Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species
The Central European fauna, in the last decades, has been undergoing a strong transformation due to four main factors: the retreat of living organisms that require cool and wet habitats, the proliferation of organisms that thrive in warm and dry conditions, the northward migration of Mediterranean o...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Attila Haris Zsolt Józan Péter Schmidt Gábor Glemba Bogdan Tomozii György Csóka Anikó Hirka Peter Šima Sándor Tóth |
| author_facet | Attila Haris Zsolt Józan Péter Schmidt Gábor Glemba Bogdan Tomozii György Csóka Anikó Hirka Peter Šima Sándor Tóth |
| author_sort | Attila Haris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Central European fauna, in the last decades, has been undergoing a strong transformation due to four main factors: the retreat of living organisms that require cool and wet habitats, the proliferation of organisms that thrive in warm and dry conditions, the northward migration of Mediterranean organisms, and the gradual establishment of plants and animals with tropical origins. In this study, we detail the changes in the orders Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera and analyze the establishment of non native insects and the northward migration of Mediterranean insect species. The transformation towards a Mediterranean-type fauna is prominently indicated by the population in total abundance increase of xerothermic Aculeata, bee flies (Bombyliidae), and horse flies (Tabanidae). Additionally, groups that require cool and wet ecological conditions, particularly hoverflies (Syrphidae), but also sawflies (Tenthredinidae) and tachinid flies (Tachinidae), have shown a notable decline. In nocturnal moths, we observe a decrease in species richness in certain areas, as well as frequent outbreaks in populations of some less climate-sensitive species. Some species of butterflies are less sensitive to the current extent of climate change, exhibiting significant population in total abundance growth under protected conditions. However, most of the previously sporadic and rare butterfly species have proven to be climate-sensitive, unable to achieve significant population in abundance growth even under strict nature conservation. In recent decades, the influx from Mediterranean regions and the establishment of tropical non native insect species have turned at an exponential rate. We have reviewed the presence of alien insect species, recording 803 alien insect species in our region; 298 of them have arrived in the past quarter-century, with a significant proportion (54%) originating from tropical and Mediterranean regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0de4e4bb34e74e86b656dacd28289932 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-4133 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecologies |
| spelling | doaj-art-0de4e4bb34e74e86b656dacd282899322025-08-20T02:11:25ZengMDPI AGEcologies2673-41332025-02-01611610.3390/ecologies6010016Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native SpeciesAttila Haris0Zsolt Józan1Péter Schmidt2Gábor Glemba3Bogdan Tomozii4György Csóka5Anikó Hirka6Peter Šima7Sándor Tóth8Rippl-Rónai Museum, H-7400 Kaposvár, HungaryRippl-Rónai Museum, H-7400 Kaposvár, HungaryRippl-Rónai Museum, H-7400 Kaposvár, HungaryHungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary“Ion Borcea” Museum of Natural Sciences Complex, 600043 Bacău, RomaniaForest Research Institute, University of Sopron, H-3232 Mátrafüred, HungaryForest Research Institute, University of Sopron, H-3232 Mátrafüred, HungaryKoppert s.r.o., Komárňanská cesta 13, 940 01 Nové Zámky, SlovakiaBakony Museum of Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-8420 Zirc, HungaryThe Central European fauna, in the last decades, has been undergoing a strong transformation due to four main factors: the retreat of living organisms that require cool and wet habitats, the proliferation of organisms that thrive in warm and dry conditions, the northward migration of Mediterranean organisms, and the gradual establishment of plants and animals with tropical origins. In this study, we detail the changes in the orders Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera and analyze the establishment of non native insects and the northward migration of Mediterranean insect species. The transformation towards a Mediterranean-type fauna is prominently indicated by the population in total abundance increase of xerothermic Aculeata, bee flies (Bombyliidae), and horse flies (Tabanidae). Additionally, groups that require cool and wet ecological conditions, particularly hoverflies (Syrphidae), but also sawflies (Tenthredinidae) and tachinid flies (Tachinidae), have shown a notable decline. In nocturnal moths, we observe a decrease in species richness in certain areas, as well as frequent outbreaks in populations of some less climate-sensitive species. Some species of butterflies are less sensitive to the current extent of climate change, exhibiting significant population in total abundance growth under protected conditions. However, most of the previously sporadic and rare butterfly species have proven to be climate-sensitive, unable to achieve significant population in abundance growth even under strict nature conservation. In recent decades, the influx from Mediterranean regions and the establishment of tropical non native insect species have turned at an exponential rate. We have reviewed the presence of alien insect species, recording 803 alien insect species in our region; 298 of them have arrived in the past quarter-century, with a significant proportion (54%) originating from tropical and Mediterranean regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4133/6/1/16climate changeinsectsalien speciesHymenopteraDipteraLepidoptera |
| spellingShingle | Attila Haris Zsolt Józan Péter Schmidt Gábor Glemba Bogdan Tomozii György Csóka Anikó Hirka Peter Šima Sándor Tóth Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species Ecologies climate change insects alien species Hymenoptera Diptera Lepidoptera |
| title | Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species |
| title_full | Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species |
| title_fullStr | Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species |
| title_short | Climate Change Influences on Central European Insect Fauna over the Last 50 Years: Mediterranean Influx and Non-Native Species |
| title_sort | climate change influences on central european insect fauna over the last 50 years mediterranean influx and non native species |
| topic | climate change insects alien species Hymenoptera Diptera Lepidoptera |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4133/6/1/16 |
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