Entomologica Austriaca 33

Invasive alien species are increasing globally in numbers posing threats to biodiversity, the economy, and human health. Europe has documented, besides North America, the highest numbers of invasive species, with expenses caused by invasive species reaching up to millions of Euros. The Asian hornet – Vespa velutina (subspecies: nigrithorax du Buysson, 1905) – was the first Vespidae species on the list of invasive species of European concern. The Asian hornet was first recorded in 2004 in southern France and expanded its range actively

by its flight ability and passively via human transportation across Europe. In 2024, a single female individual was detected in Austria putting beekeepers and scientists on alert. We screened scientific literature on V. velutina in Europe and provide an overview of its potential impacts on the economics of beekeepers, regional biodiversity, and human health. Although numerous works have been published about its potential threats, we found data gaps and limitations in the suitability of several study designs to quantitatively verify its impact. We highlight the necessity to further monitor the expansion of V. velutina, investigate open research questions, and inform the public about invasive alien species.

Some organs in evolutionary history appear to have emerged without clear precursors and transitional forms, challenging the gradualist assumptions central to Darwinian theory. Strikingly, studies focusing on such evolutionary novelties remain limited to a few well-characterized cases. This review examines two instructive examples in insects that illustrate distinct pathways to fundamental phenotypic innovation. The first concerns the origin of insect wings, undoubtedly one of the most significant and extensively studied morphological novelties in arthropods. Since the early post-Darwinian era, two competing explanatory models have dominated the debate: the paranotal lobe hypothesis and the legexite hypothesis. Recent evo-devo research has reshaped this discourse, culminating in the integrative dual origin hypothesis. However, emerging evidence has reignited the controversy, suggesting that wing evolution may be more complex than previously thought. The second example focuses on wing-associated circulatory organs, evolutionary novelties that have received comparatively little attention. These small pumping units drive hemolymph flow through the wing vein network, a mechanism essential for maintaining sensory structures on the wings and preserving cuticular hydration, which is critical for their biomechanical performance. While the ancestral condition is represented by modifications of the dorsal vessel, fully independent wing hearts have evolved multiple times across various insect lineages as novel pulsatile organs. Their emergence appears to be a consequence of spatial constraints imposed by the progressive evolution of the insect flight apparatus. Research in Drosophila revealed that these organs originate from four pericardial precursor cells and represent evolutionary novelties in the strictest sense, as they not only lack homology with any known ancestral structure but also develop as discrete modules under the control of unique gene regulatory networks. Wing hearts thus represent a versatile and experimentally accessible model system for studying the emergence and integration of novel traits — a central, yet still underexplored theme in evolutionary biology.

The first record of the vagrant emperor (Anax ephippiger) from Styria was obtained on 20 April 2025 in Pirka near Graz. This brings the total number of dragonfly species known to occur in Styria to 65, with up to five further new records expected in the near future.

The morphology of the proboscis tip and its sensilla were studied in relation to feeding preferences in 165 species of Papilionoidea representing all families and subfamilies. The shape of the drinking region with which fluid is taken up, and the contact chemo-mechanosensilla, so-called sensilla stylococonica, were compared using light microscopy and exemplarily examined with scanning electron microscopy. Despite the same composition of the sensilla styloconica in all butterflies studied here, their number and arrangement as well as their length and micromorphology may vary greatly. While the morphology of the proboscis tip and the sensilla styloconica are the same in all Hesperiidae, the studied Papilionidae, Hedylidae, and Pieridae show certain differences within families. In contrast, the diversity of the drinking region as well as the shape, length, number, and arrangement of sensilla styloconica is very large within the studied Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, and Riodinidae. Most primarily non-nectar feeding species show numerous sensilla styloconica forming a characteristic brush-shaped drinking region. A new type of proboscis was found in tropical honeydew feeding Lycaenidae that lack sensilla styloconica on their short proboscis possessing long bristle-shaped sensilla. Likewise, the sensilla styloconica are missing in a few nectar feeding Pieridae and Riodinidae. The plesiomorphic type of sensilla styloconica of Papilionoidea features several longitudinal cuticle ribs. Independent evolutionary pathways led to apomorphic traits of the sensillum stylus and the remarkable diversity of the sensory equipment of the Papilionoidea.

The mammoth wasp Regiscolia maculata is among the largest species of aculeate Hymenoptera in Europe. In Austria, the species was historically known from only two 19th-century records, but since 2018 observations have increased markedly, especially in eastern Lower Austria. A citizen science project launched in 2021 enabled systematic data collection. Between 2018 and 2025, 58 occurrences at 42 sites were documented, with a focus in the Marchfeld, and the westernmost observations in the Lobau in Vienna and in Baden. The most rapid expansion was observed between 2024 and 2025. Most records are documented from thermally favoured lowlands and anthropogenically influenced habitats. Repeated findings of both sexes suggest established reproductive populations. Climatic data from all localities and the years 2018–2025 were additionally analyzed. They show no clear correlation with occurrence frequency, although a pronounced range expansion is evident. The current climatic warming likely facilitates the spread of this thermophilic species, paralleling trends observed in other xerothermophilous Hymenoptera species.

Over the past decade, the ÖEG Insect Camp has fostered collaboration between emerging biologists and seasoned entomologists, combining fieldwork and knowledge exchange to document the biodiversity of various regions across Austria. In 2025, the camp took place in the Hohe Wand Nature Park, a biogeographically unique transition zone between the Alpine and Pannonian regions. Over four days, 57 researchers and students documented 1,619 invertebrate species, complemented by records of 399 vascular plant species – the highest number ever recorded at this event series. The faunistic dataset includes two new Diptera species for Austria and twelve new provincial records for Lower Austria. The exceptionally high species number reflects the diverse habitat mosaic of the region, emphasizing the biodiversity value of transition zones. It further highlights the potential of the camp’s collaborative approach that combines effective biodiversity research and science education.

The Common Wart-biter (Decticus verrucivorus) is a widely distributed yet locally threatened bush-cricket. Throughout history, the species has fascinated naturalists with its large size, variable coloration, and distinctive behaviour. Its name refers to historical folk-medical practices. The Wart-biter primarily inhabits extensively managed meadows of various types but is increasingly pressured by agricultural intensification, scrub encroachment, and climate-induced dry periods. Although the species occurs almost nationwide in Austria, regional Red Lists indicate noticeable declines and signs of threat. Conservation measures should therefore focus on maintaining open, heterogeneous grassland habitats, securing stepping-stone biotopes, and implementing adapted mowing and grazing regimes.

Here, the European Spider of the Year 2026, Mangora acalypha, is presented. Some taxonomic background is given and the appearance and characteristics (e.g. ecology, habitat, phenology) are briefly described. The decisive criteria for the choice are given.

The Austrian Entomological Society (ÖEG) was founded within the framework of the 6th International Symposium on Entomofaunistics in Central Europe (SIEEC VI) in Lunz am See (Lower Austria) in September 1975 and looks back now to 50 years of a successful development documented by a permanent increase of members, particularly of young students interested in various fields of entomology. Many scientific events and meetings took place between 1976 and 2025: 43 conferences (so-called Fachgespräche), each devoted to a (usually current) special topic of entomology, 36 meetings of congress-character (so-called colloquia) mainly to offer a forum for Bachelor-, Master-, and PhD-students to present results of their research, and 4 joint congresses with the Swiss and/or German Entomological Society, and 12 Insect-Camps in various National Parks or other biologically outstanding biocoenoses in various parts of Austria, particularly for young entomologists, together with specialists of certain orders of insects or other arthropods. The Austrian Entomological Society publishes a journal, Entomologica Austriaca, so far 39 volumes with 6,322 pages with articles in German or English covering many fields of entomology, particularly also history of entomology, have appeared. The society awards two medals to outstanding entomologists: Ignaz Schiffermüller-Medal and Friedrich Brauer-Medal. Moreover, a financially considerable grant is forwarded to one or two students every year for an outstanding master thesis or PhD dissertation. The paper contains lists of all members of the board of the society including photographs of these persons of all periods and lists of all meetings (locality, date, topic) of the past 50 years.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Entomological Society of Austria, four entomological songs were written and performed by the band “The Tymbaliners” at the 50th anniversary celebration in Graz on October 18, 2025. “Die Moritat von den Insekten”, “The Dying Dew”, “In the Meadow” and “Käferjagd” are entomological interpretations of popular musical pieces that humorously address both the enchanting diversity and the dramatic decline of insect fauna and provide insights into the everyday life of a beetle researcher.