Hans-Peter Tschorsnig’s research while affiliated with State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart and other places

In the temperate mixed oak forests of Central Europe, outbreaks of insects such as the spongy moth, Lymantria dispar, can cause severe defoliation and insecticide is sometimes applied for their control. Parasitoids, mainly Hymenoptera and Diptera, are among the most diverse and important natural enemies of caterpillars in these forests. However, due to their cryptic lifestyle and taxonomic difficulties, we lack knowledge on the impact of insecticide applications on complex host‐parasitoid networks. In a large‐scale field experiment, we tested the effect of spraying the lepidopteran‐specific insecticide Mimic (tebufenozide) on the abundance and community composition of both adult and larval parasitoids. We combined morphological identification, DNA barcoding and metabarcoding to identify parasitoids adult or inside caterpillars, both sampled by canopy fogging during an outbreak and two subsequent years. We analysed the abundance of parasitoids, community composition and network specialisation using statistical methods that account for sample incompleteness in host‐parasitoid data. For adult parasitoid assemblages, we found strong annual effects on abundance, with highest numbers of adult parasitoids occurring in the outbreak year, as well as on annual changes in community composition, but no effect linked to insecticide application. However, the abundance and species number of immature parasitoids revealed negative effects of insecticide application, while community composition was only affected by annual variation. Coverage‐based network analyses showed a reduction of taxonomic network diversity and network specialisation associated with insecticide application in the first 2 years. Synthesis and applications: This real‐world experiment shows that parasitoid populations respond immediately to large‐scale outbreaks but only limited to local disturbances. Results indicate that this group of natural enemies exhibits high mobility, enabling them to track host populations across large spatial scales. However, our observation of reduced network specialisation after insecticide application is a warning signal that ecosystem function, and consequently natural pest control services, may be impaired by human interference at the local stand scale.

Elevational gradients are characterized by strong environmental changes within small geographical distances, providing important insights on the response of biological communities to climate change. Mountain biodiversity is particularly sensitive to climate change, given the limited capacity to colonize new areas and the competition from upshifting lowland species. Knowledge on the impact of climate change on mountain insect communities is patchy, but elevation is known to influence parasitic interactions which control insect communities and functions within ecosystems. We analyzed a European dataset of bristle flies, a parasitoid group which regulates insect herbivory in both managed and natural ecosystems. Our dataset spans six decades and multiple elevational bands, and we found marked elevational homogenization in the host specialization of bristle fly species through time. The proportion of specialized parasitoids has increased by ca. 70% at low elevations, from 17 to 29%, and has decreased by ca. 20% at high elevations, from 48 to 37%. As a result, the strong elevational gradient in bristle fly specialization observed in the 1960s has become much flatter over time. As climate warming is predicted to accelerate, the disappearance of specialized parasitoids from high elevations might become even faster. This parasitoid homogenization can reshape the ecological function of mountain insect communities, increasing the risk of herbivory outbreak at high elevations. Our results add to the mounting evidence that symbiotic species might be especially at risk from climate change: Monitoring the effects of these changes is urgently needed to define effective conservation strategies for mountain biodiversity.

The faunistic knowledge of the Diptera of Morocco recorded from 1787 to 2021 is summarized and updated in this first catalogue of Moroccan Diptera species. A total of 3057 species, classified into 948 genera and 93 families (21 Nematocera and 72 Brachycera), are listed. Taxa (superfamily, family, genus and species) have been updated according to current interpretations, based on reviews in the literature, the expertise of authors and contributors, and recently conducted fieldwork. Data to compile this catalogue were primarily gathered from the literature. In total, 1225 references were consulted and some information was also obtained from online databases. Each family was reviewed and the checklist updated by the respective taxon expert(s), including the number of species that can be expected for that family in Morocco. For each valid species, synonyms known to have been used for published records from Morocco are listed under the currently accepted name. Where available, distribution within Morocco is also included. One new combination is proposed: Assuania melanoleuca (Séguy, 1941), comb. nov. (Chloropidae)

Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) is one of the most famous, most polyphagous and most widely distributed tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) in the world. This species is well known as a biocontrol agent of some injurious pests of cultural and wild plants and has been introduced from Europe to the United States to control mainly the gypsy moth. Recently we found three new species very closely resembling C. concinnata from Southeast and East Asia: C. lobata sp. nov. (Japan and Thailand), C. malayana sp. nov. (Malaysia) and C. pauciseta sp. nov. (Japan and Taiwan). Additionally, C. samoaensis Malloch is treated as a junior synonym of C. concinnata based on the examination of the type specimen. The genetic differences in the mitochondrial COI gene data are examined to assess the accuracy of species delimitation of Compsilura. The male postabdominal characters of these species are illustrated. The piercing female postabdomen of C. concinnata is illustrated and compared to those of other members belonging to the Blondelia group including Blondelia Robineau-Desvoidy, Celatoria Coquillett, Eucelatoria Townsend and Vibrissina Rondani.

A checklist of the Turkish Tachinidae, with a total of 341 species is presented for the first time. The subfamiliy Exoristinae, with 139 species, has the highest representativeness, while the other subfamilies, Tachininae, Phasiinae and Dexiinae, with 91, 63 and 48 species, respectively. Among them, eight species are newly recorded for the Turkish Tachinidae fauna. These species are Exorista deligata Pandellé, 1896, Lecanipa leucomelas (Meigen, 1824), Lomachantha rufitarsis Villeneuve, 1912, Nowickia ferox (Panzer, 1809), Germaria ruficeps (Fallén, 1820), Solieria vacua (Rondani, 1861), Eriothrix argyreata (Meigen, 1824) and Opesia grandis (Egger, 1860). The informative label data of newly recorded species was also provided.

During 2012-2016 period, Tachinids were reared in Serbia and Montenegro. Nineteen species were identified. The genus Buquetia and five species are recorded for the first time in Serbia. A checklist based on literature data and internet sources is given here. In total, there are 295 tachinid species known from the territory of Serbia and Montenegro.

The species of the genus Yponomeuta Latreille (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) are known as ermine moths and can be found on various host plant species, sometimes appearing as pests. They are attacked by a wide range of parasitoids. We studied parasitoid complexes of several communities in Austria, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Sweden during 2014–2018. From four species, Yponomeuta cagnagella (Hübner), Yponomeuta evonymella (Linnaeus), Yponomeuta malinellus Zeller and Yponomeuta padella (Linnaeus), we reared 15 parasitoid species of seven hymenopteran and one dipteran family. In this study, the family Ichneumonidae is the most numerous, while Ageniaspis fuscicollis (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was found in all four Yponomeuta species. Within reared parasitoids, A. fuscicollis is new record for Slovenia and Austria, Baryscapus evonymellae (Bouché) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Diadegma armillatum (Gravenhorst) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are new records for Slovenia and Agrypon canaliculatum (Ratzeburg) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Dolichogenidea dilecta (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Elasmus steffani Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Herpestomus brunnicornis (Gravenhorst) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Trieces tricarinatus (Holmgren) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Mesochorus nuncupator (Panzer) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are new records for Serbia. Also, Yponomeuta cagnagella is a new host record for Pteromalus semotus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Y. padella for E. steffani. Finally, we reviewed parasitoids of European Yponomeuta species and their associated host plants. In total 154 species are recorded from nine hymenopteran and one dipteran family.

Faunistic records for 139 tachinid species from southwestern Turkey (Muğla province and adjacent Aydın, Burdur, Denizli and Antalya provinces) are given. Another 17 species of the study area are known only from published records. The known fauna of Tachinidae of southwestern Turkey thus comprises 156 species. Zoogeographic analysis of the study area revealed that tachinids belong to 29 chorological categories, divided into two supergroups: 122 species (78.2%) are more eurybiontic, and also distributed in northern parts of the Palaearctic region (19 chorological categories belong here), whereas 34 species (21.8%) are distinctly thermophilic, and have a southern type of distribution (10 chorological categories are distinguished). Altogether, 52 species (33.3%) are recorded for the first time from Turkey.

The faunistic knowledge of the Diptera of Morocco recorded from 1787 to 2021 is summarized and updated in this first catalogue of Moroccan Diptera species. A total of 3057 species, classified into 948 genera and 93 families (21 Nematocera and 72 Brachycera), are listed. Taxa (superfamily, family, genus and species) have been updated according to current interpretations, based on reviews in the literature, the expertise of authors and contributors, and recently conducted fieldwork. Data to compile this catalogue were primarily gathered from the literature. In total, 1225 references were consulted and some information was also obtained from online databases. Each family was reviewed and the checklist updated by the respective taxon expert(s), including the number of species that can be expected for that family in Morocco. For each valid species, synonyms known to have been used for published records from Morocco are listed under the currently accepted name. Where available, distribution within Morocco is also included. One new combination is proposed: Assuania melanoleuca (Séguy, 1941), comb. nov. (Chloropidae).