Northward range extension of Atrichops crassipes (Meigen, 1820) (Diptera, Athericidae) in the Baltic ecoregion, with the first record from Latvia

he jou nal o
biodi e si y da a
NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
1138
Academic edi o : Maí a A aújo
Recei ed: 6 Oc obe 2025
Accep ed: 6 No embe 2025
Published: 24 No embe 2025
Copy igh © The au ho s. This is an open‑access
a icle dis ibu ed unde e ms o he C ea i e
Commons A ibu ion License (A ibu ion 4.0
In e na ional – CC BY 4.0)
Abs ac . The i s eco d o A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1920) (Dip e a, A he icidae) in La ia is epo ed, o‑
ge he wi h addi ional indings om Li huanian wa e s in 2015. The da a a e based on la al eco ds collec ed
du ing eshwa e mac oin e eb a e esea ch and wa e ‑quali y moni o ing. A ichops c assipes ep esen s
a new Dip e a species eco d o La ia and ma ks he no he nmos limi o he species known ange. Ou
da a sugges ha A. c assipes is expanding i s ange no hwa d, possibly d i en by clima e wa ming.
Key wo ds. Aqua ic insec , la al obse a ions, Leas Wa e ‑snipe ly, new locali ies
Ozoliņš D, Jēkabsone J, Pi e āns U, Višinskienė G, A bačiauskas K (2025) No hwa d ange ex ension o
A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1820) (Dip e a, A he icidae) in he Bal ic eco egion, wi h he i s eco d om
La ia. Check Lis 21 (6): 1138–1142. h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
INTRODUCTION
The amily A he icidae comp ises 10 gene a wo ldwide (Naga omi and S uckenbe g 2004), o which ou
gene a a e epo ed om Eu ope (Labla 2023). The genus A ichops Ve all, 1909 globally con ains 11 ex an
species (Mulle e al. 2023), wi h he leas wa e ‑snipe ly A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1820) being he only ep‑
esen a i e o he genus in Eu ope (Schmid ‑Kloibe and He ing 2025). In gene al, A. c assipes is conside ed
a Wes e n and Cen al Eu opean species wi h indings om he Uni ed Kingdom, Belgium, he Ne he lands,
Spain, F ance, Ge many, I aly, he Czech Republic, Poland, Slo akia, and Romania (Mu ányi e al. 2009). Ac‑
co ding o he In e na ional Union o Conse a ion o Na u e (IUCN) c i e ia, A. c assipes has been assessed
as Vulne able in he Czech Republic (Kolaříko á e al. 2014), bu as Endange ed in Poland (Głowaciński e al.
2002). In he las wo decades, his species has been epo ed o he i s ime om se e al Eu opean coun‑
ies: Hunga y (Mu ányi e al. 2009), Swi ze land (Sa o i e al. 2011), and Po ugal (And ade 2014).
The li e cycle o A. c assipes is epo ed o be biennial, wi h he adul ligh pe iod occu ing om mid‑
June o Augus (Ge ke and Bö ge 2001). Ecological s udies sugges ha A. c assipes is a he mophilic spe‑
cies (Dau esne e al. 2003; Bulánko á e al. 2019) ha p e e s lowe al i udes (Sa o i e al. 2011). The la ae a e
s ic ly aqua ic, p eying on o he aqua ic in e eb a es, such as chi onomids and oligochae es, and ypically
inhabi so subs a es in s eams, i e s, and s anding wa e s. Adul emales a e haema ophagous and ha e
been epo ed o eed on ogs (Thomas 1997).
In Li huania and La ia, only wo species o A he icidae belonging o he genus A he ix Meigen, 1803 a e
lis ed in published checklis s o Dip e a (Pakalniškis e al. 2006; Ka pa 2008). Howe e , some la al obse a‑
ions o A. c assipes om Li huania ha e been p e iously men ioned in ecological s udies (Be no ienė and
Višinskienė 2007, 2008). Ou s udy epo s he i s and no he nmos occu ence o A. c assipes in La ia,
documen s new locali ies in Li huania, and e iews he species known dis ibu ion.
METHODS
The specimens in La ia we e collec ed in he Ta aks Ri e du ing he na ional su ace wa e moni o ing
p og amme conduc ed by he La ian En i onmen , Geology and Me eo ology Cen e (LEGMC). The Ta aks
is a medium‑sized heophilic i e wi h a ca chmen a ea o 890 km². Al oge he 77% o he landco e in he
21 (6) · h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
21 (6): 1138–1142. h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
No hwa d ange ex ension o A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1820)
(Dip e a, A he icidae) in he Bal ic eco egion, wi h he i s eco d
om La ia
Dā is Ozoliņš1,2, Jolan a Jēkabsone2, Uģis Pi e āns3, Gied ė Višinskienė4, Kęs u is A bačiauskas4
1 Ins i u e o Biology, Facul y o Medicine and Li e Sciences, Uni e si y o La ia, Riga, La ia
2 La ian En i onmen , Geology and Me eo ology Cen e, Riga, La ia
3 Zoology Depa men , La ian Na ional Museum o Na u al His o y, Riga, La ia
4 S a e Scien i ic Resea ch Ins i u e Na u e Resea ch Cen e, Vilnius, Li huania
Co esponding au ho : Dā is Ozoliņš (da [email protected] )
Check Lis 21 (6) · h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
Ozoliņš e al. · A ichops c assipes in he Bal ics 1139
Ta aks Ri e ca chmen a ea consis s o ag icul u al land, while 23% a e co e ed by o es s. The sampling
was done on 25 Ap il 2023. Fi e eplica e kick‑samples we e collec ed nea he i e bank using a s anda d
hand ne om domina ing subs a es a dep hs anging om 0.3 o 0.6 m. The i e bed was co e ed by
sand and sil , wi h eme gen mac ophy es (Glyce ia lui ans(L.) R.B ., Phala is a undinacea L., and Spa gani-
um eme sum Rehmann) g owing along he banks, and a mode a e amoun o woody deb is was p esen
(Figu e 1).
The ma e ial om La ia is deposi ed in he ouche specimen collec ion o LEGMC, Rīga, and wo spec‑
imens a e deposi ed in he collec ion o he La ian Na ional Museum o Na u al His o y (LNMNH), Rīga.
The eco ds om Li huania we e ob ained om he publica ions o Be no ienė and Višinskienė (2007,
2008), he doc o al disse a ion o Višinskienė (2010) and unpublished da a collec ed by he Labo a o y o
E olu iona y Ecology o Hyd obion s a he Na u e Resea ch Cen e (NRC). The new ma e ial o A. c assipes
om Li huania p esen ed in his s udy we e collec ed in he la al s age in 2015 and deposi ed in NRC,
Vilnius.
In o ma ion on he global dis ibu ion o A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1920) was ob ained om he Glob‑
al Biodi e si y In o ma ion Facili y (GBIF 2025) and published li e a u e (Mu ányi e al. 2009; Sa o i e al. 2011;
And ade 2014; Zeege s and Polle 2024). The dis ibu ion map was made using A cMap . 10.8.2 (Es i 2011).
RESULTS
Family A he icidae
A ichops c assipes (Meigen, 1820)
New eco ds. LATVIA — AugšdAugA A MunicipAli y • Višķu pa ish, Ta aks Ri e ; 56°04’44”N,026°49’01”E; 103
m al .; 25.IV.2023; K. Paulauska leg.; 1 la a moun ed on plas ic ca d, LNMNH, En Dip/5651, 1 la a in e hanol,
LNMNH, En Dip/5652, 5 la ae in e hanol, LEGMC, 23ZB0031/AC
LITHUANIA — d uskininkAi MunicipAli y • Me kys Ri e nea he oad o D uskininkai; 54°08’39”N,
024°12’18”E; 73 m al .; 30.IX.2015; K. A bačiauskas leg.; 1 la a in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000251 — lAzdijAi dis ic
MunicipAli y • Bal oji Ančia Ri e nea Kapčiamies is; 53°59’08”N,023°39’29”E; 108 m al .; 30.IX.2015; K. A bači‑
auskas leg.; 2 la ae in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000252 — pAne ėžys dis ic MunicipAli y • Ne ėžis Ri e nea Liū‑
dine; 55°41’06”N, 024°27’55”E; 41 m al .; 28.IX.2015; K. A bačiauskas leg.; 5 la ae in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000250
• Ne ėžis Ri e nea Panė ežys, nea he Sanžilė Canal; 55°44’07”N, 024°14’09”E; 28 m al .; 28.IX.2015; K. A ‑
bačiauskas leg.; 4 la ae in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000249 — š enčionys dis ic MunicipAli y • Žeimena Ri e
below Pab adė was ewa e ea men plan ; 54°57’57”N, 025°43’43”E; 117 m al .; 24.IX.2015; K. A bačiauskas
leg.; 2 la ae in e hanol; NRC, NRCE000253 • Žeimena Ri e a Kal anėnai; 55°15’10”N, 025°59’29”E; 141 m al .;
24.IX.2015; K. A bačiauskas leg.; 2 la ae in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000255 • Žeimena Ri e a Liūlinė; 55°06’04”N,
025°56’52”E; 133 m al .; 24.IX.2015; K. A bačiauskas leg.; 5 la ae in e hanol, NRC, NRCE000254
Figu e 1. The habi a o A ichops c assipes
in Ta aks Ri e , La ia (14.VI.2025).
Check Lis 21 (6) · h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
Ozoliņš e al. · A ichops c assipes in he Bal ics 1140
Dis ibu ion. The known dis ibu ion o A. c assipes based on li e a u e and he locali ies o ou s udy is
shown in Figu e 2.
Iden i ica ion. The mo phology o he la ae is e y dis inc i e and canno be con used wi h ha o o he
Dip e a species. The la ae ha e p olegs on abdominal segmen s 1–7. Abdominal segmen s 6 and 7 each
bea ou acheal p ojec ions ( wo do sal and wo la e al), and wo addi ional p ojec ions a e p esen on
he anal segmen . The acheal p ojec ions a e a leas hal he leng h o he body. Las ‑ins a la ae mea‑
su e 14–15 mm in leng h (Thomas 1997; Figu e 3).
DISCUSSION
The checklis o La ian Dip e a includes 1,654 con i med species, al hough he es ima ed o al is a ound
3,600 species (Ka pa 2008). In compa ison, he Li huanian dip e an auna includes 3,311 species (Pakalniškis
e al. 2006). Bo h wo ks men ion wo species belonging o he amily A he icidae: A he ix au ichalcea Becke ,
1921 and A. ibis (Fab icius, 1798) (Pakalnišķis e al. 2006; Ka pa 2008). In Li huania, all iden i ied a he icid spec‑
imens we e in he adul s age: eigh A. au ichalcea emales we e eco ded (Dumčius and Pakalniškis 2004),
along wi h one A. ibis male (Podėnas and Pakalniškis 2000). I is no ewo hy ha A ichops c assipes is absen
om he Li huanian Dip e a checklis , despi e equen occu ences o i s la ae in ben hic in e eb a e
su eys (Be no ienė and Višinskienė 2007, 2008; Višinskienė 2010; unpublished da a om he Labo a o y o
E olu iona y Ecology o Hyd obion s, NRC). Since he Li huanian Dip e a checklis is based solely on adul
specimens, A. c assipes has emained un epo ed in he published eco ds o he Li huanian auna. In di e ‑
en s udies o Li huanian i e mac oin e eb a es, i was ound ha A. c assipes was a common species in
medium‑sized i e s (Be no ienė and Višinskienė 2007). S udies in he Li huanian i e s Ne is and Š en oji
Figu e 2. The geog aphical dis ibu ion o
A ichops c assipes. ed do s = occu ences
in La ia and Li huania; yellow do s:
occu ences elsewhe e in Eu ope (GBIF
2025).
Figu e 3. The la a o A ichops c assipes
(Meigen, 1821), collec ed in Višķu pa ish,
Ta aks Ri e , 25.IV.2023.
Check Lis 21 (6) · h ps://doi.o g/10.15560/21.6.1138
Ozoliņš e al. · A ichops c assipes in he Bal ics 1141
ha e e ealed a posi i e ela ionship no only be ween i e cu en eloci y and o al aqua ic in e eb a e
abundance, bu also be ween cu en eloci y and A. c assipes la al densi y (Be no ienė and Višinskienė
2008).
We sugges ha A. c assipes is a new species o La ia as he su ace wa e moni o ing p og am has
been ac i e since 2006 and encompasses he en i e e i o y o he coun y (LEGMC 2009). In con as , A.
c assipes was i s eco ded in Li huania in 2003 and has since been egula ly de ec ed in ben hic in e e‑
b a e samples. Based on ou 2023 inding in La ia, we assume ha he species is a ecen addi ion o he
La ian auna, a he han a esul o insu icien sampling e o s in he pas . The biennial li e cycle o A.
c assipes con i ms ha he la ae a e p esen in wa e h oughou he yea (Ge ke and Bö ge 2001). Ou
esul s sugges ha A. c assipes is unde going a ange ex ension no hwa ds, as i was p e iously conside ed
a species o Wes e n and Cen al Eu ope (Sa o i e al. 2011; Bulánko á e al. 2019). The locali y in La ia ep‑
esen s he no he nmos known limi o he species, which had p e iously been eco ded only as a no h
as he Uni ed Kingdom (GBIF 2025). The mean annual empe a u es a e known o be inc easing in he Bal ic
coun ies (Jaagus e al. 2014; Kal āns e al. 2023) and Sa o i e al. (2011) men ioned A. c assipes as a po en ial
clima e mig an , as i appea s o bene i om clima e wa ming (Dau esne e al. 2003; Bulánko á e al. 2019).
The low al i udes o he Bal ic eco egion (Jusik e al. 2015) seems o co espond o he a o able habi a
equi emen s o his species (Sa o i e al. 2011). In conclusion, we sugges ha A. c assipes will expand i s
dis ibu ion ac oss La ian wa e s in he coming decades and con inue o sp ead no hwa ds.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We hank all he pa icipan s o La ian eshwa e mac oin e eb a e moni o ing p og amme o ieldwo k,
and D . Dmi y Telno (Na u al His o y Museum: London) o commen s on he insec collec ions. We also
g a e ully acknowledge he anonymous e iewe s.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Con lic o in e es
The au ho s decla e ha no compe ing in e es s exis .
E hical s a emen
No e hical s a emen is epo ed.
Funding
This esea ch ecei ed no ex e nal unding.
Au ho con ibu ions
Concep ualiza ion: DO. Da a cu a ion: DO, GV, KA. In es iga ion: DO, JJ, GV. Me hodology: DO, JJ, UP, GV, KA.
Supe ision: DO, GV. Visualiza ion: JJ, UP. W i ing – o iginal d a : DO, GV. W i ing – e iew and edi ing: DO,
JJ, UP, GV, KA.
Au ho ORCID iDs
Dā is Ozoliņš h ps://o cid.o g/0000‑0003‑3752‑2040
Kęs u isA bačiauskas h ps://o cid.o g/0000‑0001‑8688‑2291
Da a a ailabili y
All da a ha suppo he indings o his s udy a e a ailable in he main ex . Da a om he specimens
collec ed in his s udy a e deposi ed in GBIF ia he Penso IPT and a ailable a he ollowing link: h ps://
doi.o g/10.15468/e5b7wp.
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