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The authors carried out a survey of butterflies on 12 of the Cape Verde Islands from 29 October to 18 December 2013. During the survey records were also made of the few hawk-moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) encountered during the day, or feeding at flowers at dusk and dawn. None was collected at light. Since several of our records are believed to be new island records, we present them here. The few voucher specimens collected have been deposited in the Natural History Museum, London.
A survey of butterfly species was carried out on 12 islands of the Cape Verde archipelago (Brava, Cima, Fogo, Santiago, Maio, Boa Vista, Sal, São Nicolau, Raso, Santa Luzia, São Vicente, Santo Antão) during almost eight weeks in 2013. Results include the discovery of six species not previously recorded from the islands: Vanessa atalanta, V. vulcania, Junonia oenone, Danaus plexippus, Eurema brigitta and Azanus ubaldus. Known island distribution of some resident species is extended. Status of some long-standing (and questionable) historical records and probable misidentifications are discussed in detail. Data are presented with regard to habitat, habits and host-plants of all taxa, together with a table of species, islands, status and probable original geographical source. Entomological data from Cambridge University ornithological research on Raso between 2006 and 2014 are also included. Comment is made with regard to whether butterfly studies support inclusion of the Cape Verde Islands in ‘Macaronesia’ sensu lato.
During August-September 2014 and 2015, yachtbased surveys were conducted in the Cape Verde archipelago with the main objective of trying to locate humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae during the late boreal summer (Berrow et al. 2014). Spring breeding humpbacks in Cape Verde waters are known to have their feeding grounds in the high Arctic (e.g. Wenzel et al. 2009). While these animals have generally left the breeding grounds by mid-May, a number of sightings during the summer months (June- August) have raised the possibility that animals from southern stocks may occasionally reach as far north as Cape Verde (Hazevoet et al. 2011).
Pitfall trapping in the National Park Thy, north-western Jutland, Denmark, in 2011 and 2013 revealed 3654 specimens of the harvestman Nelima gothica. In most European countries, including Denmark, this species has been considered rare and little information is available on its biology. The species was found predominantly in the yellow dune habitat close to the North Sea coast. Here it could be either very abundant or completely absent at localities only a few kilometres apart. It also occurred in lower numbers in the grey dunes and the dune heathland, and was rare in managed grassland; it disappeared from habitats further inland. In the yellow dunes high numbers were recorded especially in rather dense Ammophila arenaria vegetation not disturbed by sand shifting. The phenology follows the typical pattern of North-European Phalangiidae and Leiobuninae: an annual life-cycle with juveniles developing through late spring and summer months, reproduction in autumn and hibernation in the egg stage. The findings suggest that N. gothica may be found all along the coastal dunes of western Denmark and possibly the Wadden Sea area, though it may only locally reach high abundances. Earlier records also included the coasts of eastern Denmark.
Recent collections of pseudoscorpions resulted in a first record and a new species from Iran. Olpium omanense Mahnert, 1991 originally described from Oman is recorded for the first time from Iran. Three congeneric species with similar morphometric characters and trichobothrial patterns, Olpium intermedium Beier, 1959, O. lindbergi, Beier, 1959 and O. omanense can be separated by the setal numbers on the posterior margin of the carapace and tergite I. Also, specimens reported as Olpium lindbergi Beier, 1951 from Pakistan were probably misidentified and belong to O. omanense. The new species Cardiolpium bisetosum sp. nov. is described based on males from Markazi province, western Iran. Morphometric data are given in comparison to related species.
Ein Weibchen der Springspinne Heliophanus stylifer Simon, 1878 wurde im Naturpark s'Albufera auf der Balearen-Insel Mallorca (Spanien) gefunden. Die Spezies ist neu für Europa. Außerdem wurden weitere sieben Springspinnenarten nachgewiesen, darunter mit Heliophanus apiatus, Icius hamatus und Menemerus taeniatus drei Arten erstmalig für die Balearen.