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Background Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. This study covers an area where medicinal plants are widely used for various health-related problems due to easily available sources. Objective: The current study aimed to document the quantities of data about the most commonly used medicinal plants in the district Bannu and two common species' biological activities. Methods Ethno-pharmacological data were collected from different locations of district Bannu in the period from 2018 to 2019.The information about biological activities was concentrated on two species: Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal and Mentha viridis L. The data was compiled randomly by semi-structured interviews from having different groups, ages consist of both genders, male and female. Results The ethno-pharmacological data were collected from 115 native people, including 14 traditional healers. The most frequently cited families were: Solanaceae and Moraceae with 5 species (5.88%) followed by Apiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae with 4 species each (4.7%). The highest use-value was reported for Withania coagulans (0.47), followed by M. viridis (0.44), Tamarix aphylla (0.43), Curcuma longa (0.42), Plantago ovata (0.41), Linum usitatissimum (0.40). Least use value was reported for Ziziphus nummularia (0.04).The highest RFC value was reported for W. coagulans (47.82), followed by M. viridis (44.34), and T. aphylla (43.47). Conclusion The study will result in further pharmacological and clinical research to discover new medicines to improve the health system. It is the first step in unraveling natural products' potential and requires careful study and investigation to enrich the system worldwide. The study will also contribute to the conservation of medicinal plants in the area of Bannu.

Stigmaria asiatica Jongmans et Gothan is a common species from the Permo-Carboniferous of East Asia. It is characterized by a relatively slender rhizomorph and represents the underground rooting system of lowland arborescent lycopsids. This species from the Wuda Coalfield (Asselian, lower Permian) represents the recovery taxon dominating the subsequent peat-forming vegetation after a volcanic eruption destroyed the previous flora, termed the Wuda Tuff Flora (Chinese “vegetational Pompeii”). It is characterized by novel downward axes, probably for access to deeper groundwater. Here, the anatomy of S. asiatica, including that of the axes and rootlets, is reported in detail for the first time. The axis contains stelar tissues, including pith, primary and secondary xylem, and phloem, and both primary and secondary cortical tissues. The primary cortex is tripartite and is divided into inner, middle, and outer zones. Secondary cortex is produced in the interior of the outer cortex splitting the outer cortex into inner and outer portions. The homogeneous pith and mesarch primary xylem maturation of S. asiatica are different from previously recorded species of Stigmaria Brongniart. Rootlets are composed of a central monarch vascular bundle surrounded by inner cortex and a ring of outer cortex. A vacant region is present between the inner and outer cortices. In some cases, connectives between the inner and outer cortices are present. According to the presented statistical analysis, it is proposed that rootlets of S. asiatica were highly branched, with at least for 7 bifurcations. Rootlets, together with the downward penetrating rhizomorph, helped to both anchor the plant and search for and absorb deep groundwater.

The dataset includes records of amphibian and reptile species from northern, central, western and southern Ukraine made by Ukrainian herpetologist O. D. Nekrasova during her field trips in the period from 1996 to 2022. Chosen species were not included in the latest published edition of the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009) and in the latest lists of such species prepared in 2019. The species mentioned in this dataset are characterised by wide range within the country, covering more than 70% of its territory according to spatial distribution modelling (GIS-modelling) made with the help of Maxent software. The dataset highlights records of eight common species of herpetofauna of Ukraine collected by the first author for the last 26 years. Within the period from 1996 to 2022, O. D. Nekrasova collected and studied information and material on the herpetofauna of the northern, central, western and southern parts of Ukraine from a total of 3960 cadastral points (1707 - for three species of reptiles and 2253 - for five species of amphibians). These records, being now available for the international scientific community, will fill the gap in updated records of the mentioned species, being potentially useful for GIS-modelling, distribution modelling, clarification of conservation lists of national and local importance, further assessment of impact of the war on native biota etc.

Living bamboo stalks are one of the most specialized habitats for mosquito oviposition and immature development. Most of the mosquito species that breed in these habitats are sylvatic, and some are of importance for public health as possible vectors of pathogens. Perforated internodes are a very specialized environment due to the difficulty of access. Furthermore, due to their relatively simple fauna, they represent a valuable model for ecological studies that may be applicable to more complex environments. This study aims to assess the mosquito bionomics of species raised in bamboo internodes. Therefore, the diversity of mosquito species and the influence of abiotic variables (pH and temperature) on the distribution of mosquitoes that breed in this habitat were analyzed. The study area is a fragment of Atlantic Forest within the Association of da Armada (ATA) in Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Immature mosquitoes were sampled with suction tubes (mouth aspirators) between August 2017 and July 2018. A total of 3,170 larvae were collected in 5 bamboo plants, each with 8 stalks perforated. Of these, 688 larvae reached the adult stage, representing 10 genera and 19 species. The most common species were Culex neglectus (43%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (22%), Culex iridescens (8%), Sabethes identicus (7%), and Orthopodomyia albicosta (7%). The richness of the immatures collected in the ATA was 19 species, with a diversity of 1.10 and Shannon evenness of 0.57. A diverse composition of Culicidae in bamboo stalks was found, although dominance was low.

In the Talysh Mountains, the marsh frog, Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771), increases its distribution due to human activity. In the mountain forest belt, frogs inhabit flowing ponds with cold spring water. These reservoirs are characterized by a stable temperature regime: the water in them is kept at the level of 10 – 12°C in winter and does not fall below 6°C, and in summer does not rise above 18°C. Probably, the cold flow water of ponds in the mountain-forest belt of Talysh can cause some features of growth and maturation for P. ridibundus. The aim of our work was to study the features of the structure of growth layers including the variation in degree of expression of lines of arrested growth (LAGs) of the marsh frogs in ponds with cold flow water. Frogs were collected in the upper part of the Tangeru River gorge in Sym village of Astara District of Azerbaijan (480 m a.s.l.) in August 2018. In total, we studied skeletochronologically 8 females and 9 males. In contrast to the results of the tubular bones studies in the marsh frog presented in earlier works, the studied individuals are characterized by a more complex and diverse structure in the cross section of shin bones. All the revealed diversity of this structure can be divided into three groups. To the first group are relatively rare cases in which there are growth layers with wintering LAGs and additional growth layers but without additional LAGs. The second group includes more frequent cases in which there are growth layers not only with wintering LAGs but with additional LAGs differing discretely from wintering LAGs. The third group includes the rarest cases where there are growth layers with wintering LAGs and with additional LAGs without discrete difference from wintering LAGs. The revealed high variable structure of growth layers and distinctiveness of LAGs in P. ridibundus can be explained by unusual temperature regime in habitat of studied population and the existence of several activity period during a year. The most continuous period of low temperatures (February and March) corresponds to formation hibernation LAGs and dark rings in growth layers. Besides, period from early December to late January may be so cold that frog growth retard sufficiently or stop completely. The formation of more dark parts of growth layers or even several additional LAGs can correspond to this period.

Twelve species of the genus Hydropsyche (Trichoptera) are reported from the Maghreb; six in Tunisia, eight in Morocco, and eleven in Algeria. These three North African countries are inhabited by common species, except that H. siltalai has been reported only from Algeria and H. pandiel only from Morocco. A list of Hydropsyche species known from the Maghreb is presented and a key for identification of described larvae of Maghreb Hydropsyche species is provided.

Metacommunity models describe species occupancy frequency distribution (hereinafter ‘SOFD’). Our goal is to present how the differences in eight macroinvertebrate orders dispersal ability affect SOFD patterns. A total of 293 species from eight macroinvertebrate orders were observed in 14 eutrophic lakes in southern Finland. Species occupancy ranged from 1 to 14. About 30% (89 out of 293) of the species were found in only one lake, yielding a surprisingly high number of rare species. So, there were few widely distributed common species and numerous rare species with a restricted distribution. Combined data from eight macroinvertebrate orders supported the bimodal truncated SOFD pattern. Similarly, the low dispersal ability orders, watermites and mayflies, fitted the bimodal truncated SOFD pattern. However, bimodal symmetric SOFD pattern also fitted relatively well to the dragonflies and damselflies with high dispersal ability. It seems that differences in dispersal ability among different macroinvertebrate orders may partly explain observed differences. Moreover, our results supported slightly more a niche-based model rather than a metapopulation dynamics model in eutrophic lakes littoral macroinvertebrate metacommunities. Our results highlight that the dispersal ability is important trait for species conservation in patchily distributed habitat.

The species composition and distribution of freshwater gastropods in the western part of the Kola Peninsula and northern Karelia has been studied. The explored region lies in the far north of Europe and covers several landscape zones: from the northern taiga to the tundra. In sum, seventeen species were found, for each of them the distribution maps and photographs of intraspecific forms of conchological variability are presented. The taxonomic remarks are also given when appropriate. Gyraulus acronicus (Planorbidae) and Ampullacena balthica (Lymnaeidae) are the most common species in the studied region. Two species ( Ampullacena balthica and Galba truncatula ) have been recorded in the Barents Sea islands off the Kola Peninsula. A single non-indigenous species, Physella acuta (Physidae) has been registered in the studied territory. Based on the results of a comparison of the faunas of gastropods from various areas within the whole territory studied and other regions of northern Europe and Western Siberia, it has been shown that the most dramatic reduction in the species composition occurs during the transition from taiga to tundra landscapes.

As part of a quantitative survey of Maine’s bumble bee fauna (Butler et al. 2021), we compared and contrasted genetic diversity, parasite and pathogen burdens, and pesticide exposure of the relatively common Bombus ternarius Say, 1937 and the spatially rare Bombus terricola Kirby, 1837. We recorded 11 Bombus species at 40 survey sites across three Maine ecoregions, and B. ternarius was the most common species, while B. terricola was spatially rare. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated that B. terricola was associated with higher elevation sites in Maine, while B. ternarius was more broadly distributed in the state. Pollinator networks constructed for each bee indicated B. ternarius foraged on more plant species than B. terricola, but that there was considerable overlap (73%) in plant species visited. Genetic diversity was greater in the spatially restricted B. terricola, whereas the widely distributed B. ternarius was characterized by greater genetic differentiation among regions. Bombus terricola had higher molecular marker levels of the microsporidian fungi Nosema spp. and the trypanosome Crithidia spp., and both species had high levels of Trypanosoma spp. exposure. No Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus, 1758) viruses were detected in either species. Pesticides were not detected in pollen samples collected from workers of either species, and B. ternarius worker tissue samples exhibited only trace levels of diflubenzuron.

The species composition and morphology of heterotrophic flagellates from various mire biotopes of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania have been studied; 66 species and forms have been found. The most common species are Neobodo designis, Goniomonas truncata, Ancyromonas sigmoides, Bodo saltans, Jenningsia fusiforme, and Rhynchomonas nasuta. High species diversity has been recorded in samples from Hypnales and Sphagnum mosses, while unique communities of flagellates have been formed in bottom sediments. All identified species are new for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and 26 are new for the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. The cell morphology of twelve species have been described: Salpingoeca angulosa, Phalansterium solitarium, Protaspa gemmifera, Spongomonas uvella, Thaumatomastix triangulata, Cafeteria ligulifera, Paraphysomonas ovalis, Arthropyxis annulata, Parabodo nitrophilus, Petalomonas aff. carinata, Scytomonas pusilla, and Sphenomonas teres. The data on the morphology of the species under study supplement our knowledge of the intraspecific variability of flagellates.

Surveys on detritivorous moths were carried out at three locations, in Kyushu, Japan in 2019, using bait traps. The trap material consisted of dead leaves or rice straw, baited with dog food, chicken manure, or bat guano. A total of 293 moth individuals, comprising 25 species belonging to 17 families were trapped during the experiment. The emerged moths included 285 detritivore individuals of 17 species in nine families and eight herbivore individuals of eight different families. Most moth individuals emerged from the traps made of dead leaves with dog food, that contains several nutrients, as the bait. Of these individuals, species such as Monopis congestella and Phaeoses sp. (Tineidae) which often emerge from bird nests but are difficult to collect, were also found. In contrast, common species, such as Opogona thiadelpha (Tineidae) and Lecitholaxa thiodora (Lecithoceridae), emerged from various combinations of trap materials and baits, indicating their wide range of food preferences. This is the first study to collect detritivorous moths using traps with different baits such as dog food, chicken manure, and bat guano.

Opiine braconids include natural enemies of tephritid fruit flies, and interest in their greater utilisation for fruit fly control is growing. However, there is a lack of basic data on the prevalence and impact of these wasps for most regions of Australia. We sampled fruit fly host fruits from urbanised and peri-urban locations of south-east Queensland and reared out parasitoids and their host flies to determine the regional parasitoid community and how parasitism varied across time and habitat type. A total of 4969 fruits were collected from which 21 277 tephritid puparia were obtained. Of 12 601 fruit flies that emerged, the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, was the dominant species. A total of 5736 parasitoids, representing four species, were recovered from both suburban and peri-urban sites. For all samples combined, the average parasitism rate was 30%. The exotic, egg–larval–pupal parasitoid Fopius arisanus represented 81% of the parasitoids collected and was recovered from all of the 13 host fruit species sampled. The second most common species, the native larval–pupal parasitoid, Diachasmimorpha kraussii, represented 15% of recovered parasitoids and was collected from a smaller range of host fruit species. The remaining two parasitoids, Diachasmimorpha tryoni and Psyttalia fijiensis, were rare in samples. Parasitoid infestation was highly variable across samples, with higher rates of parasitism observed from October to May. A targeted field experiment to measure differences in parasitism by D. kraussii between urban and peri-urban habitats detected no variation in the abundance of D. kraussii across habitats, a result consistent with the general survey. The data show that for south-east Queensland, parasitoids are a significant fruit fly mortality factor in both peri-urban and urban landscapes. Any manipulation of parasitoids for regional pest management should focus on conservation of F. arisanus.

The production and marketing of fruits, especially mango, in sub-Saharan Africa are threatened by fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). This baseline study analysed the biodiversity of fruit fly species, in mango orchards, in different ecological zones of Togo. Traps used to monitor the flies in the orchards consisted of dry baits, made from four types of parapheromones specific to the males of different species. Forty species of fruit flies were identified in the mango orchards in Togo. The most common species wereBactrocera dorsalis(Hendel),Ceratitis cosyra(Walker),Ceratitis fasciventris(Bezzi),Ceratitis capitata(Wiedemann),Ceratitis bremiiGuérin-Méneville,Dacus bivittatus(Bigot),Dacus humeralis(Bezzi),Dacus punctatifronsKarsch andZeugodacus cucurbitae(Coquillett). The invasiveB. dorsalisand the endogenous species,C. cosyrawere dominant in the mango producing areas of Togo because their prevalence were very high (B. dorsalis: 2.1 ≤ flies per trap per day (FTD) ≤ 472.2;C. cosyra: 0.34 ≤ FTD ≤ 97.28). There was no area free from fruit flies in Togo during the study. These results constitute an essential reference in the future evaluation of the effectiveness of any control activities initiated in Togo against fruit flies.

Background Diet analysis is essential to understanding the functional role of large bird species in food webs. Morphological analysis of regurgitated bird pellet contents is time intensive and may underestimate biodiversity. DNA metabarcoding has the ability to circumvent these issues, but has yet to be done. Methods We present a pilot study using DNA metabarcoding of MT-RNR1 and MT-CO1 markers to determine the species of origin and prey of 45 pellets collected in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces, China. Results We detected four raptor species [Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo), Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), and Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius)] and 11 unique prey species across 10 families and 4 classes. Mammals were the greatest detected prey class with Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) being the most frequent. Observed Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity for Upland Buzzard were 1.089 and 0.479, respectively, while expected values were 1.312 ± 0.266 and 0.485 ± 0.086. For Eurasian Eagle Owl, observed values were 1.202 and 0.565, while expected values were 1.502 ± 0.340 and 0.580 ± 0.114. Interspecific dietary niche partitioning between the two species was not detected. Conclusions Our results demonstrate successful use of DNA metabarcoding for understanding diet via a novel noninvasive sample type to identify common and uncommon species. More work is needed to understand how raptor diets vary locally, and the mechanisms that enable exploitation of similar dietary resources. This approach has wide ranging applicability to other birds of prey, and demonstrates the power of using DNA metabarcoding to study species noninvasively.

Estimation of avian biodiversity is a cornerstone measure of ecosystem condition. Surveys conducted using autonomous recorders are often more efficient at estimating diversity than traditional point‐count surveys. However, there is limited research into the optimal temporal resolution for sampling—the trade‐off between the number of samples and sample duration when sampling a survey window with a fixed survey effort—despite autonomous recorders allowing easy repeat sampling compared to traditional survey methods. We assess whether the additional temporal coverage from high temporal resolution (HTR) sampling, consisting of 240 15‐s samples spread randomly across a survey window detects higher alpha and gamma diversity than low temporal resolution (LTR) sampling of four 15‐min samples at the same locations. We do so using an acoustic dataset collected from 29 locations in a region of very high avian biodiversity—the eastern Brazilian Amazon. We find HTR sampling outperforms LTR sampling in every metric considered, with HTR sampling predicted to detect approximately 50% higher alpha diversity, and 10% higher gamma diversity. This effect is primarily driven by increased coverage of variation in detectability across the morning, with the earliest period containing a distinct community that is often under sampled using LTR sampling. LTR sampling produced almost four times as many false absences for species presence. Additionally, LTR sampling incorrectly found 70 species (34%) at only a single forest type when they were in fact present in multiple forest types, while the use of HTR sampling reduced this to just two species (0.9%). When considering multiple independent detections of species, HTR sampling detected three times more uncommon species than LTR sampling. We conclude that high temporal resolution sampling of passive‐acoustic monitoring‐based surveys should be considered the primary method for estimating the species richness of bird communities in tropical forests.

The presence/absence and abundance of benthic foraminifera in successive discrete beds (Shattuck “zones”) of the Miocene Calvert and Choptank formations, exposed at the Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, USA, allows for investigation of community dynamics over space and time. The stratigraphic distribution of benthic foraminifera is documented and interpreted in the context of sea-level change, sequence stratigraphy, and the previously published distribution of mollusks. Neritic benthic foraminiferal communities of four sea-level cycles over ∼4 million years of the middle Miocene, encompassing the Miocene Climatic Optimum and the succeeding middle Miocene Climate Transition, are dominated by the same abundant species. They differ in the varying abundance of common species that occur throughout most of the studied section and in the different rare species that appear and disappear. Transgressive systems tracts (TSTs) have higher species diversity than highstand systems tracts (HSTs) but much lower density of specimens. In contrast to some previous research, all beds in the studied section are interpreted as being from the inner part of a broad, low gradient shelf and were deposited at water depths of less than ∼50 m. It is suggested that species are recruited from a regional species pool of propagules throughout the duration of TSTs. Recruitment is curtailed during highstands leading to lower diversity in the HSTs.

It has often been suggested that the productivity of an ecosystem affects the number of species that it can support. Despite decades of study, the nature, extent, and underlying mechanisms of this relationship are unclear. One suggested mechanism is the “more individuals” hypothesis (MIH). This proposes that productivity controls the number of individuals in the ecosystem, and that more individuals can be divided into a greater number of species before their population size is sufficiently small for each to be at substantial risk of extinction. Here, we test this hypothesis using REvoSim: an individual‐based eco‐evolutionary system that simulates the evolution and speciation of populations over geological time, allowing phenomena occurring over timescales that cannot be easily observed in the real world to be evaluated. The individual‐based nature of this system allows us to remove assumptions about the nature of speciation and extinction that previous models have had to make. Many of the predictions of the MIH are supported in our simulations: Rare species are more likely to undergo extinction than common species, and species richness scales with productivity. However, we also find support for relationships that contradict the predictions of the strict MIH: species population size scales with productivity, and species extinction risk is better predicted by relative than absolute species population size, apparently due to increased competition when total community abundance is higher. Furthermore, we show that the scaling of species richness with productivity depends upon the ability of species to partition niche space. Consequently, we suggest that the MIH is applicable only to ecosystems in which niche partitioning has not been halted by species saturation. Some hypotheses regarding patterns of biodiversity implicitly or explicitly overlook niche theory in favor of neutral explanations, as has historically been the case with the MIH. Our simulations demonstrate that niche theory exerts a control on the applicability of the MIH and thus needs to be accounted for in macroecology., We use simulation experiments to test the predictions of the more‐individuals hypothesis of biodiversity. We find that many of these predictions are supported, but that interspecific competition and limits to niche diversity can provide additional complexity not predicted by the more‐individuals hypothesis.

The summer (July–August) zooplankton of the Kama and Votkinsk reservoirs on the Kama River was studied for six years (2014–2019). A total of 106 crustacean and rotifer species were recorded; ten of them are invaders mainly of southern origin. It has been revealed that 70% of invaders in both reservoirs were recorded from 2012 to 2016. The cladoceran Diaphanosoma orghidani and Ponto-Caspian copepods Eurytemora caspica and Heterocope caspia have become common species; they annually occur in over 30% of samples and locally form up to 30% of the number of crustaceans. An increase in the density (up to 24–30% of the abundance of crustaceans) of the thermophilic copepod Thermocyclops crassus, which was previously not abundant, has been revealed. The average abundance of zooplankton for 2014–2019 (>150 thousand ind./m3) was generally 1.7–2.0 times higher in the littoral zone than in the pelagic zone in both reservoirs. The summer biomass of zooplankton was high (1.1–1.7 g/m3) throughout the water area of the reservoirs. The biomass level was 2.5–3 times higher in 2014–2019 than in the 1950–1960s.

In this study, the diversity of root-nodulating bacteria associated with Pisum sativum L. cultivated in the Eastern and Western Black Sea regions (11 provinces) and three provinces in the Marmara region were investigated. rDNA-ITS RFLP analysis revealed nine groups within the 40 isolates collected in the study. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the recA, atpD and glnII genes, isolates within the RFLP groups were assigned to the following Rhizobium species; Group-I: R. laguerreae; Groups -II and -IV: R. ruizarguesonis; Groups -III, -V, -VII, -VIII: genospecies-B (gsB) of the R. leguminosarum complex (Rlc); Group-VI: Rlc gsE; and Group-IX: Rlc gsA. From the nodC-RFLP analysis and phylogenetic analysis of the nodC gene, all rhizobial isolates obtained in this study were assigned to the symbiovar. viciae variety of the related Rhizobium species. In this study, Rlc gsB (n: 19) was the species that most commonly caused the nodulation of P. sativum in the northern Anatolia, followed by R. ruizarguesonis (n: 8). Rhizobium laguerreae (n: 5) was a widespread but not common species, and Rlc gsA (n: 3) and Rlc gsE (n: 5) had a distribution limited to the Eastern and Western Black Sea regions, respectively. Overall, results obtained from species diversity analysis, nodC phylogenetic analysis and nodX analysis suggest a common phylogeographic history for pea-nodulating rhizobia in northern Anatolia and western Europe. Separately, this study presents the first reports of R. laguerreae and R. ruizarguesonis from P. sativum root nodules in Turkey and the first report of R. ruizarguesonis outside of Europe.

Dominance hierarchy, the dominance ranking of members in a community, is determined by the relative population fitness of coexisting species. Climate change can shift dominance hierarchies depending on how species respond to changing climate, but ecological mechanisms underlying such shifts remain largely unknown. Specifically, dominance hierarchy shifts under climate change have rarely been linked to eco-evolutionary responses to thermal extremes, which we consider in this study. We conducted an 8-year field survey to link extreme high-temperature events to the shift in dominance hierarchy of two worldwide cereal aphid species (Rhopalosiphum padi and Sitobion avenae), which may respond rapidly through evolutionary or plastic responses to thermal extremes due to their short generation duration, clonal structure and high thermal sensitivity. To further understand the mechanism involved in this change in species' dominance, we characterised aphid heat tolerance and demography of the two species sourced from relatively mild (Xinxiang) and hot (Wuhan) locations in a common garden design and compared the same measures in up- and down-selected lines of the two aphid species. We found that accumulation of extreme high-temperature events (EHTs) affected per capita growth rate of S. avenae but not R. padi, driving a shift in annual relative dominance of these two common species in wheat fields. Furthermore, evidence from common garden tests and artificial thermal selection revealed that evolutionary and plastic changes in thermal tolerance under EHTs were species-dependent; R. padi evolved higher heat tolerance without reducing fitness while S. avenae did not evolve heat tolerance but showed detrimental transgenerational plastic changes under thermal extremes. Rhopalosiphum padi may take over the dominant position of S. avenae in a warmer future, due to a higher evolutionary potential of heat tolerance and less detrimental plasticity following selection. Field surveys and laboratory experiments together point to a shift in species dominance related to interspecific differences in species' evolutionary rates and transgenerational plasticity of thermal traits during selection events associated with extreme climatic conditions. This study highlights that eco-evolutionary dynamics can contribute to community responses to natural thermal extremes. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

The complexity of natural communities is the result of interactions among species that coexist within them. Parasitic interactions are among the most common species interaction types, and analysis of parasite-host ranges can advance understanding of how host-parasite pairs structure community interactions across their geographic distributions. Using network analysis and host preference relative index, we analysed host use by the South American mistletoe, Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae), in 22 localities among two biomes: Chilean matorral and temperate forest. The total number of host species recorded was 27, and 40% of these species were non-native. The non-native Populus sp. was shared between biomes. There was a positive relationship between host range and potential host species richness at the studied localities. On average, the mistletoe parasitized each host species relative to its abundance. However, some host species in some localities are more parasitized than expected. Network structure showed a differences in host use between the two biomes: Aristotelia chilensis was central in the temperate forest, with Populus sp. in the Chilean matorral. Host use intensity in the Chilean matorral was higher for non-native species. Tristerix corymbosus has a wide host range and could be considered a generalist parasite across its full geographic distribution, but at local scales, host preferences differed among localities and are related to host coverage. Alterations in community composition, due to natural events or human activities, can modify the availability of possible hosts. Hence, the mistletoe with the described characteristics may be able to change its infection preference while maintaining the interaction functionality.

This study aimed to assess the diversity of species in the Espinhaço Range (ER), eastern Brazil, using as a model the diverse plant family Gentianaceae and focusing on the Parque Municipal de Mucugê—Projeto Sempre Viva (PMM), a conservation unit with predominance of “campo rupestre”. For this purpose, fieldwork expeditions were carried out between the years 2016–2018 along with a survey of species of this family recorded for this conservation unit in public databases. For comparative purposes, the listing of species from other five areas of the ER were also surveyed and we modeled the distribution of species endemic to these mountains, taking into account that they have their restrict distribution, high habitat specificity and importance to the ecosystem. The results indicated the presence of 33 species of Gentianaceae for the ER, eight of them occurring in the PMM. Comparatively, the results pointed to a greater floristic similarity between the PMM, Pico das Almas and Catolés, due to the presence of seven common species. Predictive distribution modeling supports high endemicity of the analyzed species, given their low environmental suitability outside the ER. The models also allowed us to identify possible areas showing high Wallacean shortfall for these species. Thus, the results reinforce the importance of field work, access to physical and digital botanical collections and the integrated use of tools for a more reliable survey of biodiversity.

Summary It is common practice for ecologists to examine species niches in the study of community composition. The response curve of a species in the fundamental niche is usually assumed to be quadratic. The center of a quadratic curve represents a species’ optimal environmental conditions, and the width its ability to tolerate deviations from the optimum. Most multivariate methods assume species respond linearly to the environment of the niche, or with a quadratic curve that is of equal width and height for all species. However, it is widely understood that some species are generalists who tolerate deviations from their optimal environment better than others. Rare species often tolerate a smaller range of environments than more common species, corresponding to a narrow niche. We propose a new method, for ordination and fitting Joint Species Distribution Models, based on Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models, which relaxes the assumptions of equal tolerances and equal maxima. By explicitly estimating species optima, tolerances, and maxima, per ecological gradient, we can better predict change in species communities, and understand how species relate to each other.

The Honduran yellow-shouldered bat (Sturnira hondurensis Goodwin, 1940) is a medium-sized Stenodermatinae with a vestigial uropatagium and no tail; it typically has reddish or yellowish patches on the shoulders. It is found in temperate habitats from Mexico to northern Nicaragua, and it is one of 24 described species of the genus Sturnira. S. hondurensis is considered a common species and is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Nevertheless, it primarily depends on the preservation of native and continuous forest, so maintaining the connectivity of vegetation patches and the availability of food in modified landscapes are strategies for the preservation of S. hondurensis and the ecosystem services that it provides.

Information regarding the vagile fish fauna and their use of rare polychaete reefs as habitat or feeding area is almost unheard of in the tropics. Of great interest is whether the construction of such biogenic reefs in an otherwise featureless habitat such as a mudflat increases structural complexity thereby enhancing fish abundance and ecological functioning. The Jeram polychaete reef (Straits of Malacca) is unique and recurrent; on the mudflat, it emerges, grows, and decimates within a year. We tested the hypothesis that the enhanced reef resources (prey) modify the reef ichthyofauna in terms of community structure and trophodynamics. The largely juvenile fish that visited the reef totaled 69 species from a 9-month study. Although sharing 57 common species, the reef fish assemblages had less species and diversity than the mudflat (90 species) and also lower abundance and biomass. Temporal variability in the reef’s fish community structure appeared to be tied to the reef dynamics, food availability, and environment. Stable isotope (C and N) results suggest a food web of five trophic levels emanating from phytoplankton and benthic diatoms as basal sources, similar to the mudflat. The enhanced prey resources modified the ichthyofauna, but did not impact reef fish trophodynamics in terms of feeding guild, trophic level, and dietary carbon. Although the polychaete feeding guild was distinct in the reef, most reef fishes as well as mudflat fishes were generalist predators. The reef supports local fisheries, functioning as a feeding and habitat area for 58 fish species of commercial importance.

In Ant-gardens, ants build nests with organic materials and take specific seeds of some species of epiphytes which germinate. In this mutualistic interaction, a variety of other epiphytes could colonize the nests and develop, but it doesn't happen. We assume that there is chemical allelopathy with epiphytes inhibiting the germination and growth of other species of epiphytes, and with ants cutting off non-mutualistic epiphyte species. To investigate this, we performed chemical and prune tests which determine the composition of the epiphyte species of Ant-Gardens of parabiotic ants, Camponotus femoratus (Fabricius, 1804) and Crematogaster levior Longino, 2003. For the chemical allelopathic test, we administered the extract of the stem and leaves of Peperomia macrostachya (Vahl) A. Dietr. and Codonanthe calcarata (Miq.) Hanst. (the most common species in parabiotic AGs) in different concentrations. For the prune test, we used seedlings of the mutualistic plant Peperomia macrostachya and non-mutualistic plant Cucumis sativus as a control, then we inspected the nests to evaluate the ants pruning the seedlings. In the chemical allelopathy tests, the species Codonanthe calcarata decreased the germination speed indexes in relation to the control (distilled water). On the contrary, the length and weight of the seedlings were positively influenced by epiphyte extract. In the prune test, most of the plants pruned were non-mutualistic. The results of the chemical allelopathy and prune experiments showed that both mutualistic epiphytes and ants play a decisive role in the composition of epiphytes in Ant-Gardens.

Rare plant species often suffer less damage than common species because of positive density-dependent herbivory, and it has been suggested that this 'rare species advantage' fosters plant species coexistence. However, it is unknown whether rare species have an advantage when pollination interactions are also considered. We hypothesized that a 'positive density-dependent pollination success' across plant species would result in common plants experiencing higher seed set rates compared to rare species, and that positive density-dependent effects would negate or even override the positive density-dependent damage due to herbivory resulting in higher seed loss rates in common plant species. We tested this hypothesis by concurrently examining a plant-predispersal seed predator system and a plant-pollinator system for 24 Asteraceae species growing in an alpine meadow community (Sichuan Province, China). Having previously reported a positive density-dependent effect on seed loss rates due to seed predators, we here focus on the density-dependent effects on pollination success by investigating pollinator species richness, visitation frequencies and seed set rates for each plant species. We also estimated the seed output rate of each plant species as the product of seed set rate and the rate of surviving seeds (i.e. 1 - the seed loss rate). Consistent with our hypothesis, a positive density-dependent effect was observed for pollinator species richness, visitation frequencies and seed set rates across plant species. Moreover, the positive effect overrode the negative density-dependent effect of herbivores on seed production, such that common species tended to have a higher seed output rate than rare species (i.e. we observed a 'rare species disadvantage'). These results indicate that the low seed output rate of rare species might result from a pollination limitation, and that both mutualistic and antagonistic interactions should be examined simultaneously to fully understand plant species coexistence in local communities.

Fish diets are important indicators of ecosystem change. This aspect of the ichthyofauna of the coast of the Argentine Islands has been insufficiently studied in comparison with other regions. This article presents the results of comparison of dietary and somatic parameters of the dominant species Notothenia coriiceps depending on the point, depth and season of catch. The sample was collected between February 2006 and February 2007. In the year of study, N. coriiceps, Trematomus bernacchii, Chaenocephalus aceratus (common species), Harpagifer antarcticus and Pagothenia borchgrevinki (rare species in this region) were caught. The average fish size in this region does not differ from other places in the Southern Ocean. In Cornice Channel and Stella Creek, N. coriiceps was smaller than at other points due to the narrowness and shallow depth of these places. In winter, large individuals apparently migrated from the coast. The diet of N. coriiceps consisted mainly of crustaceans and seaweeds, with a small number of mollusks (especially limpets), which are common. The number of fish in the diet of N. coriiceps is relatively low for this region. Access to food was relatively the same at different points and depths of the catch. The lowest amount of food was in the fall, the highest amount of food was in the spring and summer. The condition and hepatosomatic index also did not change depending on the point and depth of the catch, but they were low in spring and high in summer. Perhaps this is due to the low energy value of food, which is not compensated by the amount. It is necessary to conduct studies of the diet of N. coriiceps in other years to clarify the specificity of fish in the diet and phenological changes in somatic parameters. Similar studies are needed for other species in the region if catches are sufficient to collect a representative sample.

Context Forest fire activity is expected to increase in many parts of the globe over the course of the 21st century, with corresponding potential for heightened levels of proximate and ultimate threats to avian diversity. Landscape-scale investigations of the responses of birds in locations where current extreme fire regimes represent those expected in the future provide opportunities to identify potentially vulnerable species in advance. Autonomous acoustic recorders are well suited to survey birds in the typically large and remote natural areas with low accessibility required for these types of studies, because they offer cost-effective and relatively safe options for obtaining reliable data. Aims The present study aimed to optimise survey using acoustic recorders to achieve a satisfactory assessment of montane dry sclerophyll forest bird assemblages using these devices. Survey completeness, or the number of species detected as a percentage of total species, was used as a metric to gauge survey suitability. Methods Acoustic recorders were deployed in 10 ridge-top forest sites in the Blue Mountains, south-eastern Australia. Extensive field recordings were processed by an analyst, with species detected by their calls recorded in a series of 20-min samples. A results-based approach, incorporating a stopping rule that established when to conclude sampling at a site, was applied to the data. The results guided the target survey completeness and sampling effort levels assigned to a set of fixed-effort survey methods, which were subsequently evaluated. Key results The optimal survey method involved using recordings from five 20-min sampling periods immediately following dawn for 2 days, achieving an average survey completeness level of 69%. Conclusions The optimal survey method can obtain results that are suitable for many types of studies involving assessments of bird assemblages, because the method can detect all common and moderately common species in assemblages, plus a fair proportion of rare species. Implications The present study has systematically developed an effective method of using autonomous acoustic recorders to research and monitor montane bird assemblages in fire-prone dry sclerophyll forests. This methodological approach may also be applied in systems subject to altered patterns of flood, storm or other extreme weather under climate change.

The survey of molluscan fauna of Ashtamudi estuary of the southwest coast of India recorded the presence of 119 species classified under 3 classes (Polyplacophora, Gastropoda and Bivalvia), 57 families and 96 genera. The species diversity was dominated by the Gastropoda (69 species), followed by the Bivalvia (49 species) and the Polyplacophora (1 species). The report includes four species recorded for the first time from India: Desmaulus edgarianus (Melvill, 1898), Pilosabia trigona (Gmelin, 1791), Nassarius javanus (Schepman, 1891) and Jorunna labialis (Eliot, 1908). The true diversity of the mangrove region was as good as that of a community with 31.380 (= 31) equally common species; the respective values for the bar mouth and lake regions were 15.516 and 8.997, respectively, indicating that the molluscan species assemblage of the mangrove was the most diverse and of the lake, the least. True β-diversity across this gradient registered 1.792, which means that though there were three communities, they were equivalent to only 1.792 (= 2) effective communities, i.e., the three actual communities were as different from each other as 2 with equal weights and no species in common.

Chroesthes is a small genus that includes three species from Peninsular Malaysia: Chroesthes faizaltahiriana Siti-Munirah sp. nov., C. lanceolata (T. Anderson) B.Hansen and C. longifolia (Wight) B.Hansen. Chroesthes faizaltahiriana, recently discovered in the State of Kelantan, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to the common species C. longifolia, but is distinguished mainly by its inflorescence type, calyx shape and its flowers being bright orange instead of dark purple internally. Chroesthes lanceolata is a new record for Peninsular Malaysia and has only been collected once. Following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, these three species are assessed (national scale assessment) as Critically Endangered (C. faizaltahiriana and C. lanceolata) and Least Concern (C. longifolia).

Background Species lists are fundamental for knowledge of species diversity in regions subject to intense anthropogenic pressure, especially in poorly-studied ecosystems. The dataset comes from an inventory conducted in 30 fragments of Myrtaceae swamp forest, located in an agroforestry matrix landscape of the coastal La Araucania Region in Chile. The data collection was carried out using line transect sampling, which was traced through the core of each fragment orientated towards its longest axis. The dataset provides a record of 55 species (24 trees, 1 vine [as a host], 16 herbs and 15 shrubs) including accidental epiphytes (n = 7), hemiparasites (n = 4), host (n = 10) and additionally woody debris (n = 36). The most frequent trees in the landscape were Myrceugenia exsucca (n = 36 records) and Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii (n = 33 records), species that were also the most common hosts. Drimys winteri was a companion species, other trees and shrubs generally being rarely observed, as was the case of the introduced species ( Prunus avium , Rubus constrictus and Ulex europaeus ). Branches were the most common microhabitat for hemiparasites. Within this group, Lepidoceras chilense was the most frequent species. For accidental epiphytes, Drimys winteri , which commonly grows on the ground (soil), were the most common species found in the main trunk crotch. Some unusual observations were the climber Cissus striata as host of Tristerix corymbosus (hemiparasite) and Tristerix corymbosus as host of Lepidoceras chilense (hemiparasite). New information This study represents a landscape-scale sample of the swamp forest, which is distributed in a dispersed pattern over a large stretch of Chile. The data were collected from 30 forest patches (from 0.05 to 936 ha), located on the coast of the Araucania. The database includes the presence of 55 species of vascular plants in 356 records. The main novelty of this contribution is the systematic classification of species under six traits, never before reported in the same database: (i) condition (coarse woody debris, fallen log, live, snag), (ii) habit (herb, shrub, tree), (iii) growth microhabitat (e.g. tree trunk, branch, main trunk crotch), (iv) growth form (accidental epiphyte, hemiparasite, terricolous, vegetative), (v) host species (as appropriate) and (vi) relative location of the species in the sampled patch and surrounding areas (core, border, matrix). Species not previously observed in these forests were: Gavilea spp., Hieracium spp., Lophosoria quadripinnata , Berberis actinacantha , Gaultheria phillyreifolia , Ovidia pillo-pillo , Amomyrtus meli and Caldcluvia paniculata . In addition, two introduced species are novelties for the catalogue of vascular plants of Chile ( Cupressus macrocarpa and Prunus avium ). Several of these ecosystem traits are indeed new reports for these types of forests (e.g. accidental epiphytes, fallen logs, species-host relationship); at the same time, more frequent data (i.e. species composition, habit) are found in different contributions, making the comprehensive process of analysis difficult. Accordingly, the database is made available in this manuscript.

PREMISE Leaf economic spectrum (LES) theory has historically been employed to inform vegetation models of ecosystem processes, but largely neglects intraspecific variation and biotic interactions. We attempt to integrate across environment-plant trait-herbivore interactions within a species at a range-wide scale. METHODS We measured traits in 53 populations spanning the range of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and used a common garden to determine the role of environment in driving patterns of intraspecific variation. We used a feeding trial to determine the role of plant traits in monarch (Danaus plexippus) larval development. RESULTS Trait-trait relationships largely followed interspecific patterns in LES theory and persisted in a common garden when individual traits change. Common milkweed showed intraspecific variation and biogeographic clines in traits. Clines did not persist in a common garden. Larvae ate more and grew larger when fed plants with more nitrogen. A longitudinal environmental gradient in precipitation corresponded to a resource gradient in plant nitrogen, which produces a gradient in larval performance. CONCLUSIONS Biogeographic patterns in common milkweed traits can sometimes be predicted from LES, are largely driven by environmental conditions, and have consequences for monarch larval performance. Changes to nutrient dynamics of landscapes with common milkweed could potentially influence monarch population dynamics. We show how biogeographic trends in intraspecific variation can influence key ecological interactions, especially in common species with large distributions.

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are important pollinators, yet rapidly declining globally. In North America some species are thriving while others are nearing extinction. Recognizing subtle differences in species’ biology and responses to environmental factors is required to illuminate key threats and to understand their different population trajectories. We intensively surveyed bumble bees in Ohio, USA, along the receding southern boundary of many species’ ranges, to evaluate current conservation status of the state’s species. In 318 90-min field surveys across two consecutive years we observed 23,324 bumble bees of 10 species visiting 170 plant species. Habitat, landscape, latitude, and their interactions significantly influenced bumble bee abundance, species richness, and community composition during peak season. Sites planted with flowers yielded more bumble bee individuals and species than did sites not planted with bee food plants. Bombus impatiens, B. griseocollis, and B. bimaculatus comprised 93% of all observations. Their abundances all peaked in habitats planted with wildflowers, but there were species-specific responses to local and landscape factors. Three less common species (B. fervidus, B. vagans, and B. perplexus) were more likely to be found in forested landscapes, particularly in the northeastern portion of the state. Bombus perplexus was also affiliated with planted urban wildflower patches. These results provide a strong starting point for future monitoring and conservation intervention that targets less common species. A quantitative synthesis of detailed state-level and regional datasets would allow additional insight into broad scale patterns of diversity in bumble bee communities and species conservation trajectories.

The decline of both managed and wild bee populations has been extensively reported for over a decade now, with growing concerns amongst the scientific community. Also, evidence is growing that both managed and feral honey bees may exacerbate threats to wild bees. In Australia, there are over 1600 native bee species and introduced European honey bees (Apis mellifera) have established throughout most landscapes. There is a major gap in knowledge of the interactions between honey bees and native bees in Australian landscapes, especially floral resource use. Here we report on the pollen diets of wild bees in protected areas of coastal heathland, an ecosystem characterised by mass flowering in late winter and spring. We sampled bees within three sites and DNA metabarcoding was used to compare the pollen diets of honey bees and native bees. We recorded 2, 772 bees in total, with 13 genera and 18 described species identified. Apis mellifera was the most common species across all locations, accounting for 42% of all bees collected. Native bee genera included eusocial Tetragonula (stingless bees) (37%), and semi-social Exoneura and Braunsapis (19.8% combined). Metabarcoding data revealed both Tetragonula and honey bees have wide foraging patterns, and the bipartite network overall was highly generalised (H2’ = 0.24). Individual honey bees carried pollen of 7–29 plant species, and significantly more species than all other bees. We found niche overlap in the diets of honey bees and native bees generally (0.42), and strongest overlap with stingless bees (0.70) and species of Braunsapis (0.62). A surprising finding was that many species carried pollen from Restionaceae and Cyperaceae, families generally considered to be predominantly wind-pollinated in Australia. Our study showed introduced honey bee use of resources overlaps with that of native bees in protected heathlands, but there are clear differences in their diet preferences.

Aims The factors affecting species abundance are a subject of ongoing debates in community ecology. Empirical studies have demonstrated that tree abundance is affected by plant functional traits and negative density dependence (NDD). However, few studies have focused on the combined effects of NDD and plant functional traits on species abundance. Methods In this study, we used tree functional traits and two census data from a 50-ha forest dynamic plot in the Heishiding (HSD) Nature Reserve to explore the combined effects of functional traits and NDD on species abundance. Using hierarchical Bayesian models, we analyzed how neighbor densities affected the survival of saplings from 130 species and extracted posterior means of the coefficients to represent NDD. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was then applied to investigate the causal relationships among species functional traits, NDD and species abundance. Important Findings SEM showed that tree functional traits, including specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf N content (LNC), maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax) and conspecific adult negative density dependence (CNDDadult), together explained 20% of the total variation in tree abundance. Specifically, SLA affected tree abundance both directly and indirectly via CNDDadult, with a totally negative influence on abundance. LDMC and LNC had only indirect effects mediated by CNDDadult on tree abundance. ETRmax and LA had directly negative effects on abundance, but their direct connections with CNDDadult were not observed. In addition, CNDDadult was negatively correlated with species abundance, indicating that abundant species are under stronger NDD. Among these investigated traits, SLA contributed the most to the variation in CNDDadult and abundance. We argued that our findings of trait–CNDDadult–abundance relationships can improve our understanding of the determinants of species commonness and rarity in forests.

Birds play a vital role in arctic environments, being multi-functional ecosystem engineers, but these animals are heavily impacted by recent climate warming. Bird assemblages on the Arctic Ocean archipelagoes are poorly known, because many such areas are hardly accessible to scientists. Novaya Zemlya, one of the most enigmatic places in the World, was a closed military area from the late 1940s. This gigantic mountainous archipelago can be considered a terra incognita by means of modern faunal, taxonomic, and ecological research. In the present study, we provide the first qualitative data on bird assemblages of the Yuzhny Island of Novaya Zemlya, estimate the diversity of bird species through a range of habitats, and underscore environmental factors determining the spatial distribution of avifauna in the arctic tundra biome. In terrestrial habitats, Tundra Bean Goose (Anser fabalis rossicus), Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) were the most abundant species. In freshwater and coastal marine habitats, both these Arctic-breeding goose taxa, and Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) and Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia) were the dominant species. The most species-rich bird assemblages (11-15 species) were associated with willow tundra, freshwater lakes, and coastal sea habitats, while only a few species were recorded in dry rocky habitats, open sea environments, and littoral areas of lakes and the sea. Mountain rocky heathlands covering most of the area of Yuzhny Island were scarcely populated by birds, with only a few species recorded frequently there, such as the Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and Snow Bunting. Our findings highlight that the bird assemblages on Novaya Zemlya share low species richness and that these assemblages contain a large proportion of sea and shore bird species even in terrestrial habitats. Among the terrestrial birds, only four cold-tolerant, common species successfully colonize these extreme environments during the short summer season.

A review of the piciform avifauna from the upper Pleistocene asphalt deposits of Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California, reveals that it comprises at least six species in five genera. We describe a new genus and species, Breacopus garretti, for the largest woodpecker, which was similar in size to the largest living North American species, Dryocopus pileatus. We recognise a new genus and species, Bitumenpicus minimus, for the smallest woodpecker in the palaeoavifauna of Rancho La Brea. We also recognise a new species of Melanerpes, M. shawi. The most common species present in the asphalt deposits is the Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus, which is predictable because of its ground-foraging habits, which would bring it into contact with the surficial seeps of petroleum more often than those piciforms preferring an arboreal habitat. Habits of the extant species from Rancho La Brea suggest a primarily open environment, with the largest species suggesting the presence of at least scattered large trees. The piciform palaeoavifauna provides support for the hypothesis that southwestern California was a “biogeographic island,” or a region where the insular nature of the habitat promoted speciation during the late Pleistocene.

Resource partitioning among coexisting species leads to divergent changes in morphological, behavioural and physiological characteristics of animals providing insights in niche availability. Chitala chitala (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822) and Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) are two Notopterid fishes belonging to order Osteoglossiformes found to coexist in Indian waters. Both the species command high market demand not only as food fish but also as aquaria fishes making them new candidate species for aquaculture. Feeding ecology of these species were studied through prey electivity analysis, calculation of Index of Relative Importance of food items, estimation of digestive enzymes accompanied by morphometric study. Toothed jaw and higher relative gape width makes C. chitala an efficient predator whereas N. notopterus with obliquely placed and slightly upturned mouth, prominent lower jaw, higher head and body depth, well-developed stomach establish N. notopterus as an omnivore. The results also highlight N. notopterus having larger niche breadth surviving on wide prey base in nature could justifiably be a more common species found in wider area of South East Asia whereas C. chitala being carnivorous, having smaller niche breadth enjoys relatively restricted geographical distribution.

Nephropsis stewarti Wood-Mason, 1872 is the most common species of the deep-sea clawed lobster genus Nephropsis Wood-Mason, 1872 in the Indo-West Pacific. Morphological comparisons and genetic analyses of extensive material referred to this lobster revealed the presence of three species. The three species differ mainly in body size, development of the intermediate carina on the carapace, position of the lateral pair of rostral teeth, whether the pleonal tergum is granulate, and the spination on the large chelipeds. Nephropsis stewarti is restricted to the western central Indian Ocean, and a neotype is selected to fix its identity. The name Nephropsis grandis Zarenkov, 2006 is revived with neotype selection for the large form found in the West Pacific and northwestern Australia. The smaller form from southern Taiwan and the Philippines is described as Nephropsis pygmaeasp. nov.

A butterfly study in the biodiversity rich biogeography transition zone of the undivided Midnapore District of West Bengal was carried out from March 2014 to March 2017. A total of 98 species of butterflies under five families, 19 subfamilies, and 70 genera were documented by the study. Maximum species diversity was found in Nymphalidae family with 31 species (31.63%), followed by Lycaenidae 24 species (24.48%), Hesperiidae-17 (17.34%), Pieridae 16 (16.32%), and the least by Papilionidae 10 (10.28%). Among the families, the highest common species (n=10) was recorded under the family Nymphalidae and maximum rare species (n=4) under the family Lycaenidae. Highest species richness has been recorded in post-monsoon season (97 species) followed by monsoon (78 species), winter (66 species), and pre-monsoon (47 species). During the study, five species of butterflies (Castalius rosimon, Neptis jumbah, Discophora sondaica, Lethe europa, and Papilio clytia) under Schedule-I, three species (Euchrysops cnejus, Mahathala ameria, and Cepora nerissa) under Schedule-II and three species (Baoris farri, Hyarotis adrastus, and Euploea core) under Schedule-IV were legally protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. A good species to genera ratio (1.4: 1) along with 10 newly recorded species and their range extension provide information for better understanding of the ecology and distribution pattern of the butterfly fauna. The information of the study will thus help to develop conservation strategies for management of the unique bio-geographical transitional zone.

The 331-hectare (819-acre) Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve (DCNAP) was established in Halifax County, Virginia to protect and manage habitat for rare vascu-lar plant species and animals, and to restore plant communities. Mafic metavolcanic rocks of the Virgilina Formation and felsic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Aaron Formation comprise the geologic units on the preserve. The Virgilina-derived soils have high shrink-swell potential, a dense hardpan layer, relatively high base status, and a significant gravelly or stony component; these soil conditions support the highest density of rare plant species known on the preserve. The first noteworthy vascular plant species were documented from the property in 1972 by botanist Alton Harvill of Longwood University, but detailed investigations of the flora did not begin until the site was revisited by the second author in 1993. Rare plant inventory has been the primary focus of botanists since that time. In 2001, the property was acquired by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage (DCR) and dedicated as a state Natural Area Preserve, at which point active management for natural communities and associated rare species was initiated. Since the rare plants on site thrive in open woodland or savanna-like conditions, prescribed burns and timber harvests have been used by DCR stewards to restore habitat after decades of fire suppression and conversion of hardwood stands to loblolly pine plantations. In 2018, a thorough floristic study was initiated to highlight the significance of this flora beyond the documentation of rare plants. The two-year inventory documented 653 plant taxa, comprising 326 genera in 106 families. Fourteen of these species are of conservation concern at the global or state level; an additional 12 taxa are considered uncommon and of potential conservation concern (Townsend 2019). These rare or uncommon species are components of two globally rare plant communities. In addition, the globally rare lepidopteran, Erynnis martialis (Mottled Duskywing), occurs on the preserve, the only extant population known in Virginia. Due to agricultural impacts and widespread fire exclusion, few analogs to this flora exist within the southern Piedmont of Virginia.

Despite the abundance of yeasts in peatland, only a few studies on peatland yeasts have been reported and, further, most of those studies were carried out in boreal regions. In response, this study assesses yeast communities in tropical peat swamp forests (PSFs). Peat soils or soils from a primary or natural PSF were collected in Thailand at Khanthuli PSF (PKT), while those from secondary or disturbed PSFs were collected from Khanthuli (SKT) and Khuankreng PSFs (SKK). Clone libraries of each sample were separately constructed using PCR products of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit ribosomal DNA. Most of the yeast operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in Khanthuli PSF, both PKT and SKT, belonged to the phylum Ascomycota. Meanwhile, most of the yeast OTUs in SKK belonged to Basidiomycota. Each PSF area exhibited a specific yeast community. Only a few OTUs were shared between the different areas. The dominant yeast species in PKT and SKT was Galactomyces candidus, whereas in SKK, it was Solicoccozyma keelungensis. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the only common species in each area. In addition, many more potential new yeast taxa are still undiscovered in the peatlands. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the abundance of G. candidus was related to sites with higher nitrogen concentrations and higher pH, while the abundance of So. Keelungensis was related to a combination of pH and electrical conductivity rather than total potassium contents. These results suggest that yeast communities in primary and secondary PSFs were different, which may be due to both biotic and abiotic factors.

In Mexico, Aedes podographicus is one of the most common species within the subgenus Protomacleaya of Aedes. This species has been collected in 12 states close to the coastal regions; however, few records confirm the presence of Ae. podographicus inland. During a mosquito-survey using ovitraps in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico, Ae. podographicus was collected in association with Ae. albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. This is the first record of the presence of Ae. podographicus in Nuevo León. With the addition of Ae. podographicus to the mosquito fauna of Nuevo León, there are currently 66 species in the state, 19 within the genus Aedes and 6 within the subgenus Protomacleaya, the genus Aedes being the group with the major number of species in Nuevo León. Specimens collected during this study were deposited in the collection of insects and mites of medical importance of the Laboratory of Medical Entomology of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico.

The decline and disappearance of seminatural grasslands in Japan have caused a reduction in plant and animal species inhabiting such grasslands. We aimed to understand the assemblage structure, species diversity, and distribution of carabid beetles in traditionally managed seminatural grasslands, by comparing with the adjacent old beech forest. We investigated the carabid beetle assemblages in a seminatural grassland maintained by prescribed burning and annual mowing, and the adjacent old beech forest in Yamagata Prefecture, northeast Japan. We recorded several forest species along with open habitat species and habitat generalists in the grassland, suggesting that forest species may utilize the adjacent grasslands as temporary habitats. Cluster analysis showed that the assemblage structure of carabid beetles in the grassland differed from that in the beech forest. There were no clear differences in the carabid assemblages between the burned grassland sites and the grassland sites mowed in July after burning. This suggests that the annual mowing had little influence on the response of grassland carabid species in parts of the grassland. We recorded Harpalus roninus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a rare carabid species in Japan, indicating that this beetle can be a characteristic of the studied grassland. Redundancy analysis showed that the eight abundant grassland species were associated with canopy openness, grass height, and understory vegetation cover, whereas the five most common species recorded from the beech forest were associated with litter depth and soil moisture.

In this study, we examined whether the genetic diversity of Didelphis marsupialis is structured or their populations maintain high gene flow as expected in common species. Forty-eight Tomahawk trap...

Diaphanosoma, the “tropical Daphnia”, is common and ubiquitous in South China. Like other ctenopods, Diaphanosoma has a reproductive mode similar to Daphnia’s, but its resting eggs are rarely observed and lack an ephippium. With limited dispersal and reduced buffer effect from resting egg banks, Diaphanosoma is expected to have a population genetic structure different from that of temperate Daphnia. To facilitate genetic comparison, we developed microsatellite markers using next-generation sequencing for the most common species in tropical and subtropical East Asia, Diaphanosoma dubium. Thirty-one polymorphic microsatellite markers were obtained, and 29 of them were efficient for the congeneric species D. excisum, D. orghidani, D. mongolianum and D. chankensis. The markers allowed intra- and interspecific genetic analysis, including population structure, hybridization and introgression. We used 11 selected microsatellite markers to analyze spatial and temporal heterogeneity of genetic diversity in four (sub)tropical D. dubium populations from two large reservoirs and two temporary ponds. In contrast to temperate Cladocera, higher genetic diversity in summer rather than in spring suggested weak contribution from resting eggs in spring. Clustering of DAPC and STRUCTURE analyses indicated a clear-cut genetic structure in the four populations. Variation partitioning revealed that water storage and depth were key factors in genetic differentiation. Within large reservoirs, we detected backward (reversing time) gene flow from resting egg banks. We conclude that resting eggs have an effective contribution to the genetic diversity in large water bodies during growing seasons and that large water bodies can host higher genetic diversity in summer due to environmental heterogeneity and high carrying capacity. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of genetic diversity detected by our microsatellite markers showed the newly developed markers can be applied for further study of populations of D. dubium and other species of Diaphanosoma at a contemporary scale.

The variability of the ecological and morphological characteristics of the field vole was studied on samples collected in its two localities of the Southern Urals and three localities of the Middle Urals. Voles were caught in similar biotopes; namely, in berry pine forests. The field vole is a common species in these habitats. The voles of the studied regions are characterized by a large body and skull size and a high frequency of occurrence of the additional internal loop on the first (M1) molar. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the ancestors of contemporary field vole of the eastern subline of cytochrome b survived the coldest period of the Late Pleistocene in the Ural Refugium.

Agricultural ecosystems are by their very nature novel and by definition the more general biodiversity associated with them must likewise constitute a novel community. Here, we examine the community of arboreally foraging ants in the coffee agroecosystem of Puerto Rico. We surveyed 20 coffee plants in 25 farms three times in a period of one year. We also conducted a more spatially explicit sampling in two of the farms and conducted a species interaction study between the two most abundant species, Wasmannia auropunctata and Solenopsis invicta, in the laboratory. We find that the majority of the most common species are well‐known invasive ants and that there is a highly variable pattern of dominance that varies considerably over the main coffee producing region of Puerto Rico, suggesting an unusual modality of community structure. The distribution pattern of the two most common species, W. auropunctata and S. invicta, suggests strong competitive exclusion. However, they also have opposite relationships with the percent of shade cover, with W. auropunctata showing a positive relationship with shade, while S. invicta has a negative relationship. The spatial distribution of these two dominant species in the two more intensively studied farms suggests that young colonies of S. invicta can displace W. auropunctata. Laboratory experiments confirm this. In addition to the elaboration of the nature and extent of this novel ant community, we speculate on the possibilities of its active inclusion as part of a biological control system dealing with several coffee pests, including one of the ants itself, W. auropunctata., Here, we describe the arboreally foraging ant community in 25 coffee farms in Puerto Rico. We find that the majority of the dominant species are non‐native. Through a detailed study of two of the farms, we describe the interactions between two non‐native dominant species, Wasmannia auropunctata and Solenopsis invicta.

A study of spider diversity of Kerala University Campus, conducted for a period of four months revealed a total of 116 species of spiders belonging to 20 families. Among the families, Salticidae was found as the most common family and among the species Hersilia savignyi and Hippasa agelenoides were found as the most common species. Plexipus petersi, Plexipus pykulli, Xysticus minutes and Tibellus elongates were also noted as the commonly found spider species.