Irene Schatz’s scientific contributions

Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt neue und wenig bekannte Nachweise von 178 Käferarten aus dem Bundesland Tirol. Davon werden 20 Arten erstmals für das Bundesland Tirol und 27 neu für Nordtirol nachgewiesen. Die Laufkäferart Bembidion atrocaeruleum s tephens , 1828 sowie die Kurzflügelkäfer Atheta pseudoelongatula B ernhauer , 1907 und Acrotona pilosicollis B runDin , 1952 konnten erstmals für Österreich nachgewiesen werden.

Rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in wetlands and riparian habitats near Frastanz in Vorarlberg (Austria). -Species composition and diversity of the rove beetle fauna in a complex of marshes and riparian habitats were studied by pitfall trapping and hand collecting of different strata. The 3300 collected specimens belong to 209 species. Compared to other investigated wetlands the species richness is very high. The 15 study sites were combined to four major habitat types. Diversity declines along a gradient from the highly structured riparian woodland and river shore, as well as the reeds and copses towards the sedge marshes and the dry meadows at the margins. Most species show a marked habitat preference while only few rove beetles are widely distributed within the area. The highest percentage of stenotopic and rare species is found in the reeds and thickets. Zusammenfassung Die Kurzflügelkäfer von verschiedenen Habitattypen im Feuchtgebiet Frastanzer Ried und der angrenzenden Illaue (Vorarlberg, Österreich) werden in Hinblick auf ihre Artenzusammensetzung und ökologische Wertigkeit untersucht. Als Me-thode kamen ganzjährige Bodenfallenfänge (Juli 2000 bis Juli 2001), Gesiebe, Streif-und Handfänge zum Einsatz. Das ausgewertete Material umfasst ca. 3300 Individuen aus 209 Arten. Im Vergleich mit anderen Feuchtgebieten ist diese Artenzahl enorm hoch. Erichsonius signaticornis (MULSANT & REY 1853) konnte erstmals für Vorarlberg nachgewiesen werden. Die 15 Einzelstandorte wurden zu vier Habitattypen zusammengefasst. Die Diversität nimmt von den reich struktu-rierten und feuchteren Bereichen der Illaue und den gehölzreichen Röhrichten über die Riedwiesen bis zum trockeneren Riedrand ab. Alle Staphyliniden weisen aufgrund ihrer Habitatbindung Verteilungs-Schwerpunkte auf, nur wenige eurytope Arten sind über einen Großteil des Riedes verteilt. Der Anteil an steno-topen und seltenen Arten ist innerhalb des Riedes in den Röhrichten und Ge -hölzen am höchsten und mit dem der Illaue vergleichbar. Einzelne Riedwiesen zeigen trotz geringer Gesamtartenzahl ebenfalls hohe Anteile an stenotopen Arten.

Spiders and Harvestmen (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones) in a wetland and ripa-rian habitats near Frastanz (Vorarlberg, Österreich): 220 spider species from 26 families and 11 harvestmen are recorded from a complex of marshes, reeds and riparian habitats in western Austria. In the period June 2000 – October 2001, 129 species were caught with pitfall traps, 175 come from captures by hand on the ground and in the vegetation, total number 6964 adult spiders. According to a remarkable species-composition, the "Frastanzer Ried" can be characterized as a wetland of high conservation value. A considerable number of rare stenotopic elements restricted to semi-natural sites with low anthropogenic impact is distri-buted in a complex habitat-mosaic following habitat-structure, vegetation and humidity. Signs of a faunistic shift towards common species of cultivated zones, which could be observed in other wetlands in densely populated valleys of the Alps remain restricted to small marginal areas. The riparian habitats at the Ill are dominated by a rather common fauna, known from other regulated rivers in mid-Europe. According to occurences of interesting species in single specimens and the substantial size of this riverine forest, there is a certain faunistic potential as well. Key words: spiders – wetland – riparian habitats -nature conservation – western Austria Zusammenfassung Im Feuchtgebiet Frastanzer Ried und den angrenzenden Illauen wurden im Zeit-raum Juni 2000 – Oktober 2001 220 Spinnenarten aus 26 Familien und 11 Weberknechte nachgewiesen. Barberfallen erbrachten 129, Handfänge am Boden und in der Vegetation 176 Arten, Gesamtfangzahl 6964 adulte Spinnen. Die bemerkenswerte Artenzusammensetzung charakterisiert das Frastanzer Ried als Feuchtgebiet von großer Bedeutung für den Naturschutz. Zahlreiche seltene, auf anthropogen wenig genutzte Refugiallebensräume beschränkte Formen verteilen sich in einem komplexen Habitatmosaik nach Struktur, Bodenfeuchte und Vegetation der Standorte. Anzeichen einer Faunenverschiebung in Richtung weit verbreiteter expansiver Kulturland-Arten, wie schon in anderen Feuchtge -bieten in dicht besiedelten Tallagen der Alpen beobachtet, bleiben auf kleine Randbereiche des Areals beschränkt. In den Auen an der Ill dominieren, wie auch sonst an regulierten Flussabschnitten in Mitteleuropa, häufige eurytope Wald-und Uferarten. Aufgrund des Auftretens einiger interessanter Formen in einzel-nen Exemplaren sowie der relativ großen Flächenausdehnung des Auwaldes besteht allerdings auch hier ein beträchtliches faunistisches Potential.

Arthropod remains from a Middle to Late Bronze Age (3410 to 2920 a BP cal.) site for ore smelting and slag washing were analysed within the scope of an archaeological and palaeobotanical investigation near Mauken / Brixlegg in Tyrol (900 m a.s.l.). The soil samples were taken from a slag-dump at depths between 50 and 100 cm below the present ground level. The vegetation of the site is presently dominated by montane spruce-fir-beech forest and spruce plantations. The encountered arthropod fragments were assigned to the following taxa: Arachnida - Acari - Oribatida:

Rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from the Nature Reserve Schlern – Rosengarten (South Tyrol, Italy) Within the scope of an interdisciplinary project in the Nature Reserve of Mount Schlern (or Sciliar) in the Dolomites the rove beetle fauna of 16 representative habitats from the montane to the alpine zone was studied during two years. The species list contains 311 species from 13 subfamilies, including the literature data. Remarkable records of 35 species are discussed and details of distribution and ecology given. Bryaxis bothrophorus, endemic to the Eastern Alps, is recorded for the third time. Mount Schlern serves as a nunatak refuge for relict species from the pleistocene due to its position near the southern edge of the Alps. The comparison of species assemblages from different habitats shows low similarities and highlights the diversity of the rove beetle fauna. The highest conservation value must be attributed to the natural riparian habitats of a stream as well as the wetlands adjacent to a pond. Species inventaries from other parts of the Dolomites and from sites on the central chain of the Alps show many similarities, but also some noticeable gaps in the fauna of the Schlern. Alpine sedges, cushion plant formations and erosion scree up to the Schlern summit are populated by a diverse rove beetle fauna. Species belonging to several guilds inhabit microhabitats of differing substratum, humidity and vegetation structure.

Riparian rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from the River Talfer in Bolzano (South Tyrol, Italy) The banks of the River Talfer in the city of Bolzano were sampled for terrestrial arthropods during one day in june ("biodiversity day" 2003). A total of 37 species of rove beetles where captured, including 6 rare species. Stenus melanarius, a species considered missing in South Tyrol, is recorded as the most remarkable find. A high percentage of red-listed species (60 %) emphasizes the role of riparian habitats for threatened species. The diversity of microhabitats within the limited area investigated is sufficient to support 18 stenotopic ripicolous species of rove beetles belonging to 5 different ecological guilds.