Expertise in biodiversity research (taxonomy, faunistics, conservation with taxonomic background) appears to decline worldwide. While the “taxonomic impediment” is discussed extensively in the literature, much fewer papers focus on the identification crisis, i.e., the decreasing number of experts who can identify species, and the decline of species-based biodiversity research. As a test case to explore the gravity of the identification crisis, we chose Hungary, a Central European country with a strong history of comprehensive taxonomic expertise and research output. We set out to answer two main questions. (1) What proportion of the Hungarian fauna could currently be identified by Hungarian experts, and what factors determine which groups are covered; and (2) what are the trends of biodiversity research in Hungary, and what are the underlying reasons for these trends? We show that Hungary lacks active biodiversity experts for almost half of the nearly 36,000 animal species recorded in the country, and more than a quarter of the fauna have only one or two active experts available. We also show that faunistic research experienced a golden era between ca. 1990 and 2010. Since then, however, there has been a strong decline, with the number of active experts and published papers decreased to a level like that of the 1970s. Multiple factors are identified causing this trend, such as increased pressure to publish in high impact journals and increasing administrative duties of professional scientists. The next generation of biodiversity experts needs to be fluent in modern techniques and publication strategies but also maintain robust morphology-based knowledge to be equipped for identification tasks of difficult taxa. Despite being disadvantaged by exclusive application of citation-based evaluation, we do need more positions and focused grants for biodiversity researchers to maintain the country’s knowledge base and to avoid being increasingly dependent on—equally declining—foreign expertise.

Species of the click-beetle genus Agriotes Eschscholtz are economically important crop pests distributed mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. They can inflict considerable damage on various field crops. Therefore, the detection, monitoring, and control of Agriotes include the adult trapping using species-specific sex pheromones, which is a critical component of pest research. To obtain a better understanding of the detailed antennal morphology as background information for subsequent chemical ecology research, we conducted a scanning electron microscopy study of the antennal sensilla of both sexes in 10 European Agriotes species. We identified 16 different sensilla in Agriotes, belonging to six main types: sensilla chaetica (subtypes C1 and C2), sensilla trichodea, sensilla basiconica (subtypes B1–B9), dome-shaped sensilla (subtypes D1 and D2), sensilla campaniformia, and Böhm sensilla. We discuss their possible functions and compare the sensilla of Agriotes with those of other Elateridae in order to consolidate the sensillum nomenclature in this family. Additionally, our study reveals the remarkable interspecific variability in sensillar equipment of Agriotes and identifies several characters of potential importance for future use in systematic studies. The present study provides a strong preliminary framework for subsequent research on the antennal morphology of this crop pest on a wider scale.

One new genus (Roznerathous gen. n.) and 31 new species of Elateridae are described: Athous szalokii sp. n. (Georgia), Agriotes balikesirensis sp. n. (Turkey), Agriotes rozneri sp. n. (Syria), Agriotes sakaryaensis sp. n. (Turkey), Cardiophorus anatolicus sp. n. (Turkey), Cardiophorus aranyos sp. n. (Afghanistan), Cardiophorus burkus sp. n. (Afghanistan), Cardiophorus dicronychoides sp. n. (Afghanistan), Cardiophorus podlussanyi sp. n. (Turkey), Cardiophorus tenuis sp. n. (Armenia), Coptostethus attilai sp. n. (Spain: Canary Isl.), Coptostethus buci sp. n. (Spain: Canary Isl.), Coptostethus kundratai sp. n. (Spain: Canary Isl.), Craspedostethus ferrugineus sp. n. (Iran), Craspedostethus hirticollis sp. n. (Afghanistan), Dicronychus decoroides sp.n. (Iran), Dicronychus diluvii sp. n. (Turkey), Dicronychus fabiani sp. n. (Iran), Dicronychus gurjevae sp. n. (Afghanistan), Dicronychus ilniczkyi sp. n. (Oman), Dicronychus kandaharensis sp. n. (Afghanistan), Dicronychus karolyvigi sp. n. (Iran), Dicronychus podlussanyi sp. n. (Turkey), Dicronychus povolnyi sp. n. (Afghanistan), Dicronychus quadrimaculatus sp. n. (Afghanistan), Glyphonyx occidentalis sp. n. (Afghanistan), Hartenius marocanus sp. n. (Morocco), Hemicrepidius rahmei (Iran) sp. n., Idotarmonides gracilis sp. n. (Turkey), Roznerathous hellenicus sp. n. (Greece), Oedostethus pektusanicus sp. n. (North Korea). Dicronychus marginalis comb. n. and Dicronychus oxypterus comb. n. New distributional data for species of the genera Aeoloides, Agriotes, Ampedus, Cardiohypnus, Cardiophorus, Cidnopus, Craspedostethus, Dicronychus, Drasterius, Haterumelater, Heteroderes, Hypnoidus, Isidus, Limonius, Liotrichus, Melanotus, Pseudocrepidophorus and Zorochros are given. The females of Astanchus ussuriensis (Gurjeva, 1975); Cidnopus macedonicus Cate et Platia, 1989; Peripontius orchymonti Platia, 2008 and the male of Agriotes barkulensis Jagemann, 1942 were unknown at the time of their description, are figured. With 137 figures.

The Cypress jewel beetle, Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva festiva (Linnaeus, 1767), is a serious invasive pest of ornamental Cupressaceae, which has recently expanded its range from the Mediterranean region northwards to central and eastern Europe, and to the Russian Black Sea coast. In this study, we conducted a scanning electron microscopy study of the micromorphology of the male and female antennae of L. festiva to examine the morphology, numbers, distribution, and possible functions of antennal sensilla. Most sensilla are located in the sensory fields within the apical depressions on antennomeres IV–XI. We identified four main types of antennal sensilla in L. festiva: sensilla chaetica (seven subtypes, of which two occur only in females), sensilla basiconica (five subtypes), multiporous grooved pegs (two subtypes), and Böhm sensilla. Females have relatively more sensilla chaetica and multiporous grooved pegs, whereas males have more sensilla basiconica. We discuss possible functions of all examined sensilla and compare them with those in other Buprestidae or other insects. Our study should serve as background information for advanced electrophysiological and behavioral experiments to better understand the functions of different sensilla and mechanisms related to semiochemically based pest control strategies.

The species of genus Lacon Laporte, 1838 from the Levant are taxonomically revised. Currently, 18 species are known from the area covering the island of Cyprus and mainland from Hatay province of Turkey to Israel. Six species are described as new for science: Lacon mucheibensis sp. nov. (Israel), L. qatanensis sp. nov. (Syria), L. platiai sp. nov. (Jordan), L. safitensis sp. nov. (Syria), L. tafilensis sp. nov. (Jordan), and L. zenobiae sp. nov. (Lebanon, Syria). Lacon freidbergi Platia, 2010 is synonymized with L. lithophilus (Candèze, 1857), and L. kapleri Platia & Schimmel, 1994 with L. graecus (Candèze, 1857). Lacon drusus (Marseul, 1870) is recorded for the first time from Israel. Lacon lithophilus is recorded for the first time from Israel and Jordan. Lacon graecus is removed from the fauna of Levant, because all earlier reports of this species from Lebanon and Syria were based on misidentifications. Figures of habitus and main diagnostic features are provided for all species and an identification key to the Lacon species of the Levant is given.

A checklist of Elateridae of Lebanon is provided. Altogether, 54 species classified in 23 genera are listed, with 11 species reported from the country for the first time. Elathous agilis sp. nov. and Megathous tannourinensis sp. nov. are described, compared with congeners, and their main diagnostic characters are figured.