M Forshage | Swedish Museum of Natural History (original) (raw)

Papers by M Forshage

Journal of Natural History, 2020

In the search for native Asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii, the notorious spotted-wing Dros... more In the search for native Asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii, the notorious spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), an odd new species of Eucoilinae was discovered. Leptopilina lasallei sp. nov. is herein described and diagnosed relative to other eucoilines associated with drosophilid hosts. Morphologically, L. lasallei is somewhat aberrant within Leptopilina; phylogenetically, L. lasallei is sister group to the core Leptopilina. In the process of investigating L. lasallei, a de novo molecular phylogeny of Leptopilina was generated and is included here. The integrated approach used for the characterisation of L. lasallei, and the resulting phylogeny of Leptopilina, produced data useful to select parasitoid species for SWD biological control.

Secrets and Journeys, 2021

This is an attempt to clarify the sense in which surrealism rests on a break, both historically a... more This is an attempt to clarify the sense in which surrealism rests on a break, both historically as a movement (phylogenetically) and individually for each person who engages in it (ontogenetically). On both levels, it encompasses a leap towards an encounter with the unknown and an abandonment of all the various practical functions, career opportunities, and fulfillment of expectations within the categories of the cultural sphere of society and of the official history of that culture.

Peculiar Mormyrid, 2021

This is a chonicle of surrealists' propensity to travel, with some significant examples, which wa... more This is a chonicle of surrealists' propensity to travel, with some significant examples, which was published as one of several introductory essays in the special issue about "The Reinvention of Travel" of Peculiar Mormyrid 2021.

Secrets and journeys, 2021

Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 2011

The purpose of this application, under Articles 29 and 55.3.1 of the Code, is to remove the homon... more The purpose of this application, under Articles 29 and 55.3.1 of the Code, is to remove the homonymy between two family-group names, CORYNINAE of Hymenoptera (Insecta) and CORYNIDAE of Anthoathecata (Cnidaria). It is proposed to adopt the Greek genitive form Corynid-of the sawfly genus Corynis Thunberg, 1789 as the stem of the corresponding family-group name, giving CORYNIDINAE Benson, 1938. CORYNIDAE Johnston, 1836, a name for hydrozoans, would remain unchanged.

Secrets and Journeys, 2021

An attempt to clarify the particular sense of collectivity and the particular organisational mode... more An attempt to clarify the particular sense of collectivity and the particular organisational model represented by the surrealist group.

Entomologisk tidskrift, 2013

We describe the work with donated insect collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NR... more We describe the work with donated insect collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM) in Stockholm, Sweden. The museum receives donations yearly from amateur entomologists, and they are an important contribution to the enrichment of the collections. For the collector it is satisfying that a public institution takes on the long term responsibility of safeguarding the scientific value in a collection, curating and making it available for study. Significant donations in the last years include that of Lars Huggert (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera), Hans Bartsch (diptera) and Anders N. Nilsson (aquatic Coleoptera) to name a few. The curatorial and digitizing workload at the Entomology collec- tion are unfortunately not matched by staff funding, and as at other European museums volunteer work constitute vital and invaluable help. We acknowledge especially some of the volunteer work in the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera collections. Recently we have en- gaged with amateur entomologists by organizing taxon-specific workshops at the museum which has stimulated exchange and collaboration. The Hymenoptera-day was visited by 30 participants, and the diptera-meeting by 49. As an example of what happens with a dona- tion once it reaches the museum, we describe the work with a recent Coleoptera collection donation by Jan Olsson, Vallentuna. A few highlights from the unidentified material, including the Archostematan beetle Priacma serrata (Cupedidae) and the false jewelbeetle Schizopus laetus (Schizopodidae), are presented as they were new to the NRM collections. We also bring attention to two new websites: www.naturarv.se is the webportal presenting digitized material in Swedish natural history collections. Both metadata on specimens and photos are made searchable here. We also launch a new webpage at www.nrm.se/insekts- donationer where we write about new donations to the Entomology collections, with Jan Olsson’s Coleoptera collection first out.

Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2020

While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illu... more While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illustrated diagnostic tools and identification keys have remained stagnant. So too, where keys do exist, they are often to genus or species, and there are no user-friendly keys to groups such as tribes, subfamilies, or families. This state of affairs leaves a knowledge gap for non-specialists and slows future research on the group. To address this, we provide a fully illustrated key to the higher-level groups of world Cynipoidea. We also provide summaries of all higher-level taxa with updated generic lists, biological data, distribution, and literature resources. The dichotomous key presented here is complimented with a multi-entry matrix-based key, created in Lucid, and served on www.waspweb.org with online versions of the dichotomous keys also available.

Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2020

While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illu... more While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illustrated diagnostic tools and identification keys have remained stagnant. So too, where keys do exist, they are often to genus or species, and there are no user-friendly keys to groups such as tribes, subfamilies, or families. This state of affairs leaves a knowledge gap for non-specialists and slows future research on the group. To address this, we provide a fully illustrated key to the higher-level groups of world Cynipoidea. We also provide summaries of all higher-level taxa with updated generic lists, biological data, distribution, and literature resources. The dichotomous key presented here is complimented with a multi-entry matrix-based key, created in Lucid, and served on www.waspweb.org with online versions of the dichotomous keys also available. Cynipoid wasps are a relatively diverse lineage of Hymenoptera. Species range from being internal parasitoids of endopterygote insect larvae, including hyperparasitoids, to gall inducers on higher plants. To address the diversity of this group from an identification standpoint , Weld (1952), and later, Fergusson in Goulet and Huber (1993) have been the best resources for identifying families within the group. Since these publications came out, the general understanding of the evolution of cynipoids, and their classification, has changed significantly. Further, our taxonomic knowledge of many groups within the cynipoids has matured, while a taxonomic resource to higher groups (families, subfamilies, and tribes) has languished. We present here a fully illustrated identification key to the higher-level groups of Cynipoidea of the world. In addition, we provide a general overview of each group, taxonomic resources that are available for that group, comments on the biology and evolution of the group, and an updated list of genera currently assigned to that group. The key allows identification to families, and further for the two common and species-rich families: Cynipidae into its constituent tribes, and Figitidae into its subfamilies. Thus, family-level taxa which the key does not allow identification of are the subfamilies of the rare Liopteridae, and the still somewhat preliminary tribes of the figitid subfamily Eucoilinae.

Skörvnöpparn Supplement, 2020

This is a reasoning overview over the early part of local insect faunistics in Sweden, compiling ... more This is a reasoning overview over the early part of local insect faunistics in Sweden, compiling data of who collected in which province up until the end of the 19th century. It presents some of the material and intellectual conditions in different places and for different people, and also begins the reasoning around questions of the role of travelling and collecting, and to some extent the historical and epistemological status of concepts in faunistics.

Entomologisk tidskrift, 2019

A brief history of entomology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History for the period 1915-2013 i... more A brief history of entomology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History for the period 1915-2013 is presented in chronicle form. The time circumscription has its background in a recent 100th anniversary of the current museum building, for which there was work on an anniversary book, which has not appeared, and this is based on a contribution originally intended for that book. It concerns primarily the Entomology department (which ended as a unit in 2013 when it was part of a fusion into a Zoology department) but also includes the Entomological Society of Stockholm to the extent it has been based at the museum, as well as insect-related work in other museum departments. The chronicle gives plenty of examples of research and researchers, other staff and routines, collection growth and management , collecting expeditions and publications, work environment issues and everyday life at the department.

PLoS ONE, 2020

Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true... more Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country's insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or sub-family level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.

Biodiversity Data Journal, 2020

The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever atte... more The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever attempted. The project was designed to target poorly known insect groups across a diverse range of habitats in Sweden. The field campaign involved the deployment of 73 Malaise traps at 55 localities across the country for three years (2003-2006). Over the past 15 years, the collected material has been hand sorted by trained technicians into over 300 taxonomic fractions suitable for expert attention. The resulting collection is a tremendous asset for entomologists around the world, especially as we now face a desperate need for baseline data to evaluate phenomena like insect decline and climate change. Here, we describe the history, organisation, methodology and logistics of the SMTP, focusing on the rationale for the decisions taken and the lessons learned along the way. The SMTP represents one of the early instances of community science applied to large-scale inventory work, with a heavy reliance on volunteers in both the field and the laboratory. We give estimates of both staff effort and volunteer effort involved. The project has been funded by the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative; in total, the inventory has cost less than 30 million SEK (approximately 3.1 million USD). Based on a subset of the samples, we characterise the size and taxonomic composition of the SMTP material. Several different extrapolation methods suggest that the material comprises around 20 million specimens in total. The material is dominated by Diptera (75% of the specimens) and Hymenoptera ‡ §, ‡,| | ‡ |

The West Palearctic species of Rhoptromeris are revised. A total of 11 species are recognised as ... more The West Palearctic species of Rhoptromeris are revised. A total of 11 species are recognised as valid in this region, including four newly described species: Rhoptromeris dichromata sp. nov., Rhoptromeris koponeni sp. nov., Rhoptromeris leptocornis sp. nov. and Rhoptromeris macaronesiensis sp. nov. Eucoila luteicornis Ionescu, 1959 is synony- mised with Rhoptromeris heptoma (Hartig, 1840) syn. nov. A checklist of the Holarctic Rhoptromeris is presented and an identification key to the West Palearctic species is provided.

Rapid biodiversity loss has emphasized the need to understand how biodiversity affects the provis... more Rapid biodiversity loss has emphasized the need to understand how biodiversity affects the provisioning of eco- logical functions. Of particular interest are species and communities with versatile impacts on multiple parts of the environment, linking processes in the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere to human interests in the anthroposphere (in this case, cattle farming). In this study, we examine the role of a specific group of insects – beetles feeding on cattle dung – on multiple ecological functions spanning these spheres (dung removal, soil nu- trient content and greenhouse gas emissions). We ask whether the same traits which make species prone to ex- tinction (i.e. response traits) may also affect their functional efficiency (as effect traits). To establish the link between response and effect traits, we first evaluated whether two traits (body mass and nesting strategy, the latter categorized as tunnelers or dwellers) affected the probability of a species being threatened. We then tested for a relationship between these traits and ecosystem functioning. Across Scandinavian dung beetle species, 75% of tunnelers and 30% of dwellers are classified as threatened. Hence, nesting strategy significantly affects the probability of a species being threatened, and constitutes a response trait. Effect traits varied with the ecological function investigated: density-specific dung removal was influenced by both nesting strategy and body mass, whereas methane emissions varied with body mass and nutrient recycling with nesting strategy. Our findings suggest that among Scandinavian dung beetles, nesting strategy is both a response and an effect trait, with tun- nelers being more efficient in providing several ecological functions and also being more sensitive to extinction.Consequently, functionally important tunneler species have suffered disproportionate declines, and species not threatened today may be at risk of becoming so in the near future. This linkage between effect and response traits aggravates the consequences of ongoing biodiversity loss.

In the decades surrounding the turn of the century 1800, several of the leading entomolo- gists i... more In the decades surrounding the turn of the century 1800, several of the leading entomolo- gists in Sweden were also involved in Christian sects following the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg. This has often been noted by historians, but only occasionally by entomolo- gists, and has never been subjected to closer study.
This paper sketches the history of Swedenborgian entomology in Sweden, from natural history students in Skara in the 1780s, over the utopian plans connected with the Swedish involvement in the colonial adventure in West Africa, to the Linnaean and Swedenborgian societies in Gotland and Stockholm, the coleopterist stronghold on the plain of Västergöt- land, and eventually to a last survivor in Fåhraeus’s old days.
The two early key figures both came from Västergötland, Adam Afzelius and Leonard Gyllenhal. In the African adventure, the naturalists inspired by Swedenborg were Afzelius and Anders Sparrman. Gotland became a stronghold where Pehr Hemming Odhner and Gustaf J Billberg tutored Olof I Fåhraeus. In the Swedenborgian circles in Stockholm, Billberg, Carl Johan Schönherr and Carl E Deléen were prominent. Then Gyllenhal and Schönherr were both in Västergötland and Fåhraeus in Göteborg. Short biographies of these persons are given and their interconnections laid out.
The Linnaean perspective on nature had one of its cornerstone in a religious sense of wonder when facing nature, which is known as physico-theology. In the generation after Linnaeus, some prominent naturalists turned away from wonder and speculation, in paral- lel with ongoing enlightenment campaigns against superstition. Especially in the tradi- tional academic natural history environments in Uppsala and Lund there was a reaction with many people turning to the new ideas of ”romantic biology” or ”Naturphilosophie” in Oken’s sense. Whereas in the non-academy-based, more bourgeois and amateur, natural history circles in Stockholm, in Västergötland and eventually in Göteborg, the maintaining of the sense of wonder in Linnaeanism seems to have fit better with the Swedenborgian movement and Swedenborg’s ideas.

Stora Karlsö is a small island close to Gotland in the Baltic Sea of which the Hymenopteran faun... more Stora Karlsö is a small island close to Gotland in the Baltic Sea of which the Hymenopteran fauna has not been extensively studied before. In August 2014, a team of eight persons carried out an inventory of Hymenoptera, mainly the parasitoid wasps and sawflies, on the island. Sampling was done with Malaise traps for a period of 22 days, complemented with vegetation sweeping, branch shaking and opportunistic handpicking during a five day sojourn. As a result, about 200 species of parasitoid wasps and 14 sawflies are reported for Stora Karlsö for the first time. Eleven species are reported as new to Sweden: The sawfly Athalia cornubiae Benson, 1931, the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877), the diapriid Spilomicrus rufitarsis (Kieffer, 1911), the eulophid Entedonomphale bulgarica Boyadzhiev & Triapitsyn, 2007, the braconids Bracon rozneri Papp, 1998 and Gnampto- don decoris (Förster, 1862), and the ichneumonids Bathythrix maculata (Hellén, 1957), Heterischnus filiformis (Gravenhorst, 1829), Lissonota picticoxis Schmiedeknecht, 1900, Mesochorus tipularius Gravenhorst, 1829, Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915, and Plecto- chorus iwatensis (Uchida, 1928). Also the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877) is reported new to Sweden based on a record from inventory by NJ in 2013. This demonstrates how the knowledge of Swedish biodiversity can be substantially augmented by a short and intensive collecting expedition. We strongly recommend that other places in the country be subjected to similar efforts.

Larvae of Strobilomyia flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) are serious pests in conifer-seed orchards b... more Larvae of Strobilomyia flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) are serious pests in conifer-seed orchards because they feed on the seed inside the cones. Figitid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea) of Strobilomyia larvae in conifer cones are commonly reported but under various generic names. It is argued here that, across the entire Holarctic region, these figitids belong to Am- phithectus and perhaps also to Sarothrus (Figitinae), but not to Melanips (Aspicerinae), contrary to some reports. We conclude that the identity of the commonly found figitid associated with conifer cones (Larix and Picea) in Europe and Asia is Amphithectus austriacus (Tavares, 1928) comb. n. This is most likely considering the original description and the host association, although the type specimen of Seitneria austriaca Tavares, 1928 is lost. This species name takes priority over the recently described Amphi- thectus coriaceus Paretas-Martinez & Pujade-Villar, 2013. Seitneria Tavares, 1928 becomes a new junior synonym of Amphithec- tus Hartig, 1840, and Amphithectus coriaceus Paretas-Martinez & Pujade-Villar, 2013 becomes a new synonym of Amphithectus austriacus (Tavares, 1928) comb. n.

To the previously published survey of early Swedish female entomologists (Forshage & Vårdal 2014)... more To the previously published survey of early Swedish female entomologists (Forshage & Vårdal 2014) a new candidate is added: Louise de Marteville, the wife of the Dutch ambassador in Sweden, who collected a moth new to science for Carl Linnaeus.

Journal of Natural History, 2020

In the search for native Asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii, the notorious spotted-wing Dros... more In the search for native Asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii, the notorious spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), an odd new species of Eucoilinae was discovered. Leptopilina lasallei sp. nov. is herein described and diagnosed relative to other eucoilines associated with drosophilid hosts. Morphologically, L. lasallei is somewhat aberrant within Leptopilina; phylogenetically, L. lasallei is sister group to the core Leptopilina. In the process of investigating L. lasallei, a de novo molecular phylogeny of Leptopilina was generated and is included here. The integrated approach used for the characterisation of L. lasallei, and the resulting phylogeny of Leptopilina, produced data useful to select parasitoid species for SWD biological control.

Secrets and Journeys, 2021

This is an attempt to clarify the sense in which surrealism rests on a break, both historically a... more This is an attempt to clarify the sense in which surrealism rests on a break, both historically as a movement (phylogenetically) and individually for each person who engages in it (ontogenetically). On both levels, it encompasses a leap towards an encounter with the unknown and an abandonment of all the various practical functions, career opportunities, and fulfillment of expectations within the categories of the cultural sphere of society and of the official history of that culture.

Peculiar Mormyrid, 2021

This is a chonicle of surrealists' propensity to travel, with some significant examples, which wa... more This is a chonicle of surrealists' propensity to travel, with some significant examples, which was published as one of several introductory essays in the special issue about "The Reinvention of Travel" of Peculiar Mormyrid 2021.

Secrets and journeys, 2021

Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 2011

The purpose of this application, under Articles 29 and 55.3.1 of the Code, is to remove the homon... more The purpose of this application, under Articles 29 and 55.3.1 of the Code, is to remove the homonymy between two family-group names, CORYNINAE of Hymenoptera (Insecta) and CORYNIDAE of Anthoathecata (Cnidaria). It is proposed to adopt the Greek genitive form Corynid-of the sawfly genus Corynis Thunberg, 1789 as the stem of the corresponding family-group name, giving CORYNIDINAE Benson, 1938. CORYNIDAE Johnston, 1836, a name for hydrozoans, would remain unchanged.

Secrets and Journeys, 2021

An attempt to clarify the particular sense of collectivity and the particular organisational mode... more An attempt to clarify the particular sense of collectivity and the particular organisational model represented by the surrealist group.

Entomologisk tidskrift, 2013

We describe the work with donated insect collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NR... more We describe the work with donated insect collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM) in Stockholm, Sweden. The museum receives donations yearly from amateur entomologists, and they are an important contribution to the enrichment of the collections. For the collector it is satisfying that a public institution takes on the long term responsibility of safeguarding the scientific value in a collection, curating and making it available for study. Significant donations in the last years include that of Lars Huggert (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera), Hans Bartsch (diptera) and Anders N. Nilsson (aquatic Coleoptera) to name a few. The curatorial and digitizing workload at the Entomology collec- tion are unfortunately not matched by staff funding, and as at other European museums volunteer work constitute vital and invaluable help. We acknowledge especially some of the volunteer work in the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera collections. Recently we have en- gaged with amateur entomologists by organizing taxon-specific workshops at the museum which has stimulated exchange and collaboration. The Hymenoptera-day was visited by 30 participants, and the diptera-meeting by 49. As an example of what happens with a dona- tion once it reaches the museum, we describe the work with a recent Coleoptera collection donation by Jan Olsson, Vallentuna. A few highlights from the unidentified material, including the Archostematan beetle Priacma serrata (Cupedidae) and the false jewelbeetle Schizopus laetus (Schizopodidae), are presented as they were new to the NRM collections. We also bring attention to two new websites: www.naturarv.se is the webportal presenting digitized material in Swedish natural history collections. Both metadata on specimens and photos are made searchable here. We also launch a new webpage at www.nrm.se/insekts- donationer where we write about new donations to the Entomology collections, with Jan Olsson’s Coleoptera collection first out.

Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2020

While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illu... more While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illustrated diagnostic tools and identification keys have remained stagnant. So too, where keys do exist, they are often to genus or species, and there are no user-friendly keys to groups such as tribes, subfamilies, or families. This state of affairs leaves a knowledge gap for non-specialists and slows future research on the group. To address this, we provide a fully illustrated key to the higher-level groups of world Cynipoidea. We also provide summaries of all higher-level taxa with updated generic lists, biological data, distribution, and literature resources. The dichotomous key presented here is complimented with a multi-entry matrix-based key, created in Lucid, and served on www.waspweb.org with online versions of the dichotomous keys also available.

Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2020

While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illu... more While much has been learned regarding the phylogeny and evolution of cynipoid wasps, clearly illustrated diagnostic tools and identification keys have remained stagnant. So too, where keys do exist, they are often to genus or species, and there are no user-friendly keys to groups such as tribes, subfamilies, or families. This state of affairs leaves a knowledge gap for non-specialists and slows future research on the group. To address this, we provide a fully illustrated key to the higher-level groups of world Cynipoidea. We also provide summaries of all higher-level taxa with updated generic lists, biological data, distribution, and literature resources. The dichotomous key presented here is complimented with a multi-entry matrix-based key, created in Lucid, and served on www.waspweb.org with online versions of the dichotomous keys also available. Cynipoid wasps are a relatively diverse lineage of Hymenoptera. Species range from being internal parasitoids of endopterygote insect larvae, including hyperparasitoids, to gall inducers on higher plants. To address the diversity of this group from an identification standpoint , Weld (1952), and later, Fergusson in Goulet and Huber (1993) have been the best resources for identifying families within the group. Since these publications came out, the general understanding of the evolution of cynipoids, and their classification, has changed significantly. Further, our taxonomic knowledge of many groups within the cynipoids has matured, while a taxonomic resource to higher groups (families, subfamilies, and tribes) has languished. We present here a fully illustrated identification key to the higher-level groups of Cynipoidea of the world. In addition, we provide a general overview of each group, taxonomic resources that are available for that group, comments on the biology and evolution of the group, and an updated list of genera currently assigned to that group. The key allows identification to families, and further for the two common and species-rich families: Cynipidae into its constituent tribes, and Figitidae into its subfamilies. Thus, family-level taxa which the key does not allow identification of are the subfamilies of the rare Liopteridae, and the still somewhat preliminary tribes of the figitid subfamily Eucoilinae.

Skörvnöpparn Supplement, 2020

This is a reasoning overview over the early part of local insect faunistics in Sweden, compiling ... more This is a reasoning overview over the early part of local insect faunistics in Sweden, compiling data of who collected in which province up until the end of the 19th century. It presents some of the material and intellectual conditions in different places and for different people, and also begins the reasoning around questions of the role of travelling and collecting, and to some extent the historical and epistemological status of concepts in faunistics.

Entomologisk tidskrift, 2019

A brief history of entomology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History for the period 1915-2013 i... more A brief history of entomology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History for the period 1915-2013 is presented in chronicle form. The time circumscription has its background in a recent 100th anniversary of the current museum building, for which there was work on an anniversary book, which has not appeared, and this is based on a contribution originally intended for that book. It concerns primarily the Entomology department (which ended as a unit in 2013 when it was part of a fusion into a Zoology department) but also includes the Entomological Society of Stockholm to the extent it has been based at the museum, as well as insect-related work in other museum departments. The chronicle gives plenty of examples of research and researchers, other staff and routines, collection growth and management , collecting expeditions and publications, work environment issues and everyday life at the department.

PLoS ONE, 2020

Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true... more Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country's insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or sub-family level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.

Biodiversity Data Journal, 2020

The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever atte... more The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever attempted. The project was designed to target poorly known insect groups across a diverse range of habitats in Sweden. The field campaign involved the deployment of 73 Malaise traps at 55 localities across the country for three years (2003-2006). Over the past 15 years, the collected material has been hand sorted by trained technicians into over 300 taxonomic fractions suitable for expert attention. The resulting collection is a tremendous asset for entomologists around the world, especially as we now face a desperate need for baseline data to evaluate phenomena like insect decline and climate change. Here, we describe the history, organisation, methodology and logistics of the SMTP, focusing on the rationale for the decisions taken and the lessons learned along the way. The SMTP represents one of the early instances of community science applied to large-scale inventory work, with a heavy reliance on volunteers in both the field and the laboratory. We give estimates of both staff effort and volunteer effort involved. The project has been funded by the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative; in total, the inventory has cost less than 30 million SEK (approximately 3.1 million USD). Based on a subset of the samples, we characterise the size and taxonomic composition of the SMTP material. Several different extrapolation methods suggest that the material comprises around 20 million specimens in total. The material is dominated by Diptera (75% of the specimens) and Hymenoptera ‡ §, ‡,| | ‡ |

The West Palearctic species of Rhoptromeris are revised. A total of 11 species are recognised as ... more The West Palearctic species of Rhoptromeris are revised. A total of 11 species are recognised as valid in this region, including four newly described species: Rhoptromeris dichromata sp. nov., Rhoptromeris koponeni sp. nov., Rhoptromeris leptocornis sp. nov. and Rhoptromeris macaronesiensis sp. nov. Eucoila luteicornis Ionescu, 1959 is synony- mised with Rhoptromeris heptoma (Hartig, 1840) syn. nov. A checklist of the Holarctic Rhoptromeris is presented and an identification key to the West Palearctic species is provided.

Rapid biodiversity loss has emphasized the need to understand how biodiversity affects the provis... more Rapid biodiversity loss has emphasized the need to understand how biodiversity affects the provisioning of eco- logical functions. Of particular interest are species and communities with versatile impacts on multiple parts of the environment, linking processes in the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere to human interests in the anthroposphere (in this case, cattle farming). In this study, we examine the role of a specific group of insects – beetles feeding on cattle dung – on multiple ecological functions spanning these spheres (dung removal, soil nu- trient content and greenhouse gas emissions). We ask whether the same traits which make species prone to ex- tinction (i.e. response traits) may also affect their functional efficiency (as effect traits). To establish the link between response and effect traits, we first evaluated whether two traits (body mass and nesting strategy, the latter categorized as tunnelers or dwellers) affected the probability of a species being threatened. We then tested for a relationship between these traits and ecosystem functioning. Across Scandinavian dung beetle species, 75% of tunnelers and 30% of dwellers are classified as threatened. Hence, nesting strategy significantly affects the probability of a species being threatened, and constitutes a response trait. Effect traits varied with the ecological function investigated: density-specific dung removal was influenced by both nesting strategy and body mass, whereas methane emissions varied with body mass and nutrient recycling with nesting strategy. Our findings suggest that among Scandinavian dung beetles, nesting strategy is both a response and an effect trait, with tun- nelers being more efficient in providing several ecological functions and also being more sensitive to extinction.Consequently, functionally important tunneler species have suffered disproportionate declines, and species not threatened today may be at risk of becoming so in the near future. This linkage between effect and response traits aggravates the consequences of ongoing biodiversity loss.

In the decades surrounding the turn of the century 1800, several of the leading entomolo- gists i... more In the decades surrounding the turn of the century 1800, several of the leading entomolo- gists in Sweden were also involved in Christian sects following the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg. This has often been noted by historians, but only occasionally by entomolo- gists, and has never been subjected to closer study.
This paper sketches the history of Swedenborgian entomology in Sweden, from natural history students in Skara in the 1780s, over the utopian plans connected with the Swedish involvement in the colonial adventure in West Africa, to the Linnaean and Swedenborgian societies in Gotland and Stockholm, the coleopterist stronghold on the plain of Västergöt- land, and eventually to a last survivor in Fåhraeus’s old days.
The two early key figures both came from Västergötland, Adam Afzelius and Leonard Gyllenhal. In the African adventure, the naturalists inspired by Swedenborg were Afzelius and Anders Sparrman. Gotland became a stronghold where Pehr Hemming Odhner and Gustaf J Billberg tutored Olof I Fåhraeus. In the Swedenborgian circles in Stockholm, Billberg, Carl Johan Schönherr and Carl E Deléen were prominent. Then Gyllenhal and Schönherr were both in Västergötland and Fåhraeus in Göteborg. Short biographies of these persons are given and their interconnections laid out.
The Linnaean perspective on nature had one of its cornerstone in a religious sense of wonder when facing nature, which is known as physico-theology. In the generation after Linnaeus, some prominent naturalists turned away from wonder and speculation, in paral- lel with ongoing enlightenment campaigns against superstition. Especially in the tradi- tional academic natural history environments in Uppsala and Lund there was a reaction with many people turning to the new ideas of ”romantic biology” or ”Naturphilosophie” in Oken’s sense. Whereas in the non-academy-based, more bourgeois and amateur, natural history circles in Stockholm, in Västergötland and eventually in Göteborg, the maintaining of the sense of wonder in Linnaeanism seems to have fit better with the Swedenborgian movement and Swedenborg’s ideas.

Stora Karlsö is a small island close to Gotland in the Baltic Sea of which the Hymenopteran faun... more Stora Karlsö is a small island close to Gotland in the Baltic Sea of which the Hymenopteran fauna has not been extensively studied before. In August 2014, a team of eight persons carried out an inventory of Hymenoptera, mainly the parasitoid wasps and sawflies, on the island. Sampling was done with Malaise traps for a period of 22 days, complemented with vegetation sweeping, branch shaking and opportunistic handpicking during a five day sojourn. As a result, about 200 species of parasitoid wasps and 14 sawflies are reported for Stora Karlsö for the first time. Eleven species are reported as new to Sweden: The sawfly Athalia cornubiae Benson, 1931, the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877), the diapriid Spilomicrus rufitarsis (Kieffer, 1911), the eulophid Entedonomphale bulgarica Boyadzhiev & Triapitsyn, 2007, the braconids Bracon rozneri Papp, 1998 and Gnampto- don decoris (Förster, 1862), and the ichneumonids Bathythrix maculata (Hellén, 1957), Heterischnus filiformis (Gravenhorst, 1829), Lissonota picticoxis Schmiedeknecht, 1900, Mesochorus tipularius Gravenhorst, 1829, Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915, and Plecto- chorus iwatensis (Uchida, 1928). Also the gasteruptiid Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877) is reported new to Sweden based on a record from inventory by NJ in 2013. This demonstrates how the knowledge of Swedish biodiversity can be substantially augmented by a short and intensive collecting expedition. We strongly recommend that other places in the country be subjected to similar efforts.

Larvae of Strobilomyia flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) are serious pests in conifer-seed orchards b... more Larvae of Strobilomyia flies (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) are serious pests in conifer-seed orchards because they feed on the seed inside the cones. Figitid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea) of Strobilomyia larvae in conifer cones are commonly reported but under various generic names. It is argued here that, across the entire Holarctic region, these figitids belong to Am- phithectus and perhaps also to Sarothrus (Figitinae), but not to Melanips (Aspicerinae), contrary to some reports. We conclude that the identity of the commonly found figitid associated with conifer cones (Larix and Picea) in Europe and Asia is Amphithectus austriacus (Tavares, 1928) comb. n. This is most likely considering the original description and the host association, although the type specimen of Seitneria austriaca Tavares, 1928 is lost. This species name takes priority over the recently described Amphi- thectus coriaceus Paretas-Martinez & Pujade-Villar, 2013. Seitneria Tavares, 1928 becomes a new junior synonym of Amphithec- tus Hartig, 1840, and Amphithectus coriaceus Paretas-Martinez & Pujade-Villar, 2013 becomes a new synonym of Amphithectus austriacus (Tavares, 1928) comb. n.

To the previously published survey of early Swedish female entomologists (Forshage & Vårdal 2014)... more To the previously published survey of early Swedish female entomologists (Forshage & Vårdal 2014) a new candidate is added: Louise de Marteville, the wife of the Dutch ambassador in Sweden, who collected a moth new to science for Carl Linnaeus.

Conclusions from seeing 500 horror movies: quantitative and qualitative, including a periodisatio... more Conclusions from seeing 500 horror movies: quantitative and qualitative, including a periodisation of the genre, various statistics and recommendations for each decade, and various other observations. The compendium is concluded with the published essay "Remarkable richness of reality" (Patricide 2011) about the particular points of horror cinema from the viewpoint of surrealism.