In order to study regional faunas, one or two methods of studying Coleoptera are often used. However, a comparison of several ways of studying shows that it is more expedient to use more than one of them. Six different methods of catching Coleoptera used in studies of the biodiversity of regional faunas were compared. This research employed pitfall traps (PfT), beer traps (BT), freely hanging flight intercept traps or window traps (FWT), Malaise traps (MT), pan traps (PT), and sweep net (SN). The goal was to assess the effectiveness of these methods in evaluating the biodiversity of this insect group. Studies were conducted from 2011 to 2017 and 2019 to 2023 in the Ryazan region (the central part of European Russia). A total of 27,892 specimens of Coleoptera (927 species from 64 families) were collected. Specifically, 17,659 specimens were collected using PfT (396 species from 36 families), 4971 specimens using BT (146 species from 30 families), 1014 specimens using FWT (221 species from 51 families), 109 specimens using MT (43 species from 16 families), 2220 specimens using PT (357 species from 42 families), and 1919 specimens using SN (265 species from 32 families). The maximum number of families was observed with FWT, while the minimum number of families was registered with MT. Interestingly, the highest number of rare species from both protected lists was obtained using BT and PfT. The Margalef index was higher for Coleoptera collections using PT and PfT, while the largest Shannon index values were recorded for samples using SN and PT. The Berger–Parker index was the highest for catches using BT, which was characterized by the highest dominance of one or more species. In our study, four species of Coleoptera were found that are included in the protected lists of the Russian Federation and 14 species of Coleoptera were listed in the protected species of the Ryazan region. Considering the results of this study, the Coleoptera fauna of the Ryazan region currently accounts for 1674 species.

Epimetopidae are a small beetle family of the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, comprising 72 described species in three genera: the American Epimetopus Lacordaire, 1854 (56 species), Asian Eumetopus Balfour-Browne, 1949 (eight species) and African Eupotemus Ji & Jäch, 1998 (eight species, of which six are described as new here). In this study we illustrate and compare the adult morphology of all three genera and generate the first DNA sequences for Eumetopus and Eupotemus. The morphological data and sequences of four genes (cox1, 16S, 18S and 28S) are used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among genera. Both strongly support the monophyly of Epimetopidae, reveal Eumetopus as the earliest diverging taxon and Epimetopus + Eupotemus as a strongly supported clade with numerous synapomorphies. The reciprocal monophyly of Epimetopus and Eupotemus is strongly supported by DNA data but not in the morphological analysis which reveals Epimetopus paraphyletic. Eumetopus, despite being the earliest branching clade, is characterized by many unique derived structures, e.g. by the presence of the sperm pump in males (unique in Hydrophiloidea). The available data on the biology of Epimetopidae indicate that most species inhabit sandy to muddy margins of streams or rivers. Females of all three genera carry egg cases; Epimetopidae hence are one of three independent lineages of Hydrophiloidea in which this behavior evolved. Larvae are only known for Epimetopus and are characterized by morphological adaptations for feeding by piercing and sucking, a closed tracheal system and abdominal gills; larvae of Eumetopus and Eupotemus remain unknown and further research is needed to confirm whether they show the same adaptations as Epimetopus. The taxonomy of the African genus Eupotemus is re­vised, with six species described as new: E. bilobatus sp. nov. (Nigeria), E. cameroonensis sp. nov. (Cameroon), E. ophioglossus sp. nov. (Gabon, Togo), E. smithi sp. nov. (Côte d’Ivoire), E. taianus sp. nov. (Côte d’Ivoire) and E. uluguru sp. nov. (Tanzania). Eupotemus limicola Delève, 1967 is fixed as the type species of the genus according to ICZN (1999: Art. 70.3). New records of Eumetopus species are provided (E. acutimontis Ji & Jäch, 1998 from Vietnam, E. bullatus (Sharp, 1875) from India: Maharashtra, E. flavidulus (Sharp, 1890) from India: Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, E. maindroni (Régimbart, 1903) from India: Maharashtra and Gujarat, and E. weigeli Skale & Jäch, 2003 from India: Uttarakhand). The habitus of all species is illustrated. An updated checklist of the Epimetopus species is provided, and records of two specimens of the E. costatus group from Zambia and Saudi Arabia are considered to result from either accidental introductions or mislabelling.

Context: The first detection of A. planipennis in European Russia was in Moscow in 2003, when it began to spread. Aim: To determine the range of A. planipennis as of 2020. Methods: In 2017-2020, our Russian-Ukrainian research team examined >7000 F. pennsylvanica trees and >2500 F. excelsior trees in 84 localities of European Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Results: The current range exceeds the area of Spain and includes the Luhansk region of Ukraine and 16 regions of ER: Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Moscow, Orel, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula, Tver, Vladimir, Volgograd, Voronezh, and Yaroslavl. Agrilus planipennis was not detected in Belarus. The overwhelming majority of the infestations were found on F. pennsylvanica . All known cases of infestation of the native species ( F. excelsior ) are from artificial plantings. Conclusion: Agrilus planipennis will appear in other European countries soon and damage F. pennsylvanica. Further surveys are necessary to determine whether A. planipennis infests F. excelsior in forests.

(1) Background: The conservation of entomofauna in individual macroregions requires efforts to study the distribution and abundance of insects. For this purpose, databases are created that enumerate this information. Such databases, with the processing of significant factual material, make it possible to objectively assess the status of a species and, if necessary, take measures for its protection. The aim of the paper is to describe the modern Coleoptera fauna in nine regions of Russia on the basis of a recently published dataset. (2) Methods: We conducted our own studies in 1994, 1996, 1998–2003 and 2005–2022. The dataset also includes data from museum specimens from other years. We used a variety of methods, such as sifting through litter, searching under the bark of trees and stumps, trapping by light, soil traps, beer traps, window traps, etc. For each observation, the coordinates of the find, the number of individuals observed and the date were recorded. (3) Results: The dataset contains data on 1469 species and subspecies of Coleoptera from 85 families found in the Volga Region. In total, there are 31,433 samples and 9072 occurrences in the dataset. (4) Conclusions: The largest families in terms of species diversity are Curculionidae (202 species), Carabidae (145 species) and Chrysomelidae (142 species). There are 54 species of Coleoptera with a northern range boundary in the macroregion, two species with a southern range boundary and one species with an eastern range boundary. Twenty-one invasive Coleoptera species have been recorded in the macroregion.