Some giant mantid species of the genera Sphodromantis Stål, 1871 and Hierodula Burmeister, 1838 have been found spreading their distribution through the Palearctic, but none of the species have been recorded from the Adriatic coast of Croatia, where numerous local species already co-exist, such as Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus, 1758) and Iris oratoria (Linnaeus, 1758). In this study, we present the first records of the giant African mantis (Sphodromantis viridis (Forskål, 1775)), the Indochina mantis (Hierodula patellifera Serville, 1839), and the giant Asian mantis (Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869) from Croatia. A small population of S. viridis was observed in the southernmost county of Croatia (Dubrovnik); a single record of H. patellifera comes from the westernmost part of the country (Istria), while the first two specimens of H. tenuidentata were observed in the central part of the Croatian coast (Šibenik). These alien species represent three new taxa for the mantid fauna of Croatia, which now counts 9 or 10 species (depending on inclusion of Ameles heldreichi Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1882). The fast spreading of these species in Europe proves their adaptation to regions where they have arrived; thus, future monitoring of the species must be conducted in order to determine their impact on native fauna.

Hoverflies (Syrphidae) are a large Dipteran family, distributed almost worldwide. They play very important ecological roles such as plant pollination, nutrient recycling and predation of plant pests. The members of the genus Epistrophe Walker, 1852 are medium-sized hoverflies of which about 75 species have been described in the World, and 12 of them occur in Europe. During a survey, conducted from 16th June to 4th July 2021 at Blidinje Nature Park (Bosnia and Herzegovina), a new species, of the fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was recorded – Epistrophe diaphana (Zetterstedt, 1843) and new records for species Epistrophe leiophthalma (Schiner & Egger, 1853) were observed. Specimens were collected from inflorescences of Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium L.). Information about the records, species habitats, distribution and status in the country and the region is presented and discussed in this research work.

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We analysed the status and distribution of the Sage Skipper Muschampia proto (Ochsenheimer, 1808), a rather rare and local Hesperiidae species at the edge of its range in the north-western part of the Balkan peninsula, mainly Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. In order to determine the species’ presence in the region, we mapped the occurrence of its hostplant, Jerusalem Sage Phlomis fruticosa Linnaeus (Lamiaceae). We also summarized all the available knowledge on M. proto in the Balkan Peninsula and provided a literature overview for each country this species has been recorded in so far. In Croatia, the distribution of M. proto is very limited and is located only in the wider surroundings of Dubrovnik city. In the present paper, we also provide the first and only record of M. proto in Bosnia & Herzegovina, from a single locality close to the Croatian border in the Dubrovnik area. Due to its limited distribution in both countries, we propose that the conservation status of the species should be changed from none to vulnerable.

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