Tomasz Rewicz

• PhD
• Professor (Assistant) at University of Łódź

The amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus has colonized most of the European main inland water bodies in less than 20 years, having deteriorating effect on the local benthic communities. Our aim was to reveal the species phylogeography in the native Black Sea area, to define the source populations for the colonization routes in continental Europe and fo...

1. The effects of biological invasions are generally more detrimental in isolated ecosystems than in the interconnected ones and freshwater lakes appear to be particularly fragile. The Ponto-Caspian freshwater amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus (Gammaridae), also known as the killer shrimp, is a highly invasive species that can have significant ecolo...

The 'killer shrimp', Dikerogammarus villosus, has been recognised as one of the 100 worst alien species in Europe, in terms of negative impacts on the biodiversity and functioning of invaded ecosystems. During the last twenty years, this Ponto-Caspian amphipod crustacean has rapidly spread throughout Europe's freshwaters and its invasion and contin...

The alien freshwater amphipod of Ponto-Caspian origin, Dikerogammarus villosus, also known as the killer shrimp, is recognized as being one of the worst invasive alien species in Europe, representing a major conservation problem. Recently, the species has been reported to invade lakes in the Alps in putative association with overland transport lin...

Background: The Balkans are a major worldwide biodiversity and endemism hotspot. Among the freshwater biota, amphipods are known for their high cryptic diversity. However, little is known about the temporal and paleogeographic aspects of their evolutionary history. We used paleogeography as a framework for understanding the onset of diversificatio...

Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinsky, 1894) is a Ponto–Caspian amphipod expanding in European freshwaters and posing a threat to biological diversity through several biological and behavioural traits, including high carnivory and voracity. The species spreads in Europe through two major corridors from two geographically and genetically different sourc...

Ponto-Caspian gammarids comprise dozens of endemic taxa. Many are invasive throughout the world, being exceptionally adaptable thanks to the dynamic geological history of the region where they have evolved. Many species described from the Caspian basin were found in the Pontic (Black Sea) basin only in the last century. It remains unclear whether t...

Background Chironomidae, with over 7,300 described species, are amongst the most diverse and abundant insect families in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Chironomids are known for their widespread distribution from various water types. The level of documentation of chironomid fauna varies considerably amongst European countries, with more comprehen...

The mitochondrial genome of Metazoa is predominantly maternally inherited, providing a valuable genetic marker in various fields such as phylogenetics and phylogeography. However, mitochondrial heteroplasmy, where multiple copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) coexist within an individual or even cell, presents a challenge to the use of mtDNA markers...

A doubt has arisen about the taxonomic status of Agabus lotti within the Agabus uliginosus species group due to morphological similarities and lack of molecular data. In this study, a comprehensive morphological and molecular analysis of specimens from Central Europe was conducted, focusing on the Hungarian population. Morphological comparisons of...

Pollination biology in the widespread species Impatiens capensis Meerb. has only been studied in America, specifically in zones of the U.S.A. and Canada. In this study, we investigated the pollination biology of I. capensis using an integrative identification approach using morphological and molecular tools in four populations of Northwest Poland....

The taxonomic status of Agabus lotti within the Agabus uliginosus species group has been a subject of debate due to morphological similarities and lack of molecular data. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive morphological and molecular analysis of specimens from Central Europe, focusing on the Hungarian population. Morphological comparisons...

Phenotypic variability is a key factor promoting the establishment and spread of invasive populations in new environments. The Ponto-Caspian region contains a diverse endemic fauna known for its exceptional environmental plasticity, with many species invading European waters. However, the extent to which the environment shapes the phenotypic variab...

Impatiens mexicana is a native balsam restricted to the cloud forests of central and southwest Mexico, which is currently known to exist in four states (Zacatecas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca), and is probably threatened by geographic restriction. Morphological and distributional information about this species is still scarce, with only a couple o...

Non-indigenous species (NIS) contribute to the decrease of native species' diversity on a local and global scale. One of Europe's most significant donors of freshwater invasions is the Ponto-Caspian Region. Following the construction of artificial canals connecting isolated waterbodies and the resulting heavy boat traffic, the Ponto-Caspian Amphipo...

Water mites of the genus Mideopsis are often a very abundant member of running and standing water communities whose taxonomy has been based almost exclusively on traditional morphological studies. In this study, we present a species-level phylogeny of the genus in Europe using 71 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes available in the BOLD d...

Lake Skadar with its surrounding springs, wetlands and larger affluents is among the most diverse freshwater ecosystems in the Mediterranean region and a key biodiversity/ende-mism hotspot in Europe. It is also highly endangered due to climate change and rapid tourism development in the area. Being abundant, diverse and mostly predatory, true aquat...

Lake Skadar with its surrounding springs, wetlands and larger affluents is among the most diverse freshwater ecosystems in the Mediterranean region and a key biodiversity/endemism hotspot in Europe. It is also highly endangered due to climate change and rapid tourism development in the area. Being abundant, diverse and mostly predatory, true aquati...

Non-indigenous species (NIS) contribute to the decrease of native species’ diversity on a local and global scale. One of Europe's most significant donors of freshwater invasions is the Ponto-Caspian region. Following the construction of artificial canals connecting isolated water bodies and resulting heavy boat traffic, the Ponto-Caspian Amphipoda...

Leeches of the genus Dina are one of the most abundant leech species in running waters in Montenegro. This paper described a new yellowish-spotted and medium-sized leech from the Skadar Lake basin in Montenegro. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI data reveals that Dina nesemanni sp. nov. is more closely related to D. latestriata from Prespa Lake th...

The exceptional diversity of freshwater fauna of the Mediterranean Basin currently faces a crisis in which climate change combined with overexploitation of freshwaters heavily threatens the local fauna. In this context, it is urgent to define conservation priorities on how to best protect freshwater biodiversity. One of the main limits to define su...

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 are one of the most abundant water mite species in all kinds of running and standing waters in Türkiye. In this study, DNA barcodes were recovered from 26 specimens, morphologically assigned to five Hygrobates species. One species of the H. trigonicus species-complex (H. crypticus sp. nov.) from Easter...

Amphipods have diversified greatly in the Ponto-Caspian region. Although many of these species are prominent invaders their systematics remains unclear. Taking an integrative approach, we investigate the taxonomy of Trichogammarus trichiatus, a widespread invader in European inland waters. It was initially described from the northeastern Black Sea...

Niphargus comprises hundreds of narrowly-endemic West Palaearctic subterranean taxa. However, a few exceptional species inhabit surface waters and have remarkably large ranges. Herein, based on morphological and molecular analyses, we provide important new records for two of these species. N. potamophilus, previously known from the eastern Azov Sea...

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) are among the oldest pterygote insects, with the earliest fossils dating back to the Late Carboniferous. Within mayflies, Leptophlebiidae are a highly diverse and widespread group, with approximately 140 genera and 640 species. Whereas taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny of extant Leptophlebiidae are in the focus of extens...

This study presents the results of investigation of the micromorphology and variability of Sisymbrium polymorphum seeds collected in 49 localities in the core range and isolated populations of Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In addition, we compared the ultrastructure of the seeds of S. polymorphum with that of the closely-related...

Aims The present study is the first-ever attempt to generate information on the potential present and future distribution of Impatiens capensis (orange balsam) under various climate change scenarios. Moreover, the differences in bioclimatic preferences of native and non-native populations were evaluated. Location Global. Taxon Angiosperms. Metho...

The Ponto-Caspian region is an endemicity hotspot that harbours several crustacean radiations, among which amphipods are the most diverse. These poorly known species are severely threatened in their native range, while at the same time they are invading European inland waters with significant ecological consequences. A proper taxonomic knowledge of...

The Ponto-Caspian region is an endemicity hotspot that harbors several crustacean radiations, among which amphipods are the most diverse. These poorly known species are severely threatened in their native range, while at the same time they are invading European inland waters with significant ecological consequences. A proper taxonomic knowledge of...

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) are among the oldest pterygote insects, with the earliest fossils dating back to the Late Carboniferous. Within mayflies, Leptophlebiidae are a highly diverse and widespread group, with approximately 140 genera and 640 species. Whereas taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny of extant Leptophlebiidae are in the focus of extens...

The Ponto-Caspian amphipod Dikerogammarus bispinosus Martynov, 1925 was originally described from the Black Sea basin. Its recent discovery in the Caspian Sea basin was puzzling because it was unknown whether it was an invasive or an overlooked native species in this area. Here, we examined specimens collected from both the Black and Caspian Sea ba...

The importance of aquaporins (AQPs) in the transport of water and solutes through cell membranes is well recognized despite being relatively new. To date, despite their abundance, diversity, and presence in disparate environments, amphipods have only been mentioned in studies about the AQPs of other animals and have never been further investigated....

The Ponto-Caspian region is the main donor of invasive amphipods to freshwater ecosystems, with at least 13 species successfully established in European inland waters. Dikerogammarus spp. and Pontogammarus robustoides are among the most successful, due to their strong invasive impact on local biota. However, genomic knowledge about these invaders i...

Background. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) are important components in biomonitoring due to their amphibiotic lifecycle and specific habitat requirements. They are charismatic and popular insects, but can be challenging to identify despite large size and often distinct coloration, especially the immature stages. DNA-based assessment tools re...

We present the first results of the study aiming to investigate the diversity of the non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) fauna of the Skadar Lake system (Montenegro and Albania), a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity composed by the young lake Skadar (originated 1200 before present) and by its old system of springs (originated durin...

We present the results of the first-ever DNA barcoding study of odonates from the Maltese Islands. In total, ten morphologically identified species were collected during a two-week long expedition in 2018. Eighty cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes were obtained from the collected specimens. Intra- and interspecific distances ranged from...

Apocorophium lacustre (Vanhoffen, 1911), which is a native brackish amphipod species of the North Atlantic and Baltic coasts, was recorded in the upper Oder River for the first time in 2017. Prior to that, only alien amphipod species had been found in this area. The aims of the study were to describe the distribution pattern of A. lacustre in the u...

Gammarus roeselii Gervais, 1835 is a morphospecies with a wide distribution range in Europe. The Balkan Peninsula is known as an area of pre-Pleistocene cryptic diversification within this taxon, resulting in at least 13 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs). The morphospecies diversified there during Neogene and has probably invaded other...

Traditional morphological diagnoses of taxonomic status remain widely used while an increasing number of studies shows that one morphospecies might hide cryptic diversity, i.e. lineages with unexpectedly high molecular divergence. This hidden diversity can reach even tens of lineages, i.e. hyper cryptic diversity. Even well-studied model-organisms...

The aim of our study was to provide a first overview of the population genetic structure of the invasive Chinese sleeper, Perccottus glenii, (Actinopterygii: Odontobutidae) in European water bodies. This species originates from inland waters of north-eastern China, northern North Korea and the Russian Far East. The 1172 bp long portion of the cytoc...

The region of the Black, Caspian, and Azov seas are known both as (i) the place of extensive crustacean radiation dated to the times of Paratethys and Sarmatian basins, and (ii) present donor of alien and invasive taxa to many areas worldwide. One amphipod morphospecies, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, is known both as native to rivers draining to the...

Cryptorchestia garbinii Ruffo, Tarocco and Latella, 2014 (Amphipoda: Talitridae), a semiterrestrial amphipod, reported (as Orchestia cavimana Heller, 1865) from the Polish inland waters, e. g., the lowermost Vistula River, for the first time in 2009. Now, we have reported this species from the upper Oder River, which is c.a. 350 km SE from the clos...

The river Danube is the backbone of the 'southern invasion corridor', one of the most important passages for the spread of Ponto-Caspian invaders in Europe. However, not all of these species used the passive or active upstream movement in the main channel to reach the upper sections and tributaries, some found detours. Mass occurrences of the Ponto...

The paper provides a new record of the North-American invasive amphipod Gammarus tigrinus from the Bornholm island (Denmark), accompanied by DNA barcodes. We found this species in two locations 9 km apart: 1. Baltic Sea in Svaneke, 2. Østersøen stream, Nexø. Our finding shows further range expansion of this species in the. However, taking into acco...

Malacostraca is a highly diversified and speciose class of crustaceans. Out of the estimated 26,000 malacostracan species described so far, about 6,000 inhabit plethora of freshwater habitats worldwide. The Mediterranean Region has been recognized as one of the 25 most important biodiversity and endemism hotspots worldwide and its islands are consi...

Background. Small size and large diversity of adaptations make invertebrates a group of animals which can be easily transported by different human activities. Many species can travel as “hitchhikers” with plant material (both on plant surfaces and in the soil), including plants used for decoration in vivaria. Vivaria are often tropical in nature en...

Amphipods of the genus Gammarus are a vital component of macrozoobenthic communities in European inland and coastal, marine and brackish waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Exceptional levels of cryptic diversity have been revealed for several widespread freshwater Gammarus species in Europe. No comprehensive assessment has yet been made...

Background: Amphipods of the genus Gammarus are a salient component of communities in European inland and coastal, marine, and brackish waters of the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. Exceptional levels of cryptic diversity have been revealed for several widespread freshwater species of Gammarus in Europe. No comprehensive asses...

Background: The factual diversity of European freshwater crustaceans is scarcely known. This is particularly surprising taking into account their wide applicability in biomonitoring as well as in eco-toxicological and phylogeographical studies. Crustacea, particularly Malacostraca, play a fundamental role in functioning of freshwater ecosystems, be...

The study has shown that, in Central and Western Europe, Gammarus roeselii Gervais, 1835 (Gammaridae) is probably a postglacial newcomer from the Panonian Basin and Northern Balkans.

Background The process of apophytism or spreading native species to human-made habitats is one of the main elements in the creation of plant cover in anthropogenic areas. Lately, an increase of anthropogenic localities with valuable flora has been observed. Apophytes are also members of the family Orchidaceae, especially from the genus Epipactis ....

Background. Tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are fast running predatory insects preying on different small insects and other terrestrial arthropods. Prey is located by sight and captured after short and fast pursuit interspersed with pause-and- look behaviour. At least some tiger beetle species can recognise the size and location of prey us...

Background Polyploid specimens are usually characterized by greater exuberance: they reach larger sizes and/or have a larger number of some organs. Festuca amethystina L. belongs to the section Aulaxyper . Based on morphological features, four subspecies of F. amethystina have been already identified. On the other hand, it has two cytotypes: diploi...

The values of measurement of spikelet elements of F. amethystina We measured the chosen traits of 30 spikelets from each population. Each spikelet was described by four traits: the length of lower glumes (mm) –LLG, the length of upper glumes (mm) –LUG, the length of the lemma (mm) –LL, the length of the palea (mm) –LP.

The values of measurement of general plant traits of F. amethystina Each individual was described by four traits: the length of the leaf (cm) –LLe, the length of the stalk (cm) –LS, the length of the panicle (cm) –LPa, the number of spikelets –NS.

Microsporidia are common parasites infecting animals and protists. They are specifically common pathogens of amphipods (Crustacea, Malacostraca), with Dictyocoela spp. being particularly frequent and highly prevalent, exhibiting a range of phenotypic and ecological effects. Until now, seven species of Dictyocoela were defined, predominantly based o...

Background. The process of apophytism or spreading native species to human-made habitats is one of the main elements in the creation of plant cover in anthropogenic areas. Lately, an increase of anthropogenic localities with valuable flora (rare and law protected species) has been observed. Apophytes are also members of the family Orchidaceae, espe...

Background. The process of apophytism or spreading native species to human-made habitats is one of the main elements in the creation of plant cover in anthropogenic areas. Lately, an increase of anthropogenic localities with valuable flora (rare and law protected species) has been observed. Apophytes are also members of the family Orchidaceae, espe...

Background. The process of apophytism or spreading native species to human-made habitats is one of the main elements in the creation of plant cover in anthropogenic areas. Lately, an increase of anthropogenic localities with valuable flora (rare and law protected species) has been observed. Apophytes are also members of the family Orchidaceae, espe...

Background. Epipactis helleborine is an Eurasian orchid species which prefers woodland environments but it may also spontaneously and successfully colonise human-made artificial and disturbed habitats such as roadsides, town parks and gardens. It is suggested that orchids colonising anthropogenic habitats are characterised by a specific set of feat...

Raw data—vascular flora (A) In anthropogenic habitats (A1–A4), (B) Vascular flora in natural habitats (N1–N4).

Raw data—average of live and dead seeds (%) in autogamy and natural pollinations of E. helleborine in the studied populations, calculated from 10 shoots from each population

Raw data—biometric traits of E. helleborine in the studied populations Abbreviations: population code (Pop), height of plants (HP), number of flowers (NF), number of fruit (capsules) (NFR).

Raw data—average of biometric traits of E. helleborine in the studied populations Explanations: population (Pop), density (D), number of flowers (NF), number of fruit (capsules) (NFR), reproductive success (RS).

Divergence time for key nodes in the time-calibrated reconstruction of phylogeny Divergence time (Ma) for key nodes and rates of COI evolution in substitutions per site, per My estimated using Bayesian inference for different calibration schemes. Node affiliation given in Fig. S1. Calibration schemes based on secondary calibration points, standard...

K2p distances between MOTUs Mean Kimura two parameters (K2p) distances (below the diagonal) and standard error (SE) (above the diagonal) between MOTUs for 74 COI haplotypes. N and k = number of individual sampled and haplotypes per MOTU, respectively.

Molecular genetic diversity and historical demography within MOTUs Molecular genetic diversity and historical demography based on mtDNA COI gene region (530 bp) within the 13 MOTUs (A–M). Analysis was done either at the scale of the entire MOTU (in bold) or a site or set of sites (in italic) within a MOTU.

Bayesian chronogram with node definition, calibration points and results of species delimitation methods

Detailed information for all analysed individuals All analysed individuals with BOLD process ID, sample ID, Barcode Index numbers (BIN) and their COI haplotype membership, primers pairs used for amplification.

Fit of the diversification models to the Bayesian reconstruction of phylogeny Fit of the diversification models to Bayesian reconstruction of phylogeny, based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC).

Results of the Bayesian node reconstruction Node ages (Ma) with lower and upper 95% highest posterior densities, geographical coordinates of the ancestral locations expressed as mean and standard deviation (SD), probabilities associated with occurrence in riverine (P(R)) or in lacustrine (P(L)) habitat (see Fig. S1 for node identification).

Genetic differentiation between sites Genetic differentiation based on mtDNA COI gene region (530 bp) between sites (S1 vs S2) within MOTUs (A, C, E, G and K) present in more than one site within the morphospecies Gammarus roeselii in the Balkans.

Background. The Balkans are a major biodiversity and endemism hotspot, worldwide. Among the freshwater biota, amphipods are known for their high cryptic diversity. However, little is known about the temporal and paleogeographic aspects of their evolutionary history. We used paleogeography as a framework for understanding the onset of diversificatio...

Background. The Balkans are a major biodiversity and endemism hotspot, worldwide. Among the freshwater biota, amphipods are known for their high cryptic diversity. However, little is known about the temporal and paleogeographic aspects of their evolutionary history. We used paleogeography as a framework for understanding the onset of diversificatio...

Aquatic fauna in the Republic of Moldova remains relatively poorly studied. During the summer of 2012, an expedition of University of Lodz to South-Eastern Europe was conducted for faunistic, ecological and biogeographical studies of freshwater and terrestrial arthropods. Samples of larvae and pupal exuviae of Chironomidae, along with other benthic...

Background. Calomera littoralis is a Palearctic species, widely distributed in Europe; inhabiting predominantly its Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea coastlines. Methods. Its phylogeography on the Balkan Peninsula and on the north-western Black Sea coast was inferred using a 697 bp long portion of the mitochondrial COI gene, amplified from 169...

The aim of the paper was to analyse the morphological variability of Consolida regalis Gray (common name Forking Larkspur) seeds in populations derived from different geographic origins. A review of available literature showed scarcity of data on seed sizes and a complete lack of information describing the morphological variation of C. regalis seed...

Background. Calomera littoralis is a Palearctic species, widely distributed in Europe; inhabiting predominantly its Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea coastlines. Methods. Its phylogeography on the Balkan Peninsula and on the north-western Black Sea coast was inferred using a 697 bp long portion of the mitochondrial COI gene, amplified from 169...

So far, 13 species of Ponto-Caspian amphipods have been reported from the inland waters of Turkey. Two, probably overlooked species, Echinogammarus trichiatus and Dikerogammarus villosus, are here recorded for the first time from this country. Due to the atypical morphology, the identity of E. trichiatus was also verified with molecular methods, ba...