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Abstract:We addressed the species taxonomy of five-toed jerboas (Allactaga, subgenus Paralactaga) in the Middle East by applying molecular markers (cytochrome b and a partial 16S rRNA). The study consisted of 17 specimens from eight localities in the Middle East, representing both species: Allactaga euphratica and Allactaga williamsi. The phylogenetic reconstructions yielded three highly divergent lineages, which failed to conform to the recent taxonomy of Paralactaga. The first lineage (williamsi lineage) encompassed all the samples of A. williamsi from Turkey and Iran and also the specimens of A. euphratica from Lebanon. The haplotypes of A. euphratica were arranged into two lineages, which showed strong geographic associations. One lineage contained samples from Harran in Turkey and from Iran, while all the samples from Syria clustered in another lineage. The pairwise Kimura twoparameter values suggested similar divergences between the three lineages and were within the range reported for a sister species of rodents. Our results point to a cryptic species in A. euphratica and also provide evidence of the expanded range of A. williamsi further south to Lebanon.

Apodemus sylvaticus stankovici, described from the topographically rough landscape of the western Balkan glacial refugium, was recently proposed as being either a junior synonym of Apodemus flavicollis or a species on its own right. To untangle this taxonomic vagueness, we sequenced complete cytochrome b gene in 28 field mice collected at 12 locations in the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, western Macedonia and northern Greece. Samples yielded 27 new haplotypes which clustered into two distinct groups. One of these clades also included the reference haplotype of A. flavicollis, while another cluster emerged as being identical with the reference sample for A. sylvaticus. As is common in Apodemus, both species retrieved in our analysis were characterized by low levels of intraspecific variation (0.4-0.9%) as opposed to a high level of differentiation between them (8.0-10.0%); therefore, the taxonomic classification of our material was without doubt. We found no evidence regarding the presence of an additional cryptic species in the mountains of the western Balkans. The very similar values of genetic variability in the two species imply their common evolutionary history of a long-term coexistence in the western Balkan refugium.

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Mesotriton alpestris lacusnigri is regarded as being an extinct subspecies of the Alpine newt endemic to a small fishless alpine lake calledČrno jezero (Black Lake) in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. To re-assess its taxonomic position we sequenced fragments of two mitochondrial genes (309 bp of cytochrome b and 315 bp of 16S rRNA) of two museum specimens collected in 1953. Specimens of the ssp. lacusnigri yielded two new haplotypes which formed a monophyletic group within a cluster of other Slovenian and central European haplotypes of ssp. alpestis. The name lacusnigri is therefore merely a junior synonym of the nominotypical subspecies and should be removed from red data listing. Our study highlights the outstanding value of natural history collections as baselines for contemporary biodiversity assessments.Fish introductions in newt ponds are the major cause of declining intraspecific diversity in several European newts. These activities peaked over the last three decades and eradicated all local subspecies of the Alpine newt in southeastern Europe (Denoel, Dzukic and Kalezic, 2005). One among subspecies which was lost to fish stocking is Mesotriton alpestris lacusnigri (Seliškar and Pehani, 1935), reportedly endemic to a small fishless alpine lake calleď Crno jezero in the Julian Alps of Slovenia. This taxon attracted surprisingly little attention and its taxonomic position was never assessed following formal taxonomic recognition in the 1930s. Also noteworthy, the ssp. lacusnigri was not included in a recent comprehensive phylogeographic assessment of the Alpine newt based on molecular markers (Sotiropoulos et al., 2007); hence its taxonomic status and evolutionary relations with other taxa and phylogeographic lineages remain obscure. On the other hand, recent studies (Pabijan, Babik and Rafiński, 2005; Sotiropoulos et al.

Barjanski okarček se v Sloveniji edinstveno pojavlja tako na vlažnih (Ljubljansko barje z okolico) kot na suhih traviščih (slovenska Istra, Kras, Goriška brda). Med naravnimi nesrečami, ki ogrožajo njegove habitatne krpe, so požari in poplave. Njihovo pogostost pojavljanja v nekdanjih in obstoječih bivališčih barjanskega okarčka smo ugotavljali s χ2-testom. Pokazali smo, da so življenjska okolja na vlažnih traviščih požarno manj ogrožena kot na suhih traviščih. Med slednjimi so najbolj ogrožene habitatne krpe na Krasu in v slovenski Istri. Habitatne krpe barjanskega okarčka so poplavno ogrožene le v slovenski Istri in na Ljubljanskem barju. Glede na stopnjo požarne in poplavne ogroženosti ter razdrobljenosti življenjskih okolij barjanskega okarčka v Sloveniji domnevamo, da lahko tovrstne naravne nesreče povzročijo lokalno izumrtje vrste.

We studied a population of the regionally endangered marsh fritillary butterfl y Euphydryas aurinia inhabiting a system of loosely connected dry calcareous grasslands in sub-Mediterranean Slovenia. Our goal was to set the basis for a long-term monitoring of this butterfl y in four meadows using mark-release-recapture (MRR). We determined its demographic parameters, dispersal, behaviour and utilization of nectar plants in different quality patches. Total population size was estimated to be approximately 347 males (95% confi dence interval: 262-432) and 326 females (95% confi dence interval: 250-402), with an unbiased sex ratio. The average lifespans were 6.3 and 8.6 days, respectively. Daily population sizes followed a parabola with marked protandry. Both sexes were relatively highly mobile with both occasionally moving over half a kilometre. The spatial distribution of animals seemed to be associated with patch size, host plant densities and nectar sources, resulting in much higher population densities in the largest patch. Adult behaviour differed between the sexes, with females resting more and fl ying less than males. Behaviour also changed during daytime and with the progression of the season. Adults were confi rmed to be opportunistic feeders, since as many as ten nectar sources were detected. We conclude that demographic parameters differ greatly among regions and habitats, thus conservation aims should be planned accordingly. Although the population studied is apparently in good condition, there are threats that may hamper the long-term persistence of the species in this area: succession, intensifi cation of mowing and overgrazing.

Saproxylic beetles are a diverse and predominant functional group that depend on dead or dying wood. We studied a population of two saproxylic longhorn beetles Rosalia alpina and Morimus asper funereus in a system of 12 potentially suitable habitat patches in a forest reserve in Triglav National Park, Slovenia. For each species we determined demographic parameters, dispersal, and microhabitat preference. We marked 68 individuals of M. a. funereus, 27 individuals of R. alpina. The best-fitting MARK model for M. a. funereus suggested the presence of two groups with different capture probabilities, probably a larger group of non-territorial males and females with lower capture probability, and a smaller group (1–13% of the population) of territorial males with higher capture probability. The total population size was estimated to be about 208 individuals (95% confidence interval 118–462) of M. a. funereus. For R. alpina, estimation of population size was not possible due to scarce recaptures. We detected several short-distance movements (maximum 34 m) for M. a. funereus and rare but longer movements for R. alpina (maximum 457 m). A preference for dead (preferred by R. alpina) or decaying (preferred by M. a. funereus) beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) with large diameters was observed for both species. Implications for insect conservation: Forest reserves with negligible human impact and an abundance of old, intact trees are important for the successful life cycle of both species studied, even more so when both competing species occur together.