Scientific publications

Currently, more than 11,000 insect species are known in Karelia, which is only about half of the potential species composition. This publication is intended to summarize the recent data on all insect orders of the regional fauna, excluding Diptera and Hymenoptera. Data on insect species recorded for the first time in Karelia are provided, based on the analysis of original materials and observations presented on the iNaturalist portal. A total of 33 species have been found: one species in each of the orders Odonata, Psocoptera, Neuroptera, Mecoptera, 3 species in Hemiptera, 13 species in Coleoptera, and 13 species in Lepidoptera. The degree of knowledge of each insect order in Karelia is evaluated.
The species list provides detailed information on the findings (for original materials), aswell as references to observations (for iNaturalist data), photos (for most species) and comments on the distribution, considering not only the available publications but also data from the GBIF and FINBIF portals. All new records are confined to the southern part of Karelia. Three species, Sericus sulcipennis Buysson, 1893 (Coleoptera, Elateridae), Oedemera subrobusta Nakane, 1954 (Coleoptera, Oedemeridae) and Panorpa vulgaris Imhoff et Labram, 1845 (Mecoptera, Panorpidae), represent the native fauna but were previously mixed together with other morphologically similar taxa. The remaining species either naturally expanded their range northward or were brought in by humans. This expansion is most likely the result of recent changes in climate. The need to monitor these processes is discussed, along with the role of citizen science and digital biodiversity platforms in the inventory of regional biota. The importance of the data available from the iNaturalist portal for studying the insect fauna of Karelia is emphasized.