Kaloyan Ivanov

Virginia Museum of Natural History · Recent Invertebrates

We present the first comprehensive list of the terrestrial isopods of Virginia based on published records, museum collections, review of online databases, and original collecting. Currently, 26 species and subspecies of terrestrial isopods are reliably reported from Virginia including 11 native and 15 exotic taxa. Ten new state records are presente...

Subterranean traps selectively target taxa living and foraging several inches to several feet below the soil surface. They have been increasingly used to collect soil-dwelling invertebrates in tropical and subtropical areas, however, studies from the Nearctic region are largely lacking. We utilized two subterranean trap designs, slotted pipe traps...

Skeletal injuries, especially broken bones, diminish physical mobility of animals, and they may affect an individual's ability to obtain food and to evade predators. We quantified and compared healed fractures in two sympatric species of tree squirrels (Sciurus niger Linnaeus, 1758 and S. carolinensis Gmelin, 1788) that differ in body size (mass) a...

Apheloria whiteheadi (Shelley, 1986), the Laurel Creek millipede, a state-listed threatened species for Virginia, was previously known only from a narrow stretch surrounding the type locality in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. Here we present the discovery of a second A. whiteheadi population from Virginia's inner Piedmont, appro...

The purpose of this field note is to provide an account of the prey taxa found in the stomach of a single G. carolinensis found dead at Big Woods WMA in the Coastal Plain of Virginia.

Subterranean arthropods are important components of soils and contribute essential food-web functions and other ecosystem services, however, their diversity and community composition has scarcely been assessed. Subterranean pitfall traps are a commonly used method for sampling soil habitats in Europe but have never been widely implemented in the Am...

A new troglobitic species of Chelodesmidae, Cayenniola albaserrata n. sp., from the Água Clara cave system, Caatinga Domain, Bahia, Brazil is described. The new species is only the sixth known troglobitic chelodesmid, the first troglobitic species in the Priodesmini, and the first member of the tribe recorded from the state of Bahia. Unique among t...

A new genus, Tupadesmus (Polydesmida, Chelodesmidae), and a new species, T. muyrakyta (type species for the genus) are herein described from the Amazon rainforest of northern Brazil. Tupadesmus pugiunculus (Schubart, 1946), new combination, is placed in the new genus. We compared the new genus with other Chelodesminae taxa, in particular with Eucam...

We present the first comprehensive list of the terrestrial isopods of Virginia based on published records, museum collections, review of online databases, and original collecting. Currently, 29 species and subspecies of terrestrial isopods from 20 genera and 12 families are reliably reported from Virginia including 10 native and 19 exotic taxa. Ten...

Somatic characters are shared by many Chelodesmidae groups, and generic placement and species identifications traditionally have been based on gonopodal morphology. Female genitalic characters have been largely neglected and are rarely photographed or illustrated. This is rather unfortunate as the morphology of female genitalia presents important c...

We provide updated distributions and new records (Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804 and Porcellionides floria Garthwaite & Sassaman, 1985) of terrestrial isopods from Virginia. In addition, the first Virginia specimens (literature records with no locality data) of Halophiloscia couchii (Kinahan, 1858) recently became available due Nathan's collectin...

Two new endemic species of Anaulacodesmus Attems, 1898, a genus of millipede native to Chile, are described. Anaulacodesmus panterae sp. nov. and Anaulacodesmus picassovallebuonai sp. nov. were discovered in fragments of Valdivian temperate forest in southern Chile. These species can be separated from the rest of the congeners based on their larger...

The red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta (Buren), is a notorious, invasive species with broad impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human health. While incidental reports to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) indicate a recent range expansion in Virginia, the full extent of RIFA spread in the area is cu...

The chelodesmid genus Dibolostethus Hoffman, 2009, the sole member of the tribe Dibolostethini, is reviewed. The genus contains the type species D. sicarius Hoffman, 2009 known only from the Los Rios Province, Ecuador, and two new species from the Tropical Andes, D. inopinatus Means, Bouzan & Ivanov sp. nov. from the Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuad...

Millipedes are well-known for their limited dispersal abilities with species restricted to mountains, islands, and patches of forest being important models for formulating and testing biogeographic hypotheses. The order Spirostreptida is composed of nearly 1300 species distributed across the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. The orde...

Chelodesmidae is one of the most species rich families within the Myriapoda. However, little is known regarding their association with caves. We provide a list of all Chelodesmidae taxa reported from caves, map their worldwide distribution, and discuss the troglomorphic features of the group. A total of 25 species and subspecies from 20 genera and...

This study concerns the millipede genus Leptherpum Attems, 1931, which contains nine valid species distributed across the Amazonian rainforest of northeastern South America. The type species L. carinovatum (Attems, 1898) is reexamined based on the type material and high-resolution photographs, including the first scanning electron micrographs of th...

Millipedes are well-known for their limited dispersal abilities with species restricted to mountains, islands, and patches of forest being important models for formulating and testing biogeographic hypotheses. The order Spirostreptida is composed of nearly 1,300 species distributed across the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. The ord...

Subterranean traps selectively target taxa living and foraging several inches to several feet below the soil surface. They have been increasingly used to collect soil-dwelling invertebrates in tropical and subtropical areas, however, studies from the Nearctic region are largely lacking. We utilized two subterranean trap designs, slotted pipe traps...

We report the first known occurrences of adult Panorpa helena Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) and Rivellia steyskali Namba (Diptera: Platystomatidae) at vertebrate carrion based on recent observations made in Ohio and North Carolina, USA.

The purpose of this field note is to provide an account of the prey taxa found in the stomach of a single Anaxyrus quercicus from the Coastal Plain of Virginia near the northern edge of this species’ known distribution.

We report the first definitive records of Lipoptena mazamae Róndani, a hematophagous ectoparasite of cervids, from the Piedmont of Virginia based on recently collected specimens. The collection localities in Henry and Pittsylvania counties represent the northernmost known occurrence of this species in eastern North America.

I update the last published list of Ohio ants to include 26 new species records and 38 name changes in species already on the list based on literature records, institutional collections, and contemporary collections made by the author or colleagues. At present, 143 species and morphospecies representing 30 native and 5 exotic genera and 7 subfamili...

Due to Virginia’s geographic location, topographic variability, and diversity of physiographic provinces, the state ranks as one of the most biodiverse areas in the US. Virginia’s myrmecofauna, however, has been insufficiently studied and is not well known. Here we present the first comprehensive list of the ants of Virginia and provide county-leve...

In 2005, Coovert summarized all previously known information and published the first comprehensive list of the ants of Ohio • In the following thirteen years, a considerable amount of information has become available as a result of survey work, as well as recent taxonomic descriptions and revisions • Here I update Ohio's list to accommodate 23 addi...

Latest update to Virginia's ant list.

Evania appendigaster (L.), an egg predator of household cockroaches, is newly recorded for the fauna of Virginia based on an 80-year-old specimen at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. With the inclusion of this species all seven eastern evaniid taxa are now known to occur in the state. This finding is further evidence for the value of research...

The worldwide transfer of plants and animals outside their native ranges is an ever increasing problem for global biodiversity. Ants are no exception and many species have been transported to new locations often with profound negative impacts on local biota. The current study is based on data gathered since the publication of the “Ants of Ohio” in...

This is a working list of the ants of Virginia.

Numerous authors have studied the diet of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and have described this species as a generalist predator of invertebrates. In most studies, prey taxa are identified to the family or order level. Additionally, few studies have directly assessed dietary preference by comparing diet to available prey. W...

This is a working (unpublished) list of the ant species currently known to occur in the state of Virginia. The list is primarily based on literature records and museum specimens. It is my intent to periodically update the list to accommodate any new findings

I revisit the list of Ohio ants for the first time since the publication of the “Ants of Ohio” in 2005, based on literature records, museum collections, and new sampling events across the state. I update the list to accommodate 16 additional species and several name changes to taxa already on the list. Currently a total of 133 ant species, includin...

The worldwide transfer of plants and animals outside their native ranges is an ever increasing problem for global biodiversity. Ants are no exception and many species have been transported to new locations with often profound negative impacts on local biota. The current study is based on new, mostly qualitative, records and observations gathered si...

In 2005, the non-native Nylanderia flavipes was first recorded from Ohio. Here, we present the results of a baseline study designed to assess the status of this exotic species in northeastern Ohio and to explore its potential impacts on local ant communities and the extent to which it has been incorporated into the diet of a native predator, the re...

Garlic mustard, an invasive shade-tolerant species introduced to North America from Eurasia in the late 1860s, now is widely distributed throughout the US and Canada. The presence of garlic mustard results in displacement of understory species and subsequent decline in native plant diversity. By displacing native plants, garlic mustard can affect r...

In 2005, the non-native Nylanderia flavipes was first discovered in the state of Ohio. Here we report the results of a study designed to evaluate the impacts of that species on local ant diversity and community composition. The most drastic change we found was a 6-fold increase in total ant abundance, with over 87% of all ants collected belonging t...

The effects of forest edge on ant species richness and community composition were examined within an urbanized area of northeast Ohio. The ground-dwelling ant fauna was inventoried in three deciduous forest fragments that have resulted from human disturbance. We surveyed ants via leaf-litter extraction along 150m transects positioned perpendicular...

Winkler litter extraction is a commonly used collecting technique for sampling arthropods from leaf litter in forested areas. We evaluated the efficiency of the Winkler method for extracting ants from temperate-forest litter for a typical extraction period of 72 h. The Winkler extraction was followed by hand-sorting sufficient to assure that no ant...

The temperate eastern Asian formicine ant, Paratrechina flavipes (Smith), is reported for the first time from Ohio. The collection locality (41°29′32″N, 81°35′34″W) in the Doan Brook Watershed of the Greater Cleveland area is the westernmost known occurrence of this ant in the continental United States.

Winkler litter extraction is a commonly used collecting technique for sampling arthropods from leaf litter in forested areas. We evaluated the efficiency of the Winkler method for extracting ants from temperate-forest litter for a typical extraction period of 72 h. The Winkler extraction was followed by hand-sorting sufficient to assure that no ant...

The sampling efficiency of pitfall traps and Winkler litter extraction in northern deciduous forests was compared using ants. Both techniques are among the most common methods used to measure the diversity of organisms active on the forest floor. During 2005-2006, 90 Winkler and 180 pitfall trap samples from urban forest fragments in northeastern O...

The effects of forest edge on ant richness and community structure was examined within an urbanized area of northeast Ohio. Leaf litter ant faunas were inventoried in three deciduous forest fragments that have resulted from human disturbance. Each differed in their size and proximity to the urban core. Within each fragment surveys involved leaf lit...

The temperate eastern Asian formicine ant, Paratrechina flavipes (Smith), is reported for the first time from Ohio. The collection locality (41°29'32''N, 81°35'34''W) in the Doan Brook Watershed of the Greater Cleveland area is the westernmost known occurrence of this ant in the continental United States.

The ant Myrmica semiparasitica was described recently upon only two different samples (Francoeur 2007). One included males and alate gynes recovered from Myrmica species swarms on top of mount Rigaud, Québec (Leprince and Francoeur 1986). The other includes ergates of M. punctiventris and M. semiparasitica extracted in 1982 by S.P. Cover (MCZ, Harv...

Seven xylophagous insect species were established in stems and branches of Salix caprea L. during the period 1998–2003 in Bulgaria: Agrilus lineola lineola Redtenbacher (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Aromia moschata (Linnaeus), Oberea oculata (Linnaeus), Saperda populnea (Linnaeus), Saperda similis Laicharting (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Synanthedon fo...

The complex of insect inhabitants of old larval galleries of Saperda populnea (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was studied during the period 2000–2003 in 18 localities in Bulgaria. As a result, 32 insect species were reared from old S. populnea galls: Metopoplax origani (Kolenati) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), Malachius sp. (Coleoptera: Malachiidae), Ag...

The parasitoid complex of Saperda populnea (L.) (Col., Cerambycidae) was studied during the period 2002–2003 at different sites in Bulgaria. Galls containing cerambycid larvae were collected on branches of aspen (Populus tremula L.), goat willow (Salix caprea L.) and hybrid poplars and were studied under laboratory conditions. As a result, four new...

Hybrizon buccatus (de Brébisson, 1825) is reported for the first time from Montenegro.

The ichneumon flies of subfamilies Acaenitinae, Anomaloninae, Collyriinae, Cremastinae, Lycorininae, Ophioninae, Orthopelmatinae, Pimplinae, Poemeniinae and Xoridinae in the Razgradski heights are the subject of the present research. As a result 38 genera and 56 species were established. All genera and species are new to the region, and one - Polys...

The present paper provides an annotated list of the Hymenoptera reported from Kresna Gorge. As a result of 75 years of Hymenoptera research in the area, 136 species from 19 families are eastablished. The species Epyris marshalli Kieffer, Isobrachium nigricorne (Ness), and Passaloecus vandeli Ribaut are new to the Balkan Peninsula's hymenopteran fau...