Anastrangalia reyi (Heyden, 1889) and Anastrangalia sequensi (Reitter, 1898) are morphologically similar species described in late of XIX century. The recent barcoding revealed that A. reyi is almost identical to another species, Anastrangalia dubia (Scopoli, 1763), by the sequence of nucleotides in cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI). Consequently, the taxonomic position of these species is unclear. We have conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of available data of COI sequences combined with a study of morphological characters of the male genitalia of A. reyi, A. sequensi and A. dubia. Based on 87 sequenced samples we built well-resolved phylogenetic maximum likelihood tree. We found the clades of A. dubia, A. reyi and A. sequensi to be closely related and arranged in the dense cluster. Despite this, numerous cases of introgressive hybridization of A. reyi and A. dubia were identified, indicating an inadequate reproductive barrier between them. The study of morphological features of male genitalia of A. reyi, A. sequensi and A. dubia shows minor differences between them. Based on these facts and the results of the phylogenetic analysis we propose to consider A. reyi and A. sequensi to be subspecies of A. dubia.
Agapanthiola leucaspis is a steppic the long horn beetle widely distributed from Pannonian Plane in Europe to Mongolian Plateau in Asia. A. leucaspis previously was known only from the Pontic Steppe Region in Ukraine, which includes both Crimea Peninsula and Ukrainian Mainland. Here we reported the first record of A. leucaspis in Western Ukraine. We assume that A. leucaspis expands its areal northward in the light of the current climatic changes. We analyzed global geographical range of A. leucaspis and estimated current borders of its areal. We also summarized data on A. leucaspis Bionomy including food plants, habitats and life circle.
Stenurella genus is represented by nine small-sized and widely distributed Palaearctic species. Representatives of the genus play a key role in the pollination of wild angiosperms, accelerate the detritus cycle and make a significant contribution to the forest food web. A number of species with heterogeneous morphological features found within the single Stenurella genus indicate the need for revision of the taxonomy this genus. The previous attempt to resolve the intrageneric composition of Stenurella was rather artificial because it did not take into an account evolutionary relationships. In this study we tested the existing model of Stenurella intrageneric subdivision using both morphological and molecular approaches. Our results showed that the genus Stenurella is polyphyletic and consists of two unrelated clades. The first clade comprises six species (S. jaegeri, S. novercalis, S. bifasciata, S. melanura, S. hybridula and S. approximans) and the second includes three species (S. septempunctata, S. vaucheri and S. nigra). Moreover, we found that the second clade is closely related to Rutpela due to both morphological and molecular phylogeny. Based on our findings, we revised the present structure of the genus Stenurella and transferred three species of the second clade to the genus Rutpela, sensu novo. The genus Rutpela was redescribed in the light of our results. Furthermore, we subdivided the genus Stenurella, sensu nov. into two subgenera, Stenurella, subgen. sensu nov. and Priscostenurella, subgen. sensu nov., respectively. Also, the genus Rutpela, sensu nov. was subdivided into four subgenera including Nigrostenurella, Rutpela, Eduardvivesia, subgen. nov. and Nigromacularia, subgen. nov. The assessment of the place of Stenurella, sensu novo and Rutpela, sensu novo within Lepturini based on molecular phylogeny, showed that Stenurella, sensu novo belongs to the Anoplodera-branch and Rutpela, sensu novo nested within the Leptura-branch. These together with morphological features confirmed our idea of the evolutionary distinctiveness of Stenurella, sensu novo and Rutpela, sensu novo. We assumed that the general external morphological similarity of Stenurella, sensu novo and Rutpela, sensu novo was the result of convergent evolution, driven by mimetic selection toward imitation of ants or wasps. Finally, our study establishes a natural phylogenetic taxonomy of Stenurella.
The fauna of the longhorn beetles of ecoregion of Kremenetski Hory and the eponymous National Park was studied very poorly. In the most recent catalogue of Cerambycidae of Western Podillya it was listed only 13 species for the ecoregion. Including other sources, to date, it was known 17 species of the longhorn beetles. In the current study we identified 59 species of the longhorn beetles, 42 of which are reported for the first time for National Park «Kremenetski Hory» and the ecoregion in general. Under our proposed prediction the Cerambycidae species richness should reach 100-120 species. We also presented result of quantitative study of the longhorn beetles within different types of ecosystems of National Park «Kremenetski Hory». We revealed that 10 species are the most abundant on the studied territory.
The study of the longhorn beetles fauna in Ukraine has been going on for two centuries. During this time, huge collections of materials have been accumulated. These enabled a comprehensive view of the fauna of the longhorn beetles in Ukraine to be formed. However, despite this, the first complete list of the longhorn beetles of the fauna of Ukraine was compiled by Zahajkevych only in the late twentieth century. He listed 275 species. Decades later, Bartenev supplemented Zahajkevych’s list with five more species, suggesting that there are 280 species in Ukraine. In 2009, Bartenev expanded his previous list to 284 species. Recently, however, the fauna of the longhorn beetles in Ukraine has been fluctuating due to climate change. The southern species are actively expanding their range to the north, and seven new species of longhorn beetles have been identified in Ukraine over the past decade. In addition, the new synonymy is also the reason for changes in the list of the longhorn beetles in Ukraine. In particular, from Bartenev’s latest list, I removed 14 synonymous species and 5 species that have never been registered in Ukraine. In total, the list of the longhorn beetles I have revised includes 279 species from 114 genera, 44 tribes and 6 subfamilies. One of them, Batocera lineolata Chevrolat, 1852, is not naturalized in Ukraine and is known from the only record of a female reared from wooden packaging materials. The degree of study of the longhorn beetle fauna of the physiographic regions of Ukraine is very uneven. The fauna of the western, northern, eastern and extreme southern regions of Ukraine is the most fully studied. At the same time, the fauna of the central regions of Ukraine is still very poorly known. Further research on the longhorn beetles in Ukraine should be conducted in two directions: 1) completing the lists for physiographic regions and 2) monitoring fauna changes under the influence of climate change.
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