The white-tailed deer is an important game species in Finland. We evaluated the potential of estimating the white-tailed deer pre-harvest density using non-invasive DNA collection within a spatial capture–recapture (SCR) framework. We sampled faeces during three weekly visits in autumn 2015 from 180, 20 × 20 m plots clustered in groups of four. Individual identification was based on 12–14 microsatellites. Of the 245 faecal samples collected, an individual could be identified from only 36 (15%). We identified 27 white-tailed deer individuals of which seven were recaptured. The SCR model produced a plausible density estimate (3.5 indiv. km^–2) which was similar to estimates based on dung count and large-scale national estimates, although a posteriori simulation showed the SCR estimate was likely positive biased. Although we found that SCR based on faecal DNA can provide pre-harvest density estimates of the white-tailed deer, the approach is not without challenges and we discuss these suggesting possible solutions.

Dietary studies suggest that amphibians are opportunistic predators. However, there is little information on the ability of individuals to change their feeding strategy in time because most studies do not evaluate prey availability and its effect on individual behaviour. To better understand how variation in prey availability may affect the feeding strategy of newts, we studied the Alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris, during April and June in 2015, when we monitored prey availability and the species dietary habits. In April at low prey diversity, the newts were generalists, i.e., their diet overlapped almost completely with prey availability. In June when prey diversity was high, the newts became specialists. At the individual level, 9 out of 15 recaptured newts shifted from a generalist to a specialist feeding strategy from April to June, suggesting a rapid behavioural change in response to increasing prey diversity, in accordance with optimal foraging theory. These results stress the importance of sampling the same individuals several times during an extended period of time to better understand the patterns of diet variation in amphibians.

The aim of this study was to find the location of a breakpoint in the weight–length relationship using a linearized biexponential model (LinBiExp). The analysis was performed using weight and length measurements of bleak (Alburnus alburnus) individuals captured in freshwaters of the Province of Ferrara (Italy). The LinBiExp function identified the breakpoint coordinates in the data set. The level of uncertainty in the breakpoint coordinates was analysed using bootstrap regression. Bilinearity was verified by comparing slopes and intercepts (ANCOVA) of the two linear sections. The study confirmed that LinBiExp can be a valuable tool for detecting the coordinates of a breakpoint in weight–length data.

Livestock grazing is a common management practice recommended to protect biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands. However, the effects of specific management regimes on species diversity can differ considerably among taxonomic groups. We studied short-term effects of sheep grazing on species diversity of ants. We investigated whether one season of sheep grazing affects the species richness of ants and causes a compositional change in species occurrence. We conducted our study in southern Poland at five Natura 2000 sites that create favourable habitats for thermo- and xerophilic ants. The average number of ant species detected in grazed plots was slightly but insignificantly higher as compared with that in ungrazed ones. Three species were detected only in ungrazed plots. Our results are in accordance with other reports, leading to the conclusion that the variation in ant diversity may be primarily driven by site-specific conditions rather than grazing per se.

According to optimal foraging theory, a predator should select the most beneficial prey in terms of energy gain relative to handling time. For the pine marten (Martes martes), rodents such as bank voles are the primary prey; however, the pine marten can switch to a variety of secondary prey items (e.g., birds, fruit and frogs) when the rodent abundance is low. We measured frog ilia found in pine marten scats during several consecutive years to assess whether the body mass of consumed frogs varied with changes in rodent abundance. Rodent density was inversely related to the frequency of occurrence of frogs in the marten's diet. Moreover, during the years with low rodent abundance, pine martens ate smaller frogs than in the years with high rodent availability. The average frog weight (18 g) during the years with high rodent density was similar to average vole weight, suggesting that prey of this size has an optimal ratio of foraging effort to energetic gain. During the lean years, martens preyed on frogs smaller than the average vole weight, and during spring this frog size-group is usually the most abundant in the environment. Our results suggest that functional responses of predators to low abundance of primary prey involve not only a prey-switch but also a decrease in the size of secondary prey consumed. Fluctuations in the proportion of frogs eaten in relation to yearly rodent density can affect both marten and frog population demography.

Territory size is affected by distribution of resources, density of potential competitors, body size of the territory holder and its ability to detect intruders. During four consecutive years (2009–2013), we determined territory size of the serra antwren, a highly territorial bird, that occupies permanent territories in the restinga habitat. We studied seasonal variation and relationship between territory size, number of neighboring territories and floaters (mature individuals without fixed territories), and body size of the territory holders. We also estimated population density using a capture–recapture method. Territory size was smaller during the breeding season with its size affected by number of neighboring territory holders and year. Densities were estimated to be 1.6–5.8 indiv. ha^–1, which were 2 to 6 times higher than the value previously estimated by fixed-radius point counts (0.93 indiv. ha^–1). This may be due to the high number of floaters, potentially important but usually neglected in density estimates. Neighboring territory holders affected more than floaters territory size, possibly because of their similar individual qualities.

Cynips quercus is a with widespread oak-gall wasp species distributed across the Western Palearctic from Europe, the northern Caucasus and North Africa to Iran. In this study, we used 175 asexual-generation individuals of C. quercus collected from 30 localities in Turkey to investigate the effects of topography and climatic factors on the phylogeographic structure of the species. Sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene (MT-CYB) and the nuclear ITS2 region supported a genetic break between the eastern and the western sides of the Anatolian Diagonal. The ITS2 results indicated that the populations underwent expansion, while in contrast the MT-CYB data implied a stable population structure for C. quercus. Molecular clock applied to the MT-CYB data suggested that the climatic and environmental changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene had a profound effect on the phylogeography of the species.

The wear patterns on ungulate's teeth help to understand dietary habits during an individual's lifetime. Mesowear is a series of techniques used to detect tooth wear patterns at low magnification. While in mesowear I, and its simplified version mesowear II, the outer profile of a herbivore's molar cusps is observed to assign a diet, mesowear III (or inner-mesowear) scores the wear facets on the inner enamel band of the tooth. This approach was developed to detect finer dietary signals for shorter periods than the two former mesowear methods. We tested this method on skulls of 26 goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) fed different diets for six months, for which mesowear I and II had already been scored. Our goal was to explore the effects of diets with varying abrasiveness on the dietary signal, comparing signals recorded with both techniques. We found no differences in mesowear III signals among diets, regardless of visible tendency of more abrasive diets leading to higher mesowear scores. We also found no difference in time resolution between mesowear III and I.

Although reptiles are the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates, crucial data on their extinction risks are lacking. The reptile species assessed by IUCN are only a fraction of those at risk of extinction. Thus, conservation planning and management decisions are hindered by the lack of ecological information on the species' distribution patterns and their habitat requirements. Pleske's racerunner (Eremias pleskei) is a rare and critically endangered species known to occur exclusively in the eastern Anatolian Montane Steppe ecoregion. In this study, we used ten species distribution model algorithms and 62 climate change scenarios (from 19 global climate models under four representative concentration pathways) to predict future habitat suitability for Pleske's racerunner in the Anatolian Montane Steppe ecoregion. Our results indicate that this species may in future migrate from its current distribution range towards the central and western areas of the Anatolian Montane Steppe ecoregion. Our results also show that the variation in the temperature-related variables in suitable habitats will increase in future as compared with the current conditions. It seems that due to climate change, in future, deserts will be appropriate for this species. The same mechanisms, however, will make some of its current habitats unsuitable. Dealing with uncertainties in climate change and species distribution modeling is a major challenge when planning strategies for species' conservation. We recommend conservation measures to be implemented to make sure that E. pleskei's current habitats remain suitable for it also in future.

Many species shift their distribution northwards due to changing climate, which may bring previously isolated species into contact. In some cases, this can lead to competition and crossbreeding among congeneric species. Due to milder winters, several hare species (Lepus spp.) have shifted poleward or to higher elevations and currently occur in sympatry. There are limited data on the spatial ecology of northern brown hares (L. europaeus), and on possible joint space use with mountain hares (L. timidus), although species are known to frequently crossbreed. We estimated home ranges of 12 brown and 12 mountain hares in eastern Finland using GPS telemetry. The total home-range median areas were 111 ha for brown hares and 105 ha for mountain hares. The median core areas of these species were 5 and 3 ha, respectively. Individual home ranges and core areas of the studied species overlapped. Interspecific interaction seems to be frequent during the breeding season, which also enables crossbreeding.

Broadleaf forests are rare in Norway and they are considered one of the most biodiverse terrestrial habitats in Fennoscandia. These forests are poorly studied in terms of their acarofauna. Mites of two groups, Oribatida and Mesostigmata, were studied in a broadleaf forest in western Norway. In total, 6350 oribatid mites, representing 67 species (i.e., 25% of the known Norwegian species) and 559 mesostigmatid mites representing 22 species (9% of the species recorded from Norway) were collected. The mean densities of Oribatida and Mesostigmata were 454 and 40 individuals per 0.5 dm³, respectively. The most abundant member of Oribatida was Oribatula exilis (29% of Oribatida collected), while Zercon lindrothi made up 59% of Mesostigmata. Fifteen of the oribatid species were first records for Norway, including six new to Fennoscandia: Phthiracarus compressus, Suctobelbella arcana, S. hammerae, S. prominens, Campachipteria patavina and Liebstadia longior.

The European species of Stenoselma Delucchi are reviewed herein. In addition to S. nigrum, a new species, S. moldavicum, is described from eastern Europe. A key to both species and a redescription of the S. nigrum female are also provided.

A new species, Haplotropis shandongensis, from Shandong, China, is described and illustrated. It resembles Haplotropis xiai, but differs from it by the frontal ridge of male being not narrow near the vertex, Krauss' organ of male having 11 keels, the tegmina of male being shorter, not reaching the hind margin of the first abdominal tergite, covering 1/5 of the tympanum, the basal part of cercus being wide in male, epiphallus has 42 spikes, the hind margin of the pronotum of female being curved in middle and the apical half of the subgenital plate being wider than its basal half in female.

The distribution of butterflies was mapped throughout entire Estonia in 2016 and 2017. Butterflies were surveyed during three phenologically targeted visits at more than 1200 pre-selected sites. In total, over 180 000 individuals belonging to 97 species were recorded. We compare the resulting distribution maps with historical records, and discuss changes in the species' distribution. We conclude that, within the time frame of century, the changes in the Estonian butterfly fauna were moderate. For about 75% of species, there was no conclusive evidence of a change in distribution or abundance. In case of the remaining 25%, there were more butterfly species with an increasing rather than a decreasing trend in abundance and/or distribution. Some but not all of those changes could be associated with ongoing climate change. The decline of several dry-meadow specialists can be regarded as the most urgent conservation concern.

A new species, Orius (Heterorius) linnavuorii Moulet, Ghahari & Ostovan sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae), is described from Semnan Province (Iran). The species was collected on Acer velutinum, and confirmed as a predator of Asterobemisia atraphaxius. A checklist of 18 Iranian Orius species is provided.

Bean beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) are known to evaluate their host quality and texture of seed coat. However, the effect of seed-coat colour on oviposition decision has remained unclear. Cowpea seeds, in which white and brown areas are equals in size, were chosen for oviposition decision tests. Females laid more eggs onto the brown than white area under both low and high beetle densities. However, in high beetle density, females distributed their eggs more uniformly onto both areas, i.e. high beetle density reduced the preference for the brown area probably to reduce competition among the offspring, and females also dumped some eggs. An additional test with sheets of paper covered with white and brown squares in the chessboard pattern showed that females laid more eggs onto brown than white areas. In conclusion, seed coat colour and beetle density affect oviposition in the bean beetle.

This atlas is based on information in museum collections, literature, databases and unpublished data. In the last 150 years, the number of bat species in Finland increased from six to thirteen. Of these, five are common and regularly breeding (Eptesicus nilssonii, Myotis brandtii, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis mystacinus, Plecotus auritus), and eight rare (Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis dasycneme, Myotis nattereri, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Vespertilio murinus), of which breeding of two (M. nattereri, P. nathusii) have been confirmed. The total number of records in the study is 11 234, of which 9717 are identified to species. The records are from 940 (25%) 10-km² squares of Finland's land area. Of the records, 89% are new (1993–2014). Of the recorded bat species, only Eptesicus nilssonii occurs in each of the 21 biogeographical provinces. A decreasing south–north gradient in species richness and abundance exists which may be related to research efforts that are clearly higher in the south.