ISSN 2519-8513 (Print) Biosystems ISSN 2520-2529 (Online) Biosyst. Divers., 26(4), 263–268 doi: 10.15421/011840 Diversity Ecological and faunistic survey of the true bugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera) in the urban cenoses of Kharkiv City (Ukraine) I. A. Fedyay*, T. Y. Markina*, A. V. Putchkov** *H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine **Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Article info Fedyay, I. A., Markina, T. Y., & Putchkov, A. V. (2018). Ecological and faunistic survey of the true bugs of the infraorder Penta- Received 15.10.2018 tomomorpha (Hemiptera) in the urban cenoses of Kharkiv City (Ukraine). Biosystems Diversity, 26(4), 263–268. doi:10.15421/011840 Received in revised form 07.11.2018 A total of 63 species of true bugs in 53 genera and 11 families of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha was recorded from the city of Accepted 17.11.2018 Kharkiv. For one species, Carpocoris purpureipennis (Pentatomidae), we obtained the first record from Left-Bank Ukraine. Formerly, this species was known from Western and Central Ukraine only. Four species of the family Lygaeidae (Nysius ericae, Perithrechus H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv geniculatus, P. gracilicornis, Taphropeltus contractus) are new to Kharkiv Region. The families Lygaeidae (23 species of 19 genera, National Pedagogical 38.3% of the total collected bugs), Pentatomidae (16 species of 14 genera, 26.7%), Rhopalidae (7 species of 5 genera, 11.7%), and University, Valentynivska st., 2, Coreidae (6 species of 6 genera, about 3%) were the most rich in species and individual numbers. The families of Berytidae, Cydnidae Kharkiv, 61000, Ukraine. Tel.: +38-096-708-84-73, and Scutelleridae were represented by two species each (3.3% out of the total collected bugs). Six species (Myrmus miriformis, Lygaeus E-mail: equestris, Scolopostethus pictus, Aelia acuminata, Graphosoma lineatum, and Pyrrhocoris apterus) were abundant, eight species [email protected], common, 14 species rare, and 32 species belonged to occasional elements of the urban cenoses. The true bug species composition and [email protected] individual abundance were the highest in the suburban meadows and large city parks (44 and 27 species, respectively). By contrast, only Schmalhausen seven species were registered in the green areas of the city centre (lawns, public gardens). Faunal similarity (Jaccard / Chekanovsky- Institute of Zoology Sørensen indices) of the true bug assemblages was the lowest when comparing public gardens of the city centre with the habitats of the of the NAS of Ukraine, suburbs and city parks (0.04–0.06 / 0.07–0.12), and the highest between the meadows and urban parks with glades and grassy vegetation B. Khmelnitsky st., 15, under low recreational pressure (0.52 / 0.68). Jaccard similarity indices for the other six pairs of compared urban cenoses were low Kyiv, 02000, Ukraine. Tel.: +38-095-462-62-23. (0.1‒0.42). The average Pentatomomorpha similarity in different urban cenoses was also low (Jaccard index 0.27, Chekanovsky- E-mail: Sørensen index 0.39). The essential faunal differences can be explained by both the low number of most Pentatomomorpha species and [email protected] their ecological peculiarities. The proportions of various ecological groups of bugs in different urban cenoses were analyzed and discussed. Major differences were observed in the species habitat distributions while the lesser differences concerned trophic groups and hygropreferences of most species. Hortobiont and herpetohortobiont polyphytophagous species dominated all the habitats. Keywords: terrestrial bugs; species composition; faunal similarity; ecological groups; city parks; Kharkiv; Ukraine Introduction other similar) works, ecological and faunal information on bugs is given exclusively for natural habitats of large geographic regions or various Hemipterans or true bugs (Hemiptera) account for about 40,000 de- protected areas while only occasionally is fragmentary information scribed species in the world fauna (Schuh & Slater, 1995). One of the (Brygadyrenko, 2016; Faly et al., 2016) devoted to transformed ecosys- largest groups, the infraorder Pentatomomorpha, is represented by tems (more often, agrocenoses). In conditions of megalopolises, very seven superfamilies. In the Palearctic, there are about 3,500 species in few such studies (unlike those for some other insects, for example 750 genera and 23 families of this infraorder (Catalogue of the Hetero- beetles) have been carried out not only in Ukraine, but also in other ptera, 2001, 2004). In Ukraine, this group of true bugs is represented by countries of Europe and Asia. Each large city consists not only of high- 15 families, which include 350 species (Zhuravel, 2016; Putshkov & rise areas and industrial enterprises, but also of green zones (parks, Putshkov, 1996). All the representatives of Pentatomomorpha lead a lawns, public gardens) and wastelands, which have characteristic featu- terrestrial way of life being an integral part of ecosystems of all types. res and differ from other transformed lands. Megalopolises have a green Most species are typical phytophages, many of them are of practical im- zone that hosts a peculiar and relatively rich entomofauna, where true portance as pests of various plants. On the other hand, a number of spe- bugs (including Pentatomomorpha) undoubtedly can be one of the most cies have bioindication significance and can be used in the assessment widespread groups of insects. However, even the taxonomic structure of of the state of ecosystems. Some representatives (species of the subfamily bugs in urban habitats remains poorly known while the information on Asopinae, and/or the genus Geocoris) are predators, including those fee- species autecology is absent at all. Only fragmentary information about ding on pests of many field crops. A significant number of papers has the three species of Pentaomomorpha bugs collected in the parks of been devoted to the study of Pentatomomorpha, addressing a variety of Kharkiv is available in some rather poorly informative papers (Dekhtya- questions, their morphology, faunistics, ecology, taxonomy and phylo- ryova, 2002). geny (Dolling, 1981; Aldrich, 1988; Henry, 1997; Catalogue of the Heteroptera, 2001, 2006; Li et al., 2005; Musolin, 2007; Grazia et al., Material and methods 2008; Hua et al., 2008; Park et al., 2011; Yao et al., 2012; Putchkov, 2013; Tembe et al., 2014; Ghahari et al., 2014; Kuzhuget, 2017). The purpose of our research was to study the species composition, In Ukraine, this group of insects in general has been studied quite spatial (layer) distribution and ecological structure of all terrestrial bugs well, which is reflected in a number of issues of “Fauna of Ukraine” of the city of Kharkiv. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the (Putshkov, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1974). At the same time, in these (and infraorder Pentatomomorpha while the data on other groups (mainly the Biosyst. Divers., 26(4) 263 infraorder Cimicomorpha) is under laboratory processing. The material streets in the northeastern part of Kharkiv (Kiev District) in the flood- was collected with the use of a standard entomological net, Barber plain of the Kharkiv River. On the river banks, there are weeping pitfall traps (0.2 liter plastic cups filled with 10% acetic acid solution), willows, scattered planted groups of birches, pines and larch. Most of and hand collecting in the detritus (soil litter). At each study plot, at least the territory is occupied by floodplain meadows. In the park, there is a 150 swipes with the net were taken and 10‒20 traps were set. In addition, section of pine forest of anthropogenic origin, in which the numerous bugs were collected during excursions throughout the city by examining Pinus sylvestris L. form the first tree layer while single specimens of individual plants and trees. Insects were sampled at intervals of 10‒15 Robinia pseudoacacia L., Prunus armeniaca L., Pyrus communis L., days in May‒October 2017 at the following plots: Peremoha Park, the Acer negundo L. occur in the undergrowth. There are a few shrubs such gully “Sarzhin Yar”, Kharkiv Forest Park (part of a large forest located as Rubus idaeus L. and Rosa canina L. The out-of-layer vegetation is in the city agglomeration), lawns, public gardens of the city centre represented by Humulus lupulus L. Xerophilous species of Asteraceae (Pushkinskaya Street, the territory of H. N. Vysotsky Forestry and Ag- (Achillea millefolium L., Tanacetum vulgare L., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., roforestry Research Institute) and peripheral districts of the city (territo- Artemisia austriaca Jacq., Hieracium umbellatum L., Erigeron cana- ry of H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Saltiv- densis L.) predominate in the herbaceous layer. The other dominants of the ka residential complex, and Zhuravlivskyi Hydropark). herbaceous layer belong to four families. The Brassicaceae are repre- To assess similarity of the bug species composition of the study plots, sented by Berteroa incana (L.) DC., the Fabaceae by Medicago falcata L., the Jaccard similarity index and in addition (for comparison) the Cheka- the Polygonaceae by Polygonum aviculare L., and the Poaceae by novsky-Sørensen index were used. According to the abundance level (out Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov., Elymus repens (L.) Gould. There of 1,800 collected individuals), four groups of species were distinguished: are Asteraceae species at low abundance such as Hieracium