Acta Entomologica Serbica

EPALLAGE FATIME (CHARPENTIER, 1840) (ODONATA: EUPHAEIDAE), A NEW SPECIES FOR THE DRAGONFLY FAUNA OF SERBIA

2026-07-22T16:40:50+02:00

Field investigations along the Lopatnica River on the Troglav Mountain near Kraljevo have led to the discovery of a new dragonfly species for Serbia: Epallage fatime (Charpentier, 1840), belonging to the family Euphaeidae. On the Borošnica River, the right tributary of the Tolišnica River (Lopatnica River basin), E. fatime was recorded in high abundance with confirmed reproduction, indicating the presence of well-established populations. Egg laying was observed in several locations along the course of the river, and a significant number of exuviae were also found. This finding increases the total number of dragonfly species known in Serbia to 71 and the number of represented families within the order Odonata to 10.

EGG PARASITOIDS OF HALYOMORPHA HALYS AND OTHER STINK BUGS (HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) ALONG WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED PLANT SPECIES IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

2026-07-22T17:01:56+02:00

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) occur in both agricultural and urban environments in Serbia. Among them, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål, 1855) is of particular importance due to its considerable economic impact. This study investigated the occurrence and species composition of egg parasitoids associated with H. halys and other stink bugs, as well as their host plant species, in urban parks of Novi Sad, Serbia. During the 2024 growing season, a total of 319 egg masses were collected, of which 69.3% were parasitized. Between 2022 and 2024, 12 parasitoid wasp species (Hymenoptera) were recorded, with Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) and Trissolcus mitsukurii (Ashmead) being the dominant species. Parasitized egg masses were found on plants belonging to 10 families, with Fabaceae representing the most common host family. These findings highlight the important role of egg parasitoids in the natural regulation of stink bug populations in urban ecosystems.

MOLECULAR CONFIRMATION OF STETHORUS (STETHORUS) PUSILLUS (HERBST, 1797) IN NORTHERN SERBIA

2026-07-23T10:42:12+02:00

Stethorus (Stethorus) pusillus (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), one of the most effective biocontrol agents against harmful mites in horticultural crops, was recorded for the first time in Sremska Mitrovica, northern Serbia, in August 2022. Molecular analyses confirmed the morphological identification. This Holarctic species primarily preys on mites on many cultivated plants. While the specimens in this study were found on peach (Prunus persica L.) leaves, the presence of mites was not documented at the time of sampling.

THE FIRST RECORD OF CARABUS (PROCERUS) SCABROSUS OLIVIER, 1790 (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) IN SERBIA: PRESENT IN THE COUNTRY FOR OVER A DECADE

2026-07-23T11:27:45+02:00

Here we report the first verified record of the huge violet ground beetle Carabus (Procerus) scabrosus Olivier, 1790, one of Europe’s largest insects, from Serbia. A single adult male was collected in 2015 along the Nišava River near the village of Gradinje, close to the Bulgarian border. This finding represents an important faunistic contribution to the knowledge of Serbian entomofauna and provides evidence of a notable westward range expansion within the Balkans, where the species had previously been recorded only in Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. Recent observations on citizen science platforms from areas (Dimitrovgrad and Pirot) west of the confirmed site suggest that the species is already more widely distributed across southeastern Serbia. Potential pathways for the arrival of this new Serbian faunal element are also discussed. Finally, the study highlights the need for targeted field surveys to assess the species’ population status in Serbia and to consider its conservation under national legislation.

FIRST RECORD OF ANTHOCHARIS DAMONE BOISDUVAL, 1836 IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITH A SIGNIFICANT RANGE EXTENSION IN SERBIA (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE)

2026-07-23T11:49:00+02:00

Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 is a rare Ponto-Mediterranean butterfly with a fragmented distribution and high conservation priority. This study presents new data that significantly expand the known range of the species at its northern limit. We report new localities in western Serbia (Uvac Gorge, Mt. Zlatibor) and provide the first documented records for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Cikote and Masali villages). Field surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025 confirmed breeding populations through the observation of all life stages. All new records were strictly limited to xeric, south-facing slopes on ophiolitic substrates, despite the widespread availability of the host plant, Isatis tinctoria L., on other geological formations. Our findings suggest that the Drina River drainage basin serves as an important population stronghold. Given its endangered status in Europe, these newly discovered populations warrant a reassessment of regional conservation priorities and highlight the role of ophiolite massifs as thermal refugia for xerothermic species at high latitudes.

A NEW RECORD FOR THE ICHNEUMONIDAE (HYMENOPTERA) FAUNA OF TÜRKİYE

2026-07-23T12:03:02+02:00

This study was created by Ichneumonidae species collected from four different provinces (Ağrı, Iğdır, Kars, Muş) in the Eastern Anatolia region of Türkiye between 2022 and 2024. In this study, four subfamilies (Acaenitinae Forster, 1869; Anomaloninae Viereck, 1918; Ichneumoninae Latreille, 1802 and Tryphoninae Shuckard, 1840) were examined and six species were recorded. Of these species, Dicaelotus pudibundus (Wesmael, 1845) was identified for the first time in Türkiye, while Erigorgus fibulator (Gravenhorst, 1829); also a new record for the Eastern Anatolia Region. In addition, Phaenolobus trochanteralis Çoruh & Kolarov, 2013 is an endemic species for Türkiye. Several specimens were collected from the foothills of Mount Ararat, known as the "roof of Türkiye".

PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF INVASIVE MOSQUITO SPECIES (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) AT TWO ALTITUDINAL LEVELS IN THE VALJEVO MUNICIPALITY OF SERBIA

2026-07-23T12:10:13+02:00

Although invasive mosquito species such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus are expanding their distribution across Europe and invading many areas in the Balkans, data on their presence and population dynamics in some regions of Serbia remain limited. This study implemented active surveillance in the municipality of Valjevo, western Serbia, to assess the occurrence of invasive Aedes species across urban and rural habitats at two altitudinal levels. In the urban area (city of Valjevo), only Ae. albopictus was detected, with a total of 2,389 eggs collected during the one-month sampling period at approximately 275 m a.s.l. However, both Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus were present in the rural village of Leskovice, where 3,500 eggs were collected at higher altitudes of 773–777 m a.s.l. The mean number of Ae. albopictus eggs per five traps, collected across four sampling events, was higher in the rural area (700.00±442.82) compared to the urban site (477.80±211.37). These findings contribute to the current knowledge of invasive mosquito populations in western Serbia.