Solar parks are expanding rapidly across temperate landscapes, yet their consequences for insect developmental instability remain poorly resolved. We examined whether dispersal ability influences the degree of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), used here as an indicator of developmental instability, in carabid beetles inhabiting solar parks and extensive grasslands. Dispersal ability was represented by wing morphotype, treated as a numeric predictor. Four dry grassland specialists were sampled in the temperate lowlands of southern Hungary, and two species showing consistent directional asymmetry were excluded from FA analysis. For the granivorous species Ophonus cribricollis and Harpalus picipennis, true FA was detected in the second antennomere. Habitat type significantly affected the relationship between dispersal ability and FA. This interaction demonstrates that the FA–dispersal relationship depended on habitat context, with the direction of the relationship differing between grasslands and solar parks. In grasslands, FA showed a tendency to increase with higher dispersal ability, whereas in solar parks it showed the opposite tendency. These context dependent patterns indicate that disturbance associated with solar park infrastructure can modify the link between dispersal ability and developmental instability in specialist carabids. Consequently, solar parks do not provide functionally equivalent habitat for dry grassland specialist granivores, even when those species persist locally. We advocate insect-wide assessment frameworks that use FA to quantify environmental pressures alongside dispersal potential, testing habitat-specific interactions and moving beyond presence–absence metrics. In solar parks, nature conservation should prioritize maintaining high-quality native swards and microrefugia and ensuring landscape connectivity to support dry grassland populations.

Although linear woody elements such as biocorridors are widely recognized for their role in facilitating wildlife movement across fragmented landscapes, to our knowledge, no published study has specifically examined interspecific interactions among sympatric ungulates within these linear habitats. Using camera trap data, we investigated the spatiotemporal use of biocorridors by three sympatric ungulate species – roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) – in relation to biocorridor structure, landscape context (adjacent pastures vs. fields), and season. We collected camera-traps images for a total of 56,461 active camera-days across biocorridors. We recorded 19,412 independent events of roe deer, 3,828 of fallow deer and 804 of wild boar. All species showed clear diel activity patterns, with roe and fallow deer exhibiting bimodal (crepuscular) and wild boar predominantly nocturnal activity. These patterns were more pronounced during the summer season and became less distinct in winter. All studied ungulates preferred structurally complex corridors with dense canopy cover. Accordingly, canopy shading was the only biocorridor characteristic that significantly influenced ungulate activity, whereas habitat size, shape, and vegetation composition parameters had no significant effect. Wild boar detection rate remained overall low, likely due to their reliance on open fields and crops. Notably, the temporal activity of roe deer shifted in the presence of fallow deer, suggesting temporal displacement consistent with competitive interactions: roe deer activity differed mainly in the magnitude and concentration of nocturnal patterns depending on fallow deer presence. Our findings underscore the functional importance of biocorridors beyond connectivity, highlighting their role as foraging grounds, shelter, and sites of interspecific interactions. Maintaining and enhancing woody linear elements in agricultural landscapes can support ungulate biodiversity and should be considered in landscape and wildlife management strategies.

Edge formation through moderate retention forestry creates transitional zones that shape environmental gradients and influence arthropod behavior. We examined fine-scale movement dynamics of ground-dwelling arthropods, quantified as orientation-specific activity along and across hard forest edges, in temperate lowland forests of Central Europe. The study focused on buffer-zone stands transitioning toward oak dominance. Drift-fence pitfall traps were placed across retention clearcuts, ecotones, and forest interiors, between April and October 2023. In total, 8643 individuals from 188 species were recorded and classified into five functional groups: predators, herbivores, omnivores, saproxylics, and detritivores. Arthropod activity varied among habitats, with along-edge orientation consistently exceeding across-edge orientation. This pattern is consistent with microclimatic gradients and behavioral orientation cues. Seasonal trends included elevated detritivore activity in the "along" orientation within ecotones during spring, suggesting corridor-like use of transitional habitats, and reduced across-orientation activity of omnivores in forest interiors during summer, consistent with seasonal changes in habitat use. Saproxylics were most active in the "along" orientation within forest interiors during autumn, reflecting their specialization for canopy-closed forests. Ordination analysis and species-level response models identified distinct movement dynamics among functional groups. Detritivores oriented along edges, whereas omnivores were associated with across-oriented activity, particularly outside ecotones. These findings highlight forest edge structure as a key ecological boundary shaping orientation-specific arthropod activity and provide a functional context for interpreting behavioral responses to edge environments. Incorporating functional group responses into retention forestry can support the development of more connected and resilient forest landscapes.

Alpine and subalpine ecosystems in Central Europe represent refugia for cold-adapted and endemic species that have been significantly affected by climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition in recent decades. The abandonment of traditional agricultural practices has led to homogenization of plant communities and biodiversity decline. This study evaluates the ecological impacts of two short-term management interventions-repeated mowing and turf stripping-on alpine grassland communities affected by warming and nitrogen enrichment. The research was conducted in a Central European mountain range on 30 plots divided into three groups: mowing (10 plots), turf stripping (10 plots), and control plots (10 plots). Mowing was conducted annually from 2018 to 2022, while turf stripping was performed once in 2018. Vegetation species composition was assessed in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Soil and biomass were analysed, alpha and beta diversity were measured, and community assembly mechanisms were studied using null-model approaches. Turf stripping significantly decreased alpha diversity while markedly increasing beta diversity. In contrast, five years of annual mowing had no significant effect on species richness or beta diversity. The analysis revealed that stochastic community assembly processes dominated in turf stripping plots, while deterministic processes prevailed in mowing plots. The thickness of the humus layer emerged as a key factor influencing species richness. The study demonstrated that neither extensive mowing nor one-time turf stripping represents an ideal strategy for rapidly restoring environmental conditions and increasing alpha diversity in long-term unmanaged alpine grasslands. Annual mowing over five years was insufficient in both intensity and duration, while turf stripping substantially altered community structure but recovery was limited to a small number of common plant species.

Goats are known as some of the most impactful invasive mammals on islands and are now considered the sixth greatest threat to plant communities worldwide due to uncontrolled and extensive grazing. The negative impact of the growing population of semi-feral animals on endemic plants in Socotra Island (Yemen) is well known. Yet, there is virtually no data on the proportion of individual endangered plant species in the diet of goats. It is also unknown whether and to what extent goats consume non-native plants, and what factors influence the overall composition of their diet. This study is the first to focus on the dietary habits of domestic goats on the island of Socotra using DNA barcoding of plant remains in goat excrements. We hypothesize that goats browse on woody plants, including tree seedlings, mainly during the dry season, as in the rainy season, there are sufficient grass and herbs. Therefore, the dry season is crucial for the survival of woody plant seedlings, when high mortality of saplings is not caused only by drought but also by overgrazing. Our results are consistent with this hypothesis. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the dry season and woody plants grazing and a negative correlation between altitude and grazing of endemics. The reduction of goat’s abundance on the island is a necessary management measure to ensure the tree protection and their regeneration, which should be accompanied by a change of goat grazing system and active support of tree regeneration.

Forest edge habitats created by forest management significantly influence species assemblage of hymenopteran communities. In 2021, we carried out research in a managed oak woodland located in Slovakia, utilizing three flight interception traps (FITs) to examine hymenopteran communities. Two of the traps were placed at the forest edge, with one facing the clearing and the other directed towards the closed-stand forest. The third trap was situated 100 meters within the closed-canopy forest. We separately collected subsamples within the forest edge. These subsamples were distinguished as ‘ecotone inwards’ and ‘ecotone outwards’ to accurately capture the distinct directional movements of hymenopterans at the forest edge (flying from the closed forest towards the clearing and vice versa). We identified 287 species in 19 families during the sampling period. The species richness, abundance and the phylogenetic diversity were found to be significantly different favouring the ecotone outwards microhabitats. However, we did not confirm higher species richness nor abundance in the forest edge compared to closed forest. The dissimilarity of species differed significantly between inwards- and outwards-facing ecotone and closed-forest stand. The life history traits exhibited the following trends: pollenophagous, herbivorous and nectarivorous species exhibited a positive association with the forest edge. Predatory species were associated more to closed forest. Cavity-nesting and above-substrate nesting species were situated in the ecotone outwards, while non-cavity nesters and below-substrate nesters were found in the ecotone inwards microhabitats. Our results support the creation of small-scale ( 0.3 ha) open patches in temperate deciduous forests due to their positive effect on biodiversity of hymenopteran species within the outwards-facing part of the forest edge.

The bark beetle Taphrorychus bicolor primarily inhabits Fagus sylvatica forests. Its populations increase after periods of drought. Due to the limited knowledge of factors affecting its abundance, we conducted a large-scale sampling. Beetles were captured using three Theysohn traps lured with bicolorin at 26 study sites in mature homogeneous beech forests distributed throughout the Czech Republic. The traps were checked, and beetles were sampled weekly or biweekly in 2022. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs), the impact of selected environmental and management variables on the abundance of T. bicolor was analyzed. The species occurs at elevations ranging from 150 m a.s.l. to 1300 m a.s.l. throughout the Czech Republic. This represents its entire host range, e.g., beech, although in the lowest elevations it is also found on other deciduous trees. In 2022, the flight activity lasted from late April to early September, and two generations were recorded, with the filial generation starting to fly in late June. In many study sites, more than 10,000 beetles were captured per trap. The number of females trapped was higher than males, consistent with the species' polygamous strategy, where females move toward increasing concentrations of pheromones. The number of beetles in the traps was influenced by elevation, with the highest abundance observed at around 600 m a.s.l. Abundances were higher in areas with more extensive beech forest complexes. Lower beetle abundances were found in stands where the studied forest bordered with meadows, pastures, or crop fields, indicating the species' reluctance to fly outside the forest habitat. The abundance of the filial generation was higher when there was a larger area of beech forests within a 1000 m radius, suggesting a median dispersal flight distance of approximately 1 km for the filial generation.

Saltmarshes provide valuable ecosystem services but face increasing degradation from land-use changes, and climate-driven sea-level rise. In Baixo Vouga Lagunar (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal), a partially constructed flood bank built in the late 1990s to prevent saline intrusion into agricultural fields created a mosaic of hydrological conditions and a unique setting to explore how environmental gradients and vegetation structure influence saltmarsh arthropod communities. Spiders have been extensively used as bioindicator species due to their rapid response to environmental changes. This study aimed to identify key ecological drivers structuring saltmarsh ground-dwelling spider assemblages across a gradient of tidal exposure, vegetation, and soil conditions. Spiders were collected using pitfall traps in spring and autumn along four transects at varying distances from the flood bank. In addition, vegetation composition, and soil parameters (pH, salinity, organic matter) were characterized at each transect. A total of 4193 spider individuals from 38 species across 15 families were identified. We used a “fourth-corner” analysis, which integrates species traits and environmental variables through the distribution of species to test whether specific traits were associated with particular environmental conditions. Spider assemblages responded more strongly to vegetation composition than directly to abiotic conditions, suggesting that environmental filtering operates indirectly through vegetation. Functional richness was lowest in areas farthest from the flood bank, where vegetation was less heterogenous. Pardosa pullata group (Araneae, Lycosidae) was the most abundant group. These findings provide baseline data before land-use change, namely potential flood bank completion and suggest spiders are effective indicators of fine-scale habitat variation in saltmarshes.

Understanding the circadian rhythms of bark and ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae) is crucial for assessing their dispersal strategies, trophic specialisation, and microhabitat preferences. This study investigated circadian rhythms in Scolytinae communities using flight interception traps in an oak forest in the southern part of Czechia. Ordination biplot revealed a flight activity gradient, with nocturnal dispersers distinct from diurnal species. Species richness gradually decreased from the 20:00-24:00 interval through to the 12:00-16:00 interval, with the most notable decline observed between the 08:00-12:00 and 12:00-16:00 intervals. A combination of fourth-corner and partial canonical correspondence analyses identified tribal affiliation, trophic specialisation, and microhabitat preference as key drivers of flight structuring. Members of the tribe Xyleborini showed negative association to the 16:00-20:00 interval. Xylomycetophagous species, such as Xyleborinus saxesenii exhibited multimodal activity peaks, with increased flight from nighttime to early morning. In contrast, species that feed in the phloem such as Scolytus intricatus showed no significant association with any specific time interval. Several species that utilise stumps as potential breeding substrates showed significantly reduced flight activity during the crepuscular period, which supports the hypothesis that microhabitat preference contributes to diel periodicity. Our findings show the complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in shaping circadian flight periodicity, which leads to distinct flight activity patterns between Scolytini bark and Xyleborini ambrosia beetles. These results emphasise the ecological significance of maintaining heterogeneous forest structures that provide a balance of shaded and sun-exposed deadwood habitats to support diverse assemblages.

Nemozoma elongatum (Linnaeus, 1761) shows a positive response to artificially produced lures targeting its two main prey species, Pityogenes chalcographus (Linnaeus, 1761) and Taphrorychus bicolor (Herbst, 1793), with a preference for P. chalcographus. We do not recommend using these lures in traps because they could unintentionally capture N. elongatum. However, these lures could potentially aid in controlling target pests by leveraging allochthonous kairomones to attract predators to areas with higher pest densities. Nemozoma elongatum in Central Europe primarily preys on P. chalcographus and T. bicolor, but it can target nearly 40 species of bark beetles. While it responds well to the aggregation pheromone of P. chalcographus, its response to artificial lures for T. bicolor is unknown. The study aimed to confirm if N. elongatum beetles react in the same way to a lure containing bicolorin and Chalcoprax® and if their response to the prey abundance of P. chalcographus parallels the response observed in T. bicolor. During 2022, three Theysohn® pheromone traps were set with Beech Bark Beetle Lure®, containing bicolorin, and one trap with Chalcoprax® in mature beech stands at 11 study sites across the Czech Republic. To study the dependence of the numbers of N. elongatum captured, GLMMs were used to analyze the following variables: both lures, abundance of prey species, abundance of beech, age of beech, altitude, presence of adjacent non-forest areas (such as a freshly exposed edge of a beech forest), and the distances to the nearest spruce forest and the nearest clear-cut area. N. elongatum prefers P. chalcographus as its primary prey, as indicated by its response to the tested lures. Its abundance is dependent on the presence of T. bicolor and P. chalcographus. N. elongatum is a prey opportunist that responds to bark beetle aggregation pheromones, as confirmed for several species. It is frequently caught in traps with Chalcoprax® and bicolorin, the pheromone of T. bicolor. Although more commonly attracted to Chalcoprax®, indicating a preference for P. chalcographus, N. elongatum may consume other species given its attraction to volatile compounds from host trees.

Parasites play a significant role in biodiversity, yet research on these organisms remains limited, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Parasites are also an essential aspect of domestic animal husbandry, and their prevalence depends on various factors, such as husbandry conditions and the environment. However, no studies have been conducted on parasites affecting domestic animals on Socotra Island. This study aimed to investigate parasites in selected goat populations on the island using intravital fecal diagnosis. A total of 406 samples from adult goats across different locations (lowlands and highlands) and seasons (dry and rainy) were collected, fixed in 10% formalin, and transported to the Czech Republic for coprological examination using flotation and ether sedimentation methods. Statistical analyses, including partial canonical correspondence analysis (pCCA), the Monte Carlo permutation test, and the chi-squared test, revealed a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite infections, with 89% of goats infected. Eimeria spp. had the highest prevalence (76%). Co-infection was common, with 55.9% of goats infected with multiple parasites. Seasonality influenced parasitism, with other Protostrongylidae, Muellerius spp., and Trichuris spp. predominating during the rainy season, and Eimeria spp. and gastrointestinal strongylids predominating during the dry season. This first study on Socotra Island, Yemen, provides crucial insights into effective intervention strategies for controlling goat parasite infections.

Abandonment of traditional management is among the major causes of the loss of temperate forest biodiversity. While numerous studies highlight the positive impact of restoring traditional forest management on biodiversity, there is a notable gap in research focusing on the ecological mechanisms underlying the benefits to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. In this study, we applied canopy thinning of various intensity in an abandoned coppice to examine the response of vascular plant, ant, carabid and spider communities to the thinning intensity. Our results showed that the increase of functional diversity following canopy thinning is driven by the increased presence, rather than abundance, of species exhibiting unique combinations of ecological traits. Plant and invertebrate communities were not clustered or overdispersed within the phylogenetic or functional space delimited by the species pool, indicating the dominant effect of stochastic processes on community assembly. Our multispecies study demonstrates for the first time that ecological mechanism maintaining biodiversity following forest thinning are mainly governed by stochastic processes. Notably, our research reveals that the increase in species richness after tree thinning is due to the presence of species with unique ecological trait combinations. Furthermore, we identified distinct mechanisms driving community changes: carabid beetles and ants mainly experience shifts in species composition, while plants and spiders are more affected by species loss.

BACKGROUND:Environmental heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes is a key driver of biodiversity and ecological processes, yet its role in shaping the population dynamics of pest species remains insufficiently studied. In central Europe, post-war collectivisation led to widespread homogenisation of farmland, notably through the enlargement of arable fields. This study examined the effects of this structural simplification by assessing the relationship between field size, a key configurational component of landscape heterogeneity in farmland, and the abundance of the common vole (Microtus arvalis), a major agricultural pest, monitored in forage fields over 7 years in the Czech Republic. RESULTS:Linear mixed models, accounting for season, crop type and altitude, revealed a robust, nonlinear positive relationship between field size and vole population density, with the most pronounced effect in fields smaller than 20 ha. Alfalfa fields consistently supported the highest vole densities in autumn, indicating that both habitat quality and patch size jointly influence vole abundance. CONCLUSION:This study provides the first empirical evidence of a positive density-area relationship in voles, challenging theoretical expectations and previous field evidence predicting negative or neutral responses in ground-dwelling species. The findings have important implications for nationwide pest management and landscape planning, suggesting that reducing field size could help mitigate crop damage while promoting more resilient and ecologically balanced agroecosystems. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the significance of linear strips of woody vegetation (biocorridors) in the agricultural landscape for the populations of mammals. Data on their occurrence were obtained using camera traps that were installed in 14 biocorridors in selected locations in South Moravia (Czech Republic). Data collection took place from October 2020 to June 2022. A total of 40 camera traps were used, which captured over 49,000 images of 16 species. The largest percentage was represented by roe deer (57%), followed by European hare (14%) and fallow deer (11%). Of the 16 species mentioned, 10 were found mainly at night. With the onset of winter (December–February), the nocturnal occurrence of the species in the biocorridors gradually decreased and increased in the morning hours. The phase of the day, the season, the character of the vegetation, the size and shading of the biocorridor had a significant influence on the spatiotemporal occurrence of mammals. Biocorridors proved to be an important landscape element especially in terms of the occurrence of smaller predators and common habitat generalists such as roe deer and hare. Both species used biocorridors very intensively, so can significantly support the survival of their populations in agricultural landscapes.

Aims: Snow plays a crucial role in the distribution of alpine plant species and the dynamics of alpine communities. However, we have only a limited understanding of the snow cover's impact on vegetation in middle-height mountains at a meso-topographic scale close to the treeline. Location: The High Sudetes Mts., Czech Republic. Methods: We examined the association of snow cover duration and the spatial pattern of four dominant vegetation types in the subalpine region. We used a novel approach to create maps of snow cover duration by combining time-series photographic data on snow distribution and vegetation patterns. Key explanatory factors included snow cover duration, snow melting time, elevation, and proximity to ski slopes. Results: We found the influence of snow cover duration, which was positively correlated with subalpine tall-fern vegetation and negatively correlated with Vaccinium vegetation. However, elevation and ski slope played an important role as co-determinants. Subalpine tall grasslands showed a discernible response to snow cover in the highest part of the study area, while wind-swept grasslands were positively influenced by the body of the ski timeslope at higher altitudes. Conclusions: The complex relationship between snow cover duration and the subalpine vegetation pattern is contingent upon the life-history characteristics of the dominant plant species and is influenced by various environmental factors. These factors encompass snow attributes, the influence of human activities, land-use patterns, and the overarching impact of climate change. Snow cover emerges as a crucial, multifaceted factor in shaping vegetation boundaries. Recognizing its complexity is imperative for effective planning of conservation measures.

The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is the main pest in agricultural areas of Central Europe. It is particularly important to monitor its numbers during spring, and if high numbers are detected, some form of pest management should be considered. In the Czech Republic, the number of active burrows is monitored using the burrow index, BI, which allows estimation of the total number of rodents, saves time and is easy to use. We aimed to assess the relationship between the burrow index and the relative abundance of the rodent species examined by snap trapping in crop fields. Bayesian MCMC algorithms with a zero-inflation model were used for this analysis. The positive relationship between BI and vole abundance occurred in the total sample of all fields and in alfalfa, winter wheat and barley crop fields. A positive relationship between BI and the abundance of the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), the second most common pest in the area, was only confirmed in barley, and this relationship was negative in winter rape. The positive influence of the degree of weed cover on BI was confirmed in the total sample and in winter rape and alfalfa, but weed cover has a negative effect on BI in barley and winter wheat. In contrast, weed cover did not affect the relative abundance of both rodent species in any of the sampled crops. The presence of shrubs and forests around the fields reduced BI in the whole sample, especially in alfalfa. The relative abundance of the voles was not affected by the presence of shrubs and forests around the crop. Still, a positive influence was confirmed for the abundances of mice in the whole sample and alfalfa. BI can be a reliable indicator of vole abundance in crops with high densities, but it is not very accurate at low densities and in crop fields rarely used by voles, such as sunflower and maize.

We examined the socioeconomic importance of goat farming on the island of Socotra. The study included 154 participants from various areas. These data were collected via a questionnaire and statistically analyzed using the Bayesian approach and Kruskal-Wallis test to offer insights into the subject matter. The collected data included important quantitative parameters, such as feeding, watering, herd composition, milk production, and mortality, as well as subjective parameters, including the breeders' reasons for keeping goats. Our study revealed that the main reason for keeping goats on Socotra Island is livelihood purposes (60%), followed by cultural reasons (22%), whereas 18% of respondents keep goats as a companions. In terms of herd composition, generally a Socotri family keeps an average of 107 individuals per herd, of which 59% are adult females, 32% are young under six months, and 9% are adult males. Reproduction patterns indicate that the goats breed twice a year, primarily in May and October. For milk production, goats on Socotra produce an average of 368 ml/day on an annual basis, and the highest production is observed in the mountains. The study also revealed that goats are primarily slaughtered for social reasons, such as family attendance and weddings (55%). According to the respondents, the main cause of mortality in goats was disease (40%). The results of this study have implications for understanding the management of goat farming on the island and conserving the island's biodiversity.

Despite advancements in barcoding and metabarcoding, preserving high‐quality DNA from field‐collected arthropods remains challenging. Although various fixatives and preservatives are used for DNA recovery in Coleoptera (Carabidae) and Lepidoptera (Noctuidae, Nolidae, Geometridae, and Tortricidae), their effects on DNA quality across trapping methods are not fully understood. This study evaluates fixation and preservation strategies affecting DNA integrity, focusing on pH changes before and after tissue grinding to improve consistency. For Carabidae, Calathus fuscipes (L.) were collected with a Malaise trap, while Platynus assimilis (Paykull) were collected via emergence traps and pitfall traps (with and without roof), using propylene glycol as a fixative. Preservation methods included storage in propylene glycol, 96% ethanol, or drying, with samples kept at −20°C for 1 year. Propylene glycol samples were washed with distilled water prior to grinding. Additional fixatives in individual trapping included ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, ethanol, brine, ethyl acetate, vinegar, and drying (with and without silica gel), stored at −20°C for 3 months. For Lepidoptera, specimens were categorized by size: large— Agrostis exclamationis (L.) (Noctuidae), medium— Meganola strigula (Denis et Schiffermüller) (Nolidae), Eupithecia insigniata (Hübner) (Geometridae), and small— Pelochrista caecimaculana (Hübner) (Tortricidae). Specimens were treated with chloroform (vapor and soaked) or cyanide vapors and stored at room temperature for 3 months. DNA quality was assessed through fragmentation analysis and PCR amplification of COI fragments (658, 313, and 157 bp for Coleoptera and 658, 311, and 220 bp for Lepidoptera) with Sanger sequencing. Results showed reduced DNA integrity in diluted Malaise trap samples, while distilled water washing improved readability in emergence trap samples. Brine proved a cost‐effective preservative. For Lepidoptera, DNA preservation depended on sample size and fixative, with small chloroform‐soaked specimens yielding non‐sequencable DNA, while vapor‐treated samples remained sequencable. This study offers insights to optimize DNA yield and preservation for arthropod research.

The fruit set of haskap is dependent on optimal pollination. Thus, the focus of this study was the effect of pollination in haskap (varieties Viola, Gerda, and Sinnaja ptica). The study aimed to verify the impact of different pollination methods on fruit harvest as well as identify the main bee pollinators and compare their significance. The percent fruit set, fruit weight, number of seeds per fruit, and percent fruit set in time order were compared for four treatments: free pollination, self-pollination, cross-pollination, and no manipulation. In general, the observed production parameters were better under the free pollination treatment. As the cross-pollination method was unable to maximise the fruit set and improve other production parameters, it is clear haskap has an entomophilous character. This proves that there is an obscure effect of pollinators on the effectiveness of pollination in haskap. The results regarding haskap bee pollinators suggest a preference by long-tongued bees belonging to Bombus spp. and Apis mellifera, even though short-tongued species of solitary bees were dominant in the haskaps’ vicinity. Based on our results, Bombus spp. is the most suitable pollinator in Central European conditions. Other experiments have to be conducted to further clarify the reasons for low haskap productivity under isolation with cross-pollination.

The common vole is one of the most damaging rodents in agriculture. A number of methods are used to suppress its numbers and limit damage. One option is growing crops that are not suitable for voles; this might limit their numbers and distribution. Through long-term monitoring of common voles throughout the Czech Republic, their abundance in eleven crop types (annual, biennial and perennial crops) was evaluated through active burrow counts. Reference crops were selected from perennials and biennials and annual crops were selected as potential repellents. The perennial crops were clover with alfalfa, which serve as the primary habitat for voles. These crops are where voles are found in their highest densities, and from which they spread to the surrounding crops during periods of high abundance. The biennial winter rape was selected because it provides favourable conditions for voles to overwinter and multiply rapidly in the spring. Compared to perennial crops and winter rape, significantly lower numbers of voles were found in onions, poppy seeds and maize. Additionally, fewer voles were also found in mustard compared to perennial crops. Onion and poppy were the only crops to show a significantly lower abundance of voles in comparison to wheat. The annual crops tested are unattractive to voles and due to the cultivation practices used, they do not even have enough weeds as food. As profitable crops they can be cultivated over sufficiently large areas to potentially prevent the spread of voles to surrounding crops, especially during outbreak years.