Zoologičeskij žurnal

Illustrated descriptions of two species of the genus Bathynella Vejdovsky, 1882 are presented: B. bazikalovae Alekseeva, Krivorotkin et Timoshkin sp. n. and B. rara Alekseeva, Krivorotkin et Timoshkin sp. n. Both species are endemic to Lake Baikal. The first species was found in large numbers in the coastal zone of Bolshiye Koty Bay: in the splash zone, as well as in the depth range from the cutoff to 0.5 m in sandy substrate. The second species was found on the underwater Akademichesky Ridge at a depth of 350 m, in oxidized silt with dead Cladocera (their shells and ephippia) and diatoms. The morphology of the new species was studied in detail using both scanning electron and light microscopy. An extensive comparison of the new species between themselves and with B. baicalensis Bazikalova, 1954 is given. The species differ in the armament of thoracopods 1–7, the structure of thoracopod 8 of females and males, the armament of the uropods and pleopods, and other morphological features. These discoveries confirm earlier assumptions concerning a much greater species richness of the bathynellid fauna of Lake Baikal.

Ecological patterns of the formation of bird populations on the Onekotan Island are analyzed. Route counts were used along transects of unlimited width. As many as 53 bird species were registered, including 28% revealed as ubiquitous, another 30% local, and further 32% highly local. 38 species were shown to nest. The taxonomic structure of the avifauna, represented by species from 10 orders, corresponded to the zonal and landscape features of the island’s territories located at the eastern margins of northern Eurasia. Passeriformes (38%), Charadriiformes (24%), Procellariiformes (9%) prevailed. The zoogeographic peculiarity of the avifauna was a composition of elements of the Pacific, Siberian, Far Eastern islands and Arctic faunistic complexes, combined with Siberian-American and widespread species. The avifauna of Onekotan Island, formed by a system of general zonal-landscape and altitudinal-belt patterns, unites ecological groups of marine and land species, including montane ones (n = 7). With altitude, the species richness, the bird population density, and the abundance of most species decrease. There are 26 species in the avifauna of the forest belt, 17 species in the subalpine belt, 14 species in the alpine belt, 29 species in the oceanic waters and coast, with population densities of 559, 306, 221, and 129–223 individuals/km², respectively. The similarity coefficient of the avifauna of oceanic areas is 47%, vs about 60%. of terrestrial habitats. In the population of terrestrial habitats, the dominants and subdominants include the Buff-bellied Pipit, the Brown-headed Thrush, the Siberian Rubythroat, Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler, the Arctic Warbler, and the Pine Grosbeak. In the population of the oceanic waters, 7 species dominate in avundance: in its coastal part, the Harlequin Duck, the Red-faced Cormorant, the Slaty-backed Gull, and the Pigeon Guillemot, vs the Northern Fulmar, the Common Guillemot, and the Tufted Puffin at a considerable distance from the coast.

The Black Kite, Milvus migrans, is a common accipitrid opportunistic predator with a giant distribution range covering vast areas in the continents of Eurasia, Australia and Africa. This species is characterized by a complex population structure which consists of settlements of two ecotypes: the southern sedentary populations and the northern populations of seasonal migrants. To winter, the birds of the northern populations annually undertake long-distance migrations to the breeding grounds of the southern populations. The problem is that both migrants and residents belong to the same Asian subspecies M. m. lineatus and actually are indistinguishable in their phenotype at the southern parts of the subspecies range. This poses apparent problems for field observations of the birds to both population types. As a result, the population structure of the species remains especially dubious as regards the territories of the Russian Far East, China and Japan. The authors have tried to gather all available information on the population status of M. m. lineatus in the east of Asia and to systematize the scattered data on the population dynamics, migrations and genetic markers of the different populations. Particular attention has been paid to the populations from China, because the published information is still extremely scarce. Based on the records of the species from public databases, we could delineate the current breeding range of the migratory and resident populations of the lineatus race in Asia. This, in turn, allows us to discuss the origin, distribution, and history of spreading of both population types of the Black Kite in Northeast and East Asia. We assume that the sedentary populations in China, South Korea and Japan share a common origin. We separately consider the kite population on the island of Taiwan, whence the subspecies M. m. formosanus was described about a century ago. There are reasons to believe that no birds of this form have survived on the island until today. In addition, possible reasons for a clear decline in black kite numbers at the end of the 20th century are discussed for the large territory of the Russian Far East.

Data on sound registration of two species of bats using Echo Meter Touch, a highly sensitive microphone, in the extreme south of Primorsky Krai are presented. An analysis shows that, based the main frequency characteristics (minimum frequency and peak frequency), the echolocation calls were classified with high probability as belonging to Pipistrellus abramus and Nyctalus aviator. Their occurrence has not been confirmed in Russia for many decades. Descriptions of their echolocation calls are given.

Based on material collected in the second half of summer for the period from 1954 to 2016 in the lowland and mountainous parts of western Siberia, the distribution of the Field vole is analyzed in zonal and provincial aspects. Cluster analysis of a matrix of the similarity coefficients of abundance indicators allowed for a habitat classification to be compiled based on the degree of favorability of environmental conditions for the study species. There are four types of conditions: optimal, subpessimal, pessimal, and extreme, the latter where no field voles are found. Based on the classification, the spatial heterogeneity of the abundance of the species is linked to the influence of environmental factors and their combinations (regimes).

The method of group marking in rodents using food bait with indigestible markers, i. e. cosmetic spangles (glitter) of different colors with a particle size of 0.2 mm, was tested. Plastic glitter is widely used in manicure and makeup and is easily accessible. In natural conditions, bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus, consumed well an oatmeal bait with the addition of unrefined sunflower oil containing glitter at a concentration of 1:100 by weight. In the wild, the marks were identified in the litter of bank voles up to a maximum of 66 hours after the bait had been laid. Glitter of 16 colors was tested, with 12 colors used in the wild. The identification of marks in the litter samples was carried out using a magnifying glass and a stereoscopic binocular microscope to more accurately determine the color. The technique was used to study the long-range exits of bank voles outside their home ranges (excursions) and their deviation from the shortest straight-line route during homing. To do this, bait feeders marked with glitter of different colors were placed with lines containing a marker of the same color, marking certain parts of the area. Catching the animal’s excretion of litter with a mark of a certain color meant that the animal had visited the appropriate territory. The method is cheap and easy to use, potentially allowing for up to 20 different marker colors to be used.