We provide the first commented checklist of Armenian mayflies, based on all relevant literature and recent extensive sampling of 72 localities throughout Armenia during 2011, 2014, and 2015. Altogether 46 species are listed, eight of them reported from Armenia for the first time. One new species, Ecdyonurus (Ecdyonurus) eurycephalus sp. nov. is described (larva and male imago) based on morphological and molecular (COI) data. The species is characterized by a unique head shape in male imago and by the presence of tracheal filaments on gill plate VII in the larval stage.

The list of all known locality and host records from the literature on louse flies from Slovakia are summarized, with the addition of new collection data. New locality data are provided for five species. Three species are added to the Slovakian list:Icostaminor(Bigot in Thomson, 1858), which was erroneously cited for Moravia instead of Slovakia in the previous checklist, andOrnithophilametallica(Schiner, 1864) andOrnithomyachloropus(Bergroth, 1901), which were overlooked from the last checklist. As a result, the louse fly fauna of Slovakia increases to 19 species: 12 autochtonous species and seven rare, non-native species only occasionally imported to Slovakia or migrating to the country with their hosts. This is by far the largest regional fauna of Hippoboscidae in Central Europe, and matches the richest southern European faunas. In total, 78 host-parasite associations concerning 46 bird-host species from eight orders and nine species of mammals, including humans, have been found from a literature review in Slovakia. Two host-parasite associations are reported from Slovakia for the first time:Ornithomyaavicularia(Linnaeus, 1758) onPrunellamodularis(Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Prunellidae) andLipoptenafortisetosaMaa, 1965 onHomosapiensLinnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Hominidae).

The available keys for European Hippoboscidae are outdated and do not cover all species currently known from Europe. Therefore, identification keys to the eleven genera and 31 species of the European hippoboscids are provided here.Ornithomya comosa(Austen, 1930) (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) is recorded for the first time from the territory of Slovakia based on one female found on a sand martin,Riparia riparia(Linnaeus, 1758). The list of keds and louse flies recorded from the territory of Slovakia is increased to 20 species. New host records for Slovakia are presented.

» Articles | Agricultural Journals

Urbanisation is widely considered as having a large impact on most native species. However, the species response to urbanisation varies among taxonomic groups, and its generalisation might lead to contradictory or incorrect management decisions in urban planning. Land snails, as an understudied group in this sense, are good subjects to study the impact of urbanisation due to their low dispersal capabilities and mobility. The study aimed to determine how land snail diversity patterns and community structure are influenced by urbanisation through an urban-to-rural gradient. A total of 59 terrestrial gastropod species and more than 4600 individuals were recorded at 24 alluvial sites distributed along an urban-to-rural gradient in three Slovak cities (Bratislava, Zvolen and Prešov). Most species belonged to euryecious, hygrophilous and forest specialist ecological groups; seven species were non-native to Slovakia. The results clearly highlight the negative effect of densely built areas on land snail community structure, since the proportion of indigenous and specialist species decreased progressively towards urban sites. The highest mean number of species was found in suburban zones and the lowest in urban zones, suggesting that most species favour intermediate levels of urbanisation. Some species (e.g. Arion vulgaris) were evenly distributed along the urbanisation gradient, supporting the importance of river floodplains as bio-corridors for the dispersal of gastropods.

A new species, Epeorus (Caucasiron) hyrcanicussp. nov., is described based on larval morphology and molecular data (COI) containing sequences from all Caucasian Caucasiron species described to date. The species is distributed in the Hyrcanian forest of southeastern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. Based on our wide-range sampling, the new species is likely endemic to this area. The most pronounced larval morphological diagnostic characters are the coloration pattern of abdominal sterna (a pair of oblique stripes and stripe-like medio-lateral maculae) and terga (triangular medial maculae), poorly developed projection of the costal margin of gill plates III, presence of hair-like setae on the surface of abdominal terga, and relatively wide shape of gill plates VII (in natural position from ventral view). The diagnostic characters are compared to related species, and primary information to habitat is provided.