Identification and Spread of the Ghost Silverfish (Ctenolepisma calvum) among Museums and Homes in Europe.

Ctenolepisma calvum was first described in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1910, and this island is probably the origin of this species. Later, it was also found in the Caribbean (Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago). Up until the present, it has only been identified within buildings (a synanthropic species), and its natural habitat is unknown. In 2007, it was discovered in Germany and was considered a neobiotic species of Lepismatidae in Europe. It has rapidly spread throughout Europe and beyond in recent years. This led us to analyze the available data of the first occurrences in Germany, Austria, and other European countries. Furthermore, we compared the spread inside of museums in Vienna (Austria) and Berlin (Germany). These museums have been monitored for a long period with sticky traps, representing the best source of information on the dispersion dynamics of Ctenolepisma calvum. We found a scattered occurrence of this species in 18 countries in Europe (including Russia and Ukraine). The first record for Poland has not previously been published; however, this species has been present there since 2014. Surprisingly, it was found in Hungary in 2003, but a record was only published online in 2021. Additionally, in Germany and Austria, where most data are available, the spread of the species does not follow any clear pattern. In museums in Berlin, the species has only been found in one location. In contrast, the species rapidly spread in museums in Vienna between 2014 and 2021, from four to 30 locations, and it is now a well-established species with occasional high abundance. We examined the spread of the species at three spatial scales: (i) Europe, (ii) national, and (iii) regional. Our observations indicate that it is possibly distributed with materials (packaging material, hygiene articles, paper, cardboard, and collection items). Little is yet known about the biology of this introduced pest. We describe its preferred habitat within buildings, its climate requirements, and its potential to act as a new museum pest in Central Europe. This species seems to thrive at room temperature in buildings. Further impact on the species due to climate change in the future is also discussed. We offer a simple morphological key and a detailed identification table to help correct species identification.

Description of the female of Gnophopsodos ravistriolaria (Wehrli, 1922 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).

The genus Gnophopsodos Wehrli, 1945 has recently been under revision (Erlacher Erlacher 2016). For three out of nine species belonging to the taxon, the females have hitherto been unknown, one of them being G. ravistriolaria. Material collected in the Sayan Mountains in 2015, about 25 km away from the locus typicus of G. ravistriolaria, and recently received, contained two males of that species and a single unknown female. The latter could clearly be assigned to the genus Gnophopsodos by their genitalia. We conclude that the female belongs to G. ravistriolaria based on the following: (1) it belongs to a small series further comprising two males that proved to be G. ravistriolaria based on genitalia characters; (2) all of the three specimens have been collected close to the locus typicus of G. ravistriolaria, where no sympatric Gnophopsodos species are known from; (3) the new female clearly differs from females of other Gnophopsodos species concerning its genitalia characters and (4) its habitus matches that of the known males, including the holotype. The female of G. ravistriolaria is now illustrated for the first time.

A systematic revision of Charissa, subgenus Pterygnophos Wehrli, 1951, with description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).

The subgenus Pterygnophos Wehrli, 1951 within the genus Charissa Curtis, 1826 nomen protectum (= Hyposcotis Hübner, [1825] nomen oblitum) is taxonomically revised based on morphology and DNA barcoding. The subgenus comprises four species in total which are presented in detail. Diagnostic characters are depicted and keys to the species based on the morphology of male and female genitalia are provided. Males and females of each species and their genitalia are illustrated. The distribution of all species is described and figured on a map, and a neighbor joining tree based on DNA barcoding of 17 specimens is presented. Charissa (Pterygnophos) beljaevi spec. nov. from Mongolia is described as new. A neotype for Gnophos creperaria Erschoff, 1877, and lectotypes for Gnophos deliciaria shantungensis Wehrli, 1953, Gnophos dorkadiaria Wehrli, 1922, Gnophos ochrofasciata Staudinger, 1895, and Gnophos finitimaria Fuchs, 1899 are designated. The following synonyms are recognized: Gnophos finitimaria Fuchs, 1899 syn. nov. is a synonym of Gnophos ochrofasciata Staudinger, 1895 and Gnophos deliciaria shantungensis Wehrli, 1953 syn. nov. is a synonym of Gnophos agnitaria Staudinger, 1897.

A new species of Charissa Curtis, 1826 from Europe (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).

Charissa is a species-rich genus within the geometrid subfamily Ennominae, and is widely distributed in the Palaearctic and the Oriental regions; one species also occurs in the Nearctic. Their perfect adaptation to rocks on which they rest during daytime makes them sometimes difficult to tell apart on habitus. For that it is often necessary to analyze their genitalia. Since Sauter (1990), about 30 species, almost all European ones, have been newly combined from Gnophos Treitschke, 1825 to Charissa (Parsons et al. 1999). Currently, the genus is under revision by the authors of the present paper, and the genus name is under protection according to § 23.9.3. ICZN (Erlacher & Erlacher 2017).

A systematic revision of the genus Gnophopsodos Wehrli, 1945, with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).

In a comprehensive morphological study besides results of DNA barcoding the genus Gnophopsodos Wehrli, 1945 is taxonomically revised. The taxon comprises nine species. Diagnostic characters are depicted and a key to the species based on the morphology of male genitalia is provided. Males and females (if available) of each species and their genitalia are illustrated. The distribution of all species is described and figured on maps. Gnophopsodos hilmari spec. nov. from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Gnophopsodos sabine spec. nov. and Gnophopsodos ravistriolaria pantherinus subspec. nov., both from the Russian part of the Altai Mountains, are described as new. Gnophopsodos puengeleri (Bohatsch, 1910) stat. rev. is re-established as a separate species. The following synonyms are recognized: Chelegnophos Wehrli, 1951 syn. nov. of Gnophopsodos Wehrli, 1945; Chelegnophos alaianus Viidalepp, 1988 syn. nov. of Gnophopsodos puengeleri (Bohatsch, 1910), Psodos altissimaria Oberthür, 1913 syn. nov. of Gnophopsodos gnophosaria (Oberthür, 1893), and Gnophos orbicularia Püngeler, 1904 syn. nov. of Gnophopsodos stemmataria (Eversmann, 1848) comb. nov. The latter is transferred from the genus Gnophos Treitschke, 1825 to the genus Gnophopsodos.