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.

Interesting records of one bush-cricket and two grasshopper species are reported from Croatia and Slovenia. Rhacocleis annulata Fieber, 1853 (Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae) has been reported for the first time from Croatia (Dubrava by Šibenik), as well as for Slovenia (Borovnica SW of Ljubljana); Eyprepocnemis plorans (Charpentier, 1825) (Acrididae: Eyprepocnemidinae) is reported for the first time for Croatia, also from Dubrava; and finally, the Xya pfaendleri Harz, 1970 (Tridactylidae: Tridactylinae) record from Dubrava represents the first record of this species from Dalmatia. Rhacocleis annulata and Eyprepocnemis plorans are known to be spreading through Europe, so these records contribute to the understanding of their dispersal in Southern Europe. Croatian Orthopteran fauna now counts, with two species added, 187 species, while Slovenian Orthopteran fauna now counts, with one species added, 158 species.

No abstract

The Balkan peninsula is an important biogeographic region of Europe which houses the Dinaric Alps, a mountain range rich in biodiversity. The fauna of Orthoptera has, in recent years, been an important subject of study in Croatia, but many of the Dinaric mountains in Croatia remain poorly sampled. Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the exception of some foreign expeditions, remains almost completely unknown with regards to the distribution of Orthoptera. This paper presents the inventory of the orthopteran faunas of Dinara, Svilaja, Kamešnica, and Troglav mountains and Livanjsko polje, with research conducted in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021 and 2022. A total of 67 localities were visited and 115 species were recorded. For each species in each locality, a simple abundance estimation was carried out and is reported here. A comparative checklist of species is provided, combining the literature and newly gathered data. Although many species were recorded, most of the visited areas would benefit from more research. Recently, with the establishment of Dinara Nature Park, conservation efforts in Croatia have increased but the same cannot be said for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where more conservation work is required.

A new genus of the tribe Ephippigerini, Dinarippiger Skejo, Kasalo, Fontana et Tvrtković gen. nov., is described based on the characters of occiput coloration, tegmina coloration, cerci and pronotum shape. The new genus is morphologically intermediate between the genera Ephippiger Berthold, 1827 and Uromenus Bolívar, 1878, and presently includes only Dalmatian Saddle Bush Cricket, Dinarippiger discoidalis (Fieber, 1853) comb. nov., hitherto known as Ephippiger discoidalis Fieber, 1853. The species inhabits NE Italy (mainly Carso Triestino), SW Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, i.e., islands and karst habitats along the eastern Adriatic coast, with isolated findings in Albania and Italy. Its prominent variation in size and coloration has already produced many synonyms (= limbata Fischer, 1853, = limbata var. major Krauss, 1879, = limbata var. minor Krauss, 1879, = selenophora Fieber, 1853, = sphacophila Krauss, 1879), which may suggest that what is currently regarded as a single species could represent a complex of distinct species with restricted distributions. This study also presents an annotated distribution map and a bioacoustic analysis of D. discoidalis comb. nov. Further research, especially adopting molecular methods, is necessary to assess possible cryptic diversity within the genus Dinarippiger gen. nov. and elucidate its evolutionary history.