Lietuvos endobiontiniai vabzdžiai: Nepticulidae faunos taksonominė,chorologinė ir trofinė charakteristika. Leaf-mining insects of Lithuania: The Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera): taxonomy, chorological composition and trophic relationships

The monograph presents a short review of leaf-mining insects and a comprehensive analysis of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera) fauna. Based on the originalinvestigation data collected by Asta Navickaitė, Arūnas Diškus, Jonas R. Stonis and otherresearchers, the monograph gives the first chorological evaluation of the Lithuanian Nepticulidaefauna, presents an updated taxonomic catalogue of the fauna, considers rare andfrequent species and sheds new light on trophic relationships of the family. According tothe data contained in this book, at present 75 Nepticulidae species are known in Lithuania,most of them being recorded in south-western (66 species) and south-eastern(65 species) regions of the country. A great majority of the Lithuanian Nepticulidaespecies (75%) are attributed to the Stigmella Schrank, a rather significant part belongsto Ectoedemia Busck and other five genera are represented by several or merely a singlespecies. A given analysis of Nepticulidae distribution ranges has revealed chorologicalheterogeneity of the Lithuanian fauna of Nepticulidae: Lithuanian Nepticulidae are determinedto form eight different chorological groups. The most numerous are the groups ofmoderately limited European distribution: Euro-Submediterranean and Euro-Nemoral.The main part of Nepticulidae (26–31%) in nearly all terrestrial regions of Lithuania are the species of Euro-Submediterranean distribution; however, such species are considerably less numerous in the coastal region (8%). The coastal region mostly inhabits species of Euro-Mediterranean distribution (32%), which are markedly less abundant in other Lithuanian regions (including the Curonian Spit, where they account for merely 4% of the total fauna of Nepticulidae). From the chorological point of view the most unique among Lithuanian regions is the Curonian Spit, which chiefly inhabits species of Sub-Baltic distribution, which are absent from other regions of the country. No less unique is the coastal region, which is characterised by the highest occurrence of species of Euro-Mediterranean distribution compared with other regions. The monograph gives a rather wide analysis of trophic relationships of Nepticulidae. Though many of Lithuanian Nepticulidae are oligophagous (38%), most of the species mine plants of one particular species (monophagous species account for 62% of the whole Lithuanian fauna of Nepticulidae).The book is abundantly illustrated by original photographs. An atlas of Nepticulidae mines presented in the book will facilitate identification of a great majority of Nepticulidae species. However, it should be noted that not all Lithuanian Nepticulidae species can be reliably identified solely according to the samples of mines collected. A more precise identification of some species of Ectoedemia and Stigmella requires genital preparations. The book adequately describes a methodology for preparing genital slides. The monograph ends with conclusions some of which are probably not final, because the Lithuanian Nepticulidae fauna is still in the process of investigation. The monograph will hopefully encourage more intensive investigation into Lithuanian (and European) leaf-mining insects (including Nepticulidae). At the end of the monograph, terminology explanations and a list of standardized Lithuanian names of some lesaf-mining insects are given; the majority of these names are terminological neologisms. We are of opinion that this monograph not only presents the first comprehensive analysis and evaluation of Lithuanian Nepticulidae, but could also be useful for students of biology, zoology and entomology.