Entomology research

Entomology research abroad

Aleksandrs Napolovs has been making entomofauna inventory expeditions – since 1989 in Central Asia and Russia’s Far East, since 1996 – in Vietnam, in 2010 – in Greece, in 2011 – in Turkey, in 2012 – in Marocco, in 2013 – in Bulgaria, in 2014 – in Russia’s Far East, in 2015 and 2016 – in Bulgaria and Greece, in 2017 – in Thailand. The materials of these expeditions have been included in scientific publications, and several new species have been discovered, including more than 20 beetle species as well as butterfly and spider species.

Publications (by other authors)

Gebert J., Matalin A. V., Boetzl F. A. 2021. Revision of the Palearctic Cicindela campestris species complex – Part 1: On the taxonomy, identification and ecology of Cicindela herbacea Klug, 1832 and Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae). – Zootaxa 4990(3): 469–510.

Telnov D., Drumont A. 2020. Revisional notes on Trictenotoma Gray, 1832 (Coleoptera: Trictenotomidae) in Indochina bioregion, with description of a new species. – Annales zoologici (Warszawa), 70(2): 205–227.

Matalin A.V., Wiesner J. 2016. On the distribution and taxonomy of the tiger beetle genus Therates Latreille, 1816 (Coleoptera, Carabidae: Cicindelinae) from Vietnam. – Far Eastern Entomologist 327: 8–13.

Entomology research in Latvia – Hermit Beetle

In 2005 Aleksandrs Napolovs and Ilona Roma participated in the development of the threatened Hermit Beetle (Osmoderma eremita) Species Conservation Plan in Latvia. In 2006 they took part in a field study on the species in Latvia, covering a territory of ca. 22 000 km². 104 known Hermit Beetle sites were examined, and the presence of the species was verified at 68 of them. While inspecting 660 potential sites, 49 new Hermit Beetle sites were recorded.

Entomology research in Latvia – Reindeer Nose Bot Fly

In 2008 Aleksandrs Napolovs and Ilona Roma took part in a field study on the Reindeer Nose Bot Fly (Cephenemyia trompe) in Latvia. A life-size model of Reindeer was made to serve as a lure. Reindeer urine was used as olfactory bait, and a system was installed inside the model to produce carbon dioxide simulating model’s “breath” through its “nostrils”.

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