East Bohemian Museum

With the rising threat to insect pollinators and the upcoming pollinator crisis, it is important to know how pollinators contribute to pollen transfer. The contributions of individual pollinator taxa to pollen transfer depend both on their abundance and on how much pollen each individual can carry, with overall importance being a multiplication of these two values. Here, we quantified pollen load across a diverse spectrum of insect pollinator taxa and variation in their abundance over 11 years. We found that, while variation in pollen load was relatively small among pollinator taxa (compared to relatively high variability among individuals within each insect taxon), the visitation levels changed significantly over the years, resulting in a high degree of variation in pollinator contributions to pollen transfer of each insect taxon at the community level. Thus, we conclude that the overall importance of pollinator taxa for pollen transfer is determined further by their abundances than by their taxon-specific capability for carrying various pollen loads. As the insect abundances vary over time and may change dramatically from year to year, our results highlight the importance of diverse and species-rich pollinator communities, as the population decline of one pollinator can be buffered by an increase in another pollinator taxa.

Abstract The Asian or yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax has been accidentally introduced into several European countries. This invasive species has an impact on entomofauna, mainly apiculture, and plant biodiversity through reduction of pollinators. We present the first record of the species in the Czech Republic, notes associated with this record, its COI barcode, and modelled potential distribution. A specimen of Vespa velutina nigrithorax was recorded in October 2023 in Pilsen city (West Bohemia, Czech Republic). The nest was traced by observing released individuals, detected on Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and removed. The nest comprised 361 workers, 459 males, five queens, and larval and pupal stages. The COI barcode confirmed the European origin of this nest. The species either followed natural routes from Bavaria (Germany) or was introduced by transportation. A species distribution model (Maxent) trained on European distribution showed that the western Czech Republic is more suitable for the species than its eastern parts, as the species likely prefers lower continentality. Recently, this record represented an isolated occurrence in the Czech Republic; however further expansion of this invasive species is expected.

and references therein). The fossil record of Seymouriamorpha includes specimens in the pre-metamorphic stage (with external gills and found in the lacustrine sediments), as well as the post-metamorphic specimens of various grade of ossific ation, size, and age (Bulanov 2003 , Sanchez et al. 2008 , Klembara 2009) . The species of the family Discosauriscidae (Romer 1947) are so far known from the European localities in the Lower Permian of the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and France: Discosauriscus austriacus, D. pul cherrimus, Makowskia laticephala, Spinarerpeton brevicephalum and one unidentified discosauriscid specimen (for review see Klembara 2016). The sixth discosauriscid species is Ariekanerpeton sigalovi from the Lower Permian of Tadzhikistan (Klembara & Ruta 2005). The stratigra phic ally oldest known seymouriamorph species is Utegenia spinari (Utegeniidae) from the upper Carboniferous(?)lower Permian of Kazakhstan (Klembara & Ruta 2004). However, there is no certainty as for the potential Upper Carboniferous age of Utegenia (Bulanov 2003). An another discosauriscid, Urumquia liudaowanensis (Zhang et al. 1984), is from China. According to the latest investig ations, the locality of Urumquia is of Middle Permian age (Jiang et al. 2020). Previously, no discosauriscid remains have been recorded in the upper Carboniferous sediments. The aims of the present paper are: 1) description of two new specimens belonging to Discosauriscus (Discosauriscidae) from the Czech Republic and Germany; and 2) their stratigraphic evaluation. Skull length of the specimen (NHMS-WP10870) from the locality Semily is about 28 mm (measured in the median plane). The postcranial skeleton of the specimen from the locality Sembachtal (NHMS-WP12069) may belong to a specimen with about 30 mm skull length. The study of the sequence of the ontogenetic stages of Discosauriscus shows that both here described specimens represent the larval ontogenetic stages (Klembara 1995 (Klembara , 1997 (Klembara , 2009)) . We used high-resolution X-ray microcomputed tomography to obtain the morphology of bones completely or partially embedded in the sediment and which are crucial for the determination of the specimen NHMS-WP10870. Microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) imaging was performed with phoenix v|tome|x L 240 device, developed by GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies at the Earth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Banská Bystrica. Investigated specimen was analyzed by using 240 kV/320W microfocus tube. Scanning parameters were set as follows: voltage 200 kV, current 200 μA, projections 1900, average 3, skip 1, timing 333 ms, voxel size 40 μm, detector sensitivity 2, and 0.1Cu filter. The photographs of the postcranial skeleton of Discosauriscus from Sembachtal, Germany (NHMS-WP12069), was taken with Nikon D5100 camera. The drawing of this specimen was made with the help of a drawing mirror (ʻcamera lucidaʼ) on a Zeiss binocular Discovery.V12. Institutional abbreviations. -NHMS -Natur historisches Museum Schloss Bertholdsburg,

A larva of Cleroidea in Burmese amber is described, which is the first record of an immature beetle of the basal cucujiform superfamily for the Mesozoic. Well-preserved unique specimen is described and illustrated using traditional methods as well as synchrotron-radiation-based micro-computed tomography (SRµCT) to reconstruct the specimen and discern integumental details of cephalic structures, especially the mouthparts. Cretorhadalus constantinigen. et sp. nov. is unambiguously assigned to the melyrid lineage of Cleroidea and tentatively classified within the basal family Rhadalidae. Within this family, this fossil larva has the ancestral cleroid pattern of the stemmata (2+3) and well-developed hooked urogomphi. Based on a comparison with extant rhadalids, as well as most members of the melyrid lineage, the larvae and adults of this new species were probably carnivorous, living on the trunks and branches of trees or in galleries where they foraged for soft xylophagous insects.

A new aeduellid actinopterygian Amelangia ornata gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Lower Goldlauter Formation of the Thuringian Forest (Lower Permian, Germany). Distinguishing characters of the newly described taxon are a large dermosphenotic, an unusually large number of suborbital bones, a maxilla with a low maxillary plate, a distinct sculpture consisting of tubercles on the operculum and suboperculum, the presence of a single branchiostegal ray, and a pectoral fin with a scaly basal lobe. The preserved characters place the new genus close to the genera Aeduella and Bourbonnella. The newly described genus and species is similar to an isolated operculum and suboperculum recovered from the Lower Permian of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin in the Bohemian Massif.

ABSTRACT The temnospondyl clade Amphibamiformes includes small newt-like forms that dwelled in freshwater lakes in the Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian of Europe and North America. Here we report a new genus and species, Piasimotriton kochovi, from the early Permian Boskovice Basin, Czech Republic. It has a unique combination of characters, among which the following ones rank as most important: (1) extremely elongated basipterygoid process forming a paired elongate facet for articulation with basal plate, (2) parasphenoid with broad and much abbreviated basal plate, about 2.5 times wider than long, (3) tooth crown with lateral crest, (4) premaxilla with 18 tiny teeth, and (5) a strong dermal ornament on the median skull elements. Piasimotriton kochovi has probably pedicellate teeth. Phylogenetic analysis finds Piasimotriton nests with the Melanerpeton clade with Melanerpeton, Leptorophus, and Schoenfelderpeton, with “Melanerpeton” gracile forming its sister taxon. The possession of various features that are also found in lissamphibians indicates a more widespread distribution of these within their putative stem-group. The stomach content of Piasimotriton kochovi consists of segmented thorax remains of small crustaceans. Piasimotriton probably competed with osteichthyans for arthropod prey and was only present in a short time interval of the lake’s existence.

Abstract In 2017, a luxury bronze bucket was discovered near Kladina village in the Czech Republic. The bucket is dated to the ninth century BCE, and it is a unique artefact, having no parallel in Europe. Stylistically, it is a “transition type” dated between the Late Bronze Age (11th–10th century BCE) and the Hallstatt Period (eighth–sixth century BCE). Detailed palynological analysis of verdigris and soil infill of the bucket identified a wide range of pollen grains belonging mainly to herbs, with bitter‐sour properties, and cereals. Subsequent chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of soil extracts revealed the presence of the compound miliacin that is a chemical marker of millet. Moreover, a starch analysis reveals the presence of enzymatically modified starch grains. These data, with the help of archaeological knowledge, indicate that the original content may have been millet‐based food/beverage with addition of herbs. We suggest that this luxury vessel, given the contents we have identified, was deposited, in the late spring/summer months of the year.

Územie Slovenska je bohaté na kras a jaskyne, najmä v hornatom reliéfe Západných Karpát - najsevernejšej distribučnej hranici pravej jaskynnej suchozemskej fauny v Európe. Fauna rovnakonôžok na Slovensku zahŕňa 48 druhov, z ktorých tretina žije výlučne v synantropných biotopoch. Jaskyne predstavujú prominentné nerušené refúgiá uchovávajúce reliktnú faunu. Napriek dlhej histórii slovenskej biospeleológie boli poznatky o jaskynných suchozemských rovnakonôžkach dosiaľ útržkovité. Zhromaždili sme a analyzovali kompletnú bibliografiu, ktorá sa začína v 30. rokoch 20. storočia, hoci prvé zbery rovnakonôžok v slovenských jaskyniach sú datované už od roku 1913. Spracovali sme tiež vlastné terénne údaje a zbery rovnakonôžok zo súkromných zbierok jaskynných biológov v Čechách a na Slovensku, vrátane dvoch pozostalostí už zosnulých zoológov, J. Guličku a V. Ducháča. Zhromaždili sme 434 vzoriek zozbieraných v 111 jaskyniach rôznych typov a 1 banskej štôlni, situovaných v rôznych nadmorských výškach (od 210 do 1548 m n.m.), datovaných od roku 1948 do súčasnosti. 5658 analyzovaných jedincov patrí do 25 taxónov na druhovej úrovni a reprezentujú 10 čeľadí. Ďalšie 3 druhy dokladajú literárne údaje. Napriek týmto relatívne vysokým počtom je výskyt rovnakonôžok v hlbších jaskynných zónach zriedkavý. Iba 4 taxóny zo zisteného spektra môžeme označiť ako úzko viazané na podmienky hlbších zón v jaskyniach a iných podzemných biotopoch: Mesoniscus graniger, Androniscus cf. dentiger, Trichoniscus cf. pygmaeus a bližšie neurčený slepý druh z čeľade Trichoniscidae. Výsledky naznačujú riedke populácie jaskynných kolonizátorov, s výnimkou Mesoniscus graniger, aj preto je tu druhová determinácia niektorých taxónov neistá (ojedinelé nálezy samičiek alebo nedospelých jedincov bez diagnostických znakov). Dva bežné povrchové druhy, Cylisticus convexus a Hyloniscus riparius, tiež príležitostne obývajú hlbšie zóny niektorých jaskýň. Naproti tomu jaskynné vchody obýva pestré spektrum druhov, najmä v monotónnom prostredí. Niektoré druhy, napr. Trachelipus difficilis alebo Orthometopon planum, zrejme uprednostňujú jaskynné vchody pred iným prostredím.

A preliminary checklist of blister beetles from Pakistan and Kashmir is carried out, with the inclusion of 79 species. Stenoria
\nosellai sp. nov. from northern Pakistan, Hycleus pakistanus sp. nov. from Baluchistan, and Meloe (Micromeloe) pintoi sp. nov. from
\nIndian Kashmir are described. Three genera, namely Stenoria, Psalydolytta, and Rhampholyssa, and several species belonging to both
\nsubfamilies Nemognathinae and Meloinae, are recorded for the first time from these countries, whereas the genera Cerocoma and
\nGlasunovia, previously cited, are excluded. Several new faunistic records are also introduced. The virtually unknown genus Xanthabris
\nKaszab (tribe Mylabrini) is recorded for the first time since its description, and several of its previously undescribed morphological
\ncharacters are discussed and figured. Three Oriental species previously described in other genera are referred to the genus Zonitoschema:
\nZ. melanarthra comb. nov., Z. straminea comb. nov., and Z. angustithorax comb. nov. Several previous erroneous records from Pakistan
\nare noted and a preliminary zoogeogeographic analysis of blister beetles of this region is proposed.