Communication by substrate-borne mechanical signals is widespread among animals but remains one of their least understood communication channels. Past studies of vibrational communication in insects have been oriented predominantly to communication during mating, showing that species- and sex-specific vibrational signals enable recognition and localization of potential mates on continuous solid substrates. No special attention has been paid to vibrational signals with less obvious specificity as well as to the possibility of vibrational communication across substrates that are not in physical contact. We aimed to reinvestigate emission of the aforementioned vibrational signals transmitted through a plant in the stink bug Euschistus heros (Pentatomidae: Pentatominae) and to check whether individuals are able to communicate across adjecent, physically separated substrates. We used laser vibrometry for registration of substrate-borne vibrational signals on a bean plant. Using two bean plants separated for 3 to 7 cm between two most adjacent leaves, we investigated the possibility of transmission of these signals through air. Our study showed that males and females of E. heros communicate using tremulatory, percussion and buzzing signals in addition to the previously described signals produced by vibrations of the abdomen. Contrary to the latter, the first three signal types did not differ between sexes or between pentatomid species. Experiments with two physically separated plants showed significant searching behaviour and localization of vibrational signals of an E. heros male or a female, in response to abdominal vibration produced signals of a pair duetting on the neighbouring plant, in comparison to control where no animals were on the neighbouring plant. We also confirmed that transmission through air causes amplitude and frequency decay of vibrational signals, which suggests high-amplitude, low-frequency tremulatory signals of these stink bugs their most plausible way of communication across discontinuous substrates.

The prioritization of alien species according to the magnitude of their environmental impacts has become increasingly important for the management of invasive alien species. In this study, we applied the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) to classify alien taxa from three different taxonomic groups to facilitate the prioritisation of management actions for the threatened riparian forests of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, South East Europe. With local experts we collated a list of 198 alien species (115 plants, 45 insects, and 38 fungi) with populations reported in southeast European forest ecosystems and included them in the EICAT. We found impact reports for 114 species. Eleven of these species caused local extinctions of a native species, 35 led to a population decrease, 51 to a reduction in performance in at least one native species and for 17 alien species no effects on individual fitness of native species were detected. Fungi had significantly highest impact and were more likely to have information on their impacts reported. Competition and parasitism were the most important impact mechanisms of alien species. This study is, to our knowledge, the first application of EICAT to all known alien species of several taxonomic groups in a protected area. The impact rankings enabled to identify taxa that generally cause high impacts and to prioritize species for the management in protected areas according to their impact magnitudes. By following a standardized impact protocol, we identified several alien species causing high impacts that do not appear on any expert-based risk list, which are relevant for policymakers. Thus, we recommend that alien species be systematically screened to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize their management with respect to spatio-temporal trends in impact magnitudes.

Vibratory communication during reproductive behaviour is less well described in predatory (Asopinae) than in phytophagous (Pentatominae) stink bugs. Different steps in the mating behaviour of the predatory stink bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; Asopinae) are described in the present study, together with vibratory signals emitted on artificial and natural substrate during courtship and copulation. Vibratory signals in Podisus nigrispinus have a decisive role in copulation success and are produced in both sexes by abdominal vibration and tremulation. In P. nigrispinus, one species-specific female and two male songs, which do not show the calling function typically found in phytophagous stink bugs, are produced by abdominal vibration and are emitted during reproductive behaviour. Additionally, P. nigrispinus produces tremulatory signals that have no species or sex specificity. Tremulatory signals emitted spontaneously on a plant as a sequence of readily repeated pulses are similar to the calling songs of the Pentatominae stink bug. These signals may carry information on the presence of a mate; however, in other behavioural contexts, they may have a different function, such as advertisement or even alarm signals. Plants transmit vibratory signals produced by both mechanisms as a low-pass filter, increasing the amount of low-frequency components. The results of the present study raise important questions about the interaction between chemical and vibratory signals in the mating behaviour of predatory stink bugs.

Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), with the common name the Asian ambrosia beetle or the granulate ambrosia beetle, originates in tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Asia. It is one of the most widespread wood-boring beetles and among these one of the most successful invaders (IPPC 2017). Outside its native habitat, the species is present in Africa (Wood & Bright 1992, Atkinson et al. 2000), in Australia (IPPC 2017), on the Pacific Islands (Beaver 1976), in the Americas (Atkinson 1988, Rabaglia et al. 2006, Flechtmann & Atkinson 2016, Landi et al. 2017) and in Europe (Pennacchio et al. 2003, Nageleisen et al. 2015, Gallego et al. 2016, Francardi et al. 2017).

In recent decades, there have been an increasing number of outbreaks of Ips typographus in Europe. A large amount of sanitary felling has taken place, with significant economic and ecological consequences. In order to anticipate such large‐scale outbreaks, an effective monitoring system should be set up. One important aspect of monitoring is deciding which pheromone to use. Therefore, we decided to test five different commercially available pheromone lures under different disturbance conditions: Pheroprax®, IT Ecolure Extra®, Ipstyp®, Ipsowit® and Typosan®. We investigated the ability of the pheromones to distinguish between disturbed and undisturbed locations, their cost‐efficiency ratio, and side effects such as bycatch abundance and composition. We set 50 traps in two areas with sites that were disturbed and undisturbed by windstorms. We collected the catch from traps every 1–2 weeks from the end of March until the end of September in 2019. We found that IT Ecolure Extra®, Ipsowit® and ® Pheroprax® caught the most I. typographus and best showed changes in the trap catch of I. typographus throughout the whole season. There was a low amount of bycatch (<6% of the total catch) and a low number of predators (a few specimens), but some groups seem to prefer certain pheromones. The cost of the pheromones increased with their effectiveness. However, pheromone costs are low relative to the personnel costs involved in setting traps and collecting the catch. Based on all of the gathered data, we created an index which helps to assess the cost‐efficiency of the five chosen commercially available pheromones. We also present guidelines on how to make such an index to assist other researchers in choosing the right pheromone for monitoring populations of I. typographus or other bark beetle species.