ably are monophyletic. Most traditional ''phyla'' are ( monophyletic, except for Porifera, Cnidaria excluding ) Myxozoa , Platyhelminthes, Brachiopoda, and Rotifera. Three ''hot'' regions of the tree remain quite unresolved: basal Epitheliozoa, basal Triploblastica, and basal Neotriploblastica. A new phylogenetic classification of the Metazoa including 35 formally recognized ( phyla Silicispongea, and Annel-) ( ida and few incertae sedis groups e.g. Myzostomida ) and Lobatocerebromorpha is proposed.

Aim To assess whether altitude changes in the distribution of butterflies during the second half of the 20th century are consistent with climate warming scenarios. Location The Czech Republic. Methods Distributional data were taken from a recent butterfly distribution atlas, which maps all Czech butterflies using a grid of 10′ longitude to 6′ latitude, equivalent to about 11.1 × 12 km. Cell altitude was used as an independent variable, and altitudinal ranges of individual species (less migrants, extinct species, recent arrivals and extremely rare species) in 1950–80 vs. 1995–2001 and in 1950–80, 1981–94, 1995–2001 were compared using U‐tests and linear regressions. Results Of 117 (U‐tests) and 119 (regressions) species, we found significant uphill increases in 15 and 12 species, respectively. The two groups were nested; none (U‐test) and one (regression) species showed a significant altitudinal decrease. Binomial tests of frequencies of signs of the U‐tests and regression coefficients, including nonsignificant ones, also showed that the increases prevailed. The mean and median of the significant shifts were 60 and 90 m, respectively, and the maximum shift per species was 148 m. The recording effort in individual time periods was not biased with respect to altitude. Main conclusion Altitude shifts in the distribution of Czech butterflies are already detectable on the coarse scales of standard distribution maps. The increasing species do not show any consistent pattern in habitat affiliations, conservation status and mountain vs. nonmountain distribution, which renders climatic explanation as the most likely cause of the distributional shifts.

The large‐scale decline of traditionally managed early‐successional habitats caused by the joint effects of agricultural intensification and abandonment of marginal lands has resulted in a continent‐wide decline of xerophilous butterflies throughout Europe. The question is whether newly generated early‐successional sites of industrial origin may partially compensate for this habitat loss. We studied the butterfly assemblages of 21 limestone quarries in the region of Moravia, Czech Republic, within an important corridor of latitudinal faunal migrations, the Moravian Gate. Comparison of species abundances in the quarries with their regional distribution allowed us to delimit a group of species, predominately xerophilous and sedentary, for which the quarries serve as refuges. Total species richness, number of species in the group, and numbers of xerophilous and sedentary species increased toward the south and were high in young and actively operating quarries and in quarries that adjoined warm “steppe” grasslands. Canonical correspondence analyses suggested that habitats within the quarries and adjoining habitats explained much higher proportions of variance than either latitude or the variables related to quarrying. However, the positive effects of southern position and active quarrying were highly significant. Both xerophilous species of the earliest‐succession barrens and of later‐succession scrub inhabited the quarries, owing to the inherent heterogeneity of such sites. It follows that quarrying does not harm the priority butterflies and may be regarded as a method of habitat creation, provided that ( 1 ) the operators support habitat heterogeneity within the quarries, ( 2 ) xerophilous sites in the vicinity are preserved and adequately managed, and ( 3 ) other phenomena of conservation importance are not adversely affected.

Abstract. The Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) has declined across Europe, including the Czech Republic. Current conservation strategies rely on prevention of habitat loss and degradation, and increase in habitat quality and connectivity via promoting traditional grassland management. The population structure and adult demography parameters of a single population was investigated for eight years (single system), and of all the known Czech populations (multiple populations) for a single year, using mark-recapture. There was substantial variation in the patterns of adult demography, both among years in the single system and among the multiple populations in a single year. In the single system, the date of the first flight of an adult varied by 18 days over the 8 years and total annual numbers varied with a coefficient of variation of 0.40 (females fluctuating more than males). The average density was ca 80 adults/ha. The population size displayed density-dependence, i.e. decreased following years with high adult numbers, with an equilibrium density of 90 individuals/ha. The average density of the multiple populations was ca 120 individuals/ha. The estimated total population for the Czech Republic was 25,000 individuals (17,000 males / 8,000 females) in 2007, which does not indicate an imminent threat of extinction. The regional persistence of E. aurinia is likely to depend on recolonisation of temporarily vacant sites by dispersing individuals, facilitated by local shifts in adult flight phenology to that better adapted to local conditions.

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