Evgeniy V. Aksenenko’s research while affiliated with Voronezh State University and other places

During entomological monitoring, three species of sawflies were observed in the plantings of small-leaved elm Ulmus pumila Linnaeus (1753), rough U. glabra Hudson (1762) and smooth U. laevis Pallas (1784) in Voronezh. Slight overeating by the elm sawfly Cladius ulmi (Linnaeus, 1758) (Tenthredinidae) was found throughout the study area on three species of elms. Mines of the elm mining sawfly Fenusa ulmi Sundevall, 1847 (Tenthredinidae) were found only on the rough elm in the Northern district of the city. Isolated damage to the leaves of U. pumila by the zigzag sawfly Aproceros leucopoda Takeuchi, 1939 (Argidae) was noted in all districts of the city, U. glabra – only in two points of the Northern district. In early July 2023, a hearth with a high number of zigzag sawflies on U. pumila was discovered in the park of the Sovetsky district, in which 90% defoliation on U. pumila was recorded by early August. The flight of the imago of A. leucopoda on the territory of three parks and squares of the Sovetsky district was marked in the first decade of July. The female sawfly was caught on a city bus with the starting point of the route near the found hearth with a high number of sawflies, which confirms the transfer of the imago of the zigzag sawfly within the city by public transport.

Three species of secretive invasive insects (locust gall midge Obolodiplosis robiniae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), miner moth Macrosaccus robiniella (Clemens, 1859) and locust digitate leafminer Parectopa robiniella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)) as well as locust gall midge parasitoid Platygaster robiniae Buhl Duso, 2007 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) were noted on black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia Linnaeus, 1753) and clammy locust (R. viscosa Ventenat, 1801) (Fabaceae) on the territory of Voronezh. In galls on Robinia leaves, gall midge larvae, pupae exuvia, and pupae of the parasitoid P. robiniae were found, from which adults were bred under laboratory conditions. Galls of O. robiniae and mines with larvae of the moth M. robiniella were noted both on black and clammy locust. Mines with larvae of the moth P. robiniella were recorded only on clammy locust on the territory of the forest park area of the All-Russian Research Institute of Forest Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology. The distribution of P. robiniella is possibly associated with the cleaning of leaf litter in the city. The locust gall midge O. robiniae and its parasitoid P. robiniae are reported for the Voronezh Region for the first time.

Tiny leaf-mining jewel beetle Trachys minutus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Trachysini), being a species with a wide food specialization and distributed throughout the Palearctic, causes periodic outbreaks in linden plantations. Larvae of tiny leaf-mining jewel beetle mine leaves and feed on their tissues, adults feed on leaves in the crown of trees. Up-to-date information obtained during the monitoring of the T. minutus number from the end of May to the beginning of September 2022 on the territory of the forest park site of the All-Russian Research Institute of Forest Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology and in squares and street plantings of the Soviet and Central districts of Voronezh is provided. Larvae mine leaves of white willow (Salix alba Crawford, 1914), goat willow (S. caprea Linnaeus, 1753), small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata Miller, 1768), Midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata (Poiret) de Candolle (1825)) and common hawthorn (C. monogyna Jacquin, 1775) on the territory of Voronezh. The species is rare in the center, while on the northern city outskirts (on the territory of the forest park site) up to 10% of linden leaves were affected by mines of T. minutus. White willow, goat willow, small-leaved linden, large-leaved linden (T. platiphyllos Scopoli, 1772), Norway maple (Acer platanoides Linnaeus, 1753), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior Linnaeus, 1753) and hawthorn species were noted as fodder plants in the city.

Invasive alien insects cause serious ecological and economical losses around the world. Here, we review the bionomics, modern ranges (and their dynamics), distribution pathways, monitoring, and control measures of 14 insect species known to be important invasive and emerging tree pests in forest and urban ecosystems of Russia: Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Corythucha arcuata (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), Agrilus fleischeri, A. mali, A. planipennis, Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Ips amitinus, Polygraphus proximus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Acrocercops brongniardella, Cameraria ohridella, Phyllonorycter issikii, and P. populifoliella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). We identified three major scenarios of tree pest invasions in the country and beyond: (1) a naturally conditioned range expansion, which results in the arrival of a pest to a new territory and its further naturalization in a recipient region; (2) a human-mediated, long-distance transfer of a pest to a new territory and its further naturalization; and (3) a widening of the pest’s trophic niche and shift to new host plant(s) (commonly human-introduced) within the native pest’s range frequently followed by invasion to new regions.

The article presents new data on the distribution and acclimatization of an alien species of the American coniferous bug ( Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910) from the European part of Russia. This bug was discovered in the autumn of 2019 on the territory of the city of Voronezh in the Arboretum of the Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies. Currently, L. occidentalis spreads on the territory of Russia only in an urban environment, where it finds optimal environmental conditions (suitable temperature, humidity and shelter for winter locations). Surveys of a number of park and forest park zones, squares and separately growing coniferous trees conducted in 2019-2020 in Voronezh did not reveal the presence of this species. At the moment, in the conditions of the Voronezh region, the center of the spread of this bug is located only in the Arboretum of the Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies. In 2020, an increase in the number of the identified group of L. occidentalis was recorded. Further spread of the bug is predicted on the territory of Voronezh. At the moment, no danger to conifers in the European part of Russia from L. occidentalis has been identified and is not yet expected, but constant monitoring of the detected group is required.

Twelve species are recorded for the first time from the Altai Republic, Russia, based on the materials collected by authors in the vicinity of the northern part of Lake Teletskoye in the southern taiga of Western Siberia. Nabis (Dolichonabis) americolimbatus (Carayon, 1961) is recorded for the first time for the Western Siberia. Seven species, Pachycoleus pusillimus (J. Sahlberg, 1870) (and family Dipsocoridae Dohrn, 1859), Saldula orthochila (Fieber, 1859), Xylocoris cursitans (Fallén, 1807), Acalypta carinata (Panzer, 1806), Empicoris vagabundus (Linnaeus, 1758), Drymus brunneus (R.F. Sahlberg, 1848), Scolopostethus thomsoni Reuter, 1875 are recorded for the first time from the Russian Altai. Four species are recorded for the first time from the Altai Republic – Phytocoris longipennis Flor, 1861, Nysius helveticus (Herrich-Shaeffer, 1850), Kleidocerys resedae resedae (Panzer, 1797), Cymus glandicolor Hahn, 1832. For each species the general distribution, the detailed distribution in the adjacent territories of Siberia, and the data on the biotopic confinement are provided. In addition, the data on the abundance and ecology of some other rare species are provided.

On 08 January 2021, Oleg P. Negrobov, Dr.Sc., Professor of the Department of Zoology and Parasitology of the Voronezh State University (Russia), Honoured Worker of the Higher School of the Russian Federation, passed away at the age of 80. In 1959, O.P. Negrobov graduated from the Voronezh State University, and in 1967 he completed a postgraduate course at the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1968, O.P. Negrobov defended his PhD Thesis «Palearctic species of the Medeterinae subfamily (Dolichopodidae, Diptera) – entomophages of hidden-stem pests», and in 1983 he defended his Dr.Sc. Thesis «System and phylogeny of the family Dolichopodidae (Diptera)». In 1967–2021, Oleg P. Negrobov worked at the Voronezh State University, where, during many years, he headed the Department of Ecology and Systematics of Invertebrates. Until the last days of his life, Professor Oleg P. Negrobov was one of the world's leading and actively working specialists in long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae). His main scientific publications are devoted exactly to this group of Diptera insects. In total, O.P. Negrobov published more than 1000 papers on various issues in entomology and ecology. But Dolichopodidae flies were his main research object. Every year Oleg P. Negrobov published a large number of studies on the systematics of the Dolichopodidae family. He described new species and genera, and carried out their systematic revisions. For the first time, he described more than 400 species, genera and subfamilies within the order Diptera from various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Together with his students, he studied the morphological, biological and ecological features of long-legged flies. Professor Oleg P. Negrobov supervised a large number of scientific projects and trained many students. Under his leadership, a large number of graduate students defended their PhD Dr.Sc. theses. Professor O.P. Negrobov received a huge number of various awards, certificates and letters of thanks. In memory of his colleagues and students, Oleg P. Negrobov was remembered for his calmness and passion for his favourite work – entomology. Students raised by Professor Oleg P. Negrobov will continue the research work of their teacher, and will keep a bright memory of him for future generations of entomologists. This article provides biographical data and a list of some of the most significant works and achievements of Oleg P. Negrobov.