Neuroptera, Raphidioptera and Mecoptera from the North Caucasus and Western Transcaucasia

Abstract

New faunistic data are reported for 55 species of Neuroptera, two species of Raphidioptera, and three species of Mecoptera from Krasnodar Region, the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russia) and the Republic of Abkhazia. Extensive study of these groups in 2019–2022 resulted in discovery of new species for these regions and for Russia. Two species of Neuroptera (Hemerobius gilvus Stein, 1863 and Helicoconis pseudolutea Ohm, 1965) are recorded from Russia for the first time. Seven species of Neuroptera are new for Krasnodar Region, eleven for Adygea, two for North OsetiaAlania (Wesmaelius nervosus (Fabricius, 1793) and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836), sensu lato), and three species of Coniopterygidae, and Panorpa connexa McLachlan, 1869 for Abkhazia. In total, 79 species of Neuroptera are now known from the North-Western Caucasus, 74 from Krasnodar Region, and 45 from Adygea. This field and laboratory research clarified the biology, range of food of larvae and imagoes, and parasites of Aleuropteryx umbrata Zelený, 1964, Semidalis aleyrodiformis (Stephens, 1836), Conwentzia psociformis (Curtis, 1834), Coniopteryx esbenpeterseni Tjeder, 1930, Wesmaelius nervosus, Apertochrysa prasina (Burmeister, 1839), Cunctochrysa albolineata (Killington, 1935), and Chrysoperla carnea. Data on trophic relations, ecological preferences, and behaviour of species are significantly updated for Hemerobius marginatus Stephens, 1836, H. micans Olivier, 1792, Chrysopa viridinervis Jakowleff, 1869, Peyerimhoffina gracilis (Schneider, 1851), Distoleon tetragrammicus (Fabricius, 1798), Raphidia euxina Navás, 1915, and R. grusinica H. Aspöck, U. Aspöck et Martynova, 1968

Keywords

• neuroptera
• raphidioptera
• mecoptera
• north caucasus
• western transcaucasia
• entomofauna
• invader insects