Большаков Л.В. // Эверсманния. Энтомологические исследования в России и соседних регионах. Вып. 80. 19.XII.2024: 23–31.

В результате обработки сведений по листовертке Phiaris stibiana (Guinee, 1845) и близким таксонам восстанавливается видовой статус Phiaris fluviana (Kennel, 1919), stat. rest. (Tortricidae), который впервые приводится для России и Европы, по внешним признакам и гениталиям самки близок к Ph. stibiana, по гениталиям самца – к Ph. scoriana (Guinée, 1845). Представлено описание подвида Phiaris fluviana litova, ssp. n., типовая местность – Россия, Республика Мордовия, Ичалковский район, 4 – 5,5 км восточнее – северо-восточнее поселка Смольный, левобережная пойма реки Алатырь. Новый подвид не имеет внешних и существенных генитальных отличий от номинативного, живет на сыроватых участках пойменных лугов и держится только в зарослях подмаренника Galium rubioides L.

Будилов В.В., Тимошкина О.И.  // Актуальные проблемы зоологии, экологии, методик обучения и педагогики. Саранск, 2010. C 13-14.

Gornostaev N. G., Ruchin A. B., Esin M. N. // Far Eastern Entomologist, Number 503 (2024): 7-15

An annotated list of 44 species in 12 genera of the drosophilid flies of the Republic of Mordovia is given. Among them Drosophila picta Ztt. is recorded in Russia for the first time, D. bondarenkoi Sidorenko is found in European Russia for the first time and 8 species are new to the fauna of the Republic of Mordovia. The drosophilid fauna of Mordovia is compared with Voronezhskaya oblast

Нейморовец В.В. // Вестник защиты растений 4(102) – 2019, с. 36–48

В работе приводятся карты распространения 6 видов рода Eurygaster на территории Российской Федерации, без выделения зон вредоносности этих видов. Карты составлены по материалам коллекций Зоологического института РАН (С.-Петербург) и Всероссийского института защиты растений (С.-Петербург). Использовались также материалы, предоставленные филиалами Россельхозцентра, сборы автора и литературные данные. В статье обсуждаются отличия предложенных карт распространения видов рода Eurygaster от карт, ранее опубликованных в разных источниках. Ошибки в старых картах связаны большей частью с ошибочной идентификацией видов. Работа представляет практический интерес для специалистов по защите растений.

Anna M. Nikolaeva, Alexander B. Ruchin, Mikhail N. Esin, Gennadiy B. Semishin, Leonid V. Egorov, Sergei V. Lukiyanov, Evgeniy A. Lobachev, Oleg N. Artaev // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, Volume 8(3): 45-64 (2024)

The suborder Heteroptera (order Hemiptera) is one of the most interesting groups of Rynchota. It is found in various ecosystems around the world and belongs to predators, parasitous (in particu-lar hematophagous), mycetophagous and herbivorous types. Species with mixed nutrition are common. The study is aimed to describe the fauna and distribution of hemipteran insect species in the Republic of Mordovia (the central part of the European part of Russia). The study was conducted from 2004 to 2022. Specimens were collected using traditional hemipteran insect col-lecting methods (manual collecting, light trap, entomological net, Malaise trap, Merike plates, window and soil traps). We examined 4895 specimens of Hemiptera. Species diversity of Heter-optera (order Hemiptera) of Republic of Mordovia accounts for 363 species from 34 families. Of these, 15 species (Campylosteira verna, Allorhinocoris flavus, Grypocoris sexguttatus, Acetropis gimmerthalii, Geocoris grylloides, Platyplax salviae, Emblethis ciliatus, Aellopus atratus, Rhy-parochromus quadratus, Parapiesma quadratum, Berytinus montivagus, Pyrrhocoris margina-tus, Enoplops scapha, Dybowskyia reticulata, Ventocoris halophilus) are listed for the region for the first time. Twenty-three species (Agramma femorale, Adomerus biguttatus, Aelia acuminata, Carpocoris fuscispinus, Coreus marginatus, Dolycoris baccarum, Eurydema oleracea, Gerris lacustris, Graphosoma lineatum, Kleidocerys resedae, Labops sahlbergii, Lopus decolor, Lygus pratensis, Nithecus jacobaeae, Palomena prasina, Polymerus unifasciatus, Prostemma aene-icolle, Pyrrhocoris apterus, Rhyparochromus pini, Stenodema calcarata, Cymus glandicolor, Eremocoris plebejus, Aphanus rolandri) constitute the main population of the Heteroptera fauna given in the dataset. The species diversity of Heteroptera of the Republic of Mordovia is roughly similar in number of species to that of neighbouring regions.

Sergey V. Dedyukhin, Leonid V. Egorov, Alexander B. Ruchin // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, Volume 8 (2): 416-433 (2024)

The article presents an analysis of the results of using a large number of pitfall trap lines to record the species composition of the two largest groups of phytophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae and Curculionoidea) on the example of the territory of one region of the European part of Russia (the Republic of Mordovia). A series of collections were conducted between April and October 2022-2023, encompassing a diverse array of habitats (forest, steppe, near-water, wasteland) across various parts of the region. A total of 126 species from four families (approximately 18% of the fauna of the Republic of Mordovia) were recorded. These included 84 species of Curculionidae (22.9% of species), 42 species of Chrysomelidae (22.9%), 3 species of Brentidae, and 1 species of Anthribidae. Fourteen species are presented for the first time in the regional fauna. The collections are dominated by species whose adults are actively moving on soil or litter, particularly those belonging to the Alticini (Chrysomelidae) (33 species; 38.4% of the fauna composition) and the subfamily Entiminae (Curculionidae) (32 species; 45.1%). The collections represent a wide range of landscape-biotopic groups (meadow, ruderal, forest, near-water, and steppe species). Extensive materials obtained in pine forests and their pyrogenic successions in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve were also analyzed. The maximum species richness (30 species) was observed on fresh pyrogenic wastelands (1–2 years after fires). This is due to the association of many species of leafhoppers and weevils with habitats with sparse ruderal vegetation and coenophobic plants. A minimum of 10 species was observed on plots of old burned areas (13 years) where the primary vegetation is degraded and a full-fledged pine forest complex has not yet formed. The maximum abundance of two ecologically plastic species (Strophosoma capitatum and Hylobius abietis) associated with young undergrowth of pine and deciduous trees was recorded in this area.

Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 8(1), 2024, 171-191

Natural forests (closed habitats) and meadows (open habitats) are essential for the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity. Pubescent biotopes are of considerable importance as well. It is crucial to obtain data on the spatial distribution of Coleoptera in such biotopes because it helps protect natu-ral biotopes. The research was conducted in 2020 on the territory of the Republic of Mordovia (the center of the European part of Russia). Beer traps (with beer bait) were used to collect Coleoptera. The collections were carried out from April to October in various forests and open biotopes. To clarify the spatial distribution of Coleoptera, various forest interiors (meadow, edges, in the depths of the forest) were studied at two experimental sites. A total of 7771 Coleoptera specimens were recorded. In the open biotopes, the smallest numerical abundance of Coleoptera was obtained with relatively high species richness. The lowest species richness was obtained in the depths of the for-est at a height of 7.5 m. The edges of forests at a height of 1.5 m differed in the maximum species richness and number. At a height of 7.5 m, the number of Coleoptera was the greatest, but the spe-cies diversity was very low. The number of saproxious species was higher in forest biotopes. The number of anthophilic species was higher in the traps installed at the bottom. Differences in the number of species and individuals on different edges (northern, eastern, and western) were also determined. Thus, on the eastern and northern edges, in contrast to the western edge, the numerical abundance at the top was higher than at the bottom.

Alexander B. Ruchin // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 8(1), 2024, 17-38

Forest fires are one of the main environmental factors that change the habitat and initiate the change of new forest communities. Burned areas are habitats representing a wide range of eco-logical niches, which can be used by many species of insects. It is especially interesting to ob-serve the restoration processes in the burned areas in the first years after the fires. In 2021-2022, on the territory of Mordovia State Nature Reserve, studies were conducted on the plots that had been burned in 2010 and 2021. Traps with bait based on beer and sugar were used for the study. Our results indicate that the largest number of flying insect forms in the first year after the fire was higher in unburned areas, and the parts of burnt areas located in the depths of the burned territory had the smallest number. The number of beetles was greatest in areas which were not affected by fire. Lepidoptera immediately returned to the site of the fire in 2021. Already the next year their number became much higher. There was no clear depend-ence on Hymenoptera. The number of Neuroptera and Blattodea was higher in the burned are-as of 2010. The seasonal dynamics of Coleoptera in the hot springs was one-peak, whereas in unburned areas it is usually two-peak.

Alexander B. Ruchin // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 8(3), 2024, 65-87

In this paper, we present the results of our study on the seasonal dynamics and altitudinal distribu-tion of Vespidae in forest ecosystems of central European Russia. To conduct this study, we utilized beer traps. Our findings include the recording of 32 species from 4 families of Hymenoptera. The most numerous family was Vespidae. The dominant species from this order were Vespula vulgaris, Vespa crabro, Dolichovespula media, and Vespula germanica. The occurrence of these species was quite high, including species from the Crabronidae, Chrysididae, and Pompilidae families. These species are known to frequently visit flowers of various plants and feed on nectar and pollen. In five different biotopes, the highest number of Vespidae was found in oak forests, while the lowest num-ber was observed in pine forests. Vespula vulgaris was the dominant species in birch and oak for-ests, while Vespa crabro was more prevalent in pine and linden forests. The seasonal dynamics of the number showed a large peak in early July, likely due to a significant increase in air temperature during the day and night. This peak may have been caused by a large number of new-generation workers leaving the nests at this time. Additionally, the number of Vespidae in traps located in the undergrowth was slightly higher than those in traps in the canopy.

Leonid V. Egorov, Alexander B. Ruchin, Mikhail N. Esin // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 8(3), 2024, 195-212

In forest ecosystems, fires profoundly impact the habitat and seasonal dynamics of numerous Coleoptera species. The phenology of species and communities is particularly noteworthy in burned areas that were previously forest ecosystems. In 2023, research was conducted in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve on 11 burned plots in 2021 and control plots. The research employed the use of beer traps, which are baited with a combination of beer and sugar. In the second year after the fires, species from the families Nitidulidae, Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae, and Elateridae exhibited the highest total number across all plots, accounting for 84.8% of all Coleoptera specimens collected. A single peak in the abundance of Coleoptera was observed on all plots during the month of May. The second peak in abundance during the autumn season was relatively modest in scale and was observed exclusively on unburned 2021 plots. Nitiduli-dae beetles appear in traps earlier than other beetles, with their number peaking in April and May. Thereafter, their number declined in June. The number of Cerambycidae and Scarabae-idae on all plots was relatively low in April but increased significantly in May and June. The peak abundance of Elateridae was observed in June, although the first individuals were rec-orded in April. A precipitous decline in the abundance of the species was observed in July, with only a single specimen being recorded in August. The Elateridae were observed to be particularly prevalent in burned areas where deadwood was present. There are variations in the observed differences between individual families, which are related to the location of plots, the condition of the vegetation cover, and the presence of flowering plants, deadwood, and dry trees on the plots.

Mikhail N. Esin, Alexander B. Ruchin // Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 8(2), 2024, 16-37.

Studies were conducted in the temperate forests of the European part of Russia (territory of the Republic of Mordovia). Beer traps with bait made of beer and sugar were used for the studies. Three plots were selected for the study, which differed in the composition of plants at the edges, adjacent open ecosystems and types of forest ecosystems. The forest was adjacent to this open ecosystem and there was no transition zone of shrubs. Eight traps were used in each plot (1,2 - edge-below, 3,4 - edge-above, 5,6 - forest interior-below, 7,8 - forest interior-above). They were located 1.5 m (further named as “below” traps) and 7.5 m (further named as “above” traps) from the ground level. During the experiments, 52306 specimens from 28 families of Diptera were captured. In terms of total abundance, representatives of 25 families were present in the lower traps and species from 27 families were present in the upper traps. The general pattern was the highest abundance of Diptera at the edges in all plots. Nine fam-ilies (Tipulidae, Anisopodidae, Lonchaeidae, Milichiidae, Drosophilidae, Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Calliphoridae) accounted for 93.3% of all Diptera abundance in all plots. The families Tipulidae, and Drosophilidae were the most abundant in lower traps within forest ecosystems. The families Lonchaeidae, Milichiidae, Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, and Muscidae were most abundant in upper traps at the edges of forests. The families Anisopodi-dae, Calliphoridae were the most abundant in the lower down edges.

Sergei Esyunin, Oksana Agafonova, Alexander Ruchin, Gennadiy Semishin, Mikhail Esin, Oleg Artaev // Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e105979.

About 29,000 individuals are identified to the species level. In total, 342 species were recorded for both PAs. The greatest species diversity was recorded in the families Linyphiidae (109 species; 32%), Lycosidae (38 species; 11%) Gnaphosidae (28 species; 8%), Araneidae (25 species; 7%), Salticidae (24 species; 7%), Thomisidae (23 species; 7%) and Theridiidae (22 species; 6% from total species diversity). The five species most abundant in the lower stratum (litter and moss layer) of biocenoses were Diplocephalus picinus, Microneta viaria, Tenuiphantes tenebricola, Diplostyla concolor and Abacoproeces saltuum and the five species most abundant in the vegetative stratum (herb, shrub and tree stems and canopy) were Linyphia triangularis, Enoplognatha ovata, Evarcha falcata, Misumena vatia and Evarcha arcuata. The dataset contains information on the occurrence of seven rare species (Centromerus nurgush, Centromerus persimilis, Diplocephalus dentatus, Entelecara flavipes, Metapanamomops kaestneri, Pelecopsis radicicola and Porrhomma microcavense), three species (Agalenatea redii, Neoscona adianta, Thanatus oblongiusculus) that entered here from the steppe zone and two synanthropic species (Steatoda castanea, Tegenaria domestica).

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).