Post-Fire Changes of the Neuropteran Assemblages in Forests of the Mordovia Nature Reserve

We examined neuropteran assemblages of the Mordovia Nature Reserve collected in 2022 and 2023 using bait traps at the site of 2021 and 2010 fires and in areas not exposed to these fires. We found that the fires, in which almost all vegetation was destroyed, had different effects on different ecological groups of Neuroptera. Fires were favorable for chortobiont (herb-dwelling) species (e.g., Chrysopa abbreviata, Ch. walkeri, Ch. commata) and species preferring forest edges (e.g., Apertochrysa prasisa and A. ventralis) which increased their numbers. Such fires were, however, very unfavorable for dendrobiont (tree-dwelling) species, especially e.g., Nineta alpicola, N. vittata and Chrysotropia ciliata, which disappeared from burned areas or were unable to restore their numbers in this time.