CaucasianaPub Date : 2024-03-21DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117215
D. Tarkhnishvili, Mariami Todua, Giorgi Iankoshvili
{"title":"Which species of water frogs inhabit ponds of the Caucasus? Taxonomic mess with Pelophylax ridibundus species complex","authors":"D. Tarkhnishvili, Mariami Todua, Giorgi Iankoshvili","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117215","url":null,"abstract":"Two nominal species of water frogs of the genus Pelophylax, P. ridibundus and P. bedriagae, are found in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Western Asia, Western Kazakhstan, and Siberia. So far, the taxonomic status of Pelophylax in most of the Caucasus has remained unknown. Sequencing of the Cytochrome Oxidase 1 mitochondrial gene attributed the frogs throughout Georgia to the P. ‘bedriagae’ lineage, bringing them very close to the specimens from Kazakhstan and Greece. Simultaneously, the current nomenclature of water frogs appears to be formally incorrect since western Kazakhstan, the type locality for P. ridibundus, has frogs genetically closer to nominal P. bedriagae, than to nominal P. ridibundus from Europe. Because there is no evidence that the frogs from Central Europe, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus, as well as from Anatolia and Iran, are biological species with individual evolutionary pathways, we suggest a conservative approach and synonymize nominal P. bedriagae from most of West Asia with P. ridibundus.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":" 64","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140221411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.3.e118074
Fatah Zarei, H. Esmaeili, K. Abbasi, Reza Sadeghi
{"title":"Length-weight relationships of four difficult-to-sample Caspian endemic gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae): Benthophilus persicus, Benthophilus baeri, Knipowitschia longecaudata, and Hyrcanogobius bergi","authors":"Fatah Zarei, H. Esmaeili, K. Abbasi, Reza Sadeghi","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.3.e118074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e118074","url":null,"abstract":"The present study provides the length-weight relationships (LWRs) for four difficult-to-sample Caspian endemic gobies for the first time: Benthophilus persicus, Benthophilus baeri, Knipowitschia longecaudata, and Hyrcanogobius bergi. They were collected from shallow and deep waters of the southwestern Caspian Sea using various methods, including beach seining, scuba diving, and deepwater bottom beam trawls. The slope (b) of LWRs ranged from 2.874 for B. baeri, to 3.408 for H. bergi with coefficient of determination higher than 0.918. The b values showed significant differences between the sexes of all species.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"27 48","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140225829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The first record of Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera, Cucujiformia, Tenebrionoidea) family in Georgia","authors":"Tukazban Iskandarova, Shota Japarashvili, Natalia Bulbulashvili, Armen Seropian","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.3.e115578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e115578","url":null,"abstract":"The Ripiphoridae family is reported from Georgia for the first time, based on the collected specimens of Macrosiagon bimaculata (Fabricius, 1787), Ptilophorus dufouri (Latreille, 1817), and Ripiphorus subdipterus (Bosc d'Antic, 1792). Collection data, along with photographs of the preserved specimens, are provided.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"125 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140237835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2024-03-14DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117039
Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Giorgi Makharadze, Ioane Rostiashvili, Anastasia Datunashvili, R. Dobosz
{"title":"First barcode-assisted annotated checklist of owlflies (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae, Ascalaphidae) of Georgia with the first record of genus Deleproctophylla Lefèbvre, 1842","authors":"Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze, Giorgi Makharadze, Ioane Rostiashvili, Anastasia Datunashvili, R. Dobosz","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e117039","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aims to provide an updated checklist of the owlfly subfamily Ascalaphidae Lefèbvre, 1842, with the first records of the genus Deleproctophylla Lefèbvre, 1842, from the country. The new records give an improved understanding of owlfly distribution within the country. The record of the genus Deleproctophylla in Georgia is based on a single female specimen of D. australis (Fabricius, 1787).","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140244428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2024-02-23DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.3.e116995
Armen Seropian, Natalia Bulbulashvili
{"title":"The first record of Hemineura wittmeri Badonnel, 1981 (Psocodea, Psocomorpha, Elipsocidae) from the Caucasus","authors":"Armen Seropian, Natalia Bulbulashvili","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.3.e116995","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e116995","url":null,"abstract":"The second psocid species of the genus Hemineura Tetens, 1891, namely H. wittmeri Badonnel, 1981, is recorded from the Caucasus region for the first time based on several female and male specimens collected in the Shida Kartli region of Georgia. Collecting data are given along with diagnostic illustrations of the preserved specimens.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139957348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.2.e109026
Tukazban Iskandarova, Shota Japarashvili
{"title":"Checklist of checkered beetles (Coleoptera, Cleridae) from Sakartvelo (Georgia)","authors":"Tukazban Iskandarova, Shota Japarashvili","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.2.e109026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.2.e109026","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A list of 18 species of checkered beetles is given, together with images of voucher specimens and a distribution map based on literature, dry collections and databases.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139258513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.2.e111452
Giorgi Iankoshvili, N. Tsikolia, Natia Barateli, M. Gabelaia, Armen Seropian, D. Tarkhnishvili
{"title":"Two-headed parthenogenetic lizard embryo from southern Georgia","authors":"Giorgi Iankoshvili, N. Tsikolia, Natia Barateli, M. Gabelaia, Armen Seropian, D. Tarkhnishvili","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.2.e111452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.2.e111452","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Visual inspection of several embryos of the parthenogenetic lizard Darevskia armeniaca revealed the presence of an embryo with axial bifurcation (“two-headed”) on the stage of pigmented eyes and plate-like limb buds with a distinct border at the edges. This is the third recorded case of axial bifurcation in D. armeniaca, although two previous cases were mentioned without further discussion. Here the bicephalic embryo is described in detail and the potential reasons are discussed. The analysis of the literature on axial bifurcation in lacertids suggests that this type of developmental disorder may be particularly common in this parthenogenetic form. Hybridization may cause multiple developmental disorders, including incomplete separation of twin embryos; all parthenogenetic Darevskia have a hybrid origin, and this may cause the disorders rather than parthenogenetic reproduction by itself. The hypothesis needs further study with more representative samples of parthenogenetic and sexually reproducing Darevskia.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"5 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139256218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CaucasianaPub Date : 2023-11-17DOI: 10.3897/caucasiana.2.e110495
T. Arabuli, Mariam Gogshelidze
{"title":"Soil mite (Acari: Oribatida) communities in the limestone quarry of Saskhori (Gerogia)","authors":"T. Arabuli, Mariam Gogshelidze","doi":"10.3897/caucasiana.2.e110495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.2.e110495","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The present publication provides a review of the soil mite (Acari; Oribatida) community’s structure and the connection between changes in environmental factors and oribatid mite diversity in the limestone quarry of Saskhori and its adjacent areas. Overall, 52 species were recorded during the study. The most abundant oribatid mite species were Steganacarus carinatus, Aleurodamaeus setosus, Xenillus tegeocranus, Ceratoppia bipilis, Oribatula tibialis, and Punctoribates punctum. Interestingly, 23 species of oribatid mites were recorded for the first time from the limestone quarry of Saskhori, and one species (Liacarus oribatelloides) was a new record for the Caucasus fauna. The following indices were analyzed: abundance (N), species diversity (S), Shannon’s diversity index (H), and Pielou’s evenness index (J’). Regarding the obtained results, the highest density of oribatid mites was recorded in the habitat with Shibliak shrubbery (332 inds/m2), while the forest habitat was characterized with the highest value for Shannon’s diversity index (2,64). In the publication, we also provide a detailed morphological description of the newly recorded species L. oribatelloides, with the respective illustration, as no figures are given in its original description.","PeriodicalId":503371,"journal":{"name":"Caucasiana","volume":"14 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139266325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}