation of the entomological collections in Croatian faculties and museums is briefly noted., Ovo je prvi rad u seriji radova Catalogus collectionum entomologicarum Divisionis zoologicae Facultatis scientiarum naturalium et matematicarum Zagrabiae (Katalog entomoloških zbirki Zoologijskog zavoda Prirodoslovno – matematičkog fakulteta u Zagrebu). Rad predstavlja katalog ravnokrilaca (Orthoptera) iz zbirke Bože Pokopac koja je izrađena 1956. tijekom istraživanja ravnokrilaca okolice Bjelovara za diplomski rad. Pronađeno je sveukupno 99 primjeraka iz originalne zbirke s 286 primjeraka navedenih u diplomskom radu. Predstavljena je nova vrsta za faunu Hrvatske – Stenobothrus crassipes. Raspravljena je potreba očuvanja entomoloških zbirki na hrvatskim fakultetima i muzejima.

Species of the genus Drusus usually inhabit cold springs and spring areas of mountain streams. Isolation of populations and a patchy distribution are reasons for high diversity and endemism in this genus. Nine taxa from the bosnicus group (genus Drusus) live in the Balkan Peninsula (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia). This study has two main objectives. First, morphological, ecological, and genetic features (mitochondrial COI and 16S genes) of the final larval instar of Drusus radovanovici radovanovici from Bosnia and Herzegovina are analysed. Association of larvae and adults of D. radovanovici radovanovici is carried out according to genetic data (mitochondrial DNA) of adults and larvae, and supported by their distribution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Second, phylogeny, taxonomy and distribution of taxa of the bosnicus group in the Balkan Peninsula are discussed. The analysis includes morphological and genetic data for the known larvae of the genus Drusus distributed in the Balkans. As a consequence, both subspecies of Drusus radovanovici are ranked as species (D. radovanovici and D. septentrionis stat. n.), and the status of other taxa from the bosnicus group is discussed. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The aim of this study was to investigate responses of ant and carabid assemblages and their morpho-ecological traits to habitat differences within natural temperate forests in Medvednica Nature Park. Toquantify ha bitat differences in examined areas, both structural heterogeneity of the vege tation and taxonomic diversity of plants were measured on six plots. Habitat complexity was quantified using four habitat characteristics wit hin the site: tree canopy cover; shrub canopy cover; ground herbs and leaf lit ter cover. Ants and carabids were sampled using pitfall traps. Ant species richness and abundance, unlike carabid species richness were positively correlated with habitat complexity, especially with leaf litter cover on plots. The responses of insects morpho-ecological traits to habitat were recor ded, with more large bodied carabids present in more complex site and higher abundance of opportunist ant species in more open sites with low complexity of vegetation. Higher dominance of certain carabid species at the lower plots then those on the top of the mountain, suggest competitive exclusion, confirming lower areas as more stable. Species adapted to colder climate, that inhabit hig her elevations such as flightless forest specialist Cychrus caraboidesandCara-bus irregularis, and boreo-montane ant species Camponotus herculeanus, are less competent to colonize lower areas. Furthermore, they may not survive se vere instability of their habitats, especially in a changing climate. Overall re­sults suggest that conservation issues need to be focused on preserving stability and structural complexity of forest habitat in summit areas of the mountain., Ovim istraživanjem željeli smo utvrditi razlike u sastavu te morfološkim i ekološkim značajkama trčaka i mrava u različlitim šumskim staništima na području Parka prirode Medved nica. Kako bi kvantificirali razlike između istraživanih područja, odredili smo raznolikost strukture prisutne vegetacije te raznolikost biljnih vrsta na šest ploha. Značajke kao što su pokrovnost drveća, grmlja, prizemnog bilja te listinca na svakoj plohi, koristili smo u mjerenju kompleksnosti strukture staništa. Strukturna kompleksnost staništa opadala je s nadmorskom visinom. Mravi i trčci uzorko vani su metodom lovnih posuda. Bogatstvo vrsta mrava pozitivno je korelirano s kompleksnošću staništa, posebice s količinom listinca, za razliku od trčaka. Veći udio mrava koji su ekološki oportunisti zabilježen je u otvoreni jim staništima sa slabije izraženom heterogenom strukturom staništa, za razliku od trčaka kod kojih veličina tijela korelira s kompleksnošću staništa. Stabilnija struktura zajednica trčaka s većom brojnosti dominantnih vrsta na plohama smještenim na nižoj nadmorskoj visini može se objasniti kompetitivnim isključivanjem, kao posljedicom stabilnijih ekoloških uvjeta u odnosu na plohe smještene na vrhu planine. Vrste koje su prilagođene hladnijim klimatskim uvjetima te na stanjuju zasjenjena područja na višim nadmorskim visinama, kao što su beskrilne vrste trčaka, specijalistiCychrus caraboidesiCarabus irregularis, te boreo-montana vrsta mrava Camponotus herculeanus, zabilježene su na najvišim nadmorskim visinama i sjevernim ekspozicijama Medved nice. Neke od ovih vrsta ne nastanjuju niža područja, te u slučaju uništavanja povoljnih staništa njihov opstanak na Medvednici može postati ugrožen. Jedan od razloga može biti i uslijed klimat skih promjena koje utječu na visokoplaninske vrste hladnijih područja. Sveukupni rezultati ovog istraživanja ukazuju na potrebu očuvanja složene strukture šumskih staništa, posebice na vršnim dijelovima Medvednice.

The major research on Trichoptera in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia started at the turn of the 19th century. Altogether, approximately 35 species are described from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Some of these species belong to the genus Drusus Stephens, 1837. Drusus species in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are distributed from the Dinarides, mountainous area spreading throughout Central Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Seven species in Bosnia & Herzegovina from the genus Drusus belong to the bosnicus group. All Drusus species in the bosnicus group occurring in Bosnia and Herzegovina are allopatric in distribution. Populations of this species could have been separated due to geological and climatic changes and new allopatric species could eventually evolve. Drusus septentrionis Mar. is distributed in eastern part in Bosnia & Herzegovina in four springs, and Drusus croaticus Mar. is distributed in central mountain part of Croatia in numerous springs. Both species was described by Mara Marinković-Gospodnetić, Professor from the University in Sarajevo, in the second half of XX century. Larvae of these species were described before two years.In this study we present results on morphological features of pupa of Drusus croaticus Mar., collected in spring of the Bijela Rijeka River (National Park “Plitvice Lakes”, Croatia) and pupa of Drusus radovanovici Mar. collected according reared larvae to adults in the laboratory. The larvae of Drusus radovanovici were collected in the spring of the Bistrica River (Bosnia & Herzegovina), and transferred to the laboratory in Zagreb. It was the first described of pupae from any endemic species of genus Drusus from the Balkan Peninsula.

The Dalmatian coast and islands were mainly investigated by entomologists during the 19th and 20th centuries, but only few species were recorded for the beetle fauna of Kornati Islands, observed after a few sporadic and short-term studies. In 2009, members of the student organization “BIUS” carried out a faunistic survey of the islands Kornat, Žut and Lavsa in order to compile a more comprehensive species inventory of the families Carabidae, Cerembycidae and the superfamily Scarabaeoidea of these islands. Altogether 39 species belonging to the studied groups were found, 35 of them recorded on those islands for the first time. The most interesting was the record of Parmena bicincta Küster, 1849 (Cerambycidae), an endemic species of the Adriatic coast area. This is the first record of this species on Lavsa Island., Entomološka istraživanja u Dalmaciji i na jadranskim otocima provodila su se krajem 19. i početkom 20. stoljeća, no samo je manji broj vrsta zabilježen na Kornatskom otočju kao rezultat kratkotrajnih istraživanja. Tijekom 2009. godine članovi Sekcije za kornjaše studentske udruge BIUS uzorkovali su faunu kornjaša na otocima Kornatu, Žutu i Lavsi u cilju utvrđivanja faune trčaka (Carabidae), strizibuba (Cerambycidae) i natporodice Scarabaeoidea. Ukupno je zabilježeno 39 vrsta kornjaša, od čega je 35 vrsta po prvi put zabilježeno na istraživanim otocima. Faunistički najzanimljiviji nalaz je vrste Parmena bicincta Küster, 1849. iz porodice cvilidreta (Cerambycidae) koja pripada u endeme Jadranske obale, a na otoku Lavsi nije još bila zabilježena.

The aim of this study was to analyse the ground beetle assemblage (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forest habitats of the Učka Nature Park, their zoogeographical distribution and status in the Croatian Red list of ground beetles. Pitfall traps were placed in eleven plots in seven forest communities in Mt Učka and exposed during 2008. Thirty-five carabid species were recorded, eight of which are endemic. The oogeographic positions of species were in accordance with the geographical location of Mt Učka, which is located on the border line of two zoogeographical regions, the Mediterranean and the Euro-Sibirean-North American region with Alpine elements. One quarter of the recorded species are present in the Croatian Red list of ground beetles. One very important finding was that of Carabus variolosus nodulosus Creutzer 1799 which is given in the Croatian Red list with the status of vulnerable. It is also listed in Appendix II and IV of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Council Directive 92/43/EEC)., Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi sastav vrsta trčaka (Coleoptera: Carabidae) u šumskim staništima na području Parka prirode Učke, njihovu zoogeografsku pripadnost i status zaštite. U sedam šumskih zajednica na području parka odabrano je jedanaest ploha, a trčci su uzorkovani metodom lovnih posuda tijekom vegetacijske sezone u 2008. godini. Utvrđeno je 35 vrsta, od čega je osam endemskih, a njihov sastav s obzirom na zoogeografsku rasprostranjenost u skladu je s položajem Učke na razmeđi mediteranske i eurosibirske-sjevernoameričke regije s prisutnim alpinskim elementima. Četvrtina zabilježenih vrsta nalazi se na Crvenom popisu svojti trčaka RH. Faunistički je značajan nalaz čvorastog trčka (Carabus variolosus nodulosus Creutzer 1799) koji se smatra ugroženom vrstom, a nalazi se na Crvenom popisu kao osjetljiva vrsta (VU) te na Dodatku II i IV Direktive o zaštiti prirodnih staništa i divlje faune i flore (DIRECTIVE 92/43/EEC).

Here we present the methodology used for terrestrial biodiversity analysis and site selection in Phase B of the UNDP/GEF COAST project. The analysis was focused on the problem of biodiversity evaluation in four Croatian counties stretching from sea level to the highest mountain in Croatia. Data on habitats, vascular flora, and fauna (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, ground beetles, and underground invertebrates) were collected and analyzed for each of the four counties. Emphasis was given to the richness of endangered species and the rarity of endemic species. Based on the spatial analyses of habitat, fauna, and flora data, four to six areas were selected from each county and ranked according to their biodiversity importance. Overlap between areas important for richness and those important for rarity was highest for data on flora (65.5%) and lowest for data on fauna (16.7%). When different data sets were compared, the lowest overlap was between flora and fauna (17.1%) and largest between fauna and habitats (23.9%). Simultaneous overlap among all three data sets was found in just 6.5% of the overall selected areas. These results suggest that less specific data, with respect to taxa threat status, could better serve as surrogate data in estimating overall biodiversity. In summary, this analysis has demonstrated that Dalmatia is a region with a high overall biodiversity that is important in a broader European context.

The objectives of this study were to determine the fauna of Hydradephaga and to relate their assemblages in temporary ponds of Lonjsko Polje with respect to water permanence (hydroperiod) and shading of ponds by surrounding vegetation. A field survey was conducted in six different ponds in Lonjsko Polje Nature Park from May to December 2004. Aquatic coleoptera were collected using the semiquantitative method of sweeping with a D-frame pond net. Altogether, 341 specimens belonging to 29 species of Hydradephaga were collected. The highest species richness was recorded for the Trebež pond, with 15 species of Hydradephaga recorded exclusively in this pond. None of the species were found in common in all the investigated ponds. It is observed that water beetles prefer more permanent ponds with a longer hydroperiod and open, less shaded habitats., Svrha ovog rada jest utvrditi raznolikost faune Hydradephaga u privremenim lokvama na Lonjskom polju i usporediti sastav i brojnost njihovih zajednica u odnosu na hidroperiod i zasjenjenost svake lokve okolnom vegetacijom. Istraživanje je provedeno od svibnja do prosinca 2004. na šest različitih privremenih lokava na području Parka prirode Lonjsko polje. Uzorci su uzimani semikvantitativnom metodom poteza D-mrežicom. Uzorkovana je ukupno 341 jedinka i utvrđeno je 29 vrsta Hydradephaga. Najveći broj vrsta zabilježen je na lokvi Trebež, a 15 vrsta bilo je prisutno isključivo na toj lokvi. Niti jedna vrsta nije zajednička svim lokvama. Utvrđeno je da vodeni kornjaši na istraživanom području preferiraju trajnije lokve s duljim hidroperiodom te otvorena i nezasjenjena staništa.

The objective of this study was to quantify the relationships between heavy metal concentrations in soil, leaf litter, and ground beetles at four sampling sites of a forest ecosystem in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping. Specimens were dry-ashed and soil and beetle samples digested with nitric acid. Lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Statistically significant differences between plots were found for lead, cadmium, and iron in ground beetles. Correlations between ground beetles and soil or leaf litter were positive for lead and cadmium concentrations and negative for iron concentration. Differences in species metal concentrations were recorded. Higher concentrations of all studied metals were found in female beetles. However, a significant difference between sexes was found only for manganese. Significant differences in species metal concentrations were found for species that differ in feeding strategies and age based on breeding season and emergence of young adults.