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The “dark honeybee” Apis mellifera mellifera, originally the dominating subspecies of the Western honeybee in Central and Northern Europe, is currently threatened by extinction in Austria and its conservation breeding program is carried out by two breeding associations in Salzburg (AMZ – Austrian Mellifera Breeders) and Tyrol (breeding association Kauns-Kaunerberg). In this study, genetic diversity (genomic inbreeding FROH, number of homozygosity segments NROH), the relationship structures and foreign gene proportions in samples from the two Mellifera breeding associations were examined in comparison to A.m.carnica samples using the high-density 70k SNP Illumina® Honey Bee Genotyping Array. The mean Carnica gene-proportion (C-line gene proportion) in the two Mellifera samples was originally 32.4 to 34.4%. By excluding hybridized queens, this gene share was reduced to an average of 12.8–17.7%. In terms of genomic inbreeding, the Austrian Mellifera samples exhibited a mean FROH of 4.20% with maximum values of up to 17.2%. The results of this study clearly illustrated the problems conservation breeding programs in small populations are exposed to. We further demonstrated that the simultaneous consideration of multiple genetic descriptors such as FROH, NROH, ADMIXTURE and the kinship network NETVIEW is effective and practically usable in monitoring breeding programs, which can further be communicated in a way that is understandable to the practical breeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elmar and Ingrid Meier were awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for their contribution to the conservation of endangered turtle species through the establishment of the International Center for Turtle Conservation (IZS) at the Allwetterzoo Münster. A subspecies of the Vietnamese Three-striped Box Turtle was named in honor of Elmar Meier. The IZS is a collaboration between private animal husbandry, a zoo, and the conservation organization Zoological Society for Species and Population Conservation (ZGAP). The "Meier Symposium for Endangered Turtles" took place at the Allwetterzoo Münster and included lectures on various turtle species and their conservation. [Extracted from the article]

The article describes the controlled refrigerator hibernation of European tortoises. It is recommended to carry out the hibernation in a separate hibernation refrigerator to ensure the well-being of the animals during hibernation. Greek tortoises, marginated tortoises, and some Testudo graeca subspecies undergo winter hibernation. Refrigerator hibernation offers advantages such as the ability to monitor the animals during hibernation and the lower technical effort compared to hibernation in a pit. Exclusion criteria are also mentioned, where hibernation cannot take place, as well as preparations and safety measures for refrigerator hibernation. [Extracted from the article]

In 2013, an allochthonous green-backed common wall lizard was recorded in Saarland near Beckingen. In 2014, at least two comparable individuals were documented near Mendig in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Then in 2022 in a basalt open pit mine in the eastern Eifel, the lead author found a green-backed individual as well as an autochthonous wall lizard with a striking turquoise ground colouration. The green-backed individuals can be phenotypically referred to as of the subspecies Podarcis muralis maculiventris-East/P. m. nigriventris (central Italian lineage), which is allochthonous in Germany. However, since no genetic analyses were performed in these three areas, the allocation of subspecies status to the records is not certain and therefore can only be referred to as of the phenotypic type. In all three areas, the occurrences are presumably due to accidental importation or deliberate release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infestation of an Artwin lizard of the subspecies Darevskia derjugini barani with larvae of the common woodbuck Ixodes ricinus in Georgia is documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wadi Rum Reserve in Jordan is home to at least 34 reptile species, including the endangered lizard species Phoenicolacerta kulzeri. During a four-day stay in the reserve, the author was able to identify ten lizard species, including Phoenicolacerta kulzeri khazaliensis, whose presence was observed for the first time outside its typical habitat. Further field studies should be conducted to obtain accurate data on the distribution of this lizard species. [Extracted from the article]

On the basis of numerous own observations, occasionally with information from third parties and with selected information from relevant literature, all orchid species of the island of Krk mentioned or recorded so far are described in detail. The basis for this is more than 2,000 entries of documented occurrences on the island of Krk, which were taken from our „data treasure“ with more than 12,000 entries on the orchid flora of the northeastern Adriatic (period of the years 1999 to 2022). The distribution maps, also based mainly on our own data, were supplemented by reports of findings in the Flora of Istria and, in some cases, with information from the Flora Croatica Database, thus providing an almost complete representation of the currently known distribution picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) finds its southern range limit in the Alpine region and, according to current knowledge, does not penetrate southwards over the Brenner or Reschen Passes into the area of Vinschgau or the Eisack Valley (Valle Isarco) in South Tyrol, although presumably suitable habitats for this species would be available there (see Schmidtler & Schmidtler 2004, Schmidtler et al. 2006, Pieh et al 2021). An analysis of the physiogeographical and climatological conditions of the South Tyrolean area, considering the auto-ecological characteristics of the Sand Lizard, shows the obstacles for a permanent colonisation of at least some sub-areas. The application of Kühnelt's principle of regional stenoecia (1943), but at the subspecies level in the sense of Böhme (1978, 1989) is suitable for resolving this ecological-biogeographical issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Libellula is the property of Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The subspecies of the biological species concept with incomplete reproductive isolation versus the incipient sibling species of the phylogenetic species concept with permeable reproductive barrier are still applied side by side in the everyday practice of taxonomy. Both terms refer to the same organisms diverged mostly in allopatry with various stages of repro-ductive isolation. Question remained: how human ranks these entities organised by nature? The reliable ranking of living hierarchies is retarded and even obscured by the suppressed state of taxonomy. Disappointing scenario: the science of biodiversity is stuck in century old macromorphologies without innovation of fine phenomics and without exploring its high-tech and high-throughput potential. The empirical science of taxonomy is “modernised” by the neutral DNA marker industry diverting the epistemological focus from empirical to virtual. Virtuality of noumenon is used to camouflage the phenomenon of the adverse environmental processes, the wasteful byproducts of the profit oriented liberalized economy. The sensual reality of species and the accelerated species extinction is effectively masked by the virtual sciences of the abstract: numbers, data, statistics, algorithms, equations, models and ideas. To understand the birth of a young incipient species we have briefly reviewed the postmodern development of the unified phylogenetic species concept. (1) The reality of species and higher phylogenetic taxa. (2) The biological and phylogenetic species. (3) How to delineate phylogenetic species? (4) The infinite versus finite division of phylogenetic species. (5) The construct of the unified species concept. (6) Taking subspecies and race out of science. Without recognition of incipient siblings of the phylogenetic species the biodiversity remains under-estimated and the pharisaic anti-science ranking of humans remains with us. The discovery of speciation trait that is the sexual adaptive structures in reproductive barrier building, which are detectable by fine phenomics, gives perspective to find the finite division, the dynamic initial split in the continuous process of diversification. The speciation traits produced by integrative organisation, as opposed to competitive selection, help to unify the operational criteria of the biological species concept that is the speciation by reproductive isolation with the general concept of phylogenetic species that is the causal process of the separately evolving metapopulation lineages. The subspecies and racial ranking is untenable anymore, we suggest taking subspecies and race out of science: the finite division of the initial split detected by speciation traits is the birth of the phylogenetic incipient sibling species. There is no “subspecies”and “races”, as there is no “subindividual” in the biological organisation. In the present caddisfly taxonomy the subspecies remained as a valid status in the Potamophylax cingulatus caddisfly species group. With a clear distinction between the neutral and adaptive traits in the P. cingulatus species group and applying the subtle and stable shape divergences in phallic fine structures we have proposed to change the taxonomic status of subspecies to incipient sibling phylogenetic species rank: Potamophylax alpinus stat. nov., P. depilis stat nov., P. ibericus stat. nov., P. inermis stat. nov., reinstated the species status of P. cingulatus stat. restit. and we have described three new species: P. fesus Oláh, P. portugalicus Oláh et Szczesny, and P. transalpinus Oláh & Coppa, spp. nov.

The distinction mass - count nouns has always been long discussed by grammarians due to their difficulty in finding a homogenous point of view. The present study aims to clarify the different interpretations of massive nouns, laying stress on their individualized “reading”. Starting from different occurrences of massive nouns there has been established the role played by the indefinite article a/ an in structures comprising a massive entity.

N. bidentatum Roewer, 1914 was found at two places in Germany: first on the island “Harriersand” in the Weser river (Lower Saxony), second on the banks of the river Elbe in the Elbsandsteingebirge (Saxony). Adjacent to the latter locality an occurrence in the Czech Republic could be located close to the German/Czech border in the floodplain of the river Elbe as well. These records are the first for Germany and the Czech Republic. They enlarge the distribution area of N. bidentatum remarkably in both a northern and a western direction. The two populations show conspicuous differences in the form of the male cheliceral apophysis, which assigns them to the subspecies bidentatum Roewer, 1914 (in Lower Saxony) and sparsum Gruber & Martens, 1968 (in Saxony and the Czech Republik respectively). Differences, morphological characters and variability of the populations are illustrated. Relationships, abundance, ecology and provenance are discussed. N. dentigerum Canestrini, 1873 is recorded in Saxony for the first time. New records of N. triste C. L. Koch, 1835 and N. lugubre (Müller, 1776) are given.

Abstract: The Studbook for the Persian Leopard, Panthera pardus saxicolor, was analyzed. The whole population derives from a few founder animals, imported in the midth fifties from Iran and in the late sixties from Afghanistan. To avoid inbreeding later on the Iranian and the Afghan lines were mixed. A female imported in 1968 from Kabul to Cologne is represented in each of the more than 100 animals living today. This study deals with the question of subspecies of leopards in Afghanistan. Out of the 27 subspecies described four are believed to exist in Afghanistan. However, according to a molecular-biological revision of the species there is only one subspecies in Afghanistan, Panthera pardus saxicolor. To clarify the subspecies question various measures of furs have been taken in the bazars. The results revealed that the leopards in Afghanistan are the biggest of its species. However a further differentiation according to the area of origin within the country was not possible. Also the traditional differentiation on the basis of colours and patterns on the furs was not possible. In contrast to the molecular-biological investigations published, not only samples of zoo animals were available in this study but also samples from the wild. The results confirm that almost all leopards from Afghanistan and Iran belong to one and the same subspecies. Only in the most eastern part of Afghanistan, the Indian leopard, Panthera pardus fusca, can be found. Mixing the two lines subsequently is justified by the results of this study. Recently acquired animals from the Caucasus, however, should be tested genetically before integrating them into the zoo population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]