Petr Kocarek

University of Ostrava · Department of Biology and Ecology

Here, we present a study regarding the phylogenetic positions of two enigmatic earwig lineages whose unique phenotypic traits evolved in connection with ectoparasitic relationships with mammals. Extant earwigs (Dermaptera) have traditionally been divided into three suborders: the Hemimerina, Arixeniina, and Forficulina. While the Forficulina are ty...

A checklist is presented of the Orthoptera of the CzechRepublic. Based on the critical revision of published data and pre-vious lists of species, which often contained only general or questionable data and which often inaccurately cited each other, we found 96 species of Orthoptera belonging to the fauna of the CzechRepublic. We emphasize those cha...

Extensive research was undertaken from 2010 to 2013 that focused upon the invertebrate fauna occurring in greenhouses of the botanical and zoological gardens in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Occurrences of the alien earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Lucas, 1847), were found in three greenhouses in Czech Republic, and these findings are the first to docu...

Zoraptera is a small and predominantly tropical insect order with an unresolved higher classification due to the extremely uniform external body morphology. We, therefore, conducted a multigene molecular phylogeny of extant Zoraptera and critically re-evaluated their morphological characters in order to propose a natural infraordinal classification...

Alienoptera have been recently described from mid-Cretaceous amber and are nested phylogenetically inside the Dictyoptera lineage as the sister group of Mantodea. The second known species, Alienopterella stigmatica gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated in this contribution based on a male embedded in Cretaceous Burmese amber of earliest Ce...

The genus Brazilozoros Kukalova-Peck & Peck, 1993 (Zoraptera, Spiralizoridae) currently includes three species distributed in the Neotropical region. Here we describe a new species, B. kukalovae n. sp., from French Guiana. It is related to B. weidneri (New, 1978) but differs by the morphology of the male genitalia and the sensilla basiconica on 10t...

The order Zoraptera contains relatively few species, but current molecular phylogenetic studies suggest an unexpectedly high level of cryptic diversity in the order with many overlooked species based on morphology alone. Latinozoros Kukalova-Peck & Peck, 1993 represents the only genus of monotypic Latinozorinae (Zoraptera: Spiralizoridae) with only...

Zoraptera shows extreme uniformity in general body morphology, with the exception of Formosozoros (=Zorotypus) newi Chao & Chen, 2000, which stands out in terms of the shape and arrangement of its legs, the cerci, and several other morphological characters. After critical evaluation, we found that this species is not a zorapteran but is instead a n...

Zorotypus juninensis Engel, 2000, was previously diagnosed based on the external morphology of female and male specimens without description of the male copulatory organ, which is an important character for classification in Zoraptera. Based on a detailed morphological study of the Zorotypus juninensis Engel, 2000 type collections deposited in the...

The occurrence of the alien earwig Forficula smyrnensis Audinet-Serville, 1838, which is native in the eastern Mediterranean basin, is reported for the first time in the Czech Republic. The established population was found in the urban deciduous forest in Prague in 2021. During the last decade, the adventive occurrence of this species was also repo...

Based on behavioral observations, we report termitophily by the earwig Spirolabia kaja Kočárek, sp. nov. (Spongiphoridae: Labiinae). The new species was found in association with the wood-boring termite Schedorhinotermes sarawakensis (Holmgren, 1913) in a dipterocarp rain forest in Borneo; in addition to being observed in the galleries, termite-ear...

The occurrence of the alien earwig Euborellia femoralis (Dohrn, 1863), which is native to Asia, is reported for the first time in Europe. The species was found at two sites (Rhodes and Magnesia) in Greece in 2017-2020. The identity of morphologically identified specimens was verified by comparison of COI barcodes, and a phylogenetic tree for Eubore...

Specimens of webspinners found on Fuerteventura Island (one of the Canary Islands) were provisionally identified as Embia cf. savignyi Westwood, 1837 (Embioptera: Embiidae). Embia savignyi is native to northeastern Africa and the population reported from the Canary Islands is introduced. The report provides location data, photographs of specimens,...

In this study, we describe an inexpensive and rapid method of using video analysis and identity tracking to measure the effects of tag weight on insect movement. In a laboratory experiment, we assessed the tag weight and associated context-dependent effects on movement, choosing temperature as a factor known to affect insect movement and behavior....

Recent changes in insect distribution are consistent with the expected interacting effects of climate and habitat change. The orthopteran Ruspolia nitidula has expanded its area of distribution in Western and Central Europe in recent decades. Because males emit a sound that is easily detected at a distance of up to 40 m, it is possible to detect sp...

Background The hermit beetle (Osmoderma barnabita) is an internationally protected specialist of tree hollows considered a relic of primeval forests. The backbone of its distribution in eastern Czechia, however, is a system of pollard willows in intensively farmed lowlands. Pollarding, a traditional agroforestry practice inducing formation of tree...

Ctenolepisma lineatum (Fabricius, 1775) found in České Budějovice represents the first record from Bohemia and at the same time the first report of its synanthropic occurrence in the Czech Republic.

Since it is not possible, after several years of research, to locate the type material of Chelidura aptera (Megerle in Charpentier, 1825), type species of the genus Chelidura latreille, 1825, and not being able to define in any way, even vaguely, the terra typica, it was decided to fix a neotype. This neotype is here selected on the basis of its ma...

The Dermaptera species number reported for the Italian fauna (27 species) is the most conspicuous among the European Union. The knowledge on Italian Dermaptera is among the most accurate in Europe, above all thanks to the large number of well-known entomologists who, over two centuries, have dedicated themselves to it in depth. Half of the species...

A new species of the genus Epilandex Hebard, 1927, Epilandex vignai sp. nov., is described based on material from Sulawesi, Indonesia. The habitus and diagnostic characteristics are illustrated, and the taxonomic position is discussed. An identification key for all recognised Epilandex species is provided.

The Dermaptera species number reported for the Italian fauna (27 species) is the most conspicuous among the European Union. The knowledge on Italian Dermaptera is among the most accurate in Europe, above all thanks to the large number of well-known entomologists who, over two centuries, have dedicated themselves to it in depth. Half of the species...

The relatively small order Dermaptera (commonly called “earwigs”) is comprised of more than 1900 described species mainly distributed in the Afrotropics, Southeastern Asia and South America, while a small number of species occur in the warmer temperate regions of North America, Europe, Asia and Australia (Hudson 1973; Popham 2000; Haas et al. 2011)...

We present herein the first phylogenetic analysis of the genus Chelidura and the taxonomic revision of the genus Chelidurella , stat. restit. , based on DNA sequences. The results confirm the generic status of Chelidurella Verhoeff, 1902 and Mesochelidura Verhoeff, 1902, and they are removed from the synonymy with Chelidura and reinstated as valid...

Ellca nevelka gen. et sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Elcanidae) is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and it is the smallest known elcanid (body length = 4.53 mm) characterized by a combination of morphological characters on the head, pronotum, metatibial spurs, and metatarsomeres. Well-preserved forewing venation indicates that the fossil belongs...

Euborellia annulipes (Lucas, 1847), is recorded in the Slovakia for the first time. Nymphs and adults were found in a heated greenhouse in Kameničany, western Slovakia, in 2019.

Detritus (decaying organic matter) and phyllodes of mosses are two main components in the diet of groundhoppers (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae). We studied the energy balance of consumed food under laboratory conditions in the detrito-bryophagous groundhopper, Tetrix subulata (Linnaeus, 1758). The results indicated that the energy food budget of this detr...

In the past, insect species richness was high in Central European seminatural grasslands, which were characterized by low‐intensity land use. Currently, however, the hay in most of these grasslands is mechanically harvested, which negatively impacts insect biodiversity. One way to reduce this negative effect is to leave unmown patches as refuges. I...

Structural features and life habits of described species of the extinct †Alienoptera are evaluated based on previously published studies on the group. Head structures and feedings habits are addressed, as are the locomotor organs, especially the wings and adhesive devices. Suggested pollen feeding habits and the possible role as pollinators are dis...

The ecology of earwigs in natural forest ecosystems is poorly understood. We used sweeping to determine the population densities of adult earwigs, by sex and species, on ten tree species in a temperate floodplain forest in southern Moravia (Czech Republic). We also determined the relationships between the properties of tree species and earwig densi...

In the period 2012–2015, an extensive mapping of the distribution of the Orthoptera in five regions of the Czech Republic (Jihočeský, Karlovarský, Středočeský, Vysočina and Ústecký regions) was carried out. The selected regions cover 43 % of the Czech Republic. The mapping unit used was a standardized square map of the grid mapping, in which the ha...

Tracking animals using transmitters is a busy research branch in zoology. In this paper, we study the effect of a temperature and transmitter’s weight on a field cricket’s movement. We recorded the movement of 180 field crickets with a 4K camera and the captured movies were analyzed by a novel tracking algorithm based on a soft-computing technique...

Alienoptera is an insect order recently described from mid-Cretaceous amber and is phylogenetically nested in the Dictyoptera lineage. Alienoptera currently comprises three species: Alienopterus brachyelytrus, Alienopterella stigmatica and Caputoraptor elegans. The most interesting is Caputoraptor elegans, which was recently described in Current Bi...

We introduce a problem of tracking small animals, especially insects. To solve this problem, we focus on visual tracking in recorded movies, propose our pattern tracking mechanism based on F-transform, and implement a user-friendly software to handle the movies. The tracking core is compared with five state-of-the-art tracking algorithms: KCF, MIL,...

Heterogeneity of environmental conditions is the crucial factor supporting biodiversity in various habitats, including post-mining sites. The effects of micro-topographic heterogeneity on biodiversity and conservation potential of arthropod communities in post-industrial habitats had not been studied before now. At one of the largest European brown...

Protracheoniscus major was recorded for the first time in Silesia, the north-eastern part of the Czech Republic. Here we report its finding in the Darkov Mine – active black coal mine in which this species was found in a depth of 770 m under surface. Its distribution in Central Europe is connected with human activities, as found in cellars and buil...

Biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands depends on the management practices used. However, management systems suitable for one taxon, such as plants, can be detrimental to other taxa, such as insects, and vice versa. This study attempts to support conservation management planning by clarifying the effects of different grassland management practices...

A new species of Zoraptera from Borneo is described and figured. Zorotypus asymmetricus sp. nov. was discovered in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in Ulu Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. The species represents the third known species occurring on Borneo and it can be easily distinguished from others by the asymmetrical cerci: the right cercus is stro...

Inundation zones of rivers are risky environments for terrestrial animals because of the regular or irregular occurrence of floods. Although animals in these zones have evolved several strategies to survive floods, behavioural anti‐flooding strategies have seldom been studied but could play an important role in their life history strategies. We pre...

Detrito-bryophagy represents a specific feeding strategy in orthopterans. We evaluated the consumption rate and digestibility of two main food components (detritus and moss) in a typical detrito-bryophagous groundhopper, Tetrix subulata (L., 1758), under laboratory conditions. By analysing gravimetric consumption, we confirmed that detritus is cons...

First pilot simple analysis was done only on relation mean NDVI index and abundances. Mean NDVI index was calculated from one Landsat image from period of field survey in different distances around sampling points. This shows negative effect of imprevious surfaces on presence of P. griseoaptera in all studied scales (50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 m)

Groundhoppers (Tetrigidae) are a basal group of Caelifera that exhibit a conservative feeding strategy associated with the consumption of detritus and lower plants. We studied the feeding strategies and associated morphology of the mandibles of seven tropical groundhoppers from three different subfamilies occupying three different habitats in Borne...

Groundhoppers are considered to be detrito-bryophagous, and moss phyllodes represent a main food consumed by all studied species. We studied the food biology of two groundhoppers: the stenotopic habitat specialist Tetrix ceperoi (Bolivar, 1887) and the eurytopic T. tenuicornis (Sahlberg, 1893). These species occurred syntopically in an abandoned sa...

Although earwigs (Dermaptera) may be important components of ecosystems because of their locally high abundance and omnivory, their vertical distribution among forest strata is poorly understood. This study used a mobile aerial lift platform to survey the spatiotemporal distribution of earwigs along the vertical dimension in a forest. In 2013 and 2...

The antennae of both sexes of the groundhopper Discotettix belzebuth (Serville, 1838) (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The antennae are composed of 13 segments that differ in their morphology, shape, and spatial distribution of the sensilla. We identified four types of sensilla (coeloconic, placoid, basicon...

Pygmy mole crickets (Tridactylidae) are an interesting but little-known group of Orthoptera; their food biology and dietary preferences have not been adequately studied. Our study focused on the diet composition and associated functional morphology of the mandibles in two European species: Xya pfaendleri Harz, 1970 and X. variegata (Latreille, 1809...

For ectothermic animals, selection of a suitable microhabitat is affected by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Also important is the trade-off between those microhabitats with optimal microclimatic conditions and food availability vs. those with the lowest level of competition and lowest risk of predation. Central European species of gro...

According to a study of type specimens of Discotettix adenanii Mahmood, Idris & Salmah, 2007 and copious specimens of D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) collected in different parts of Borneo, we found that all species-specific morphological characters of D. adenanii, according to its original description, fall into the morphological variability of D. b...

Many animals change their diet during the season according to food availability. The current field study determined whether the groundhopper Tetrix tenuicornis (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), which specializes on moss and detritus, changes its diet during the season under conditions in which food components are constantly available. Dietary differences o...

Greenhouses in botanical or zoological gardens are home to dozens of species of invertebrates that were introduced alongside plants or potting soil. Our study presents the description of an alien species of earwig, Euborellia arcanum sp. nov., found in tropical greenhouses in Leipzig and Potsdam (Germany) and in Vienna (Austria), including informat...

Recently, fly ash deposits have been revealed as a secondary refuge of critically endangered arthropods specialised on aeolian sands in Central Europe. Simultaneously, these anthropogenic habitats are well known for their negative impact on human health and the surrounding environment. The overwhelming majority of these risks are caused by wind ero...

The Dermaptera fauna of Socotra Island is reviewed. Based on the study of material collected during expeditions of Czech naturalists in 1999–2012, a new genus, Socotralabis gen. nov. with the type species S. hulai sp. nov., and an additional species S. bezdeki sp. nov. have been recognised, and two new species of the genus Anisolabella Zacher, 1911...

The Dermaptera is an insect order with ca. 2200 described species classified in 11 families. Interestingly, recent morphological and molecular data suggest that at least three dermapteran families (Diplatyidae, Pygidicranidae and Spongiphoridae) are paraphyletic. Here we present results of histological analyses of ovaries and ovarioles in two repre...

A study was conducted to determine whether the mandibles of the detrito-/bryophagous groundhopper Tetrix tenuicornis are subject to mechanical wear as a result of feeding, as is the case for grasshoppers that feed on silica-rich grasses. Abrasion was evaluated by measuring the length and width of the 3rd incisor and length of the 4th incisor in adu...

Background and Purpose: Isophya pienensisMaran, 1954 (Orthoptera)is a stenotopic katydid occurring locally in Central and Eastern Europe.The purpose of the study was to document the habitat associations of I.pienensis in the Beskids in relation to historical land use and presentlandscape structure. Materials and Methods: Isophya pienensis was studi...

The bush cricket Saga pedo is a critically endangered species in the EU and is included in Annex IV of Council Directive 92/43/EEC. This species is therefore subject to mandatory regular monitoring within all member countries where it occurs. Because its abundance is low and little information is available concerning its ecology, however, an effect...

(a) Bayesian phylogram of earwig families based on nuclear sequence data (18S and 28S ribosomal) and including only those parts that have sequence information for both Arixenia and Hemimerus. Numbers above branches indicate posterior probabilities. Figure S1 (b, c) Results of the exploration of MCMC convergence (of shortened alignment) using the AW...

We studied the ovary structure and initial stages of oogenesis in 15 representatives of several dermapteran taxa, including the epizoic Arixeniina. In all examined species, the ovaries are meroistic–polytrophic. The ovaries of the basal taxa (‘Pygidicranidae’, ‘Diplatyidae’, and Labiduridae) are composed of elongated ovarioles, attached to short la...

The Dermaptera is a small insect order, traditionally divided into three separate taxa: the Hemimerina, Arixeniina and Forficulina. The first two suborders are highly modified and adapted for epizoic (ectoparasitic) life conditions. Recent morphological and molecular analyses have suggested that the Hemimerina and Arixeniina should be placed among...

The family Orthoptera, grasshoppers and crickets, are very conspicuous, and at a general level a rather familiar group of insects. Rovnokřídlí České Republiky provides a complete overview of all 97 species of Orthoptera in the Czech Republic, supplemented with species that occur in neighboring countries and could potentially also be found in the Cz...

A new species of the genus Paradiplatys Zacher, 1910, Paradiplatys kubani sp. nov., is described based on material from Laos. The habitus and diagnostic characters are illustrated, and the taxonomic position is discussed.

Despite the increasing evidence that post-mining sites often provide biodiversity refuges in anthropogenically impacted landscapes, thus offering valuable analogues of natural habitats, technocratic methods still prevail over natural processes in restoration practice. Selection of the restoration approach, however, crucially affects the future cons...

The northwestern distributions of several steppe species of Orthoptera extend to the southeastern part of the Czech Republic (Pannonia) and occupy more or less isolated fragments of optimal habitats. Their distributional limits are not conditioned by macroclimate in most cases but reflect landscape development (physical structure, plant community t...

Agricultural intensification reduces the biodiversity of European farmlands. Hay meadows represent an important farmland habitat, traditionally used to produce hay. With decreased demand for hay, the continuation of hay harvest is supported by Agri-environmental schemes across European Union. Modern hay harvest techniques differ from traditional ma...

Dermaptera fauna of Turkey and Cyprus were evaluated on the basis of recently collected specimens, revisions of museum and private collections and data from the literature. New data are reported on the occurrence of 18 species from Turkey and three species from Cyprus. The total number of species known from Turkey is 19 and from Cyprus is six. Isol...

The ecological requirements and biology of the Tetrigidae are almost unknown. The aim of the present work is to contribute to the knowledge of Tetrix bolivari, one of the least studied species of European Tetrigidae, by investigating its seasonal and daily activity, food biology, and vibratory communication. Adults of T. bolivari were found from Ma...