First Data on the Investigation of Gut Yeasts in Hermit Beetle (Osmoderma barnabita Motschulsky, 1845) Larvae in Lithuania.

In this study, yeasts from the gut of O. barnabita larvae were isolated and molecularly identified. It is worth noting that this research provides the first analysis of the gut yeast community in O. barnabita larvae in Lithuania, which is a significant contribution to the field. Two hermit-like L3-praepupa instars were collected from a decaying oak log in Lithuania. The isolation, morphology, biochemistry, and physiology of the yeast isolates were characterized using standards commonly employed in yeast taxonomy studies. The isolates were identified by sequencing the large subunit (26S) rDNA (D1/D2 domain of the LSU). All gut compartments were colonized by the yeast. A total of 45 yeast strains were obtained from the gut of both O. barnabita larvae, with 23 strains originating from Larva 1, 16 strains from Larva 2, and 6 strains from the galleries. According to our identification results of the 45 yeast strains, most of the species were related to Ascomycota, with most of them belonging to the Saccharomycetales order. Yeasts of the genera Candida, Debaryomyces, Meyerozyma, Priceomyces, Schwanniomyces, Spencermartinsiella, Trichomonascus, and Blastobotrys were present in gut of O. barnabita larvae. Species of the Trichosporonales order represented the Basidiomycota phylum.

The Patterns and Puzzles of Genetic Diversity of Endangered Freshwater Mussel Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788 Populations from Vistula and Neman Drainages (Eastern Central Europe).

Mussels of the family Unionidae are important components of freshwater ecosystems. Alarmingly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species identifies almost 200 unionid species as extinct, endangered, or threatened. Their decline is the result of human impact on freshwater habitats, and the decrease of host fish populations. The Thick Shelled River Mussel Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788 is one of the examples that has been reported to show a dramatic decline of populations. Hierarchical organization of riverine systems is supposed to reflect the genetic structure of populations inhabiting them. The main goal of this study was an assessment of the U. crassus genetic diversity in river ecosystems using hierarchical analysis. Different molecular markers, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ITS region, and mitochondrial DNA genes (cox1 and ndh1), were used to examine the distribution of U. crassus among-population genetic variation at multiple spatial scales (within rivers, among rivers within drainages, and between drainages of the Neman and Vistula rivers). We found high genetic structure between both drainages suggesting that in the case of the analyzed U. crassus populations we were dealing with at least two different genetic units. Only about 4% of the mtDNA variation was due to differences among populations within drainages. However, comparison of population differentiation within drainages for mtDNA also showed some genetic structure among populations within the Vistula drainage. Only one haplotype was shared among all Polish populations whereas the remainder were unique for each population despite the hydrological connection. Interestingly, some haplotypes were present in both drainages. In the case of U. crassus populations under study, the Mantel test revealed a relatively strong relationship between genetic and geographical distances. However, in detail, the pattern of genetic diversity seems to be much more complicated. Therefore, we suggest that the observed pattern of U. crassus genetic diversity distribution is shaped by both historical and current factors i.e. different routes of post glacial colonization and history of drainage systems, historical gene flow, and more recent habitat fragmentation due to anthropogenic factors.

A checklist of the centipedes (Chilopoda) of Lithuania.

Only 4 species of centipedes were previously reported for Lithuania. Here we present current distributional data for a total of 20 species (12 species of Lithobiomorpha and 8 species of Geophilomorpha) collected mainly during 7 years conducting ecological research at Curonian Spit, drawing on samples from the central, eastern and north-western parts of Lithuania.

Mustilia (Smerkata) zolotuhini, a new species (Lepidoptera: Endromidae) from China.

The genus Mustilia Walker subgenus Smerkata Zolotuhin 2007 was revised by Zolotuhin (2007) to include seven species from the South-Palearctic to Oriental regions: (Mustilia (Smerkata) phaeopera Hampson (type species), Mustilia (Smerkata) fusca Kishida, Mustilia (Smerkata) craptalis Zolotuhin, Mustilia (Smerkata) soosi Zolotuhin, Mustilia (Smerkata) brechlini Zolotuhin, Mustilia (Smerkata) tzarica Zolotuhin, and Mustilia (Smerkata) ulliae Zolotuhin. An unanticipated discovery of a new species from Sichuan Province, China adds an eighth species to this subgenus. 

Review of the Eospilarctia yuennanica group (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from the Indo - Himalayan region, with description of two new species and one subspecies.

Twonew Eospilarctia species and one new subspecies from China, Myanmar and Vietnam, respectively, are described. Superficially the new species Eospilarctia maciaisp. n., Eospilarctia naumannisp. n. and Eospilarctia yuennanica fansipanassp. n. resemble related congeners but they can be distinguished by the differences in wing pattern, genitalia and distribution provided. Eospilarctia yuennanica guangdonga Dubatolov, Kishida & Wang, 2008 is upgraded to species level. A checklist of the genus Eospilarctia and a key to the Eospilarctia yuennanica (Daniel, 1943) species-group, based on external characters and male genitalia, is presented.

Description of two new species of Cossidae (Lepidoptera) from China.

Two new Cossidaespecies from China's Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces are described. The new species Phragmataecia monikasp. n.and Patoptoformis rimsaitesp. n. superficially resemble related congeners but can be distinguished by differences in wing pattern, genitalia and distribution. Checklists of the genera Phragmataecia and Patoptoformis are presented.

Cossidae of the socotra archipelago (yemen).

The faunistic composition of the family Cossidae (Lepidoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago is revised. Five species are recognized, including two new species (Mormogystia brandstetteri and Meharia hackeri), and dubious identifications and records are discussed. Adults and genitalia are illustrated and bionomic details, DNA barcodes and a synonymic checklist for Socotran cossids are provided. A review of their distribution reveals that at least 80 percent of Socotra's cossids are unique to the archipelago, which is renowned for its endemism. A checklist listing all the species from generas Meharia, Mormogystia, Aethalopteryx, Azygophleps, as well as the synonymy and distribution is provided.