Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2013) 37: 362-366 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/zoo-1209-23

Antlions (Insecta: : Myrmeleontidae) of Albania

Dušan DEVETAK*, Jan PODLESNIK, Vesna KLOKOČOVNIK, Franc JANŽEKOVIČ Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Received: 21.09.2012 Accepted: 16.12.2012 Published Online: 29.04.2013 Printed: 29.05.2013

Abstract: The Myrmeleontidae fauna of Albania was studied in July of 2012. The study revealed 14 species, which included new records for the country. Among collected species, hyalinus Olivier, 1811, (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785), Macronemurus appendiculatus (Latreille, 1807), Macronemurus bilineatus Brauer, 1868, and Neuroleon arenarius (Navás, 1904) are new records for the Albanian fauna. Sand dune habitat in the national park Divjakë Karavasta represents the northernmost known locality of Myrmeleon hyalinus in the Balkan Peninsula.

Key words: Neuroptera, , Myrmeleontidae, new records, Albania

1. Introduction Digital images captured at different focal planes were The antlion fauna (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) of assembled using the application Helicon Focus 4.62 Lite. Albania has been insufficiently investigated up to now. Specimens were preserved in ethanol and deposited in the The oldest record dates back to 1923, when Pongrácz first author’s collection. Nomenclature and is (1923) recorded 5 antlion species from the country. Later, used in accordance with Aspöck et al. (1980) and Aspöck et Navás (1932) recorded 1 antlion species from Albania. At al. (2001). We followed the zoogeographical categorization the end of the Second World War, Capra (1945) listed 5 of neuropteran fauna of the Balkan Peninsula proposed by antlion species, among which he described Cueta albanica Popov and Letardi (2010). as a new species. Today, this species name is considered The material was collected between 17 and 24 July a synonym for C. lineosa (Rambur) (Aspöck et al., 2001). 2012. The following collection sites were included in the In 1961, the German Entomological Institute (Berlin– survey (with details of geographic position, altitude, and Friedrichshagen) organized an entomological expedition type of habitat; Figure 1): to Albania with the aim of collecting specimens from 1 – National Park Parku Kombëtar Divjakë Karavasta: different orders. Zelený (1964) compiled literature lagoons, 1–2 m above sea level, 40°59.40′N, 19°29.79′E; records and records of Neuroptera collected on the trip, habitat: sand dunes. and his list comprises 8 antlion species occurring in 2 – Apollonia: surroundings, lagoons, 0–3 m, Albania. 40°43.40′N, 19°22.12′E; habitat: sand dunes. In July 2012, zoologists from the Department of 3 – Apollonia: 45 m, 40°43.26′N, 19°28.29′E; habitat: Biology of the University of Maribor (Slovenia) organized cultural landscape. a neuropterological collecting trip to southern Albania. 4 – Berat, Gorica: Castle Park, 165 m, 40°41.48′N, The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of 19°57.36′E; habitat: forest with Pinus and Cupressus. the Myrmeleontidae of Albania. 5 – Osumi River: NE Berat, 65 m, 40°41.17′N, 19°58.80′E; habitat: sandbank with fine sand and meadows. 2. Materials and methods 6 – Between Berat and Këlcyra: Droboniku-Zhitomi, Adults were collected using an insect net or were picked 525 m, 40°39.20′N, 19°58.19′E; habitat: grassland and by hand from a light source, while antlion larvae were scrub. excavated from their pits using a spoon. Adults were 7 – Osumi River: Poliçani, 250 m, 40°34.84′N, photographed under a stereoscopic zoom microscope 20°7.70′E; habitat: scrub and barren land. (Nikon SMZ800) with a mounted digital camera (Nikon 8 – Osumi River: SE of Poliçani, 190 m, 40°33.31′N, DS-Fi1) and processed with NIS-Elements F 3.0 software. 20°8.54′E; habitat: sandbank with Platanus and Tamarix. * Correspondence: [email protected] 362 DEVETAK et al. / Turk J Zool

12 – National Park Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Hotovës- Dangelli: central part, the top of a mountain, 1270 m, 40°21.81′N, 20°23.10′E; habitat: grassland with sporadic trees (Corylus, Juniperus, Pinus, and Acer). 13 – National Park Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Hotovës- Dangelli: lodge, entrance in the park, 1170 m, 40°20.58′N, 20°22.76′E; habitat: forest with Picea and Abies, sporadic Quercus.

3. Results 3.1. Palpares libelluloides (Linnaeus, 1764) Material examined: Apollonia, 24. VII. 2012, 1 ind. (wings in a spider’s web). Between Berat and Këlcyra: Qafa e Gllavës, 18. VII. 2012, 1♂, 2 ♀♀. Between Berat and Këlcyra: Droboniku-Zhitomi, 19. VII. 2012, 1 ♀. Osumi River: Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 3 ♀♀. Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangelli, 1270 m, central part, 21. VII. 2012, 3 ♀♀. Literature records: Pongrácz (1923): Tropoja; Capra (1945): Kopliku, Shkodër (“Scutari”); Zelený (1964): Saranda. Remarks: A common species in Albania, characteristic of open habitats – scrub or grassland with bushes and sporadic trees. Zoogeographical categorization: Holomediterranean element (stationary). 3.2. Myrmecaelurus trigrammus (Pallas, 1771) 025 50 km Material examined: Between Berat and Këlcyra: Qafa e Gllavës, 18. VII. 2012, 1 ♂, 1 ♀. Osumi River: Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 1 Figure 1. Map of Albania with collection sites. Legend: 1 – lagoons in Divjakë Karavasta; 2 – lagoons in the surroundings larva. of Apollonia; 3 – Apollonia; 4 – Berat, Gorica; 5 – Osumi River Osumi River: SE of Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀. NE of Berat; 6 – between Berat and Këlcyra: Droboniku-Zhitomi; Literature records: 7 – Osumi River: Poliçani; 8 – Osumi River: SE of Poliçani; 9 – Pongrácz (1923): Tropoja; Capra (1945): Shkodër Qafa e Gllavës; 10 – S of Qafa e Gllavës: Ballabani; 11 – 2 km W (“Scutari”). of Këlcyra: bank of Vjosa River; 12 – Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Remarks: Hotovës-Dangelli, central part of the park; 13 – Parku Kombëtar This species was found in grassland and along river Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangelli, entrance of the park. banks. Zoogeographical categorization: 9 – Between Berat and Këlcyra: Qafa e Gllavës, 770– Holomediterranean element (expansive northwards). 902 m, 40°32.35′N, 20°0.19′E; habitat: dry meadows and 3.3. Cueta lineosa (Rambur, 1842) pastures. Material examined: 10 – S of Qafa e Gllavës: Ballabani, 920 m, 40°29.98′N, Berat, Gorica, 16. VII. 2012, 1 ♀. 19°58.54′E; habitat: brook with bushes and trees (Quercus, Literature records: Platanus). Capra (1945) described the species under the name Cueta 11 – 2 km W of Këlcyra: bank of Vjosa River, albanica from Shkodër (“Scutari”). 40°18.18′N, 20°10.43′E; habitat: sandbank with fine sand. Remarks:

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One female was caught on light. Longitudinal stripes on pronotum and mesonotum are characteristic for this species (Figure 2). The species is rare in Europe; it is known from Albania, Greece, and southern Italy. It has also been recorded in North Africa, the Middle East, Caucasus - Russia (Dagestan, North Ossetia), Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (Aspöck et al., 2001; Krivokhatsky, 2011). Zoogeographical categorization: Eremial element. 3.4. Myrmeleon formicarius (Linnaeus, 1767) This species was not collected by the authors. Literature records: Zelený (1964): Osumi River: Poliçani. Remarks:

When Zelený (1964) identified Albanian specimens, a 2 mm similar species, Myrmeleon noacki Ohm, 1965, had not yet been described. Therefore, some confusion between these 2 taxa could be possible. Zoogeographical categorization: Siberian element. Figure 2. A female of Cueta lineosa (Rambur) from Berat. 3.5. Myrmeleon inconspicuus (Rambur, 1842) Material examined: Zoogeographical categorization: 2 km W of Këlcyra: bank of Vjosa River, 18. VII. 2012, 2 Eremial element. ♀♀. 3.7. Euroleon nostras (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785) Osumi River: NE Berat, larvae: 19. VII. 2012, adults: 2 Material examined: ♂♂, 5 ♀♀. 14. VIII. 2012 Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangelli, entrance of Osumi River: SE of Poliçani, larva: 17. VII. 2012, adult: the park, larvae: 20. VII. 2012, adults: 2 ♀♀. VIII. 2012. 1 ♀. VIII. 2012. Remarks: Parku Kombëtar Divjakë Karavasta, 23. VII. 2012, 1 ♂, First record in Albania. Larvae were collected in the 1 ♀. forest edge (forest with Picea and Abies), at an altitude of Literature records: Aspöck et al., 2001: Albania. 1170 m above sea level. Remarks: Zoogeographical categorization: In Albania, this species occurs on the sea coast in sand Central European-Mediterranean element. dune ecosystems and along river banks. 3.8. Macronemurus appendiculatus (Latreille, 1807) Zoogeographical categorization: Material examined: Holomediterranean element (expansive northwards). Osumi River: Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 1 ♂, 1 ♀. 3.6. Myrmeleon hyalinus Olivier, 1811 Osumi River: NE Berat, 19. VII. 2012, 1 ♀. Material examined: Remarks: Apollonia, surroundings, 24. VII. 2012, 3 ♂♂. First record in Albania. Adults were collected in a Parku Kombëtar Divjakë Karavasta, 23. VII. 2012, 1 ♂, 2 scrub habitat and along a river bank. ♀♀. Zoogeographical categorization: Remarks: Holomediterranean element (stationary). First record in Albania. Divjakë is now the 3.9. Macronemurus bilineatus Brauer, 1868 northernmost known locality in the Balkan Peninsula. Material examined: Characteristic are dark lines on the pronotum (Figure Between Berat and Këlcyra: Qafa e Gllavës, 18. VII. 2012, 3). For the Mediterranean coastal region, Hölzel (1987) 1 ♀. defined 2 subspecies, namely Myrmeleon hyalinus hyalinus Remarks: Olivier, 1811 and M. hyalinus distinguendus Rambur, 1842. First record in Albania. One female was collected in a When we followed the morphological characterization dry meadow. proposed by Hölzel (1987), the subspecific affiliation of the Zoogeographical categorization: Albanian antlions was not clear. Pontomediterranean (Balkan) element (stationary).

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3.13. Creoleon plumbeus (Olivier, 1811) Material examined: Apollonia, 24. VII. 2012, 2 ♀♀. Apollonia, surroundings, 24. VII. 2012, 6 ♂♂, 1 ♀. Osumi River: SE of Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀. Osumi River: NE Berat, 19. VII. 2012, 8 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀. Parku Kombëtar Divjakë Karavasta, 23. VII. 2012, 22 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀. S of Qafa e Gllavës: Ballabani, 18. VII. 2012, 1 ♀. Literature records: Navás (1932): Vlora (“Valona”); Capra (1945): Shkodër (“Scutari”); Zelený (1964): Tirana, Vlora. Remarks: The most common Albanian species occurred in sand dunes, sandbanks, and habitats with bushes. Zoogeographical categorization: 2 mm Pontomediterranean-Anatolian element (expansive eastwards). 3.14. Megistopus flavicornis (Rossi, 1790) This species was not collected by the authors. Literature records: Figure 3. A female of Myrmeleon hyalinus Olivier from lagoons Zelený (1964): Vlora: Borshi, Mali-i-Dajti. near Divjakë. Zoogeographical categorization: Holomediterranean element (expansive northwards). 3.10. Neuroleon arenarius (Navás, 1904) Material examined: 4. Discussion ♀ Berat, Gorica, 16. VII. 2012, 1 . Albanian entomofauna is still insufficiently investigated. ♂♂ ♀ Osumi River: NE Berat, 19. VII. 2012, 2 , 1 . High mountains, intermontane valleys, and the Remarks: Mediterranean coast support a large number of different First record in Albania. Antlions were collected along habitats, which promote a rich fauna and flora. This study a river bank. revealed 14 Myrmeleontidae species, of which 5 are new Zoogeographical categorization: records for Albanian fauna. The collection place near Holomediterranean element (stationary). Divjakë represents the northernmost known locality of 3.11. Neuroleon microstenus (McLachlan, 1898) Myrmeleon hyalinus in the Balkan Peninsula. This species was not collected by the authors. An interesting finding is the occurrence of the 2 closely Literature records: related species, Macronemurus appendiculatus and M. Pongrácz (1923) described the species as “Nelees bilineatus, a few kilometers apart. It is evident that their irroratus Oliv. (imbecillus St.)” from Tropoja. contact belt occurs there in Albania (Devetak, 1997). Zoogeographical categorization: Zoogeographical distribution of the antlion species Holomediterranean element (stationary). found in Albania may be summarized as follows: 4 3.12. tetragrammicus (Fabricius, 1798) species are Holomediterranean (stationary); 4 species Material examined: are Holomediterranean (expansive northwards); 1 is Berat, Gorica, Castle Park, 16–22. VII. 2012, light, 1 ♂. Pontomediterranean-Anatolian (expansive eastwards); 1 Osumi River: Poliçani, 17. VII. 2012, 1 ♀. is Pontomediterranean (Balkan) (stationary); 1 is Central S of Qafa e Gllavës: Ballabani, 1 ♂. European-Mediterranean; 2 are Eremial; and 1 is Siberian. Literature records: Pongrácz (1923): Tropoja, Ura i Lopez; Capra (1945): Acknowledgments Kopliku, Shkodër (“Scutari”); Zelený (1964): Osumi River We are grateful to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and - Poliçani, Dajti - Shkall Prisk. Water of the Republic of Albania for permission to collect Remarks: the , and we thank Mr Ferdinand Bego (Museum Adults were collected in habitats with bushes and trees. of Natural Sciences, Tirana, Albania) and Ms Elvana Zoogeographical categorization: Ramaj (Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Water, Holomediterranean element (expansive northwards). Tirana, Albania) for help in issuing the authorization. We

365 DEVETAK et al. / Turk J Zool thank Ms Alma Spathara (Castle Park, Berat, Albania), Slovenia) for creating the map, and Mr Davide Badano Mr Kliton Bozgo (Castle Park, Berat, Albania), and Mr (Institute of Ecosystem Study, ISE-CNR, Sassari, Italy) for Miran Podlesnik (M PLUS, d.o.o., Maribor, Slovenia) discussion on taxonomic problems. We are grateful to 2 for all their efforts in arranging our accommodations in anonymous referees for their critical reading of an earlier Berat. We are grateful to Ms Meta Janžekovič (Vurberk, version of the manuscript. This research was supported Slovenia) for help in the field, Assistant Danijel Ivajnšič by the Slovenian Research Agency within the Biodiversity (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Maribor, Research Programme (Grant No. P1-0078).

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