Rafał Garlacz

The Pedaliodes empusa clade (‘empusa clade’) comprises a group of high-Andean butterflies endemic to Colombia and associated with timberline and paramo ecosystems of the Eastern Cordillera. The clade includes one relatively widespread species, Pedaliodes empusa, and three localized taxa, P. ralphi, P. guicana, and P. subaurea sp. nov. Here, we revise its systematics using an integrative taxonomic approach based on adult morphology, including male genitalia, and mitochondrial COI barcode data. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the clade (pp = 1) and clarify relationships among its constituent species. Molecular analyses recover P. subaurea sp. nov. as sister to P. guicana with strong support (pp = 1), with COI genetic distances ranging from 3.6–4%, further supporting its recognition as a distinct species endemic to Andean timberline ecosystems. Detailed descriptions, diagnostic characters, and comparisons with closely related congeners are provided.

Tropical savannahs experience pronounced seasonality, especially in rainfall and temperature, shaping plant productivity and resource availability. Yet, temporal patterns in insect diversity remain poorly understood. We investigated seasonal variation in species richness and community composition of moths (herbivores) and mantises (predators) across four main landsystems in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Using light traps during early and late wet seasons, we captured 65 593 moths (817 morphospecies) and 3511 mantises (38 morphospecies). Species richness of both groups significantly increased from the early to the late wet season, particularly in the wetter southern landsystems, likely driven by rainfall‐enhanced resource availability and habitat complexity. Community composition varied seasonally and among landsystems, with moths primarily influenced by seasonal changes, whereas mantises responded more strongly to landsystem differences. Our results indicate that rainfall‐driven seasonal resource variability is a key determinant of insect phenological patterns in tropical savannahs. Predicted shifts in rainfall patterns due to climate change may alter insect emergence timing and trophic interactions, highlighting the importance of incorporating seasonal dynamics into biodiversity conservation and management strategies.

Two distinctive, new species of the satyrine subtribe Pronophilina, Pronophila freitasi sp. nov. and Lasiophila lalka sp. nov. are described from the western slopes of the Andes in northern Peru. A preliminary phylogeny of the two genera based on target enrichment data is presented. The discovery of two new species underlines the importance of the region of the Huancabamba Deflection as a centre of endemism of cloud forest butterflies.

A new, striking species of satyrine butterfly, Lymanopoda chysquyco sp. nov. (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini, Pronophilina) is described from the Páramo de Guerrero, the northern extremity of high-altitude grasslands in the Colombian Eastern Cordillera. Among approximately 70 known Lymanopoda species, only five exhibit blue colour on the upperside of their wings, with no evidence of close relationships among them. The new species superficially resembles L. samius Westwood which occurs parapatrically at slightly lower elevations and belongs to a distantly related lineage within the genus. Remarkably, external morphology and male genitalia suggest a strong similarity of the new species to L. hazelana found in southern Ecuador and northernmost Peru—over 1300 km away. Molecular analysis using COI barcoding confirms that L. hazelana and a few other closely related species also found in southern Ecuador are the closest known relatives of L. chysquyco sp. nov. This substantial geographic disjunction is unlikely to be a sampling artefact, as intermediate páramo regions of the Eastern and Central Colombian Cordillera and central Ecuador have been extensively surveyed. The origin of L. chysquyco sp. nov. in northern Colombia remains unclear, and two possible scenarios—long-distance dispersal or vicariance accompanied by large-scale extinction in intervening areas—are considered.

Despite the recognized importance of insects in savannah ecosystems, the drivers of their diversity patterns remain poorly understood, particularly in the Afrotropical region. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impacts of climate, habitat, disturbance, and vegetation variables on the diversity of phytophagous moths (Lepidoptera) and carnivorous mantises (Mantodea) across 60 plots in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Based on an extensive dataset of 65,593 moth individuals representing 817 morphospecies and 3,511 mantis individuals representing 38 morphospecies, our results revealed plant communities as the fundamental driver of diversity for both insect groups. The effects of vegetation on insect diversity were indirectly influenced by climate, particularly mean temperature (negatively correlated with precipitation), through its impact on plant species richness. Additionally, a complex interplay among bedrock type, water availability, and disturbances from large herbivores and fire further shaped insect diversity. Our findings highlight the region's vulnerability to climate change, as decreasing precipitation and increasing temperatures were shown to alter vegetation composition and biomass, consequently affecting insect communities. Overall, our results emphasize the necessity of managing large herbivores and regulating fire regimes to maintain diverse vegetation, which is crucial for supporting insect diversity. Effective conservation strategies should prioritize balancing water availability and disturbance intensity, particularly in maintaining the health of seasonal rivers, to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on these ecosystems.

The subtribe Pronophilina Reuter, 1896 is a group of Papilionoidea that is particularly useful for assessing biodiversity and human-made disturbance, especially in cloud forests. This is because of their high diversity, abundance, distribution patterns, ecological fidelity, and usefulness in formulating conservation policies. A rapid assessment (RAP) was conducted on the Pronophilina in two locations in the upper montane area of Manu National Park, southeastern Peru. The assessment included an evaluation of species richness, faunal composition, similarity, and community structure of Lepidoptera in the area. The two locations were only 30 km apart but in different elevations, ranging from 2800 to 3200 m above sea level. The study recorded a total of 1941 specimens of 45 species, with 18 species (40%) belonging to the genus Pedaliodes Butler, 1867, and as many as 1356 individuals (70%) were found in this genus. Some local species were found to be restricted to very narrow elevation ranges at the forest-puna grassland ecotone. The community structure showed good adjustment with the RAD log-normal model in Trocha Unión and with the Zipf-Mandelbrot model in Qurqurpampa, indicating that the sample obtained is representative of well-preserved uppermost cloud forests. The Sørensen similarity index was relatively low, despite the short distance between the two sites and no apparent geographic isolation. Sampling by “Van Someren-Rydon” traps was confirmed as a very effective method for studying

A new butterfly species in the genus Corades, C. yanacocha Pyrcz, Boyer & Petit sp. n., belonging to the diverse, predominantly Andean subtribe Pronophilina (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), is described from the Yanacocha Reserve situated only a couple of kilometres west of Quito, Ecuador. This is an extremely surprising discovery in a region whose butterfly fauna was considered to be fairly well known, underlying the need to protect remnants of high elevation forests in such overpopulated regions of the Andes. Morphological characters, in particular male genitalia, indicate an affinity of C. yanacocha sp. n. with C. trimaculata from northern Peru. A preliminary molecular study using COI barcodes indicates, however, the widely distributed north Andean C. dymantis as the closest relative.

Two new species and two new subspecies of the satyrine butterfly genus Punargentus Heimlich, P. atusparia sp. n., P. heimlichi sp. n., P. blanchardi libertas ssp. n. and P. atusparia yupania ssp. n., are described from north-central Peru (Ancash, Hu?nuco and La Libertad). The affinities of the new taxa are evaluated based on molecular data obtained using target enrichment and COI barcoding. Punargentus is fully supported and consists of two branches, the P. lamna clade with four species and P. blanchardi clade with three species, two of which are described here. Species in the P. blanchardi clade occur in Andean shrubland, at altitudes between 2800-3600 m, whereas those in the P. lamna clade occur in puna grassland at 3600-4600 m, with occasional overlaps. Based on their habitat preferences, none of the newly described species are in need of immediate conservation measures. The genus Etcheverrius Herrera is reinstated, with E. chiliensis (Gu?rin-M?neville) and E. tandilensis (K?hler), comb. n.

Profesor Janusz Wojtusiak urodził się 21 lutego 1942 roku w Krakowie. W 1959 roku ukończył Liceum im. Jana III Sobieskiego w Krakowie, a następnie rozpoczął studia biologiczne na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim, gdzie później rozwijał swoją karierę naukową. W 1994 roku odebrał tytuł profesora. W latach 1982-1986 pracował na stanowisku profesora wizytującego na University of Nigeria w Nsukka. W latach 1989-1990 był wykładowcą entomologii leśnej na University of Winsconsin w USA. Jego zainteresowania badawcze skupiały się wokół etologii owadów oraz faunistyki i zoogeografii motyli. Uczestniczył w kilkunastu wyprawach naukowych do Ameryki Południowej. Był autorem ponad 100 publikacji naukowych. Profesor był przyrodnikiem, naukowcem i nauczycielem akademickim znanym z zamiłowania do przyrody, gór i fotografii. Profesor był inicjatorem utworzenia Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczej – nowoczesnej jednostki naukowo-dydaktycznej, która gromadzi bezcenne dla nauki kolekcje przyrodnicze, prowadzi różnorodną działalność edukacyjną i promuje naukę w społeczeństwie.