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This study presents the first subfossil beetle (Coleoptera) records from Lithuania, from Late Glacial organic deposits. Bulk sediment samples were collected from the Pamerkiai and Zervynos Outcrops in SE Lithuania, and from the Ventė Outcrop at the eastern coast of the Curonian Lagoon, W Lithuania. Radiocarbon dating determined that the studied sediments accumulated between ~15,000–11,300 cal BP. The beetle assemblages (29–177 individuals per sample) consist of many cold-adapted species that are common from Late Glacial deposits in the British Isles, Southern Sweden, and continental Europe. True arctic species are absent from the assemblages, and it is likely that the Lithuanian beetle fauna was most similar to nearby southern regions (e.g., Poland) during the Late Glacial. Besides a variety of aquatic species and typical wetland species, many beetle species living in open environments and on sandy soils were identified. In almost all the samples, taxa associated with pine trees, willows, and birches were found, confirming previous reconstructions of a sparsely forested landscape during the climatic periods GI-1e–GI-1a (Bølling-Allerød). The species assemblages from the youngest samples, associated with GS-1 (Younger Dryas), indicate the disappearance of large aquatic macrophytes and decreasing temperatures in Southern Lithuania, but a persistence of trees in the region.

We present a list of beetles that emerged from wind-felled tree trunks of several tree species, including European ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), aspen ( Populus tremula ), common oak ( Quercus robur ), birch ( Betula sp.), small-leaved linden ( Tilia cordata ) and black alder ( Alnus glutinosa ). Four hundred and ninety species and 60 families of beetles were collected using trunk-emergence type traps. We found 440 beetle species that had previously been recorded from dead wood; the remaining 50 were newly discovered and all were considered as not directly associated with dead wood. Common oak trunks had the highest diversity of beetles, with approximately 42% of the identified beetle species found in our research. Of all the beetle species identified in the study, about half are saproxylic, while the remaining are considered as not having direct association with dead wood. The results of the study emphasise the importance of dead wood in maintaining beetle diversity in Lithuanian forests. This study provides a valuable baseline for future research on beetles in dead wood in Lithuania and may help to provide information for conservation efforts to protect these important habitats.

We present the first annotated checklist of the subfamily Prioninae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera, Ceram-bycidae) in Lithuania. At least 140 published and unpublished records of Prioninae were analyzed and collected specimens were verified. As a result, one species, Aegosoma scabricorne (Scopoli, 1763), was found to be new for Lithuanian fauna and three species, Ergates faber (Linnaeus, 1761), Tragosoma depsarium (Linnaeus, 1767), and Prionus coriarius (Linnaeus, 1758), were confirmed in the country. The information on the local occurrence, natu-ral history, general distribution, and conservation status of these species is reviewed.

Pytho Latreille, 1796 is a small genus of the dead log bark beetles (Coleoptera, Pythidae). All species are distributed in the Holarctic, being recognised as typically boreal taxa, but knowledge about the geographical ranges of particular taxa is far from complete. The updated distributional checklist of the genus Pytho of the Palearctic is given, based on literature and new records, including citizen-scientific data. Pytho depressus and the family Pythidae are recorded for the first time from the Republic of Moldova (Municipality of Chișinău) and the Republic of Serbia (Municipality of Voždovac) and P. abieticola is recorded for the first time from Lithuania (Alytus District Municipality, Ignalina District Municipality and Kaišiadorys District Municipality).

This paper presents the first complete and updated list of all 3597 species of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) belonging to 92 familiesfound and published in Lithuania until 2011, with comments also provided on the main systematic and nomenclatural changes since the last monographic treatment in two volumes (Pileckis and Monsevičius 1995, 1997). The introductory section provides a general overview of the main features of the territory of Lithuania, the origins and formation of the beetle fauna and their conservation, the faunistic investigations in Lithuania to date revealing the most important stages of the faunistic research process with reference to the most prominent scientists, an overview of their work, and their contribution to Lithuanian coleopteran faunal research.Species recorded in Lithuania by some authors without reliable evidence and requiring further confirmation with new data are presented in a separate list, consisting of 183 species. For the first time, analysis of errors in works of Lithuanian authors concerning data on coleopteran fauna has been conducted and these errors have been corrected. All available published and Internet sources on beetles found in Lithuania have been considered in the current study. Over 630 literature sources on species composition of beetles, their distribution in Lithuania and neighbouring countries, and taxonomic revisions and changes are reviewed and cited. An alphabetical list of these literature sources is presented. After revision of public beetle collections in Lithuania, the authors propose to remove 43 species from the beetle species list of the country on the grounds, that they have been wrongly identified or published by mistake. For reasons of clarity, 19 previously noted but later excluded species are included in the current checklist with comments. Based on faunal data from neighbouring countries, species expected to occur in Lithuania are matnioned. In total 1390 species are attributed to this category and data on their distribution in neighbouring countries is presented. Completion of this study provides evidence that the Lithuanian coleopteran fauna has yet to be completely investigated and it is estimated that approximately 28 % of beetle species remain undiscovered in Lithuania. More than 85% of beetle species expected for Lithuania have been found in the following families: Cerylonidae, Geotrupidae, Haliplidae, Kateridae, Lycidae, Lucanidae, Mycetophagidae, Scarabaeidae and Silphidae. In families with few species such as Alexiidae, Boridae, Byturidae, Dascilidae, Drilidae, Eucinetidae, Lampyridae, Lymexilidae, Megalopodidae, Nemonychidae, Nosodendridae, Noteridae, Orsodacnidae, Pyrochroidae, Pythidae, Psephenidae, Rhysodidae, Sphaeritidae, Sphaeriusidae, Sphindidae, Stenotrahelidae and Trogidae, all possible species have already been discovered. However in some beetle families such as Aderidae, Bothrideridae, Eucnemidae, Laemoploeidae, Mordellidae, Ptiliidae, Scraptidae and Throscidae less than 50% of all possible species are known. At present the beetle species recorded in Lithuania belong to 92 families, with species from 9 other families such as Agyrtidae, Biphylidae, Deradontidae, Mycteridae, Ochodaeidae, Phleophilidae, Phloeostichidae, Prostomidae, Trachypachidae are expected to be found.A bibliography and a index of subfamily and genus levels are provided. The information published in the monograph will serve to further faunistic and distribution research of beetles and will help to avoid confusion in the identificatation of coleopteran fauna of Lithuania.

This study presents the first subfossil beetle (Coleoptera) records from Lithuania, from Late Glacial organic deposits. Bulk sediment samples were collected from the Pamerkiai and Zervynos Outcrops in SE Lithuania, and from the Ventė Outcrop at the eastern coast of the Curonian Lagoon, W Lithuania. Radiocarbon dating determined that the studied sediments accumulated between ~15,000–11,300 cal BP. The beetle assemblages (29–177 individuals per sample) consist of many cold-adapted species that are common from Late Glacial deposits in the British Isles, Southern Sweden, and continental Europe. True arctic species are absent from the assemblages, and it is likely that the Lithuanian beetle fauna was most similar to nearby southern regions (e.g., Poland) during the Late Glacial. Besides a variety of aquatic species and typical wetland species, many beetle species living in open environments and on sandy soils were identified. In almost all the samples, taxa associated with pine trees, willows, and birches were found, confirming previous reconstructions of a sparsely forested landscape during the climatic periods GI-1e–GI-1a (Bølling-Allerød). The species assemblages from the youngest samples, associated with GS-1 (Younger Dryas), indicate the disappearance of large aquatic macrophytes and decreasing temperatures in Southern Lithuania, but a persistence of trees in the region.

Latreille, 1796 is a small genus of the dead log bark beetles (Coleoptera, Pythidae). All species are distributed in the Holarctic, being recognised as typically boreal taxa, but knowledge about the geographical ranges of particular taxa is far from complete. The updated distributional checklist of the genus of the Palearctic is given, based on literature and new records, including citizen-scientific data. and the family Pythidae are recorded for the first time from the Republic of Moldova (Municipality of Chișinău) and the Republic of Serbia (Municipality of Voždovac) and is recorded for the first time from Lithuania (Alytus District Municipality, Ignalina District Municipality and Kaišiadorys District Municipality).

Beetles living in dead wood are species-specific, suggesting that beetle diversity may vary between different deciduous tree species. However, the patterns of diversity variation among deciduous trees are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the diversity of beetles associated with dead wood in the second decay stage in four protected areas of Lithuania, using trunk-emergence traps on Alnus glutinosa L., Gaertn. (black alder), Betula sp. L. (birch), Fraxinus excelsior L. (European ash), Populus tremula L. (European aspen), Quercus robur L. (common oak), and Tilia cordata Mill. (small-leaved linden). The findings of our study indicated variation in beetle diversity among the six tree species examined. We identified the greatest diversity of beetles in the decaying trunks of Quercus robur, followed by T. cordata, and F. excelsior. Our cluster analysis suggested a higher similarity in beetle diversity among tree species sharing the same type of bark; however, our db-RDA analysis showed that tree species explained more variance in the data than bark type. Our results support previous research highlighting the importance of dead wood species diversity in maintaining the diversity of beetles in forests. Within the context of current biodiversity decline, understanding the similarities or differences in beetle communities between tree species is key to tackling the loss of insect species.

The results of studied problems of identification and distribution in the Baltic countries of four species of Badister (s. str.) subgenus: B. unipustulatus, B. meridionalis, B. bullatus, and B. lacertosus, are presented in the current paper. The relevance of a number of diagnostic body traits both in males and females is widely discussed and illustrated by original drawings. The morphological traits of some structures of the reproductive tract of females and their utility for identification of species have described for the first time. Based on analysis of published sources and on available material, the distribution of these species in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is specified and reviewed.