Alexander B. Ruchin // Forests 2023, 14, 680.

Temperate forests are highly complex ecosystems in which many aspects of invertebrate distribution and abundance remain poorly understood. In order to accumulate data on the vertical and temporal distribution of forest Lepidoptera in the Republic of Mordovia (central European part of Russia), specimens were collected with beer-baited traps from April to October in 2019–2022. Traps were deployed at different heights above ground level (i.e., 1.5, 3.5, 7, and 12 m) in deciduous forests, pine forests, forest edges, and forest glades. Over the four-year sampling period, over 69,000 specimens of Lepidoptera were collected and examined. In deciduous forests, maximum abundance was observed at 12 m above ground level, whereas in pine forests, maximum abundance was observed at 7 m. In both forest types, the lowest abundance was observed at the lowest sample sites (i.e., 1.5 m above ground level). In forest glades in 2020, maximum abundance was observed at 2 m, with abundance showing a conspicuous decline with trap height above the ground. However, this pattern was not repeated in subsequent years. Lepidoptera exhibited various patterns of seasonal abundance among habitat types, but most showed bi- or trimodal patterns (corresponding with spring summer and fall), with the greatest number of specimens captured in late summer or autumn. Forest edges showed the greatest abundance of all sampled habitat types.

Василенко С.В., Ручин  А.Б. // Кавказский энтомологический бюллетень. 2023. 19(2): 221–229

Представлен список из 122 видов пилильщиков, относящихся к 8 семействам, собранных в Республике Мордовия. Dolerus quadrinotatus (Bíró, 1884) указан впервые для фауны России. Приведены фотографии этого редкого вида и даны отличия от D. liogaster Thomson, 1871, имеющего схожую окраску тела. Allantus cingulatus (Scopoli, 1763), Empria fletcheri (Cameron, 1878), E. immersa (Klug, 1818), E. pumila (Konow, 1896), Cladardis hartigi Liston, 1995, Aglaostigma gibbosum (Fallén, 1808), Macrophya teutona (Panzer, 1799), Tenthredopsis auriculata (Thomson, 1870) и T. scutellaris (Fabricius, 1804) ‒ виды, новые для фауны Мордовии.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov and Anatoliy A. Khapugin // Insects 2023, 14, 404.

The possibilities of using beer traps for the study of Coleoptera fauna in various open biotopes were studied. The biodiversity of beetles was 208 species from 35 families. The largest number of species belonged to the families Cerambycidae (35 species), Curculionidae (26 species), and Elateridae (25 species). Only 13 species were found to be common to all habitats. Some patterns of species distribution in biotopes were revealed. The maximum species diversity with the greatest equalization of species was characteristic of meadows. We recommend the use of beer traps for ecological studies of Coleoptera fauna in open biotopes.

Alexander Ruchin // Web of Conferences 376, 02033 (2023)

To study and conserve biological diversity is one of the most important tasks of protecting natural ecosystems. According to long-term data, the biodiversity of invertebrates of Mordovia State Nature Reserve accounts for 6823 species out of 10 types of invertebrates: Rhizopoda (58 species), Porifera (1), Platyhelminthes (156), Nematoda (67), Annelida (4), Acanthocephala (1), Mollusca (62), Bryozoa (1), Rotifera (80), and Arthropoda (6393). Thus, the Mordovia State Nature Reserve belongs to one of the hotspots of biodiversity in the forests of the temperate zone in European Russia. It is home to a large number of rare species and three endemic species. The protected area is connected by ecological corridors with other territories and can be a source of genetic and species diversity for nearby ecosystems.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov and Anatoliy A. Khapugin // Insects 2023, 14, 371

Forest edges significantly influence the distribution of many beetles. In 2020–2022, in the Republic of Mordovia (Russia), we used beer traps to collect beetles in four sites, located on the forest edges, and in forest interiors. Eight traps were on each site (edge–below, edge–above, forest interior–below, and forest interior–above) with two traps per plot. The traps were located at heights of 1.5 (below) and 7.5 m (above) above the ground. More than 13,000 specimens from 35 families were recorded. There were 13 species common to all plots, including four (Protaetia marmorata, Cryptarcha strigata, Glischrochilus grandis, and Soronia grisea) in all traps. The general pattern was the highest beetle diversity on the forest edge in the lower traps, while the total number of all species on the edges was lower. At the edges, the Shannon index was almost always higher or equal to similar values in traps in the forest interior. Based on our data, the number of saproxylic beetles prevails inside forest areas, and the highest number of them was found in the upper traps. In all plots, we found a relatively higher number of anthophilic beetles at the forest edge in the upper traps.

Ruchin A.B., Vikhrev N.E., Gavryushin D.I., Esin M.N. // Труды Мордовского государственного природного заповедника имени П.Г. Смидовича. Вып. 32. 2023. С. 5 - 67

Diptera is one of the most species-diverse insect orders. The paper presents data on the biodiversity of Diptera from 9 families (Tipulidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae, Mycetophilidae, Keroplatidae, Ptychopteridae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Sciomyzidae) inhabiting 14 regions within the Volga upland and Oka-Don lowland. The most studied fauna is in the Republic of Mordovia (399 species). The fauna of these families is least known from the Republic of Tatarstan, Lipetsk Region, Nizhny Novgorod Region, and Vladimir Region (9, 19, 20, and 21 species, respectively). A total of 545 species are known from 9 families of Diptera in the large macroregion. The largest number of species includes the families Muscidae (190) and Limoniidae (102). The biodiversity is least known in Ptychopteridae (4 species), Pediciidae (6 species) and Keroplatidae (10 species).

D. Georgiev and A. B. Ruchin // Far Eastern Entomologist. November 2023. Number 489: 16-20

The list of 16 species of the psocids families Caeciliusidae (3), Stenopsocidae (2), Lachesiliidae (1), Liposcelididae (1), Epipsocidae (1), Peripsocidae (2), Elipsocidae (1), Mesopsocidae (1), and Psocidae (4) collected in five regions of Russia is given. One new species is recorded for the fauna of the Chuvash Republic, the Penza Region and the Republic of Tatarstan, respectively. Three species are new for the Republic of Mordovia, and four species are listed for the Ulyanovsk Region for the first time.

Sergei Alekseev and Alexander Ruchin // Web of Conferences 392, 02002 (2023)

In most habitats in temperate zones, Carabidae show clear intra-annual changes in abundance and species composition. In the spring, we studied the beetle fauna in 5 different biotopes differing in the degree of overgrowth of the birch forest over a period of three years. According to three years of research, 10,528 specimens (64 species from 6 subfamilies) were collected. Twelve species of beetles were found in all biotopes. The highest numbers were obtained in the 12-15-year birch forest; the lowest numbers were obtained in abandoned lands. The highest biodiversity was obtained in the ecotone at the border of young birch forest and fallow lands. A high Shannon Biodiversity Index and a low Simpson Index indicate that the communities of beetles in the abandoned lands are equalized. There is a significant dominance of 1–3 species in fallow lands overgrown with birch forests.

Borisova N. V., Ruchin A. B., Khapugin A. A., and  Semishin G. B. // Inland Water Biology, 2023, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 16–27

The fauna of caddisflies was studied from two protected areas of federal significance such as Mordovia State Nature Reserve (Temnikov district, Republic of Mordovia) and National Park “Smolny” (Ichalki district and Bolshoe Ignatovo district, Republic of Mordovia). The material was collected from May to October 2008, 2009, 2013–2021. There were 677 specimens from 59 caddisfly species from 12 families. The largest family Limnephilidae includes 29 species, there were 9 species each in the families Phryganeidae and Leptoceridae. Limnephilus sericeus and Holocentropus dubius dominated in the collections (12 and 10% from the total amount respectively), Hydropsyche angustipennis (8.9%), Hagenella clathrata (8.7%), Phryganea grandis (7.5%), Hydropsyche pellucidula (7.1%), Halesus tesselatus (6.6%) were numerous. Eighteen species of caddisflies (Rhyacophila fasciata, Holocentropus dubius, Agrypnia varia, Oligostomis reticulata, Anabolia concentrica, Anabolia furcata, Chaetopteryx villosa, Halesus digitatus, Limnephilus binotatus, Limnephilus extracatus, Limnephilus fuscicornis, Limnephilus ignavus, Limnephilus sericeus, Limnephilus sparsus, Limnephilus vittatus, Micropterna lateralis, Molanna albicans, Ceraclea excisa) supplement the known information on the fauna of the Republic of Mordovia, where 73 species from 14 families are currently recorded. The species Molanna albicans is indicated for the first time for the fauna of the Middle Volga region. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed similarities and differences in the composition of trichopterofauna among the study sites. There was the maximum similarity among the sites with more diverse biotopes. There were indicated preferred habitats of some species.

Ручин А.Б. // Труды национального парка «Смольный». Вып. 7. 2023. с. 146 - 171

С момента образования национального парка «Смольный» проводятся энтомологические исследования на его территории. Каждый год в «копилку» биоразнообразия вносятся новые виды. В данной публикации приводится очередной список видов насекомых НП «Смольный», составленный по публикациям 2018–2023 годов и включающий 599 видов. Исключено 2 вида насекомых из предыдущих публикаций. Таким образом, современный состав энтомофауны национального парка насчитывает 2060 видов.

Victor V. Aleksanov, Inessa O. Karmazina, Alexander B. Ruchin, Mikhail N. Esin, Sergei V. Lukiyanov, Evgeniy A. Lobachev, Oleg N. Artaev and Maxim K. Ryzhov // Diversity 2023, 15, 803

Orthopteroidea is an ecologically diverse group of incompletely transformed insects that includes several insect orders similar in development and structure. Many species from Dermaptera, Orthoptera, Mantodea, and Blattodea are sensitive to anthropogenic influences and are indicators of the external environment. Some species cause damage to agriculture and forestry; others are inhabitants of human dwellings and pests of food supplies. The aim of this study is to describe fauna of some orders of Orthopteroidea in the Republic of Mordovia, in the central part of European Russia. This study was conducted in April–October 1971, 1984, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2004–2023. All possible habitats were studied using a variety of methods (entomological traps, pitfall traps, pan traps, etc.). An acoustic method of species identification was also used. For each observation, the coordinates of location, abundance, and dates were recorded. The dataset contains 4865 occurrences. In total, 16,644 specimens of Orthopteroidea were studied. The dataset contains 71 species including Dermaptera (4), Orthoptera (62), Mantodea (1), and Blattodea (4). Of these, 13 species are identified for the first time in the region; these mainly inhabit steppe areas. The presence of two Orthoptera species has not been confirmed yet during our studies; these species are noted in this paper according an old published paper. The biodiversity of Mordovia includes 73 species from four orders. The biology of numerous species, their seasonal dynamics, and some descriptions of biotopes and number of new species are described.

Большаков Л.В., Ручин А.Б., Семишин Г.Б. // Труды национального парка «Смольный». Вып. 7. 2023. c. 36 - 85

В Мордовском заповеднике инвентаризация чешуекрылых продолжается более 80 лет и особо активизировалась за последние 10 лет. На рассматриваемой территории известно 1414 видов этого отряда, еще 23 остаются в перечне старых или сомнительных указаний, требующих подтверждения. В статье представлены новые данные о составе фауны чешуекрылых (Lepidoptera) Мордовского заповедника по результатам исследований по 2021 год включительно. В список включено 500 видов, ранее известных в заповеднике, нуждающихся в дополнительном освещении в связи с ограниченным распространением, малым числом предыдущих находок, новыми данными об экологии и важными номенклатурными изменениями. Euzophera costivittella Ragonot, 1887 исключается из фауны Мордовии в связи с неверными определениями, весь материал относится к E. cinerosella (Zeller, 1839).

Борисова Н.В., Ручин А.Б., Есин М.Н. // Труды Мордовского государственного природного заповедника имени П. Г. Смидовича. Вып. 32. 2023. С. 218 - 227

Приведены сведения о 21 виде ручейников (Insecta, Trichoptera) из 6 семейств, собранных на территории нескольких регионов европейской части России с помощью разных типов ловушек (световых, ферментных кроновых и ловушек Мёрике) в 2020–2022 гг. За указанный период в световые ловушки собрано 11 видов ручейников, в ферментные кроновые ловушки – 8 видов, в ловушки Мёрике – 5 видов. Качественный и количественный анализ сборов показал, что световые ловушки являются универсальным методом для отлова взрослых ручейников практически всех семейств Trichoptera. Ферментные кроновые ловушки эффективны для изучения ручейников сем. Limnephilidae и Phryganeidae, способных к активному питанию. Ловушки Мёрике могут быть использованы как дополнительный метод для учета ручейников наряду с другими группами насекомых. Впервые для фауны Республики Мордовия указан вид Agrypnia picta (Kolenati, 1848) из сем. Phryganeidae.

Mikhail Esin and Alexander Ruchin // Web of Conferences 390, 07024 (2023)

Seasonal rhythms have been found in practically all groups of insects, but in Diptera they have been studied to a lesser extent. In deciduous forests of the European part of Russia (Republic of Mordovia, Temnikov district) seasonal dynamics of Diptera abundance was studied in 9 families (Tipulidae, Lonchaeidae, Aulacigastridae, Milichiidae, Heleomyzidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Calliphoridae). Two peaks in seasonal abundance dynamics were characteristic of Tipulidae, Heleomyzidae, Fanniidae. Anthomyiidae had one peak in early June. Milichiidae had one peak in July. Muscidae had one peak in mid-August. Lonchaeidae and Aulacigastridae had a three-peak pattern with the highest abundance in June. Calliphoridae experienced a gradual increase in abun-dance from June and had a peak in early September. Numbers of Phaonia pallida (Muscidae) were at a minimum in June at different heights from the soil surface and gradually increased with peaks in August and September. The first individuals of Thricops simplex (Muscidae) did not appear in the traps until the first half of July. Thereafter its numbers increased very rapidly and reached a maximum in early September.

Libor Dvořák, Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov, Victor V. Aleksanov, Sergey K. Alekseev, Nikolai V. Shulaev, Elena Yu. Zakharova // Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2023. 8(1): 24–33

The study of the insect distribution in geographical areas is relevant since it is important in terms of understanding the global trend of biodiversity decline. The paper presents the results of a study on the distribution of six species of Panorpidae (Mecoptera), carried out in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017–2020. One part of data was collected by the authors. Other material was provided by colleagues from 11 regions in Russia. In European Russia, six species of Panorpa are reliably known, namely Panorpa alpina, P. cognata, P. communis, P. germanica, P. hybrida, and P. vulgaris. The most common and frequently encountered species are P. communis (in 21 regions), P. hybrida (in 12 regions), P. vulgaris (in 11 regions), and P. cognata (in 11 regions). It is assumed that all studied species can be found in other regions of European Russia as a result of further investigations. Among the studied species, P. alpina and P. germanica are the rarest species, recorded from two and one regions, respectively. Panorpa vulgaris was found for the first time in Russia.

Большаков Л.В., Ручин А.Б., Семишин Г.Б. // Эверсманния. Энтомологические исследования в России и соседних регионах. Вып. 71-72. 23.XII.2022: 54–59.

В результате исследований в Республике Мордовия по 2021 г. включительно дан список 47 видов чешуекрылых, из которых 33 приводятся впервые для исследованной территории, в т. ч. Pyralis cardinalis Kaila, Huemer, Mutanen, Tyllinen et Wikström, 2020 и Pennithera firmata (Hübner, [1822]) – впервые для Среднего Поволжья, Epermenia petrusella (Heylaerts, 1883), Cnephasia genitalana Pierce et Metcalfe, 1922 и Grapholita cotoneastri (Danilevsky, 1968) – впервые в целом для Поволжья, Eriopsela rosinana (Kennel, 1919) – впервые для Европы, а Parornix avellanella (Stainton, 1854) подтверждается для республики после сомнительного указания. В общей сложности 15 видов приводятся впервые и 1 подтверждается для Мордовского государственного заповедника. Приведены также краеареальные (северные или северо-западные) находки Scythris productella (Zeller, 1839), Dichrorampha obscuratana Wolff, 1955, Dichrorampha nigrobrunneana (Toll, 1942), Cydia leguminana (Lienig et Zeller, 1846) и Pyralis regalis ([Denis et Schiffermüller], 1775).

Vikhrev N.E., Erofeeva E.A. // Труды Мордовского государственного природного заповедника имени П. Г. Смидовича. Вып. 32. 2023. С. 159 - 180

The Phaonia latipalpis species group (Diptera, Muscidae) is reviewed. Some problems on taxonomy of the P. latipalpis group are clarified. Based on an examination of more than 400 specimens from several remote localities, the variability of P. zugmayeriae is studied, such an approach may turn out to be useful for other taxa of Phaoninae. The faunas of the P. latipalpis group of the West Palaearctic, Russian Far East and the Kuril Islands are considered separately, identification keys for each of these territories are offered. The faunas of the P. latipalpis group of China, Japan and the Nearctic region are briefly considered. One new synonym: P. apicata Johannsen, 1916 = P. solitaria Stein, 1920; syn. nov., and two new statuses: P. ommatina Zinovjev, 1981 to P. angustifrons ommatina Zinovjev, 1981 stat. nov.; P. apicata Johannsen, 1916 to P. apicalis apicata Johannsen, 1916; stat. nov. are proposed.

Leonid V. Egorov, Alexander B. Ruchin, Sergei K. Alekseev, Sergei V. Lukiyanov, Evgeniy A. Lobachev, Mikhail N. Esin, Oleg N. Artaev and Gennadiy B. Semishin // Diversity 2023, 15, 745.

The aim of the study is to describe the fauna and distribution of Scarabaeoidea in the Republic of Mordovia (central part of European Russia). The study was conducted from 2003 to 2023. Collection material (specimens from 1972 and 1986) was also used. Specimens were collected using traditional Coleoptera collecting methods (manual collecting, light trap, collection of rotten remains and pitfall traps). For each observation, the coordinates, number of specimens and dates were recorded. The dataset contains 3198 occurrences. We examined 11,011 specimens of Scarabaeoidea. The dataset contains information on 88 species of Scarabaeoidea. Of these, five species (Aphodius pedellus, Nobius serotinus, Phaeaphodius rectus, Planolinus fasciatus and Onthophagus medius) are listed for the region for the first time. Another seven species are additionally known from others taken from the literature (but were not found during the present field survey). 

Большаков Л.В., Ручин А.Б. // Труды Мордовского государственного природного заповедника имени П. Г. Смидовича. Вып. 16. Саранск; Пушта, 2016. С. 118 - 268

Представлен список 102 видов чешуекрылых (Lepidoptera), предлагаемых к внесению в новое издание Красной книги Республики Мордовия. Аннотации видов составлены по образцу традиционных очерков в региональных красных книгах и включают сведения о систематическом положении, особенностях идентификации, распространении видов, особенностях биологии, лимитирующих факторах и возможных мерах охраны региональных популяций. Семь видов предлагается исключить из Красной книги Республики Мордовия. Не поддерживаются предыдущие предложения о внесении в новое издание Красной книги 9 видов.

Май В., Аникин В. В., Сусарев С. В. // Изв. Сарат. ун-та. Нов. сер. Сер. Химия. Биология. Экология. 2017. Т. 17, вып. 1. С. 111–113

В статье приведено 14 видов ручейников (Insecta: Trichoptera) рек Суры и Мокша с территории Мордовии – впервые для респуб лики. Общее число известных видов в настоящее время – 39, что представляет небольшую часть существующей фауны ручейников региона исследований. Делается вывод, что состав фаун рек Сура и Мокша отличаются между собой, в их комплексы входят как широко распространенные в Европе виды, так и локально встречающиеся на территории России (Ceraclea albimacula, Hydropsyche bulgaromanorum, Lenarchus bicornis).

Борисова Н.В., Ручин А.Б., Лукьянова Ю.А., Сулейманова Г.Ф. //  Естественнонаучные исследования в  Чувашии. №8. 2022, с. 85-102

Приведены сведения по 12 видам ручейников (Insecta, Trichoptera) из 2 семейств, собранным на территории нескольких регионов Европейской части России с помощью ферментных кроновых ловушек в 2019-2021 гг.

Николаева А.М., Ручин А.Б., Егоров Л.В., Семишин Г.Б., Рыжов М.К. // Полевой журнал биолога. 2022. Том 4, № 3 (217–235)

Настоящее сообщение является результатом обработки данных по полужесткокрылым насекомым, собранным группой исследователей за период 2008-2019 гг. на территории Республики Мордовия. Всего идентифицировано 183 вида полужесткокрылых насекомых. Новыми для региона являются 14 видов.

Павелкина В.Ф., Маркосьян Н.С., Амплеева Н.П., Алферина Е.Н., Альмяшева Р.З., Игнатьев В.Н. // Вятский медицинский вестник, № 4(64), 2019. С. 34-40

Целью исследования явилось изучение клинико-эпидемиологических проявлений иксодового клещевого боррелиоза в Республике Мордовия. Проведен ретроспективный анализ основных клинико-эпидемиологических показателей заболевания по данным Управления Роспотребнадзора по Республике Мордовия, медицинским картам пациентов (113), находившихся на стационарном лечении в ГБУЗ Республики Мордовия «Республиканская инфекционная клиническая больница» г. Саранска с 1996 по 2018 гг. Анализ показал, что данное заболевание впервые зарегистрировано в нашем регионе с 90-х годов прошлого века. Заболеваемость характеризовалась сезонностью с мая по октябрь, что обусловлено активностью клещей, связь с присасыванием которых удавалось установить в 85,8%. Две трети случаев болезни выявлено у женщин. Все возрастные группы подвержены заболеванию, однако больше половины случаев (53,9%) регистрировалось среди пациентов 41-60 лет. У большинства заболевших инфекционный процесс выявлялся на ранней стадии заболевания - наблюдалась эритема (чаще на коже туловища и нижних конечностях). Кроме типичной эритемы встречалась экзантема другого характера. При остром течении боррелиоза у третьей части больных обнаруживался интоксикационно-лихорадочный синдром, реже отмечался лимфаденит (12,1%). Поражение суставов чаще выявлялось при хронизации процесса (78,6%). Жалобы со стороны сердечно-сосудистой системы наблюдались при подостром и хроническом боррелиозе, изменения на ЭКГ регистрировались во всех трех группах. У всех больных с подострым и хроническим течением диагноз подтвержден серологически, тогда как при остром течении выявление специфических антител имело место лишь в 19,8% случаев. Выявленная полиморфная симптоматика обосновывает необходимость проведения дифференциальной диагностики на разных стадиях болезни Лайма с широким кругом заболеваний, что необходимо учитывать врачам различных специальностей.

Козлова А.А. // Современная наука: актуальные проблемы теории и практики. Серия: Естественные и Технические Науки. -2022. -№07/2. -С. 21-27

В статье рассматривается применение методов геоинформатики и математической статистики в оценке состояния лесных сообществ Республики Мордовия и степени влияния муравьев рода Formica как биотического фактора среды. Предположительно, полнота и бонитет лесных насаждений на исследуемой территории определяют популяционную структуру муравьев рода Formica, являющихся биологическими защитниками леса и активно используемыми биоиндикаторами состояния древесных пород. В ходе исследования данные, отображающие состояние леса и локализацию муравейников в определенных населенных пунктах республики были выгружены на цифровую карту, построенную на базе геоинформационной платформы ArcGIS, и обработаны инструментами пространственного анализа для визуализации популяционной структуры муравьев Formica. Также для определения статистической значимости присутствия муравьев была использована программа «СтатТех», позволяющая оценивать случайность или закономерность их расселения по республике с помощью методов хи-квадрата Пирсона, медианы и квартилей. Результаты полученного исследования позволяют сделать вывод о непосредственной роли муравьев в формировании древостоя и актуальности их использования в экологическом мониторинге особо охраняемых природных территорий. Кроме того, подчеркивается важность использования цифрового картографирования на базе геоинформационных систем наряду с классической статистикой.

Alexander B. Ruchin and Leonid V. Egorov // Forests 2022, 13, 1014

There are few studies on the vertical distribution and seasonal activity of arthropods in open habitats (in glades) in temperate forests due to methodological problems associated with the arrangement of certain structures for trapping. However, glades in forests are places of significant biodiversity of native animals, which are attracted to such areas by the possibilities of nutrition, reproduction, and wintering. The research was carried out on the territory of the Republic of Mordovia (the center of the European part of Russia). Fermental traps (bait—fermenting beer with sugar) were used to collect Coleoptera. They were installed on a special structure at heights of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 m. The collections were carried out from May to October 2020 in a glade with an area of 0.93 hectares in a deciduous forest. At the end of the research, 745 specimens of 80 species were registered from 30 Coleoptera families. The greatest species diversity was recorded in Nitidulidae (11 species), Cerambycidae (10 species), Scarabaeidae (7 species), Elateridae, Coccinellidae, and Curculionidae (5 species each). The greatest species diversity (53 species) and numerical abundance were obtained at a height of 2 m, and the smallest one (16 species) at a height of 10 m. The largest differences in the Jaccard similarity index were obtained between samples from a height of 2 and 10 m. The maximum values of the Shannon index and the minimum values of the Simpson index were recorded at the height of 2 m. The most significant relative number of saproxylic species was obtained at a height of 4 m. The relative number of anthophilic species was minimal at a height of 10 m. The seasonal dynamics of Coleoptera abundance were the same at different heights and the highest abundance was observed in late May and early June. However, the seasonal dynamics were different for some Coleoptera species in the glade located and inside the forest. Our data confirm the relevance of sampling in open biotopes at different heights in the study of arthropod biodiversity.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov and Anatoliy A. Khapugin // Diversity 2022, 14, 622.

Research on the Arthropoda distribution in temperate forest ecosystems has shown that communities are distributed vertically in unequal numbers. However, this issue still has research gaps in relation to the vertical stratification of Coleoptera in pine forests of the temperate zone. This study was conducted in the Republic of Mordovia situated in central part of European Russia. We used fermental traps to collect Coleoptera (the bait is fermenting beer with sugar and honey). The sampling was conducted from May to September 2021 in five sites of pine forests. One hundred and twenty-five species from 36 families were identified. The highest species richness was found in Nitidulidae and Cerambycidae (19 species each), Elateridae (13), Curculionidae (7) and Scarabaeidae (6). The highest number of species (84 species) was obtained at the height of 1.5 m, while the smallest species richness (44 species) was found at the height of 12.0 m. At the height of 12 m, we also registered the minimum number of specimens. Twenty-four species from 11 families were common to all the heights studied. Cryptarcha strigata and Glischrochilus grandis preferred heights of 3 and 1.5 m. Cryptarcha undata and Protaetia marmorata were more common at a height of 7 m with a frequency of 61.4–79.6% and 68.2–79.6%, respectively. The absolute number of saproxyl and anthophilic beetle species was higher in the ground layer and at the undergrowth level. These studies expand our understanding of the vertical distribution of beetles in pine forests of the temperate zone of European Russia.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Veli Vikberg, Natalya A. Lengesova, Svetlana E. Mironova // Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 65 (1): 83–120 (2022)

Protected areas are biodiversity hotspots of the world. Knowledge of their overall biodiversity is essential for nature conservation. Sawflies are an integral part of terrestrial ecosystems; being phytophages, they play a significant role in the processing of primary production. The aim of the research was to study the biodiversity of sawflies in the Mordovian Reserve. The research was carried out in 2008, 2009 and 2012-2019 on the territory of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve (Republic of Mordovia, Central part of European Russia). The article provides information on records of 169 species of sawflies of 9 families in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve. The annotated list includes 103 new species for the reserve, of which 1 species (Dineura parcivalvis) is listed for the European part of Russia for the first time, and 3 species are specified for the first time for the Central part of European Russia (Arge beckeri, Rhogogaster genistae, Tenthredo amurica).

Nikolai G. Gornostaev, Alexander B. Ruchin, Mikhail N. Esin and Aleksei M. Kulikov // Insects 2022, 13, 751.

(1) Background: Seasonal dynamics of the abundance and species diversity of various insect groups is of great importance for understanding their life cycles; (2) Methods: In our study, Drosophilidae species and their seasonal changes in Mordovia State Nature Reserve were explored. We collected the flies by crown fermental traps in five types of forests (birch, aspen, linden, pine and oak) since May to October in 2019. (3) Results: A total of 4725 individuals belonging to 9 genera and 30 species of drosophilid flies were identified, among them 15 species in 3 genera are new to the Republic of Mordovia. Drosophila obscura and D. histrio were the most abundant species in traps, the other mass species are D. kuntzei, D. testacea, D. phalerata, S. rufifrons, D. bifasciata, A. semivirgo, and L. quinquemaculata. (4) Conclusions: We found three groups of mass species with significant correlation of seasonal dynamics, e.g., D.obscura and D. bifasciata; D. histrio, D. kuntzei, D. phalerata, and D. testacea, and, finally, A. semivirgo and S. rufifrons. Apparently, the similarity observed in the seasonal dynamics of these drosophilid species is influenced at a high degree by their food preferences and rearing sites.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Sergei K. Alekseev, Oleg N. Artaev, Anatoliy A. Khapugin, Evgeniy A. Lobachev, Sergei V. Lukiyanov and Gennadiy B. Semishin // Data 2022, 7, 84.

(1)Background: Protected areas are “hotspots” of biodiversity in many countries. In such areas, ecological systems are preserved in their natural state, which allows them to protect animal populations. In several protected areas, the Coleoptera biodiversity is studied as an integral part of the ecological monitoring of the ecosystem state. This study was aimed to describe the Carabidae fauna in one of the largest protected areas of European Russia, namely National Park “Smolny”. (2) Methods: The study was conducted in April–September 2008, 2009, 2017–2021. A variety of ways was used to collect beetles (by hand, caught in light traps, pitfall traps, and others). Seasonal dynamics of the beetle abundance were studied in various biotopes. Coordinates were fixed for each observation. (3) Results: The dataset contains 1994 occurrences. In total, 32,464 specimens of Carabidae have been studied. The dataset contains information about 131 species of Carabidae beetles. In this study, we have not found two species (Carabus estreicheri and Calathus ambiguus), previously reported in the fauna of National Park “Smolny”. (4) Conclusions: The Carabidae diversity in the National Park “Smolny” is represented by 133 species from 10 subfamilies. Ten species (Carabus cancellatus, Harpalus laevipes, Carabus hortensis, Pterostichus niger, Poecilus versicolor, Pterostichus melanarius, Carabus glabratus, Carabus granulatus, Carabus arvensis baschkiricus, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus) constitute the majority of the Carabidae fauna. Seasonal dynamics are maximal in spring; the number of ground beetles decreases in biotopes by autumn.

E. Lutovinovasa, A. B. Ruchin, G. B. Semishin and M. N. Esin // Entomological Review, 2022, Vol. 102, No. 4, pp. 498–529.

Altogether 158 species of the hoverfl ies are listed in this report. It includes species recorded for the Republic of Mordovia for the fi rst time (57 spp.), those repeatedly recorded here (61 spp.), and species which are included based on their previous records (40 spp.). Three species are excluded from the previous faunal list as being based on misidentifi cations, and one species is considered as doubtfully recorded. Thirteen genera—Baccha Fabricius, Brachyopa Meigen, Eumerus Meigen, Neocnemodon Goff e, Lejota Rondani, Melangyna Verrall, Meligramma Frey, Meliscaeva Frey, Neoascia Williston, Orthonevra Macquart, Parasyrphus Matsumura, Pipizella Rondani, and Scaeva Fabricius—are reported for the fauna of Mordovia for the first time. The species composition and richness of the state protected areas of Mordovia are discussed. The constancy of the presence of the commonest species in the study area is compared. Reference sources of the literature records from Mordovia are provided for each previously recorded species.