
Peter HuemerTiroler Landesmuseen Betriebsges.m.b.H. · Natural History
Peter Huemer
Mag.Dr.
Tiroler Landesmuseen Betriebsges.m.b.H,
Ass. Researcher
About
436
Publications
78,436
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
2,873
Citations
Introduction
Additional affiliations

Independent Researcher
Position
- Head of Department
Publications
Publications (436)
Aim
The integration of high‐quality field data with high‐resolution remote sensing data can give detailed insights into the spatial distribution of biodiversity and provide valuable information for biodiversity conservation at a scale relevant for management action. We developed a framework based on remote sensing data and field surveys for modelli...
Urbanisation is transforming environments globally. The altered abiotic conditions and biotic interactions in urban habitats inflict divergent selection pressures on urban versus rural populations. Genetic drift may simultaneously be significant in typically small urban populations. A key question in urban evolution is whether urban genotypes have...
As part of a comprehensive molecular inventory of Lepidoptera in Northern Cyprus, 8 species have been identified as new records for the island of Cyprus through genetic comparisons of DNA barcodes with reference sequences. The following species are formally reported for the first time in Europe: Coleophora bivittella Staudinger, 1879 (Coleophoridae...
Metabarcoding as a contribution to biodiversity survey (Insecta): faunistic results of a ma-
laise trap sampling (Kaunergrat Nature Park, Tyrol, Austria). – As part of a biodiversity survey,
arthropods (mainly flying insects) were sampled in the Kaunergrat Nature Park area from May 17 to
September 21, 2021, using a Malaise trap. Due to a lack of ex...
Metabarcoding as a contribution to biodiversity survey (Insecta): faunistic results of a malaise trap sampling (Kaunergrat Nature Park, Tyrol, Austria).-As part of a biodiversity survey, arthropods (mainly flying insects) were sampled in the Kaunergrat Nature Park area from May 17 to September 21, 2021, using a Malaise trap. Due to a lack of expert...
A supplementary survey of the moth and butterfly fauna in the Fenner Schlucht
(Margreid, South Tyrol, Italy) conducted in 2020 and 2021 has recorded 111 species
previously undetected in the area, expanding the current inventory to 635 species. The previously documented, regionally outstanding faunistic composition of the species inventory is furthe...
Metabarcoding as a contribution to biodiversity survey (Insecta): faunistic results of a malaise trap sampling (Kaunergrat Nature Park, Tyrol, Austria).- As part of a biodiversity survey, arthropods (mainly flying insects) were sampled in the Kaunergrat Nature Park area from May 17 to September 21, 2021, using a Malaise trap. Due to a lack of exper...
A privately initiated DNA-barcoding analysis identified 3 specimens of Caryocolum horoscopa (Meyrick, 1926) which had been caught in 2022 by light trapping in the Haslachtal (close to Würzburg, Bavaria). The species was also recorded in both following years, indicating that it may be locally well-established. The circumstances of this discovery, id...
The butterflies (Papilionoidea) and burnet moths (Zygaenidae) of Tyrol are being comprehensively monographed for the first time. Methodological foundations, habitats, and threat factors are thoroughly described. A comprehensive systematic section provides an overview of the involved families and details on the species. The species spectrum covered...
The fauna of Lepidoptera in the Mediterranean is still inadequately documented. As a result, even remotely complete DNA barcode libraries (mt. COI (cytochrome c oxidase 1) gene) are lacking in most areas. This proposed gap is being analyzed for the first time for the fauna of North Cyprus. In the initial phase, 248 morphospecies from 29 families (e...
Delimitation of allopatric populations into species remains subjective and largely arbitrary. Many cold-adapted species from the sub-Arctic and Central and Southern European Mountain systems provide excellent models to study allopatry problem due to their patchy distributions. The same concerns many Holarctic species, which frequently show varying...
Scrobipalpa chardonnayi Huemer & Özden, sp. nov. is described from the limestone mountains of northern Cyprus and considered as a possible island endemism. The new species shows closer phylogenetic relationships to S. vasconiella (Rössler, 1877) and some related species, but differs phenotypically and in male and female genitalia, as well as throug...
Elachista dimicatella Rebel, 1903, has so far been considered a species in Europe with restricted distribution from Ukraine to western France. The species occurs on mountainous regions. However, the in-depth analysis of a taxonomically uncertain species of Elachista from the Cottian Alps (Italy), especially through DNA barcoding and subsequent morp...
The genital morphology of the Lunakia alyssella (Klimesch, 1941) is redescribed. Additional details of both male and female genitalia are provided, supplemented with accompanying drawings. Anatomical evidence confirms that the genus Lunakia is distinct from the genus Eidophasia within the family Plutellidae. Males are characterized by long, curved...
New DNA sequencing confirms that Oxyptilus pravieli Bigot, Nel & Picard, 1989 is a bona species partially confused with Oxyptilus tristis sensu Nel & Huemer, 2023; moreover, Oxyptilus tristis sensu auct. (NEL & HUEMER, 2023) corresponds well to the real O. tristis (Zeller, 1841): a comparative iconography between the two taxa is
presented. Finally,...
Coleophora elea Baldizzone & Huemer, sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from the Peloponnese peninsula (Greece). This species is closely related to C. oriolella Zeller, 1849, but it differs in external appearance and in characters of the male and female genitalia. Additionally, the two species are genetically distinct as evidenced...
A new species of concealer moths (Oecophoridae), Denisia crypticasp. nov., is described from specimens collected in the south-western Alps (Italy, France). It differs from similar congeneric taxa of the Denisia stipella species-group by a combined pattern of colour and markings of the forewing upperside, the colour of the head, particularly the yel...
As a result of our study of cryptic diversity in the Anerastia lotella complex, a new species, Anerastia oleshkyella sp. nov. is described from Southern Ukraine based on genitalia characters and molecular data. Anerastia dignella P. Leraut, 2014 stat. nov. is raised to species rank and redescribed based on additional material from the Alps (Norther...
Eight species from France and Italy of the genus Apatema Walsingham, 1900 are examined, including tree
new taxa: A. confusella sp. n. (habitus, male and female genitalia, DNA barcode), A. albifasciella sp. n. (habitus, male
genitalia, DNA barcode) and A. trifasciella sp. n. (habitus, genitalia). Additionally, A. mediopallidum Walsingham,
1900 (habi...
As part of comprehensive surveys of the moth fauna (Lepidoptera excl. Papilionoidea) of the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, a total of 513 species from 48 families were recorded from May 2021 to November 2022. Of the ten most diverse families, Noctuidae encompass 100 species, followed by Geometridae (65 species), Tortricidae (53 species), Crambi...
Cedestis granadensissp. nov. is described from specimens taken in two localities in the Spanish province of Granada, in the highlands north of Puebla de Don Fadrique, and the mountains of Sierra de Huétor. The new species belongs to the genus Cedestis Zeller, 1839 in the family Yponomeutidae Stephens, 1829. It does not resemble any of the six other...
Many unique high-altitude mountain ecosystems have been declining due to climate change, posing a threat to flora and fauna that have adapted to these ecosystems. This study explores the evolution of high-altitude adaptations, focusing on female flightless-ness and diel activity, in geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Ennominae, Gnophini) within the Euro...
Situated in the Eastern section of the European Alps, Austria encompasses a great diversity of different habitat types, ranging from alpine to lowland Pannonian ecosystems, and a correspondingly high level of species diversity, some of which has been addressed in various DNA barcoding projects. Here, we report a DNA barcode library of all the 476 s...
The meaning of DNA barcoding is documented and discussed through faunistic surveys in Greece. Eight species of Lepidoptera are reported for Greece for the first time.
A supplementary survey of the moth and butterfly fauna in the Fenner Schlucht (Margreid, South Tyrol, Italy) conducted in 2020 and 2021 has recorded 111 species previously undetected in the area, expanding the current inventory to 635 species. The previously documented, regionally outstanding faunistic composition of the species inventory is furthe...
Notocelia mediterranea (Obraztsov, 1952) was until recently widely overlooked and combined with its sisterspecies, Notocelia incarnatana (Hübner, [1800]). However, detailed evaluation of forewing pattern and genitalia of both sexes, as well as DNA barcode divergence clearly support the existence of two separate species. A brief comparison of the ha...
DNA barcoding as a significant contribution to regional faunistics: further new records of moths for Burgenland and Austria (Insecta: Lepido ptera).-In the context of the implementation of a DNA barcode library of Burgenland (Austria) with supplementary sampling of moths, 26 species are reported for the first time for the federal state, including t...
A new species of Gnorimoschemini (Gelechiidae), Klimeschiopsis arnoldfransorum sp. nov., is described from specimens collected in Spain. The species is most closely related to Klimeschiopsis terroris (Hartig, 1938), with which it was hitherto mixed, but differs particularly by its small size with reduced yellowish-white forewing markings, the chara...
The focus of this study has been to understand the evolutionary relationships and taxonomy of a widely distributed parapatric species pair of wild silk moths in Europe: Saturnia pavonia and Saturnia pavoniella (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). To address species delimitation in these parapatric taxa, target enrichment and mtDNA sequencing was employed al...
Eucosma subvittana is resurrected from synonymy with E. cana (Haworth, 1811) and redescribed from extensive material collected in Greece (Crete) and Tunisia. It is distinguished from the similar E. cana by constant differences in wing pattern and the female genitalia, whereas the male genitalia are inseparable. A lectotype of E. subvittana is desig...
A new monotypic genus of Geometridae, Mirlatia gen. nov. , and a new species, M. arcuata sp. nov. , are described from Croatia. Based on external and genitalia characters, the new genus is tentatively placed in the subfamily Larentiinae. However, the new genus takes a highly isolated position by having unique characters of the tympanum and showing...
Thiotricha sumpichi sp. nov. is described from Greece and Croatia. The systematic position of the new species within Thiotricha is discussed based on external and genitalia characters and from DNA barcodes of the mitochondrial COI gene (cytochrome c oxidase 1). Adults, details of external morphology, and male and female genitalia of the new species...
The focus of this study is to understand the evolutionary relationships and taxonomy of widely distributed parapatric species pair of wild silk moths, Saturnia pavonia and Saturnia pavoniella (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) in Europe. To address species delimitation challenges associated with many parapatric taxa, target enrichment and mtDNA sequencing...
A new species of fungus moths (Tineidae), Neurothaumasia cretica sp. nov., is described from specimens collected on Crete isl. (Greece). It differs from congeneric taxa by the characteristic black and white forewing pattern which is only shared with N. fasciata Petersen, 1959 from the Middle East, and the widespread western Palaearctic N. ankerella...
A new species of cold-season moths, Exapate aidasi sp. nov., is described from male specimens collected in Armenia. This is also the first record of the genus Exapate in Armenia and south of the Caucasus. The new species differs from the two previously known congeneric taxa both in phenotypic characteristics and in the structure of the male genital...
Megacraspedus peslieri was described from the Pyrenees in 2018 and subsequently also discovered at a few localities in the northern Cottian Alps (Italy). The hitherto unknown female was collected in these localities after a targeted search. As with some other representatives of the genus, the female is flightless and shows a strikingly strong reduc...
The sequencing of a specimen of Syrianarpia labonnei Varenne, Nel & Schmid, 2022, makes it possible to establish that this species is a junior synonym of Syrianarpia faunieralis Gianti, 2005, syn. nov.. Syrianarpia faunieralis is therefore new to the fauna of France with the subspecies labonnei, stat. rev., differentiated by habitus, male genitalia...
Le séquençage ADN de plusieurs exemplaires attribués à Oxyptilus lantoscanus Millière, 1882 montre clairement que ce taxon est valide avec le statut de bona species. Afin d'en faciliter la détermination, habitus, genitalia mâles et femelles, biologie sont comparés avec l'espèce voisine O. laetus (Zeller, 1847). Summary.-DNA sequencing of several sp...
Epermenia sinjovi Gaedike, 1993, a species with a hitherto westernmost known occurrence in Central
Siberia, is recorded from the European Alps (Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany). Its identification is based on
DNA barcodes and morphological characteristics. The probability of a recent introduction is considered as very
low due to the remoteness...
A la suite de nouveaux séquençages ADN dans la section carphodactyla (Hübner, 1813) du genre Hellinsia Tutt, 1905, il est établi que Hellinsia coniodactyla (Staudinger, 1859) est une bona species et que H. alpina (Gibeaux & Picard, 1992) est un synonyme junior de H. carphodactyla (Hübner, 1813). Summary.-Following new DNA sequencing in the carphoda...
Résumé.-Le séquençage AND d'un mâle e.l. d'Oxyptilus adamczewskii Bigot & Picard, 1988 permet d'établir que ce taxon est une bona species proche d'O. tristis (Zeller, 1841) et d'O. kollari (Stainton, 1851) : les trois espèces sont comparées pour la première fois (habitus, genitalia mâles et femelles, premiers états et répartition connus). Summary.-...
Delimitation of allopatric populations into species remains subjective and largely arbitrary. Many cold-adapted species from the subarctic and Central and Southern European Mountain systems display frequent allopatry with disjunct distributions of their populations. The same concerns Holarctic species which are many and which almost regularly show...
Species inventories are a prerequisite for biodiversity monitoring and conservation, particularly in protected areas. However, the possibilities of a standardized survey of species diversity using DNA barcoding have so far hardly been implemented, especially in species-rich groups. A first-time molecular-based and nearly complete inventory of the m...
The observed insect decline, which threatens agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability, calls for comprehensive international insect monitoring. Monitoring implementation demands standardisation and the integration of new and innovative methods. Therefore, we compared two quantitative butterfly survey methods-the commonly applied transect c...
The results of researches on the lepidopteran fauna of the Prealpi Giulie Natural Park (Province of Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia) are presented. The research was mainly conducted in two types of mountain habitats of the Park, the beech woods and the meadows-pastures, as well as in other various habitats. A total of 1489 species of lepidoptera have...
Since the editorial deadline for the new version of the Red List of butterflies and moths, several species have been documented in Vorarlberg (Austria occ.) for the first time: Narycia astrella, Dahlica alpicolella, Caloptilia honoratella, Scythris amphonycella (also new for the Principality of Liechtenstein) and Acleris roscidana are presumably na...
Thirteen new species of Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 are described: S. nupponeni sp. nov. (Russia: Buryatia, Altai), S. rutjani sp. nov. (Kyrgyzstan; Russia: Novosibirsk reg., Tuva), S. tannuolella sp. nov. (Russia: Tuva), S. kullbergi sp. nov. (Russia: Tuva), S. lobata sp. nov. (Russia: southern Ural, Altai, Tuva, Buryatia), S. inexplictata sp. nov. (R...
Zusammenfassung Im grenzübergreifenden Wildnisgebiet Saminatal/Galinatal (Österreich, Vorarlberg; Fürstentum Liechtenstein) wurden 782 Schmetterlingsarten aus 54 Familien nachgewiesen. Der Artenbestand stammt zu mehr als der Hälfte aus Waldlebensraumtypen. Er wird exemplarisch an Charakterarten der einzelnen Grosslebensräume beschrieben, die stellv...
Chrysaster ostensackenella (Fitch, 1859), originally a New World species with recent records from East Asia, is newly reported from Europe (Province of Rieti, Italy). The potentially invasive species is a trophic leaf-mining specialist on Robinia L. Species identification is based on DNA barcoding and morphological characteristics.
Metzneria leae Gastón & Huemer, sp. n., a new species in the family Gelechiidae, is described from Spain and adults and genitalia of both sexes are figured. The new species differs morphologically and in the DNA barcode from all other known representatives of the genus. Until now, the new species has been confused with Metzneria subflavella Englert...
Metzneria leae Gastón & Huemer, sp. n., a new species in the family Gelechiidae, is described from Spain and adults and genitalia of both sexes are figured. The new species differs morphologically and in the DNA barcode from all other known representatives of the genus. Until now, the new species has been confused with Metzneria subflavella Englert...
The subgenus Brevantennia Sieder, 1953 of the genus Dahlica Enderlein, 1912 (Psychidae: Dahlicini) is represented by a group of 10 bagworm moth species, distributed in south-west and south-east Europe northwards to the Alps and Carpathians. This study is a revision of the subgenus Brevantennia species occurring in Slovenia based on our own comprehe...
The taxonomy of the Caryocolum tricolorella species complex, an informal subsection of the diverse Caryocolum interalbicella species group, is revised and four species are separated from DNA barcodes of the mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) gene and adult morphology: C. tricolorella (Haworth, 1812), C. fibigerium Huemer, 1988, C. h...
Four new species of Filatima Busck, 1939 are described from Central Asia: Filatima armata sp. nov. (Iran), F. subarmata sp. nov. (Pakistan, Iran), F. afghana sp. nov. (Afghanistan), and F. karii sp. nov. (Tajikistan). The hitherto unknown female of Filatima multicornuta Bidzilya & Nupponen, 2018 is described. Recorded to occur for the first time ar...
Sattleria karsholti Huemer & Hebert, 2011 is re-examined based on recently collected material, museum vouchers, and DNA barcodes. Adult and male genitalia morphology and molecular data of the COI barcode region support the existence of two allopatric species, S. karsholti, from the type locality of Pizo Arera in the Orobian Alps (Bergamo Province,...
Im Jahr 2001 wurde die Schmetterlingsfauna Vorarlbergs erstmals in einer Roten Liste bewertet. Nach zwei Jahrzehnten wird nun eine umfassende Neubearbeitung und Gefährdungsanalyse vorgestellt. Der nachgewiesene und nach neuester Taxonomie und Systematik dargestellte Artenbestand ist inzwischen von 2307 auf 2501 Arten gewachsen, der zugrundeliegende...
In a rapid biodiversity survey, focusing on butterflies and moths in Kleinwalsertal (Vorarlberg, Austria) we recorded 58 butterfly and 281 moth species. The short time span of the survey (two days) resulted undoubtedly in incomplete coverage of the existing fauna. Nevertheless, the recorded species suggest a very diverse fauna, for which further su...
During efforts to generate DNA barcodes for all European Lepidoptera, Batrachedra pinicolella (Zeller, 1839) was found to comprise two genetically distinct clusters. Morphological investigation and results from two nuclear markers and ddRAD sequencing furthermore support the existence of two distinct taxa which we treat as two separate species, B....
Species identification by means of DNA barcodes depends essentially on the scope and quality of a relevant reference library. The first analysis of a large number (about 600 morphospecies) of southern European Lepidoptera (Greece: Peloponnese) shows both the advantages and disadvantages with regard to a reliable identification of Mediterranean spec...
Description of a new species of Caryocolum Gregor & Povolny, 1954, discovered in Spain
and other data of interest (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Abstract
Caryocolum molinai Gastón, Huemer & Vives sp. n., a new species from Spain is described. An analysis of the DNA barcode (mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene) for the genus Paramegacraspedus...
Metzneria neli Huemer, sp. n., a new species of the family Gelechiidae, is described from France and Spain and adults of both sexes and genitalia are figured. The new species differs both morphologically and in the DNA barcode from all other known representatives of the genus. It was formerly mixed with Metzneria tristella Rebel, 1901, and therefor...
Scrobipalpa antoniovivesi Huemer, sp. n., a new species of the tribe Gnorimoschemini, family Gelechiidae, is described from Spain (Huesca). The adult and male genitalia are figured, whereas the female sex remains unknown. The nearest species S. dorsolutea Huemer & Karsholt, 2010 is only known from the southern Ural Mountains. (Russian Federation)....
Metzneria neli Huemer, sp. n., a new species of the family Gelechiidae, is described from France and Spain and adults of both sexes and genitalia are figured. The new species differs both morphologically and in the DNA barcode from all other known representatives of the genus. It was formerly mixed with Metzneria tristella Rebel, 1901, and therefor...
Scrobipalpa antoniovivesi Huemer, sp. n., a new species of the tribe Gnorimoschemini, family Gelechiidae, is described from Spain (Huesca). The adult and male genitalia are figured, whereas the female sex remains unknown. The nearest species S. dorsolutea Huemer & Karsholt, 2010 is only known from the southern Ural Mountains. (Russian Federation)....
20 new species records of Macrolepidoptera from the province of Bergamo are reported. All taxa were recorded during field research in 2021 within the framework of a collaborative research programme of the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali "E. Caffi" in Bergamo and the Tyrolean Federal States Museum in Innsbruck (Austria). The Italian distribution an...
We studied the evolutionary relationship of two widely distributed parapatric butterfly species, Melitaea athalia and Melitaea celadussa, using the ddRAD sequencing approach, as well as genital morphology and mtDNA data. M. athalia was retrieved as paraphyletic with respect to M. celadussa. Several cases of mito-nuclear discordance and morpho-genet...
Poecilocampa navalagamellae Expósito, 2004 stat. nov., endemic to Spain, is characterized and elevated to species rank. This taxon was originally described as a subspecies of Poecilocampa alpina (Frey & Wullschlegel, 1874) with insufficient diagnosis based on two male specimens only. Its southern populations are described as Poecilocampa navalagame...
en The Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) are operational species units based on patterns of COI divergences that in most cases correspond to species. It has been repeatedly observed that more than one BIN can be found under the same species name particularly when large geographic scales are considered. One such case concerns Eupithecia conterminata, a s...
Lyonetia ledi Wocke, 1859 (Lyonetiidae), was hitherto considered as a boreal species with a circumpolar distribution pattern and relict populations in isolated peat bogs north-east of the Alps (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany). In Europe it is known as a leaf-miner on Rhododendron tomentosum Stokes ex Harmaja (Ericaceae) as the primary host-plant...
Three new Noctuoidea subspecies are described as local endemics from the Silver Coast, part of the Bulgarian North Black Sea Coast: Eutelia adoratrix platinea ssp. n., Lacanobia praedita canescens ssp. n. and Hadena adriana petergyulaii ssp. n. They are characterised by a pale forewing ground colour corresponding to the colour of the calcareous sed...
Gelechia omelkoi sp. nov. is described from the Ukok plateau and South Chuisky ridge in the Altai Mountains of Russia. The adult of the new species, including its male genitalia, is illustrated and compared with species most similar in morphology and DNA barcodes— G. sororculella (Hübner, 1817) and G. jakovlevi Krulikovsky, 1905 from the Palaearcti...
Analysis of wing pattern, genital morphology and results of DNA barcoding indicates that the name Dichrorampha montanana sensu auct. actually comprises two species. D. alpestrana ([Zeller], 1843) sp. rev. is considered as senior synonym of D. montanana (Duponchel, 1843) syn. nov. , and a lectotype is designated for the latter name to fix the identi...