1. Understanding and predicting the geographic distributions of phlebotomine sand flies in and around EuropeDanyang Wang, Anouschka R. Hof, Kevin D. Matson, Frank van Langevelde, Edwin Kniha, Vít Dvořák, Ognyan Mikov, Ivelina Katerinova, Simona Tchakarova, Maria Antoniou, Jorian Prodhomme, Denis Sereno, Vladimir Ivović, Katja Adam, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Climate and land-use changes influence the transmission of vector-borne diseases by affecting the distribution and survival of disease vectors. Numerous diseases are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), including leishmaniasis. Several major sand fly-borne diseases are responsible for high global disease burdens and high socio-economic costs. In Europe, over 20 known sand fly vector species are largely confined to the Mediterranean Basin, yet records of sand fly presence further north increase. Global warming is predicted to drive the spread of sand flies to large areas of Europe in the 21th century, an effect likely to be exacerbated by anthropogenic factors. However, the constraints to the geographic distributions of sand flies are not well understood. This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of the geographic distributions of sand flies, using species distribution modelling to systematically test links between sand fly occurrences and climatic, land-use, lithological, biodiversity and human population variables in Europe and adjacent Mediterranean regions. We found that moisture is the most important environmental variable both in explaining and in predicting sand fly occurrences. The projected suitable habitats are larger than the current known sand fly distributions, and these habitats are expected to expand due to changes in climate and land-use.
Keywords: climate change, land-use, moisture, phlebotomine sand fly, species distribution modelling, suitable habitat
Published in RUP: 06.11.2025; Views: 363; Downloads: 8
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2. Spatial distribution of Ixodes ricinus in forest habitats : a comparative study of the northern and southern slopes of Mount Slavnik, SloveniaJure Jugovic, Alenka Babič, Ana Kuhelj, Vladimir Ivović, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: While previous studies have examined the elevational limits of Ixodes ricinus in Central Europe, this study is the first to investigate the influence of slope orientation on tick distribution in Slovenia. Our results provide new insights into how two important microclimatic factors, temperature and humidity, vary between the northern and south- ern slopes, and how these differences affect the abundance of I. ricinus, a factor that has not been studied in this region before. We found that nymph density was highest on the southern slope at intermediate elevations (720 m) and increased with temperature. In contrast, fewer adult ticks were found on the southern slope compared to the northern slope, most of them at 720 m elevations. The significantly higher abundance of adult ticks on the northern slope is probably related to the cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, denser ground vegetation and greater availability of hosts such as roe deer. Although these results are regionally specific, they contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological factors influencing the distribution of I. ricinus in Central Europe.
Keywords: tick, elevational distribution, slope orientation, temperature, relative humidity
Published in RUP: 05.08.2025; Views: 438; Downloads: 5
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3. Monitoring of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and pathogen screening in Slovenia with habitat suitability modelingVladimir Ivović, Peter Glasnović, Sara Zupan, Tea Knapič, Tomi Trilar, Miša Korva, Nataša Knap, Urška Glinšek Biškup, Tatjana Avšič-Županc, Katja Adam, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are important vectors of pathogens, including Leishmania parasites and phleboviruses, but their distribution and seasonal activity in Slovenia have not been sufficiently studied. This study presents a comprehensive three-year (2020–2022) surveillance programme aimed at assessing the diversity of sandfly species, their distribution, seasonal dynamics and potential role as vectors of pathogens. A total of 1,240 sandflies were collected at 43 sampling sites across Slovenia, identifying Phlebotomus papatasi, P. neglectus, P. perniciosus and P. mascittii. The highest abundance and species diversity were observed in the Mediterranean and Karst regions. Seasonal activity peaked in July, with population fluctuations influenced by climatic conditions. Molecular analyses for Leishmania parasites and phleboviruses showed no positive results, indicating a low prevalence of pathogens in the sampled populations. Predictive habitat models indicate that environmental factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, play a decisive role in the spread of sandflies. While P. mascittii has the largest ecological range, its vector competence remains uncertain. The results provide important insights into the ecology of sandflies in Slovenia and emphasize the need for continuous surveillance in the context of climate change and emerging vector-borne disease risks.
Keywords: sandflies, monitoring, distribution, modeling, Slovenia
Published in RUP: 04.08.2025; Views: 608; Downloads: 7
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5. Garch option pricing model : master's thesisMateo Antonac, 2022, master's thesis Keywords: options, stock options, Black-Scholes model, CEV model, ARCH model, GARCH model, constant volatility, martingale distribution
Published in RUP: 20.06.2023; Views: 2060; Downloads: 25
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6. Spatial distribution, niche ecology and conservation genetics of Degenia velebitica (Brassicaceae), a narrow endemic species of the north-western Dinaric AlpsZlatko Liber, Boštjan Surina, Toni Nikolić, Daniel Škrtić, Zlatko Šatović, 2020, original scientific article Keywords: AFLP, Degenia velebitica, Dinaric Alps, distribution, conservation genetics, population genetics, site ecology
Published in RUP: 02.10.2020; Views: 3090; Downloads: 39
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7. Fine-scale habitat partitioning of Chilean and Peale's dolphins and their overlap with aquacultureSonja Heinrich, Tilen Genov, Marjorie Fuentes Riquelme, Philip S. Hammond, 2019, original scientific article Keywords: aquaculture, Cephalorhynchus eutropia, Lagenorhynchus australis, habitat use pattern, niche partitioning, predictive species distribution models
Published in RUP: 12.09.2019; Views: 3025; Downloads: 173
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10. New records of the rare dragonfly, Black Pennant - Selysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825) (Insecta: Odonata) in Bosnia and HerzegovinaToni Koren, Domen Trkov, Kaja Vukotić, Mitja Črne, 2012, other scientific articles Abstract: In 2012, we recorded a Black Pennant, Selysiothemis nigra, at two sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. in the surroundings of Klepci village and in Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Neretva River. These are the first recent records of this species in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been known only from the entomological collection in the Museum of Sarajevo. As this species had previously been recorded on the Croatian side of the Neretva River, these records fit into the distribution area of the species. With the confirmation of this record, the dragonfly fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 60 species
Keywords: dragonflies, Selysiothemis nigra, distribution, Neretva, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Published in RUP: 21.12.2015; Views: 4269; Downloads: 19
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