Mantises (Insecta: Mantodea) of the southwestern part of Odesa Region (Ukraine)

Abstract

In the southwestern part of Odesa Region, 167 localities were investigated. These are mainly steppe and meadow areas with varying degrees of grazing pressure, which have been preserved along the valleys of small rivers, in the coastal strips of lagoons and lakes, along gulches, as well as upland areas in the Landscape Reserve ‘Tarutynskyi Step’. Five species of mantises have been identified. Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus, 1758) was found in 28 sites (16.8% of the total number). Its highest relative abundance was 0.58 indiv./series on a steppe area with moderate grazing in the Landscape Reserve ‘Tarutynskyi Step’. Hierodula transcaucasica Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878 was recorded by us in the region for the first time on August 12, 2019. The species was found almost throughout the research territory, except for its northwestern part. It is easiest to detect at the time of year when there are no leaves on the trees, and its oothecae are clearly visible on the branches. In total, we found more than 200 oothecae of this species. Ameles heldreichi Brunner, 1882 was recorded for Budzhak for the first time. It turned out to be the most numerous species of mantis in the region, but its distribution is very uneven. It was found in 39 sites (23.4% of the total number). It is most common in pristine areas on the coast of the Tuzly Lagoons (11 out of 24 sites) with a relative number of up to 6.38 indiv./series and on the slopes of the Kohylnyk river valley from the village of Pavlivka to the headwaters of the Sasyk Lagoon (11 out of 14 sites) with a relative population of up to 6.29 indiv./series. Iris polystictica Fischer-Waldheim, 1846 was found by us in 3 sites: on the right steppe slope of the Kohylnyk river valley within Artsyz, on the steppe high bank of the Sasyk Lagoon near the village of Hlyboke and on the halophyte meadows along the coast of the Dzhantshei Lagoon and the Malyi Sasyk Lagoon. A relative number everywhere did not exceed 0.32–0.33 indiv./series. In total, the species was recorded in 13 sites (7.8% of the total number). In addition, a single female was found in Izmail. Regarding Empusa fasciata Brulle, 1832, we currently know of only four records in the study area in different years in one locality — on the Zhebriianivska ridge in the vicinity of Vylkove. Despite more or less monotonous natural conditions throughout the study area, autochthonous species of mantis are absent between the Kohylnyk and the Yalpuh rivers, and A. heldreichi is also absent in the middle reaches of the Kohylnyk and the Sarata rivers, including within the Landscape Reserve ‘Tarutynskyi Step’ and its vicinity. In our opinion, their absence may be due to the peculiarities of agriculture in these areas, in particular, the frequent burning of fields and pastures. 23 figs, 65 refs.