Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2017) 41: 164-169 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Short Communication doi:10.3906/zoo-1508-48

First records of spongillaflies (: ) in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with notes on their occurrence in the Balkan countries

Jan PODLESNIK, Vesna KLOKOČOVNIK, Tina KLENOVŠEK, Franc JANŽEKOVIČ, Dušan DEVETAK* Department of Biology & Institute for Biology, Ecology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

Received: 25.08.2015 Accepted/Published Online: 03.05.2016 Final Version: 25.01.2017

Abstract: Data on the occurrence of four spongillafly in the Balkan countries are provided. Two species are recorded for the first time in two countries: nigra (Retzius, 1783) in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sisyra terminalis Curtis, 1854 in Serbia.

Key words: Neuroptera, Sisyra, spongillaflies, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balkan Peninsula

The Neuroptera contains three families with the substrate are picked up by the subgenual organs in the water-dependent larvae: , , and legs of a potential mate (Devetak, 1998). Sisyridae (spongillaflies or flies). Spongillaflies is The life history of spongillaflies is described in a series the only neuropteran with true aquatic larvae. The of papers, e.g., Withycombe (1923, 1925), Killington Sisyridae with ca. sixty valid species occur in all continents (1936), Brown (1952), Parfin and Gurney (1956), Elliott of the world (except Antarctica) (Monserrat, 1977, 2014; (1977, 1996), Weißmair and Waringer (1994), Weißmair Rausch and Weißmair, 2007; Cover and Resh, 2008; (1999), Bowles (2006), Forteath and Osborn (2012), and Canard et al., 2015b). Monserrat (2014). The eggs are laid singly or in clusters Adults resembling brown lacewings are relatively small, on objects overhanging water bodies, such as leaves, with forewing length 4–10 mm (Figure 1). In the wings the branches, wood piles, and docks. Hatching usually takes costal cross veins are not forked, subcosta is curved distally. place within eight days to two weeks, and the then There are no true gradate cross veins and only a few cross drops into the water. Sisyrid larvae feed on freshwater veins in the forewings exist. Adult spongillaflies occur on and bryozoans. The mouthparts are modified to vegetation near the banks of ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, and form long slender sucking tubes (Gaumont, 1965). The streams. By means of microscopic analysis of gut content it larvae have segmented abdominal gills that function in was revealed that adults are carnivorous–glycinophagous breathing (Gaumont, 1966). Spongillaflies pupate close to , feeding on honeydew and small like water. aphids and mites (Tjeder, 1944; Kokubu and Duelli, 1983; The family of Sisyridae contains five genera:Sisyra Pupedis, 1987; Stelzl, 1991; Forteath and Osborn, 2012). Burmeister, 1839, McLachlan, 1869, Sisyrella The carnivorous–glycinophagous nutritional type is Banks, 1913, Sisyrina Banks, 1923, and Sisyborina reflected in the mouthpart morphology. The asymmetrical Monserrat, 1982. In Europe, only a single , Sisyra mandibles with an incisor are specialized for grasping prey Burmeister, 1839, with seven species occurs (Aspöck et al., arthropods and the spoon-like lacinia is an for 2001; Rausch and Weißmair, 2007; Canard et al., 2015b). the consumption of honeydew (Stelzl, 1992). Aspöck et al. (1980, 2001) presented the distribution A part of the courtship behavior in Sisyridae is of Sisyridae in Europe known at that time. With recent vibrational communication. While resting on leaves discoveries of one sisyrid species (Sisyra bureschi Rausch or branches male and female spongillaflies produce and Weißmair, 2007) in Germany (Weißmair, 2010) vibrational signals by means of scratching the surface of and two (S. bureschi and S. iridipennis Costa, 1884) in plant substrate using the mandibles (Rupprecht, 1995, continental France (Canard and Thierry, 2015; Canard 1997). Mandibular scratching signals travelling through et al., 2015a, 2015b) the known distribution of certain

* Correspondence: [email protected] 164 PODLESNIK et al. / Turk J Zool

only possible by means of examination of male genitalia. Genitalia preparations were made by clearing the apex of the abdomen in saturated KOH solution. For identification we used the fundamental literature: Aspöck et al. (1980), Rausch and Weißmair (2007), and Canard et al. (2015a, 2015b). Adults were photographed under a stereoscopic zoom microscope (Nikon SMZ800) with a mounted digital camera (Nikon DS-Fi1) and processed with NIS-Elements D 4.20 software. Digital images captured at different focal planes were assembled using the application Helicon Focus 4.62 Lite. Family Sisyridae Handlirsch, 1908 Genus Sisyra Burmeister, 1839 Figure 1. A male of Sisyra terminalis. Note the whitish terminal To date, in the Balkan countries four sisyrid species part of the antenna. have been recorded. (Retzius, 1783) spongillaflies is significantly enlarged into central and Syn.: Sisyra fuscata (Fabricius, 1793) western Europe. Just the opposite is the state of knowledge It is a well-characterized species according to its genital and exploration in Southeast Europe. Although two structures (Figure 2). sisyrid species were more recently described from the Literature records: Balkan Peninsula (Rausch and Weißmair, 2007) the Bulgaria: Popov (1990, 2007); Aspöck et al. (2001); spongillaflies fauna in the peninsula is poorly known and Rausch and Weißmair (2007). only sporadic records exist. The purpose of this paper is Croatia: Devetak (1992a, 1992b); Aspöck et al. (2001); to present new data on the occurrence of spongillaflies in Rausch and Weißmair (2007); Ivković and Weißmair two countries in Southeast Europe and summarize new (2011). and existing distribution records for the Sisyridae in the European part of Turkey: Rausch and Weißmair Balkan Peninsula. (2007). In June 2015, zoologists from the Department Greece: Aspöck et al. (1980, 2001). of Biology of the University of Maribor organized Montenegro: Devetak (1991, 1992b). entomological field trip to Serbia and Bosnia and Romania: Kis et al. (1970) report on the occurrence of Herzegovina. Adult spongillaflies were collected by the species from localities in Romania that are not a part sweeping by net the vegetation near the river banks of the Balkan Peninsula. of the rivers Drina and Zapadna Morava. Specimens Slovenia: Klapálek (1900); Devetak (1984, 1992b, 1995, were preserved in 70% ethanol and deposited in the last 1996, 1998); Aspöck et al. (2001). author’s collection. Reliable identification of Sisyridae is Material examined (Figure 3):

Figure 2. Genital structures of the male of Sisyra nigra (left) andSisyra terminalis (right).

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Figure 3. Collecting places of Sisyra nigra (circles) and Sisyra terminalis (triangle) in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia: Podlesnik, Janžekovič, Devetak leg. Spongillaflies were Zlatibor District: river Drina, lake Perućačko jezero, collected at the altitude about 300–305 m above sea level, near Perućac; 43°57.563ʹN 19°23.572ʹE; 25. VI. 2015; 13 on deciduous trees (Carpinus, Anus, Salix). ♂ 7 ♀; Klokočovnik, Klenovšek, Podlesnik, Janžekovič, First record for the country. Devetak leg. Adults were collected at the altitudes between Sisyra terminalis Curtis, 1854 300 and 315 m above sea level, on plants that drooped over It is a well-characterized species according to its genital the water at the bank of the lake Perućačko jezero (Figure structures and white terminal part of the antennae (Figures 4). Sisyrids were found on Alnus, Carpinus, Salix, and Acer. 1 and 2). First record for the country. Literature records: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bulgaria: Popov (2007); Rausch and Weißmair (2007). Republika Srpska: Srebrenica Municipality: river Croatia: Devetak (1992a, 1992b); Aspöck et al. (2001); Drina, lake Perućačko jezero, near Osatica; 43°58.354ʹN Ivković and Weißmair (2011). 19°24.222ʹE; 25. VI. 2015; 3 ♂ 3 ♀; Klokočovnik, Klenovšek, Romania: Pongrácz (1914); Kis et al. (1970) report on the occurrence of the species from localities in Romania that are not a part of the Balkan Peninsula. Slovenia: Devetak et al. (1977); Devetak (1984, 1992b, 1995, 1996). Material examined: Serbia: Rasina District: river Zapadna Morava, 7 km NNE of Kruševac; 43°38.375ʹN 21°22.664ʹE; 25. VI. 2015; 2 ♂ 4 ♀; Klokočovnik, Klenovšek, Podlesnik, Janžekovič, Devetak leg. Adult spongillaflies were found resting on vegetation with branches overhanging the river Zapadna Morava (Figure 5). Salix trees were dominating. The collecting site was about 140 m above sea level. First record for the country. Figure 4. The lake Perućačko jezero, a place of Sisyra nigra. In the Sisyra bureschi Rausch and Weißmair, 2007 background is the Serbian and on the right side is the Bosnian Literature records: The species description is based bank of the lake. on individuals originating from Bulgaria, Croatia, and

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Morphological characters of European sisyrids, especially coloration of the head, wings, and the antennae, and particularly the male genitalia, are reliable enough for unequivocal identification of individuals (see Canard et al., 2015a, 2015b). The fauna of the Neuropterida of some parts of the Balkan Peninsula, such as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is insufficiently investigated, and only sporadic papers on the occurrence of the superorder exist. In the Balkan Peninsula four spongillaflies species are recorded to date (Table). There are no records of the family in Albania or Macedonia. In Romania only localities outside the peninsula exist. In this paper we present the first findings of the spongillaflies in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with remarks on the habitat. Finding of Figure 5. The river Zapadna Morava near Kruševac, Serbia, a additional species in the Balkan Peninsula is expected. collecting place of Sisyra terminalis. Acknowledgment Turkey (Rausch and Weißmair, 2007). Later, the species We thank Prof Dr Predrag Jakšić (University of Niš, Serbia) was recorded in Germany and France (Weißmair, 2010; for all the efforts made to arrange our field trip in Serbia, Canard et al., 2015a). Ivković and Weißmair (2011) and Danijel Ivajnšič for help to prepare the map of Serbia presented further data on the distribution in Croatia. and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This research was supported Sisyra corona Rausch and Weißmair, 2007 partly by the Research Project Biodiversity of the green Literature records: The species was described on lacewings (Neuroptera: ) in Serbia (RP individuals originating from Bulgaria and the European BioDiv CHRYSER 2015) and partly by the Infrastructure part of Turkey (Rausch and Weißmair, 2007). program of the University of Maribor (IP-0552).

Table. Occurrence of spongillaflies (Sisyridae) in the Balkan countries. Legend: * - The species was not recorded in the Balkan part of Romania.

Species / Country Albania Bosnia and Hercegovina Bulgaria Croatia European part Turkey of Greece Macedonia Montenegro Romania Serbia Slovenia

Sisyra nigra (Retzius, 1783) - X X X X X - X X* X X Sisyra terminalis Curtis, 1854 - - X X - - - - X* X X Sisyra bureschi Rausch and Weißmair, 2007 - - X X X ------Sisyra corona Rausch and Weißmair, 2007 - - X - X ------

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