Volume 60 (2011): Issue 2 (January 2011)

A total of 317 species of Mycetophilidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2011 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the authors. A new species of Mycetophila Meigen, M. gemerensis sp. n., is described and additional 47 species are recorded as new to Slovakia. A new synonym is proposed: Mycetophila quadra Lundström, 1909 = M. chamberlini (Laffoon, 1957) syn. n.

The Adenostylion alliariae alliance (Mulgedio-Aconitetea class) comprises plant communities which grow optimally in the subalpine zone of the European mountain ranges. The flora of these communities consists of more than four hundred taxa of vascular plants. Some of the diagnostic species are valuable and rare, either in the Carpathians as a whole or in the countries in which the Carpathians lie. In the flora of the plant communities studied, five taxa are indexed in the Polish Red Book of Endangered Plant Species, thirteen taxa are endemic to the Carpathians, and fourteen represent the eastern biogeographical element in the Polish flora. Two taxa are listed in the Annex II of the Habitats Directive.

Distributional data for 22 rare bryophytes from Silesia Province are provided. The most interesting plants include Acaulon muticum (Hedw.) Müll. Hall., Helodium blandowii (F. Weber & D. Mohr) Warnst., Hygroamblystegium tenax (Hedw.) Jenn. and Orthotrichum patens Brid.

The paper contains a list of 38 lichen species collected on tree fall disturbances (pit-mound-root plate complexes) in the Polish part of the Karkonosze Mts. Seven of these species are threatened in Poland: Arthrorhaphis grisea, Bacidina arnoldiana, Cladonia bellidiflora, Lichenomphalina umbelifera, Porpidia cinereoatra, Psilolechia clavulifera, Trapeliopsis gelatinosa, and two are protected by Polish law: Parmeliopsis ambigua and Pseudevernia furfuracea. Root plates with uprooting pits and mounds create conditions for the development of lichens characterized by very different habitat requirements (photolichens, hygrolichens, skiolichens). Presence of these microhabitats in the forest communities is important for preserving diversity of lichens. Among pit-mound-root plate complex the best conditions for the development of lichen biota are on the root plates. Tree fall disturbances are important microhabitats for pioneer crustose lichens.

Three species of the family Anthomyzidae, viz. Amygdalops thomasseti Lamb, 1914, Anagnota coccinea Roháček & Freidberg, 1993 and Typhamyza bifasciata (Wood, 1911) and one species of Stenomicridae (Diptera), viz. Stenomicra cogani Irwin, 1982 are recorded from southern Turkey (Antalya province). All but Anagnota coccinea represent new faunal additions to this country and S. cogani (first member of Stenomicridae in Turkey) a new finding in Asia and easternmost known record. New and/or additional biological information with photographs of habitat are provided on these species and their distributions are reviewed.

The sword lily (Gladiolus imbricatus L.) is an endangered species belonging to plant communities of wet meadows. Such meadows decreased in area in central Europe during the second half of the 20th century, and unsuitable biotope management has led to recent decreases in sword lily abundance. The conservation of geophytes (i.e. perennial plants with underground storage organ) like the sword lily requires knowledge of their essential environmental factors and population dynamics. Five populations of the sword lily were assessed at sites near Frenštát pod Radhoštěm (the Czech Republic). From 2008-2010 all individuals (generative, vegetative, juvenile) were counted, biometric data was measured (leaves, flowers, fruits number, and stalk height), a transient matrix was created, and vegetation (relevés) evaluated.

The number of all individuals in generative, vegetative and juvenile stage at these sites underwent year-to-year variability. Nevertheless, the influence of management practices was documented, and was also slightly reflected in both biometric parameters and population abundance. The height, number of leaves and number of blossoms did not show clear temporal or site variability. High reproductive success in this gladiolus was found (61.8-77.8 %), yet seed recruitment is crucial for population stability. In contrast to orchids, each flowering individual had a high probability of flowering to the next season (40 %) and did not switch to the dormant or vegetative stage. About 50 % of individuals tended to stay in dormancy for two years. Unfortunately, the short observation period and inability to estimate the number of dormant individuals made it impossible to determine the length of dormancy, an accurate population structure, and long-term population responses to climate factors. Still, our results confirm the ecological linkage of gladiolus with a broad gradient of moisture, and their connection with mesic Arrhenatherum meadows and intermittently wet Molinia meadows. Long-term regular extensive management is essential for the persistence of populations at all study sites. Self-sowing tree species should be pruned away and herb vegetation cut down each season to provide safe sites for gladiolus seed recruitment.

Faunistic survey of beetles (Coleoptera) in Zástudánčí National Nature Reserve (Central Moravia) was performed in 2008. Various survey and trapping methods were used in order to record as many species of beetles. The survey recorded 857 species from 64 families. Faunistic data of 41 of them (Nosodendridae, Dermestidae, Anobidae, Cleridae, Melyridae, Sphindidae, Kateretidae, Nitidulidae, Monotomidae, Silvanidae, Cucujidae, Laemophloeidae, Phalacridae, Cryptophagidae, Erotylidae, Byturidae, Bothrideridae, Cerylonidae, Endomychidae, Coccinellidae, Zopheridae, Corylophidae, Latridiidae, Mycetophagidae, Ciidae, Tetratomidae, Melandryidae, Mordellidae, Tenebrionidae, Oedemeridae, Pyrochroidae, Salpingidae, Anthicidae, Scraptiidae, Cerambycidae, Orsodacnidae, Chrysomelidae, Anthribidae, Attelabidae, Apionidae, and Curculionidae) are presented. Presenting data represent 1394 specimens belonging to 401 species. Cucujus cinnaberinus (Cucujidae), species belonging to the NATURA 2000, was recorded.

Megamerina dolium (Fabricius, 1805), a usually infrequently collected medium-sized fly occurring in forested areas, is the sole known representative of Megamerinidae in Europe, currently recorded for twenty-one countries. In this article the species is reported for the first time in Portugal, and consequently the first time the family is recorded for this country as well. This record represents the westernmost limit of the distribution of this species.

Four species of Anisopodidae and two species of Dixidae are recorded from the Gemer region in central Slovakia. The material was obtained mainly in the years 2008-2011 by means of Malaise traps and by individual collecting by the author. One species, Sylvicola stackelbergi Krivosheina & Menzel, 1998, is recorded from Slovakia for the first time.

The epixylous moss Buxbaumia viridis (Moug. ex Lam. & DC.) Brid. ex Moug. & Nestl. is considered an endangered or vulnerable species in all countries in the Central Europe. In the Czech part of the Western Carpathians the species was recorded very occasionally in the twentieth century. In 2011 field monitoring of the species on historically known localities in Javorníky Mts. and the Vsetínské vrchy hills was carried out. As a result, six localities of B. viridis have been recorded in this region. Precise localization, number of and ecological data are given.