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Biodiversity loss due to human activity has long been the subject of scientific research, with a particular focus placed on recent anthropogenic activity. Museum collections are underused in research, even though they represent a unique source of biodiversity data for a certain area over a long period of time. This study evaluates the impact of urbanization on beetles, with particular emphasis on saproxylic representatives, in the last 100 years in the City of Zagreb. This research aimed to: i) determine the beetle fauna using recent nomenclature ; ii) analyze the share of currently endangered species ; iii) georeference and compare habitat type and quantity from collection creation time with the same habitat today ; iv) provide the basis for future studies. We revised two beetle collections held in the Croatian Natural History Museum created from 1891 to 1987. We compared habitat types from 1980 with the ones from 2018, and also with locations of saproxylic beetles reported during a citizen science action using the Corine Land Cover digital database. In the museum collections, we found 3750 beetle specimens: 678 species from 52 families at 58 locations in the City of Zagreb, 26% of which show changes in land cover. Further, we found 66 nowadays endangered species of saproxylic representatives. Our results confirm intense urbanization and represent the basis for future research on urban ecology that utilizes museum collections.

Klimatske promjene negativno utječu na slatkovodne ekosustave uzrokujući isušivanje zbog porasta temperature zraka i promjene u količini padalina. Utjecaj tih promjena na živi svijet je u fokusu recentne limnologije gdje se zajednica bentičkih besralješnjaka, makrozoobentos, koristi kao pokazatelj uvjeta u staništu. Iako u procjeni oporavka negativno zahvaćenih područja dinamika ponovnog naseljavanja staništa makrozoobentosom ima ključnu ulogu, još uvijek je nedovoljno podataka o tom procesu. Stoga, glavni cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrditi dinamiku i mehanizam naseljavanja makrozoobentosa obzirom na okolišne čimbenike. Proučavana su dva vodna tijela različita po tipologiji i antropogenom pritisku: prirodni stalni izvor i povremeni potok. Korištene su umjetne i prirodne podloge ; umjetne podloge postavljane su u isto vrijeme u području stalnog izvora, a na području povremenog potoka uzrokovani su prirodni supstrati. Velika brojnost ličinki Diptera, posebice Chironomidae, je pronađena u oba vodna tijela. Prema rezultatima, Ephemeroptera i Chironomidae u stalnom i Oligochaeta, Plecoptera i Chironomidae u povremenom potoku su pioniri naseljavanja. Ovo istraživanje značajno doprinosi novim spoznajama o procesu naseljavanja te budućoj konzervaciji i restauraciji potencijalno ugrožene slatkovodne faune i njenih staništa.

Impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems is one of the main scopes in current limnology. Such studies are focused on the recovery of affected areas where the dynamic of recolonization by benthic community has a key role. Nevertheless, knowledge about this process is still scarce. With the aim to get a basic insight into the recolonization process, a comprehensive study in freshwater habitat with stable environmental conditions without anthropogenic disturbance was conducted in Jankovac spring area in Papuk Nature Park. Preliminary study was done in June 2013, and later repeated in June 2018, when the methodology was greatly improved, as: i) it was conducted for longer period (every 12 hours for six days) ; ii) diverse artificial substrates were used (differing in colour, structure and stability) by replicate procedure ; iii) physical and chemical parameters of water were studied in detail, and iv) the canopy coverage of the habitat was analysed. Composition of benthic invertebrate community was similar in both studies with the most numerous organisms of 1 – 2 mm body size, such as insect larvae of Ephemeroptera and Diptera (Chironomidae and Simuliidae). The higher abundance of benthic invertebrates occurred in uncovered, light area of the habitat, regardless to the substrate type. Unfixed substrates were more actively colonized than the fixed ones. Current velocity was proven to be the key parameter influencing colonization dynamics. Many results of this study help in better understanding of the benthic invertebrate colonization, which will serve as a basis for future more specific studies.

The book comprises abstracts presented at the 11th Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences, held in Zagreb, Croatia from June 30 - July 5, 2019.

Karstic springs are among the most complex ecotonal environments with specific transition zones based on hydromorphological properties. Nevertheless, most ecological studies of spring assemblages are based on distribution differences between crenal spheres (i.e. eucrenal vs hypocrenal). The ecological study of benthic invertebrates in the Zrmanja River springhead was focused on spring microscale in order to provide deep insights into fauna's preferences of key physical variables. During April 2016, we collected 40 subsamples in dominant microhabitats (i.e. substrates with high and low water velocity) using the hand net according to modified AQEM procedure. The springhead assemblages were generally dominated by its temporal residents, Diptera and Ephemeroptera. The prevalence temporal fauna were Chironomidae, being the most abundant at the moss in the low water velocity. According to the EPT index, the highest EPT taxa richness was recorded in moss on the macrolithal and megalithal substrates exposed to the high-velocity water flow. In the mesolithal, predatory Plecoptera (Perlidae) were positioned at the top of the food web in the low water velocity, while they were replaced by Trichoptera(Rhyacophyllidae) in the high water velocity. Hydrachnidia, as a key spring fauna, were recorded mostly at microhabitats with low water velocity within the microlithal. We confirmed Reiss and Chifflard conceptual model of eucrenal as a heterogeneous mosaic-like patches and recorded heterogeneity on multiple levels.

Remarkably, but in contrast to other parts of Europe, ecology of mayflies in its southeastern part is still mainly unknown. Here we present the first comprehensive study of Ephemeroptera in tufa depositing habitats. Ecological traits were investigated in the Plitvice Lakes NP during a one-year period in different types of habitats (springs, streams, mountainous rivers, tufa barriers). Mayfly fauna is composed of 14 species (20 taxa) and exhibits low diversity with wide, patchy and Balkan distribution. Water temperature, pH and ammonium concentration were the most important environmental variables explaining mayfly assemblages. Generally, the most favourable habitat type was canyon stream, less favourable were tufa barriers and the least favourable were springs. Results confirmed mayflies’ powerful ability for their environment description, which is of particular importance in such biodynamic hydrosystems.

Zbirka kukaca Novak je jedna od najvrijednijih zbirki Hrvatskog prirodoslovnog muzeja Nastala je sustavnim istraživanjem kukaca, posebice kornjaša, dvojice velikana hrvatske entomologije, oca Ivana i sina Petra Novaka.. O značaju njihova rada govori činjenica da je preko 20 vrsta kornjaša dobilo upravo njihovo ime. Zbirka broji 70 123 suho prepariranih i validno označenih muzejskih predmeta određenih do razine vrste. U tijeku je inventarizacija zbirke kojom je do sada obrađeno 14 937 predmeta (jedinki kornjaša) iz 39 porodica i 701 rod. Dosadašnja stručna obrada ukazuje da je razdoblje prikupljanja od 1881. do 1965. godine, te da su jedinke većinom prikupljane na području Dalmacije ali i na ostalim područjima Hrvatske, te na području sjeverne Afrike i Dalekog istoka. Tijekom inventarizacije provodi se i digitalizacija zbirke te usklađivanje nazivlja prema recentnoj taksonomiji i sistematici.

Geografski položaj, geološke i hidrološke značajke i vegetacija na području Nacionalnog parka „Krka” uvjetuju jedinstvenost prisutnih biocenoza, koje doprinose biološkoj raznolikosti i endemizmu vrsta. Tijekom 2010. i u srpnju 2012. godine provedena su faunistička istraživanja vodenih i kopnenih kornjaša (Insecta, Coleoptera) na krškim slapovima, lokvama i mediteranskim travnjacima na području Parka s ciljem utvrđivanja vrsta koje obitavaju na navedenim staništima, s osobitim naglaskom na rijetke i endemske vrste. Kornjaši su skupljani različitim metodama te potom određivani do najniže moguće taksonomske razine. Utvrđeni su kornjaši iz tridest dvije porodice unutar podredova Adephaga i Polyphaga. Detaljnije su obrađeni vodeni kornjaši, trčci i koprofagne i nekrofagne vrste iz šesnaest porodica koje su bile najzastupljenije u uzorcima. Ukupno su utvrđene 162 vrste. Vrstama najbrojniji bili su trčci (Carabidae), s trideset tri vrste, potom kozaci (Dytiscidae), s dvadeset osam svojti, truležari (Scarabaeidae), s dvadeset šest vrsta, vodoljubi (Hydrophilidae), s petnaest svojti, kusonje (Histeridae), s devet vrsta, šavoljike (Hydraenidae), sa sedam, i slapoljubi (Elmidae), sa šest vrsta. Ostale porodice bile su zastupljene s pet vrsta ili manje. Iako su i u prošlosti bila provedena istraživanja entomofaune područja uz rijeku Krku, ovim su istraživanjem utvrđene dodatne 124 vrste. Također, utvrđene su i neke rijetke i endemske vrste. Stoga utvrđeni broj vrsta nije konačan – daljnjim će se istraživanjima on svakako povećati a znanje o entomofauni tog područja znatno obogatiti, što će u konačnici doprinijeti i kvalitetnijoj zaštiti prirode ovoga područja.

Detailed information on life cycles is of a great importance as a substantial part of freshwater invertebrate ecology. Changes in diverse components of life histories of various species are increasingly used in ecological assessments as indicators of environmental stress. Seasonal dynamics of the dominant and subdominant mayfly species was studied during a one-year period in two karst freshwater ecosystems in the Dinaric Western Balkan region in Croatia: the Plitvice Lakes NP (in the continental mountainous part) and the Cetina and Ruda Rivers (in the Mediterranean part). Different types of karst habitats were encompassed in the study (springs, streams, various river sections). Life cycles of several mayfly species were in accordance with the literature data (e.g. bivoltine life cycles for Baetis lutheri and Centroptilum luteolum in Mediterranean Rivers, semivoltine for Ephemera danica in mountainous streams and univoltine for Rhithrogena braaschi in both studied ecosystems). On the other hand, in different climates and different habitats, some species showed plasticity in their life cycles between the two studied freshwater ecosystems (e.g. B. rhodani and Serratella ignita) or showed certain discrepancies from their typical life cycle patterns (e.g. B. melanonyx and Caenis macrura in Mediterranean Rivers). Results of this study provide new and valuable information on ecology of mayflies in karstic habitats.

Prirodoslovni muzej Metković svečano je otvoren 17. srpnja 2015. godine na ponos svim žiteljima doline rijeke Neretve. Prema Muzeološkoj koncepciji dr. sc. Nikole Tvrtkovića stalni postav ovog muzeja prezentiran je tehnikama informativnih panela, trodimenzionalnih prikaza staništa (diorama), prepariranih životinja u ladicama i vitrinama te multimedijalnih audiovizualnih prikaza. Prostorna organizacija raspoređena je u pet soba i prikazana temama u kružnom rasporedu (1- 36). Stalni postav muzeja realizirali su djelatnici Hrvatskoga prirodoslovnog muzeja. Prva cjelina prve sobe posvećena je utemeljitelju Ornitološke zbirke Metković - Dragutinu Rucneru, a predstavlja temelj stalnog postava muzeja. Uz Rucnerov kutak vezana je i podna karta neretvanskog područja te multimedijalni prikaz pet odabranih lokaliteta s avionskim snimcima i vertikalnim presjekom staništa te vrstama u svakom dijelu presjeka. Geološke i biospeleološke specifičnosti delte rijeke Neretve prikazane su staklenim panelima, a petrografija je vizualizirana uzorcima kamena iz lokalnih kamenoloma. Kroz drugu, treću i četvrtu sobu protežu se trodimenzionalni prikazi vodenih i kopnenih staništa delte rijeke Neretve - od močvare, tršćaka i kanala, longitudinalnog vodenog toka rijeke, kamenjara i točila, šumskih staništa pa do antropogeno uvjetovanih naselja i poljoprivrednih površina. Dioramski prikazi završavaju „aerodromskom“ scenom selidba ptica te scenama zimovanja u vodenim i kopnenim staništima. Popraćeni su video materijalom ponašanja životinja u specifičnom staništu, zvukovima glasanja ptica i vodozemaca, multimedijalnim prikazom bioraznolikosti staništa kao i raznovrsnošću kukaca, puževa i školjkaša u vodenim i kopnenim staništima delte rijeke Neretve. Iz treće sobe izlazi se u vrt Muzeja koji u autohtonoj vegetaciji pruža dom pticama i kukcima u kućicama za ptice i hotelu za kukce. Peta soba započinje vitrinskim prikazom gnjuraca i pataka, a posvećena je aktivnoj zaštiti i očuvanju biološke raznolikosti ovoga područja, osvješćivanju realnih ugroza komercijalnog korištenja prirode te interaktivnim kutkom u kojem se naglašava važnost sustavnog promatranja ptica te svrhe prstenovanja. Postav završava atraktivnim kratkometražnim filmovima te pitalicama za djecu.

Josef Sapetza (1829.-1868.) u svoja dva rada objavljena godine 1867. opisuje biljne vrste i vrste kukaca sakupljenih u širem području Karlovca. U njima je popisao 667 vrsta vaskularnih biljaka te 353 vrste kukaca. U članku su prikazani život i djelo danas neopravdano zaboravljenog pionira florističkih i faunističkih istraživanja u Hrvatskoj. Također je analiziran Sapetzov doprinos poznavanju biološke raznolikosti Hrvatske.

Hibridogenetski kompleks Pelophylax esculentus uključuje vrste Pelophylax ridibundus (R), P.lessonae (L), i P. kl. esculentus (E), i jedan je od najsloženijih i evolucijski vrlo interesantnih životinjskih hemiklonskih sustava. Dosadašnja istraživanja analizirala su strukturu populacija, prehranu, reproduktivne tipove i distribuciju vrsta ovog kompleksa no podaci koji uključuju analizu populacije REL tipa su rijetki. Cilj ovog istraživanja je proučiti morfologiju i prehranu jedinki te strukturu populacije Pelophylax esculentus kompleksa u kontinentalnom dijelu Hrvatske. Morfološke karakteristike i analiza alozima rabljene su za identifikaciju vrste ukupno 93 nasumično prikupljene jedinke. Sadržaj želuca tih jedinki je analiziran kako bi se usporedio profil prehrane pojedine vrste dok je metodom skeletokronologije procjenjen broj linija zaustavljenog rasta na preparatima kosti femura za usporedbu starosti i indeksa rasta jedinki pojedine vrste. Rezultati su otkrili prisutnost populacijskog tipa REL pri čemu u uzorku najmanji broj jedinki pripada vrsti P. ridibundus. Unatoč velikoj morfološkoj varijabilnosti među vrstama, opažena je izraženost rijetkih i specifičnih karakteristika jedinki vrste P. ridibundus i P. kl. esculentus. Primjećene su i razlike u prehrani i indeksu rasta između P. ridibundus i jedinki ostalih vrsta proučavane populacije REL tipa što upućuje na postojanje mogućih evolucijski bitnih jedinstvenih interakcija među vrstama ove populacije.

As benthic invertebrates inhabit all types of freshwater habitats often are used as bioindicators, especially in areas of a special interest like Drava River. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to determine the composition of macrozoobenthos in different sites of Drava River and the accompanying gravel pits. Secondly, to determine the impact of water temperature and dissolved oxygen together with anthropogenic pressure on studied communities. The research was conducted at eight stations on the Drava River and at five gravel pits. Sampling in the river was performed every two months from April to December 2012, and at the gravel from July 2013 to March 2014. Analysis of the relationship of macroinvertebrates and physico‐ chemical parameters of water resulted in significant correlation for Hirudinea, Copepoda and Coleoptera. Also, a higher number of clean water indicators, Turbellaria, Hirudinea or Plecoptera, were identified at stations where anthropogenic pressure was the least. At stations where Drava River is canalised or agricultural lands occur Copepoda and Diptera dominated. In gravel that were under strong anthropogenic influence dominated Chironomidae and Hydrachnaellae, unlike in gravel with natural conditions where Ephemeroptera was a dominant group. In conclusion, macrozoobenthos of Drava River and surrounding gravel has shown a high level of biodiversity, but also the sensitivity on different anthropogenic impacts, which indicates the importance of preserving this area.

Elmidae is a water beetles family poorly studied in southeastern Europe, so phylogenetic and phylogeographic data are very scarce. Representatives of the family were collected in various freshwater habitats in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia, while Austrian representatives were used for needed comparisons. Using standard genetic markers (ITS1, COI and COII) we revealed sister group of Elmis aenea and E. rioloides together being related to E. bosnica. E. maugetii maugetii forms a separate branch, while position of E. obscura could not be affirmed with high support. In addition, E. aenea and E.rioloides collected in Cetina River showed morphological variations from Central European representatives. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to analyse whether the observed differences can be confirmed at the molecular level. E. aenea shows high molecular homogeny across all sampled populations in respect to both morphological features and locations. On contraire, screening of E. rioloides specimens indicated the separation of population from the Cetina River from typical representatives of Central European fauna, supporting the hypothesis that this is a complex species. By molecular dating we calculated that E. rioloides separated from Central European representatives in the Pleistocene. This is consistent with the observation of the importance of Pleistocene refugia in speciation processes in the Southeastern Europe.

U katalogu izložbe obrađene su sljedeće teme: Raznolikost božjih ovčica, Božje ovčice u literaturi, Značajke božjih ovčica, Životni ciklus i razmnožavanje, Prehrana božjih ovčica, Božje ovčice i njihovi prirodni neprijatelji, Božje ovčice u biološkom suzbijanju štetnika, Božje ovčice i čovjek

U članku se govori o terenskoj nastavi studenata molekularne biologije s Biološkog odsjeka PMF-a Sveučilišta u Zagrebu na prostorima Zrinske gore (Banovina), Parka prirode Lonjsko polje i Parka prirode Papuk.

Đuro Koča živio je u drugoj polovici 19. stoljeća, a svojim je radom pridonio razvoju šumarstva u nas. Njegove su velike zasluge i u unaprjeđenju entomološke znanosti, sakupljao je i istraživao kukce kojima je bio zanesen. Prikupio je vrijednu entomološku zbirku koju je otkupio tadašnji Hrvatski narodni zoološki muzej (sadašnji Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej) u Zagrebu, gdje se i danas čuva. Surađivao je s brojnim entomolozima iz inozemstva, koji su cijeneći njegov rad, njegovim imenom nazvali pet vrsta kukaca.

Znameniti prirodoslovac i liječnik koji u Hrvatskoj uz liječničko zvanje proučava floru i faunu. S Lj. Vukotinovićem objavio je značajna floristička djela među kojima se ističu Flora Croatica (1869) koja je tada hrvatsku botaniku stavila u ravnopravni položaj s razvijenijim zemljama te Bilinar. Flora Excursoria (1876), priručnik za sabiranje i određivanje biljaka na hrvatskom. Objavio je i knjigu Fauna kornjašah trojedne kraljevine (1877-1879) gdje je opisao i hrvatskim imenima imenovao oko 6000 vrsta kornjaša te stvorio vrijednu zbirku koja se danas nalazi u HPM-u, a broji 13.384 kornjaša. Sudjelovao je i u osnivanju Narodnog muzeja poklonivši dio svoje ornitološke i botaničke zbirke, a 1866.-1868. bio je čuvar (kustos) tog muzeja.

U članku se opisuje stanište i životni ciklus leptira močvarnog plavca (Phengaris alcon alcon), jednog od najugroženijih leptira Europe, a čije je postojanje tek nedavno zabilježeno i na području Hrvatske.

A new species of Hydraena Kugelann, H. kucinici (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), is described from the Republic of Macedonia. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on two closely related species, H. bosnica Apfelbeck and H. leonhardi Breit, are provided.

Današnji porast svijesti o važnosti očuvanja bioraznolikosti svaku zemlju stavlja pred odgovorni zadatak s istim prvim korakom: popisati svoju floru i faunu. Tim više, ako se uzme u obzir trenutna stopa nestanka vrsta u slatkovodnim sustavima. Ovo istraživanje predstavlja prvo takve vrste na krškim izvorima i tekućicama Hrvatske i Bosne i Hercegovine. Temeljne su mu odrednice upotpuniti dosadašnje slabo znanje o vodenim kornjašima navedenih područja, kao i pridonijeti njihovom očuvanju, ali i zaštiti njihovih staništa. Kako su vodeni kornjaši pokazatelji kvalitete staništa, istraživanje je provedeno na tri različita antropogeno utjecana područja: rijeci Cetini, NP Plitvička jezera i izvoru rijeke Bistrice (BiH). Na spomenutim područjima provedeno je skupljanje ličinačkih i odraslog stadija vodenih kornjaša tijekom 12 mjeseci te analiziranje abiotičkih i biotičkih čimbenika koji na njih utječu. Također su analizirane faunističke i ekološke značajke utvrđenih vrsta, kao i njihova raznolikost po istraživanim mikrostaništima. Ukupno je ustanovljeno 48 svojti od 32 vrste vodenih kornjaša s tri potvrđeno nove vrste za faunu Hrvatske. Rezultati su pokazali da je fauna vodenih kornjaša u istraživanim područjima jedinstvena te da krije potencijalno nove vrste. Utvrđene su karakteristične morfološke značajke koje pružaju temelj budućim sustavnim istraživanjima njihove faune. Nadalje, upotpunjeno je znanje o biologiji i ekologiji slabo poznatih vrsta. Temeljem utvrđenih ekoloških značajki zaključeno je da vodeni kornjaši imaju značajan bioindikatorski potencijal za krška vodena staništa, uz uvjet zaštite vrsta i njihovih staništa.

Mayflies are often used in bioassessment and monitoring of freshwater bodies because of their relative abundance in a wide variety of substrates and their sensitivity to pollution. Previous research on mayflies at the Plitvice Lakes NP considered only the larval stage while there were no data on their emergence. The goal of this research was to determine larval and adult abundance, community composition, phenology, and substrate and current velocity preference at Bijela Rijeka and Crna Rijeka springs. Sampling was conducted monthly from February 2007 till February 2008. The more shaded Crna Rijeka spring had a higher number of species and higher larval abundance, while more adults emerged at the open canopy Bijela Rijeka spring. Overall, four species were found as larvae, of which Baetis rhodani whose larvae preferred moss substrates was the most abundant. Other taxa showed no significant preferences towards particular substrate. In emergence traps we recorded only two species, B. rhodani and Rhitrogena semicolorata. B. rhodani had two generations per year, first was from April until August, and second in late autumn (October-November) while emergence of R. semicolorata was from May until August. In B. rhodani males and females emerged at the same time but with greater female abundance, while in R. semicolorata male emergence began one month earlier. The current study provides an important contribution to the knowledge of mayfly ecology in karstic freshwater habitats that forms a basis for further investigation and monitoring of mayflies in this area.

U članku se opisuje potraga skupine znanstvenika za endemskom i reliktnom podvrstom leptira Coenonympha tullia lorkovici na Livanjskom i Glamočkom polju (Bosna i Hercegovina) tijekom ljeta 2008. godine.

Due to worldwide decline in biological quality of water ecosystems, planning for freshwater biodiversity conservation is strongly needed. Water beetles (Coleoptera, Polyphaga) are known to be useful bio-indicators, especially because of their adaptation to specific environmental conditions. Hydrophilidae is a heterogeneous family of water scavenger beetles, and numerous studies of their taxonomy, morphology, and recently, their phylogeny (especially of superfamily Hydrophiloidea) were conducted. On the other hand, data on Hydrophilidae in Croatia are still scarce. Here we present results of screening of fauna of Hydrophilidae in Croatia with the aim of inferring present state of their diversity and phylogenetic status of taxa. Specimens were collected on several localities in southern, eastern and central Croatia, and identified based on morphological characters. About 20 species belonging to about 10 genera of Hydrophilidae were identified. Mitochondrial genes for cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and small ribosomal subunit (12S rRNA) were PCR amplified, sequenced and aligned with available matching sequences of Hydrophilidae and Hydrophiloidea deposited previously in GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using distance, parsimony and Bayesian methods, and obtained topologies examined. Preliminary results presented here are largely in concordance with previously published phylogenies within Hydrophilidae and Hydrophiloidea, and give valuable indications on phylogenetic relationships of several taxa that were not examined in previous studies. However, positions of certain taxa could not be affirmed with high support, and therefore should be checked and verified by the use of additional molecular markers. Results will facilitate in conservation of investigated area with contribution to knowledge of water beetle fauna of Croatia and implication of determined water beetles in water quality measurements on a European scale.

This study presents the results of dragonfly fauna research in the Turopolje region of Croatia. Faunal anlayses were conducted in the period from 1986-2009, with some interruptions, while an ecological analysis (composition of dragonflies according to habitat characteristics such as vegetation structure, air temperature, cloudiness) was conducted in the period 2007-2009. Faunal and ecological analyses were carried out at seventeen and nine localities, respectively. A total of 35 dragonfly species was recorded, indicating high species richness in comparison to the total number of 67 species known in Croatia. Zoogeographical analysis of the recorded dragonfly species showed the domination of the Holo-Mediterranean element which indicates complex glaciation and interglaciation processes during the geological past in Europe, when the Croatian territory served as a refugium. The results show that the distribution and abundance of dragonflies are indicative of habitat characteristics (vegetation structure) with average air temperature ranging from 26-28ºC and sunny weather. Since this research was conducted in only a part of the whole Turopolje region, and only adult specimens were sampled, further research should be focused on the life cycles of dragonflies and their distribution throughout the entire Turopolje region.

In this project, the first forensic entomological research in Croatia, the main goal was to determine which necrophilic insect species infest the body of a dead piglet in Croatian environmental conditions. Piglet was placed in a cage in thick forest of Salix and Populus on the bank of river Sava, from 18th of July till 14th of August 2007. Insect fauna was sampled from the body of a piglet every day, when their life cycles were monitored. Also, daily temperature and humidity were recorded. In total three necrophilic insect species were collected, two dipterans and one beetle: a blowfly Lucilia sericata L. (Diptera: Calliophoridae), a flesh fly Sarcophaga carnaria L. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), and a burying beetle Nicrophorus vespillo L. (Coleoptera: Silphidae). The first emerging blowflies were collected on the tenth day of the experiment. This rapid development was unexpected and we propose that it was a result of high summer temperature and humidity combined with specific floral environment. Completion of life cycle for S. carnaria was not recorded. Burying beetle has not laid any eggs, it was collected on the second day of experiment and there is no record of beetle activity in later stages of decomposition. This happened due to large number of fly maggots which were feeding on the carcass and left no food resource which beetles could use for their development. In addition to the necrophilic species, the predatory wasp Vespula germanica F.(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) was also collected during the experiment, but its life cycle was of little interest as this species is not a part of the decomposition process.

Wetland habitats are the most threatened ecosystems due to water-drainage, excessive exploitation and pollution, which is why they are increasingly disappearing all around Europe. To maintain the high species richness, it is essential to maintain a variety of biotopes. Therefore, wetland area of Turopolje is an important habitat for biodiversity conservation in Croatia. In biodiversity conservation dragonflies serve as umbrella species representing specific biotic wetland assemblages. They are used as bio-indicators for freshwater ecosystems’ quality due to their sensitivity and complex food web. Literature data of the dragonfly findings on Croatian territory are relatively poorly represented. Also, dragonfly fauna in Turopolje area is very poorly researched. The primary objectives of this research were to determine dragonfly fauna and their distribution in Turopolje region. The survey was conducted from August 2007 until May 2009 at 9 localities. All investigated localities differ in their vegetation structure and amount of present water. Vegetation alliance for each locality was determined at a sight. For estimation of dragonfly composition per locality, Shannon-Weaver and Simpson index of diversity were used. 22 species with 307 specimens of dragonflies were determined, most of them belonging to the Libellulidae family. Only 1 species was recorded for families Lestide, Platycnemididae and Corduliidae. Species Calopteryx splendens (Harris, 1782), Coenagrion puella (Linnaeus, 1758) and Ischnura elegans (Vander Linden, 1820) were the most abundant species. On the other hand, species Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer, 1776), Lestes barbarus (Fabricius, 1798), Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764), Epitheca bimaculata (Charpentier, 1825), Gomphus vulgatissimus (Linnaeus, 1758), Orthetrum cancellatum (Linnaeus, 1758) and Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798) were recorded only for 1 locality. Also, endangered and protected species Erythromma najas (Hansemann, 1823), Lestes barbarus (Zygoptera), Aeshna isoceles (Müller, 1767), Epitheca bimaculata and Otrhetrum coerulescens (Anisoptera) were recorded. Shannon-Weaver and Simpson index of diversity showed that vegetation structure is one of the main factors that affect the composition of the dragonfly communities. Future investigations should include the entire Turopolje region as well as dragonfly larvae and sheds sampling.

Vodeni kornjaši ekološka su grupa kukaca koja je, uz ostalo, pokazatelj kvalitete staništa. U Hrvatskoj je još uvijek nedovoljno podataka o mnogim porodicama. Porodica Scirtidae svojom brojnošću često dominira u bentičkim zajednicama tekućica. Ličinka živi u vodi dok odrasli stadij emergira na kopno. Preferiraju lotička staništa sa čistom vodom. Emergencija ove porodice do danas nije nikada sustavno istraživana. Na području Plitvičkih jezera odrasle jedinke su prikupljane mjesečno na tri lokacije u razdoblju od 14 godina. Postavljene su emergencijske klopke na različitim tipovima mikrostaništa. Cilj istraživanja je utvrditi sastav faune porodice Scirtidae, populacijske, fenološke i emergencijske značajke te utjecaj okolišnih čimbenika. Zabilježene su tri svojte: Hydrocyphon novaki, H. deflexicollis i Elodes sp. Rod Hydrocyphon utvrđen je na barijerama, dok je rod Elodes sakupljen na izvoru. Emergencija je sezonalna i traje ljeti. Kod roda Hydrocyphon mužjaci su dominantniji, a omjer se smanjuje u korist ženki prema kraju emergencije. Porodica Scirtidae pozitivno korelira s brzinom strujanja vode i preferira supstrate s mahovinom. Brojnost ovisi o temperaturi vode koja utječe i na obrasce emergencije. Dokazana je povezanost bioloških i ekoloških značajki porodice o okolišnim uvjetima kroz dugo vremensko razdoblje, što ima osobit značaj u vrijeme klimatskih promjena i kao takvo temelj je budućim istraživanjima. Water beetles are an ecological group of insects often used as bioindicators. Nevertheless, they have been poorly studied, especially the family Scirtidae. Scirtids are often dominant in benthic communities because the larval stages are aquatic, while the adults emerge into land. They prefer lotic habitats with clear water. Their emergence has never been studied before. Therefore, in Plitvice Lakes NP, emergence traps were placed at three sites with different microhabitats and sampled monthly for 14 years. The aim was to determine taxonomic, population, phenological, and emergence characteristics of the family and the influence of environmental conditions. Three taxa were identified: Hydrocyphon novaki, H. deflexicollis and Elodes sp. The genus Hydrocyphon is recorded at barriers, while the genus Elodes inhabits spring area. The emergence of the family is seasonal and occurs in summer. The sex ratio of the genus Hydrocyphon is biased to males, but it turns toward to females by the end of the season. Abundance is positively correlated with water velocity and the presence of bryophytes. Water temperature plays a key role in determining emergence patterns. Scirtids are closely related to environmental conditions over a long period of time, which is particularly important in light of serious climate changes.

The Lika River is located in the central part of the Dinaric karst of Croatia. It is 78 km long and it has a basin with an area of approximately 1570 km2. The aquatic plants of the Lika River Basin have never before been systematically studied. Here, we present the results of a floristic study of aquatic plant diversity of the Lika River and its tributaries Bogdanica, Jadova and Novčica. This study is based on fieldwork carried out during the spring and summer of 2022. It was established that there were 34 species of autochthonous vascular aquatic plants, classified into 28 genera and 23 families. The families with the greatest number of species were buttercup family (Ranunculaceae, 11.8%), umbellifers (Apiaceae, 8.8%) and grasses (Poaceae, 8.8%). The life-forms spectrum is dominated by hemicryptophytes (52.9%) and hydrophytes (44.1%) which is characteristic of moist and aquatic habitats. We recorded the occurrence of four endangered plant species: Hippuris vulgaris, Menyanthes trifoliata and Ranunculus lingua are endangered (EN), while Glyceria fluitans are vulnerable (VU). These threatened four species are also statutorily protected plants, as well as the species Utricularia vulgaris. The results of this research show that the Lika River Basin is an essential enrichment of plant diversity, indicating the need to preserve and protect the area investigated.

Intermittent rivers are characterized by periodical flow cessation, and occur mostly in semi-arid regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean. Organisms inhabiting intermittent rivers are exposed to highly variable environmental conditions, mainly due to repeated hydrological changes from the lotic to lentic and terrestrial phases. The aim of this study was to investigate Diptera assemblages of the lotic phase of three karst intermittent Mediterranean rivers in Croatia – the Čikola, Krčić and Miljašić Jaruga Rivers. At each river, Diptera larvae were sampled at three study sites, in four replicates each, and physico-chemical water properties were also measured. Specimens were identified to the family level. A total of nine Diptera families wasrecorded. With eight families, the Čikola River had the highest taxa richness of Diptera due to the greatest habitat heterogeneity. However, this river also had the lowest abundance of dipterans. The Miljašić Jaruga River had the lowest taxa richness with only four families, most likely due to the greatest anthropogenic impact on this river. The opportunist non-biting midges (Chironomidae) were the dominant family in the study area, which can be attributed to their adaptation to diverse and even extreme environmental conditions. The Diptera assemblages showed a positive response to higher water temperatures and conductivity, as well as lower dissolved oxygen concentration in water. In conclusion, our results show that Diptera assemblages in the studied intermittent rivers are influenced by river morphology, microhabitat composition and physicochemical water properties.

The introduction of invasive alien species into sensitive aquatic ecosystems contributes to the loss of freshwater biodiversity by altering ecosystem structure and services, and by transferring new, potentially unfamiliar microbial pathogens to native species. However, the microbes in the invaded ecosystem also interact with the microbiome of the invader, which can affect invader’s physiology, immune status, health, and fitness. Additionally, these interactions between microbes can also be affected by changing environmental conditions, further affecting the invader and ultimately the invasion success. We analyzed the bacteriome and mycobiome of the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, one of the most successful freshwater invertebrate invaders in Europe. We collected the signal crayfish individuals, water and sediment samples, along this species' invasion range in the Korana River, Croatia. Using 16S and ITS rRNA amplicon sequencing, we examined the microbiomes of different crayfish tissues (exoskeleton, hemolymph, hepatopancreas, intestine), and environment (water, sediment). We investigated the differences in these microbiomes between two different microenvironments in the Korana River, i.e. upstream and downstream river segments. Our results showed significant differences between all crayfish and environmental microbiomes, confirming their uniqueness. Generally, the environmental microbiomes, and the crayfish exoskeletal microbiome (which is in continuous contact with the environment), exhibited higher taxonomic richness than the microbiomes of internal crayfish tissues. The exoskeletal and hemolymph microbiomes differed between two river segments, indicating that they are at least partly shaped by the environment. Our results provide insight into the microbiome of a successful crayfish invader and report its changes during dispersal through different microenvironments.

Freshwater ecosystems are impacted by complex chemical mixtures from multiple sources, including wastewater effluents. Additionally, climate change causes changes in, e.g., water temperatures due to long-term shifts in global weather. Freshwater biodiversity is particularly sensitive to such stressors. Moreover, stressors often interact, resulting in additive or interactive effects that are difficult to study and understand in terms of their impacts. Studies of the multiplicative effects of climate change, e.g., changing water temperatures, and chemical pollutants on freshwater biodiversity and their consequences are limited. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of wastewater effluent and increased water temperature on model freshwater communities. A mesocosm experiment was conducted using a simplified freshwater food web containing non-vascular macrophytes (moss) and aquatic macroinvertebrates that feed as shredders and grazers. Samples were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment, whereas emerging animals were collected daily. Analyses such as total lipid content, metabolome and lipidome profiling were performed to evaluate the response of non-model aquatic macroinvertebrates to selected stressors at the molecular level. Our results demonstrate a species-specific response to selected stressors and their combination, as well as different modes of action of multiple stressors. Our study highlights the variability in the effects of both individual and multiple stressors on different traits and life stages of various macroinvertebrates in model communities.

Aspidogaster conchicola von Baer, 1826 is a common and widely distributed parasite of freshwater molluscs in the temperate zones of the Nearctic and Palearctic. Nevertheless, knowledge about its distribution and hosts in Croatia is still insufficient. Therefore, the aim of our research was to investigate the presence of A. conchicola in the freshwater mussel Unio pictorum (Linnaeus, 1758). This species from the family Unionidae is widely distributed in the rivers of Europe and Russia. The study was conducted in the Mrežnica River, where U. pictorum is a common species. Five specimens of U. pictorum were collected by scuba diving in October 2021. The dissection of mussels was carried out in the laboratory, and all tissues were inspected under a stereo microscope. Determination of the parasite was performed based on the number and arrangement of alveoli. The results showed that the prevalence of infection was 40 % (two out of five mussels were infected), and the intensity of infestation was 2 - 3 specimens/mollusc, which is higher than the values known so far. All parasites were detected in the mussels’ pericardial cavity. In conclusion, this is the first record of A. conchicola in U. pictorum in the Mrežnica River, and the first finding in this mussel species in Croatia. Further investigation is needed to elucidate its distribution among other hosts.

Besides estimating metal exposure in the dynamic river medium, risk assessment usually involves biological responses of aquatic organisms, that reflect long-term changes in the environment. Therefore, the impact of industrial and municipal effluents in the Krka River was estimated in the spring of 2021 by measuring (ICP-MS) Cd, Cu, Zn, Tl, Mn, Fe, Mo, As, Cs, Rb, K, Mg, Na, and Ca concentrations in the intestines of native fish species, brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758), from the Krka River source (reference site, KRS), downstream from the wastewaters (KRK) and in the Krka National Park, Brljan Lake (KBL). In addition, the multi- biomarker approach included measurement (spectrophotometry) of biomarkers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, MDA) and antioxidant capacity (total glutathione, GSH ; catalase activity, CAT). Macroelements did not show statistically significant spatial differences, while elements such as Cu, Mn, and Zn were the highest in KRK, suggesting wastewater influence, which was confirmed by element concentrations in water, especially of those used in industry. Exceptions, although not always significant, were the highest concentrations of Mo in fish from KBL and of Cd, Cs, Tl, and Rb in fish from KRS. Significantly higher MDA concentrations in fish from KBL and KRK compared to the reference site pointed to oxidative stress, which was confirmed by the need of enhanced levels of both antioxidants (GSH and CAT) at these two sites. Evident effects on the biota, even in the national park, indicated potential risks to the protected area and emphasized the need for continuous and rigorous monitoring.