Distribution of Ecological Groups of Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera, Insecta) in Nests of the Sand Martin (Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Saratov Region

• Published in: Biology bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences 2022-12, Vol.49 (10), p.1973-1976
• Main Authors: Anikin, V. V., Kondratev, E. N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Ecology; Lepidoptera; Life Sciences; Nests; Riparia riparia; Species composition; Zoology
• ISSN: 1062-3590; 1608-3059
• DOI: 10.1134/S1062359022100338

The data on ecological Lepidoptera groups in the nests of the sand martin ( Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758)) on the territory of Saratov region are presented. The material was collected in R. riparia colonies within five districts of the Saratov region in different seasons in 2019–2021. Three clusters were identified for 13 Lepidoptera species belonging to ten families during our statistical data analysis. One cluster covers typical inhabitants of burrows and is represented by a single species, Infurcitinea rumelicella (Rebel, 1903). Atypical species comprise the remaining two clusters. All the presented species, namely, Acompsia cinerella (Clerck, 1759), Niditinea fuscella (Linnaeus, 1758), Brachmia dimidiella ([Denis and Schiffermuller], 1775), Epermenia ochreomaculella (Milliére, 1854), Caloptilia fidella (Reutti, 1853), Laodamia faecella (Zeller, 1839), Polypogon tentacularia (Linnaeus, 1758), Borkhausenia fuscescens (Haworth, 1828), Acleris forsskaleana (Linnaeus, 1758), Cochylidia implicitana (Wocke, 1856), and Loxostege sticticalis (Linnaeus, 1758), are not typical for nests of the sand martin. Our observations of the species composition showed that it is extremely poor in representatives of nest-dwelling fauna, which is associated with the inaccessibility of nests of burrowing birds, to which R. riparia belongs.