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Sentinel surveillance plays a critical role in monitoring pathogen circulation, assessing potential threats for species conservation, and evaluating the risk of spillover to human populations. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of helminth parasites in the Mediterranean-distributed hedgehog species Atelerix algirus in Mallorca, Balearic Islands. Using an integrated approach that combines necropsies and morphological and molecular identifications using the COI gene, we identified 11 helminth taxa in 135 hedgehogs, representing half of those that died at the local wildlife hospital in Mallorca between 2019 and 2022. We report an overall A. cantonensis prevalence of 11.5% and confirm the first case of a subclinical neuroangiostrongyliasis infection in a wildlife host. Infection prevalences over the year revealed that only two species, the nematode A. cantonensis and the cestode Mathevotaenia sp., had a seasonal pattern, with most A. cantonensis cases occurring in autumn and, to a lesser extent, Mathevotaenia sp. cases in winter. This pattern is probably due to the higher abundance and greater activity of snails and slugs (intermediate hosts) during these seasons, with important implications for public health and strategies for prevention of neuroangiostrongyliasis. Other key findings include a high prevalence (88.1%) of the lungworm Crenosoma striatum and detection of the acanthocephalan Moniliformis saudi for the first time in A. algirus. We anticipate that our study will facilitate surveillance efforts and clarify species identities in future studies. Given the lethal effects of A. cantonensis infection in hedgehogs, further studies are needed to evaluate the threat this parasite represents to European wildlife.

Citizen Science is a powerful tool for biodiversity research, as it facilitates data recording at large scales that would otherwise be impossible to cover by standard academic research. Despite its benefits, the accuracy of citizen science data remains a subject of concern among scientists, with varying results reported so far. Neither citizen science data nor academic records are immune to biases, which can significantly impact the quality and reliability of observations. Here, using insects in the Iberian Peninsula as a case study, we compare data collected by participatory platforms to those obtained through academic research projects, and assess their taxonomic, spatial, temporal, and environmental biases. Results show a prominent taxonomic bias in both academic and citizen science data, with certain insect orders receiving more attention than others. These taxonomic biases are conserved between different participatory platforms, as well as between groups of users with different levels of contribution performance. The biases captured by leading contributors in participatory platforms mirrored those of sporadic users and academic data. Citizen science data had higher spatial coverage and less spatial clustering than academic data, showing also clearer trends in temporal seasonality. Environmental coverage over time was more stable in citizen science than in academic records. User behaviour, preference, taxonomical expertise, data collection methodologies and external factors may contribute to these biases. This study shows the multifaceted nature of biases present in academic records and citizen science platforms. The insights gained from this analysis emphasize the need for careful consideration of these biases when making use of biodiversity data from different sources. Combining academic and citizen science data enhances our understanding of biodiversity, as their integration offers a more comprehensive perspective than relying solely on either dataset alone, especially since biases in these two types of data are not always the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, air sac parasitic helminths have been reported to cause severe disease in birds. In addition, various species appear to be expanding and infecting new avian hosts in various regions worldwide. In this context, an air sac nematode was initially detected in 2014 infecting the Eurasian scops owl, hospitalized in the local wildlife hospital in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Years later, the parasite was detected in 2 other owl species. Air sac nematodes had never been reported in the Mallorcan Strigiformes before. A comprehensive molecular and morphological characterization analysis, including scanning electron microscopy, was required for species confirmation. The species was identified as Lissonema sicki , a parasite infrequently reported in South American owls. Since its first introduction to Mallorca, it has dramatically increased in prevalence in hospitalized birds, being highly prevalent in the Eurasian scops owl (41%), in the long-eared owl (11%) and in the barn owl (4%). The introduction pathway of this parasite to Europe remains unknown. This discovery underscores the expanding range and impact of L. sicki , emphasizing the importance of ongoing surveillance and research to comprehend and manage the implications of its emergence in new territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]