Principal research interests: assemblages in the habitats after disturbances/stress

Research interests: biodiversity, biology, taxonomy, faunistic survey of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae)

Current projects:

1.Influence of habitat disturbances on species diversity of the scuttle fly(Diptera: Phoridae) assemblages (habilitation project).

2.Behavioral interactions between parasitic species of Phoridae and their hosts (species of Phalacrotophora Enderlain as parasitoids of Coccinellidae).

3.Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of saline habitats of the Gulf of Gdańsk.

4.Cold-adapted Triphleba (Diptera: Phoridae) species.

My investigations on the phorid assemblages in moist pine forests ofdifferent zoogeographical regions in Polandand in Tyresta Forest (Sweden) after wildfires indicate that habitat heterogeneity resulting from various disturbances (clearcuts, wildfires, windthrowns) may create very similar conditions for colonizing small patches established after environmental stress.

The aims of the project are following:

(1)Characteristicsof the dominance structure, abundanceand species diversityof the scuttle fly assemblages of pine plantations of the Polish Lowlands established after clear-cuts and comparing them to the Phoridae assemblages constituted after wildfires and windfalls.

(2)Interpretation of the effects of disturbances (stress) on high diversity of pioneer Phoridae assemblages.

(3)Assessment of thesuitability of the Phoridae as a model group for the studies of ecological disturbancesas well as an ecosystem diversity indicator, especially in early stages of the secondary succession after environmental stress.

Publications:

• Durska E. 2009. The scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) assemblages of pine plantations of the Biała Forest (Poland). Entomologica Fennica (In press).
• Disney R. H. L. and Durska E. 2008. Conservation evaluation and the choice of faunal taxa to sample. Biodiversity and Conservation 17: 449-451.

• Durska E. 2006. Diversity of the scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) communities in the plantations of moist pine forests of the Białowieża Primeval Forest and the Tuchola Forest (Poland). Biodiversity and Consevation 15: 385-393.

• Durska E., Kaczorowska E., Disney R. H. L. 2005. Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of saline habitats of the Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland. Entomologica Fennica 16: 159-164.
• Durska E. 2003: The phenology of Triphleba Rondani species (Diptera: Phoridae) in moist pine forests in the Białowieża Forest. Entomologica Fennica 14: 177-182.
• Durska E., Ceryngier P.& Disney R. H. L. 2003. Phalacrotophora beuki Disney (Diptera: Phoridae), is a parasitoid of ladybird pupae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). European Journal of Entomology 100: 627-630.
• Durska E. 2002. The phenology of dominant scuttle-fly (Diptera: Phoridae) species in the Białowieża Forest. Entomologica Fennica, 13: 123-127.
• Soszyńska A. & Durska E. 2002. Cold-adapted scuttle - flies species of Triphleba Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae). Annales Zoologici 52: 279-283.
• Durska, E. 2001: Secondary succession of scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) communities in moist pine forest in Białowieża Forest. Fragmenta Faunistica 44: 81-130.
• Disney R. H. L., Durska E. 1998. A new genus and species of Phoridae (Diptera) from Poland. European Journal of Entomology 95: 437-453.