Species Groups Research Articles

NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS CARPELIMUS LEACH, 1819 FROM INDIA (COLEOPTERA: STAPHILINIDAE: OXYTELINAE)

A new species Carpelimus (Trogophloeus) mumbaiensis sp. n. is described and illustrated from India. The new species belongs to the ‘notumus’ species group, which is recorded for India for the first time. By the punctation of the head and elytra, weakly developed depressions on the pronotal disc, the new species is most similar to C. irianensis Gildenkov, 2020 from New Guinea. Reliably differs from it and all species of the ‘notumus’ species group in the structure of the aedeagus.

Revision of the ‘Acanthephyra purpurea’ species complex (Crustacea: Decapoda), with an emphasis on species diversification in the Atlantic

We inventoried all nine species of the ‘Acanthephyra purpurea’ complex, one of the most abundant and cosmopolitan group of mesopelagic shrimps. We used 119 specimens at hand and genetic data for 124 specimens from GenBank and BOLD. Phylogenetic analysis of four genes (COI, 16S, NaK, and enolase) showed that the ‘Acanthephyra purpurea’ complex is polyphyletic and encompasses two species groups, ‘A. purpurea’ (mostly Atlantic) and ‘A. smithi’ (Indo-West Pacific). The ‘A. purpurea’ species group consists of two major molecular clades A. pelagica and A. kingsleyi – A. purpurea - A. quadrispinosa. Molecular data suggest that hitherto accepted species A. acanthitelsonis, A. pelagica, and A. sica should be considered as synonyms. The Atlantic is inhabited by at least two cryptic genetic lineages of A. pelagica and A. quadrispinosa. Morphological analyses of qualitative and quantitative (900 measurements) characters resulted in a tabular key to species and in a finding of four evolutionary traits. Atlantic species showed various scenarios of diversification visible on mitochondrial gene level, nuclear gene level, and morphological level. We recorded and discussed similar phylogeographic trends in diversification and in distribution of genetic lineages within two different clades: A. pelagica and A. kingsleyi – A. purpurea - A. quadrispinosa.

REVIEW OF LEAF BEETLES OF THE SUBGENUS HYPERICIA BEDEL, 1899 (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: CHRYSOLINA) FROM EAST ASIA

The East Palaearctic group of species in the subgenus Hypericia Bedel, 1899 (genus Chrysolina Motschulsky, 1860) is reviewed. Chrysolina (H.) nikkoensis (Jacoby, 1885) is first recorded for Kurile Islands and the Russian fauna, its type specimens studied and redescription is provided. Chrysolina (Hypericia) changbaishana sp. n. is described from Jilin Province of China; it differs from Ch. (H.) difficilis (Motschulsky, 1860) by smaller size, last abdominal ventrite without depression and narrow lateral calli of pronotum.

Multiresidue analysis of bat guano using GC-MS/MS

Bats are the second largest mammalian order and are an endangered species group with a strong need for contamination monitoring. To facilitate non-invasive monitoring of the ecological burden in bat populations, a multiresidue method for the simultaneous quantification of 119 analytes including pesticides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), UV blockers, plasticizers, and other emerging pollutants in bat guano with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed. Sample preparation and clean-up were performed with a modified QuEChERS approach based on DIN EN 15662. The method uses 1.00 g bat guano as sample with acetonitrile and water for liquid-liquid extraction. Phase separation is assisted by citrate-buffered salting out agent. For clean-up of the extract, primary secondary amine (PSA) was combined with graphitized carbon black (GCB). The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) ranged between 2.5 and 250 µg kg−1. Linearity was shown in a concentration range from the respective LLOQs to 1250 µg kg−1. The median of the mean recovery was 102.4%. Precision was tested at three concentrations. Method and injection precision were adequate with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 20%. Furthermore, the comparative analysis with LC-MS/MS demonstrated the reliability of the results and provided a valuable extension of the analytical scope. As proof of concept, three guano samples from a German nursery roost of Myotis myotis were analysed. The results show a time-dependent change in contaminant concentration, highlighting the strong need for non-invasive contamination monitoring of whole bat populations.Graphical

Inclusive Understanding of Nypa Fruticans Wurmb as an Invasive Mangrove in West and Central Africa

Mangroves have been widely described and known as a group of salt-tolerant pantropical trees or shrubs species thriving in intertidal zones between dry land and open sea. Several remarkable studies have been evolved in mangrove flora ecology and its function, disturbances and modelling dynamics [1], rebuilding mangrove resilience through community efforts [2]. And mitigate fuel wood used by improved smoke house [3], as well as its environmental and socio-economical fallouts. However, little and or inadequate attention has been paid on to check why Nypa fruticans along mangrove of West and central Africa, and the world in General. In this light, the short communication provide additional invasive trait information, which will assist eco-physiologist, botanist, and others to undertake practical mangrove conservation work.

Local reflects global: Life stage-dependent changes in the phenology of coastal habitat use by North Sea herring.

Climate warming is affecting the suitability and utilization of coastal habitats by marine fishes around the world. Phenological changes are an important indicator of population responses to climate-induced changes but remain difficult to detect in marine fish populations. The design of large-scale monitoring surveys does not allow fine-grained temporal inference of population responses, while the responses of ecologically and economically important species groups such as small pelagic fish are particularly sensitive to temporal resolution. Here, we use the longest, highest resolution time series of species composition and abundance of marine fishes in northern Europe to detect possible phenological shifts in the small pelagic North Sea herring. We detect a clear forward temporal shift in the phenology of nearshore habitat use by small juvenile North Sea herring. This forward shift might be linked to changes in water temperatures in the North Sea. We next assessed the robustness of the effects we found with respect to monitoring design. We find that reducing the temporal resolution of our data to reflect the resolution typical of larger surveys makes it difficult to detect phenological shifts and drastically reduces the effect sizes of environmental covariates such as seawater temperature. Our study therefore shows how local, long-term, high-resolution time series of fish catches are essential to understand the general phenological responses of marine fishes to climate warming and to define ecological indicators of system-level changes.

Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections in Patients with Spondyloarthritis: A Population-Based Study.

Background and Objectives: Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), while nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) encompass a group of mycobacterial species that are distinct from the MTB complex and leprae. Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases with shared clinical characteristics and is treated with biological agents; however, their use may elevate the risk of MTB and NTM infections. This study aimed to compare the incidence and risk of MTB and NTM infections in patients with SpA, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), using a population-based approach. Materials and Methods: This study included 2333 patients with SpA and 9332 age- and sex-matched controls from the Korea National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort database from 2002 to 2019. The patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for AS, PsA, MTB, and NTM. Results: The results showed that a negligible percentage of patients with SpA developed NTM (0.002%) and MTB (0.016%), with no significant difference in the incidence rate ratio (IRR) compared to controls. Among patients with SpA treated with biologics, the IRRs for NTM and MTB were 5.66 and 3.069, respectively; however, these were not statistically significant. No cases of NTM or MTB infection were reported in female patients with SpA treated with biologics. In both the SpA patient group and the control group, the incidence of MTB was higher in individuals over 60 years old compared to those under 60 years old. Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed a significant adjusted hazard ratio of 1.479 for MTB in patients with SpA after adjusting for age, sex, smoking history, insurance level, and comorbidities. However, this significance was not maintained when biological therapy was further adjusted. Conclusions: Our study indicated that the risks of NTM and MTB infection are not elevated in patients with SpA. Although biological use may potentially increase the risk of MTB infection, it does not lead to a significant increase in incidence rates. Proactive screening for latent tuberculosis and adequate prophylaxis using biologics can effectively manage the risk of NTM and MTB infections.

Trechus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Appalachia: A Phylogenetic Insight into the History of High Elevation Leaf Litter Communities

Elevation gradients provide a wealth of habitats for a wide variety of organisms. The southern Appalachian Mountains in eastern United States are known for their high biodiversity and rates of endemism in arthropods, including in high-elevation leaf-litter taxa that are often found nowhere else on earth. Trechus Clairville (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a genus of litter inhabitants with a near-global distribution and over 50 Appalachian species. These span two subgenera, Trechus s. str. and Microtrechus Jeannel, largely restricted to north and south of the Asheville basin, respectively. Understanding the diversification of these 3–5 mm flightless beetles through geological time can provide insights into how the litter-arthropod community has responded to historical environments, and how they may react to current and future climate change. We identified beetles morphologically and sequenced six genes to reconstruct a phylogeny of the Appalachian Trechus. We confirmed the Asheville Basin as a biogeographical barrier with a split between the north and south occurring towards the end of the Pliocene. Finer scale biogeography, including mountain-range occupancy, was not a reliable indication of relatedness, with group ranges overlapping and many instances of species-, species group-, and subgeneric sympatry. This may be because of the recent divergence between modern species and species groups. Extensive taxonomic revision of the group is required for Trechus to be useful as a bioindicator, but their high population density and speciose nature make them worth additional time and resources.

Hybridization and reticulate evolution in Diphasiastrum (flat-branched clubmosses, Lycopodiaceae) – New data from the island of Taiwan and Vietnam

In the species groups related to Diphasiastrum multispicatum and D. veitchii, hybridization was investigated in samples from northern and southern Vietnam and the island of Taiwan, including available herbarium specimens from southeast Asia. The accessions were analyzed using flow cytometry (living material only), Sanger sequencing and multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing. We detected two cases of ancient hybridization involving different combinations of parental species; both led via subsequent duplication to tetraploid taxa. A cross D. multispicatum × D. veitchii from Malaysia represents D. wightianum, a tetraploid taxon according to reported DNA content measurements of dried material (genome formulas MM, VV and MMVV, respectively). The second case involves D. veitchii and an unknown diploid parent (genome formula XX). Three hybridogenous taxa (genome formulas VVX, VVXX, VVVX) were discernable by a combination of flow cytometry and molecular data. Taxon I (VVX, three clones found on Taiwan island) is apparently triploid. Taxon II represents another genetically diverse and sexual tetraploid species (VVXX) and can be assigned to D. yueshanense, described from Taiwan island but occurring as well in mainland China and Vietnam. Taxon III is as well most likely tetraploid (VVVX) and represented by at least one, more likely two, clones from Taiwan island. Taxa I and III are presumably asexual and new to science. Two independently inherited nuclear markers recombine only within, not between these hybrids, pointing towards reproductive isolation. We present an evolutionary scheme which explains the origin of the hybrids and the evolution of new and fully sexual species by hybridization and subsequent allopolyploidization in flat-branched clubmosses.

A tale of two species: Disaggregating mixed historical catches of two most common skates in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Historical catch data represent a key source of information for fisheries stock assessment models. Historically, commercial fishery catch statistics were estimated from the portion of catch landed in ports. However, many species with relatively low economic value have not been recorded on a species basis but instead as a part of an aggregate category. Reconstructing component species catch from an aggregate category is a common challenge for fisheries stock assessment efforts around the world. Skates are one group of species with low economic value for which landed catch has not been commonly reported by species. In this paper, we present a novel approach to disaggregate the historical catch of the two most abundant skate species on the West Coast of the United States, longnose skate (Caliraja rhina) and big skate (Beringraja binoculata), landed within the aggregated skate category, in ports of Washington State. We used a combination of fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data sources to account for changes in the spatial extent of the fishery over time, and differences in the depth distribution of these two skate species. While developed to disentangle aggregate catch of longnose and big skates, the approach is not limited to skates on the West Coast of the United States, but can be adapted for any species which landings have been reported within an aggregated category elsewhere.

A New Species of Diacyclops (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from the D. crassicaudis (Sars, 1863) Species Group with Critical Taxonomy Remarks

A new species, Diacyclops dyabdar sp. nov. from the Diacyclops crassicaudis (Sars, 1863) species group from northern Middle Siberia, is described. This species is interesting from an ecological point of view, as it lives mainly in watercourses. It is well-distinguished from other species of the group by the presence of spinules on the first segments of the third and fourth pairs of swimming legs, details of the ornamentation on the fourth pair of legs and caudal rami. A detailed comparison of the new species and D. crassicaudis is presented. Molecular markers, including cytochrome c oxidase (COI) of mtDNA and 18S rRNA, ITS1 and ITS2 of nuclear DNA were obtained for a single female of D. dyabdar sp. nov. A morphometric analysis of species and subspecies of the D. crassicaudis group was carried out. It showed slight differences between the described subspecies and some species. On this basis, the subspecies D. crassicaudis, as well as D. iranicus Pesce & Maggi, 1982 and D. fontinalis Naidenow, 1969, are synonymized with the subspecies type. A more precise diagnosis of the D. crassicaudis group is indicated. This group now includes six species. The taxonomic position of several questionable taxa of Diacyclops Kiefer, 1927 described from Iran is discussed: D. landei Mahoon & Zia, 1985; D. bicuspidatus jurenei Najam-un-Nisa, Mahoon & Irfan Khan, 1987; D. landei richardi Parveen, Mahoon & Saleem, 1988 and D. jurenei Parveen, Mahoon & Saleem, 1988. These taxa are accepted as nomen dubium.

Integrative taxonomy supports two new species of Macrobiotus (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae) allowing further discussion on the genus phylogeny

In this study, I describe two new species of Macrobiotus based on morphological data collected through light and scanning electron microscopy. Both species are accompanied by DNA sequences from four commonly used molecular markers (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, ITS-2, and COI). Macrobiotus ovovittatus sp. nov. was discovered in Greenland and can be distinguished from similar taxa of Macrobiotus by its continuous, solid, and clearly wrinkled egg surface, adorned with sparse, very small and irregularly spaced pores. Additionally, the terminal discs of egg processes are covered in multiple light-refracting dots, resembling crocheted napkins. Macrobiotus mileri sp. nov. was found in Israel and is characterized by unique pore arrangements in its body cuticle, expressed in two distinct animal forms: (i) forma porata with large pores arranged in five distinct patches and (ii) forma aporata with single, almost undetectable pores. It also features weakly defined convex terminal discs with smooth edges. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analyses conducted in this study offer the most updated phylogeny of superclade I within the family Macrobiotidae. This facilitates additional discussion concerning the interrelationships among species within the genus Macrobiotus and the circumscription of species groups within it.

Unveiling the Mainland vs. Insular Variability of the Eumerus barbarus Species Group (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Western Mediterranean Basin.

Comprising nearly 300 described species, Eumerus Meigen, 1822, is one of the most speciose syrphid genera worldwide, and its taxonomic diversity is remarkable in the Mediterranean basin. The Eumerus barbarus (Coquebert, 1804) group consists of four species in the western Mediterranean. Although the phenotypic variability of this species group has been commented on in previous studies, it has never been contrasted with molecular data. In the present work, the morphological variation found in 300+ specimens of this species group from the western Mediterranean is explored and tested against the COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The highest phenotypic disparity was found in E. barbarus and Eumerus sulcitibius Rondani 1868. The integrative approach has not revealed cryptic diversity within the species E. barbarus but in E. sulcitibius. As a result, a new species close to E. sulcitibius was discovered, Eumerus sardus Aguado-Aranda, Ricarte & Hauser sp. n., from Sardinia, Italy. The new insular species is here described, illustrated, and discussed. A total of twenty-three haplotypes of COI mtDNA were identified amongst the analyzed Mediterranean specimens of E. barbarus, whereas two and five haplotypes were distinguished in the Iberian specimens of E. sulcitibius and Eumerus gibbosus van Steenis, Hauser & van Zuijen, 2017, respectively. Moreover, the first known barcodes of E. gibbosus and Eumerus schmideggeri van Steenis, Hauser & van Zuijen, 2017 were obtained, and the distribution ranges of all species are mapped. An updated dichotomous key to the males of the E. barbarus group from the western Mediterranean is provided.

Phylogenomic analysis of Stylops reveals the evolutionary history of a Holarctic Strepsiptera radiation parasitizing wild bees

Holarctic Stylops is the largest genus of the enigmatic insect order Strepsiptera, twisted winged parasites. Members of Stylops are obligate endoparasites of Andrena mining bees and exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism typical of Strepsiptera. So far, molecular studies on Stylops have focused on questions on species delimitation. Here, we utilize the power of whole genome sequencing to infer the phylogeny of this morphologically challenging genus from thousands of loci. We use a species tree method, concatenated maximum likelihood analysis and Bayesian analysis with a relaxed clock model to reconstruct the phylogeny of 46 Stylops species, estimate divergence times, evaluate topological consistency across methods and infer the root position. Furthermore, the biogeographical history and coevolutionary patterns with host species are assessed. All methods recovered a well resolved topology with close to all nodes maximally supported and only a handful of minor topological variations. Based on the result, we find that included species can be divided into 12 species groups, seven of them including only Palaearctic species, three Nearctic and two were geographically mixed. We find a strongly supported root position between a clade formed by the spreta, thwaitesi and gwynanae species groups and the remaining species and that the sister group of Stylops is Eurystylops or Eurystylops + Kinzelbachus. Our results indicate that Stylops originated in the Western Palaearctic or Western Palaearctic and Nearctic in the early Neogene or late Paleogene, with four independent dispersal events to the Nearctic. Cophylogenetic analyses indicate that the diversification of Stylops has been shaped by both significant coevolution with the mining bee hosts and host-shifting. The well resolved and strongly supported phylogeny will provide a valuable phylogenetic basis for further studies into the fascinating world of Strepsipterans.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Desmaulus extinctorium (Littorinimorpha, Calyptraeoidea, Calyptraeidae) and molecular phylogeny of Littorinimorpha.

For the purpose of determining the placement of Calyptraeidae within the Littorinimorpha, we hereby furnish a thorough analysis of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Desmaulus extinctorium. This mitogenome spans 16,605 base pairs and encompasses the entire set of 37 genes, including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs and two rRNAs, with an evident AT bias. Notably, tRNASer1 and tRNASer2 lack dihydrouracil (DHU) arms, resulting in an inability to form a secondary structure. Similarly, tRNAAla lacks a TΨC arm, rendering it incapable of forming a secondary structure. In contrast, the remaining tRNAs demonstrate a characteristic secondary structure reminiscent of a cloverleaf. A comparison with ancestral gastropods reveals distinct differences in three gene clusters (or genes), encompassing 15 tRNAs and eight PCGs. Notably, inversions and translocations represent the major types of rearrangements observed in D. extinctorium. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates robust support for a monophyletic grouping of all Littorinimorpha species, with D. extinctorium representing a distinct Calyptraeoidea clade. In summary, this investigation provides the first complete mitochondrial dataset for a species of the Calyptraeidae, thus providing novel insights into the phylogenetic relationships within the Littorinimorpha.

On the systematic position of the horseshoe bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Lesotho

Abstract The monophyletic Afro-Palaearctic clade of the horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus) comprises several species groups whose representatives can be morphologically similar to each other across groups. The only Rhinolophus species that occurs in Lesotho was traditionally attributed to the broadly distributed African desert- and savanna-dwelling bat, Rhinolophus clivosus, a member of the ferrumequinum group. In this study, we investigated the horseshoe bats from Lesotho with the help of molecular genetic and morphometric analyses to find their position within the group and the clade as well. The genetic analysis resulted in phylogenetic trees with two different topologies, although in both trees the Lesotho bats were a part of the fumigatus group instead of the ferrumequinum group. In the mitochondrial tree, the Lesotho bats were mixed with Rhinolophus damarensis. On the contrary, the Lesotho bats formed a single distinct lineage on the nuclear tree, closely related to Rhinolophus darlingi, R. fumigatus, and R. damarensis (in a single lineage each). These results indicate introgressions of mtDNA from the Lesotho bats to R. damarensis. Morphologically, the Lesotho bats grouped distinctly from other species of the fumigatus and ferrumequinum groups. We thus consider the Lesotho horseshoe bats to be a new separate species that is here described.

Long-term changes in qualitative composition of the Buzuluk Pine Forest avifauna (Orenburg Province area) based on retrospective and present-time observations

We conducted a comparative analysis of qualitative composition of the Buzuluk Pine Forest avifauna, mainly based on data collected by ornithologist E.P. Knorre for the period 1928–1941, and modern observations done between 2000 and the present. Retrospective data were obtained from the now-defunct Buzuluk Bor Reserve with an area of 10 503 hectares (now Borovoye-Opytnoe Forestry in the Orenburg Province). Present-time personal avifaunistic observations (using standard methods with referring to literature sources) were carried out on an area of 49 000 hectares, both in Borovoye-Opytnoe and in several adjacent forestries that were part of the Buzuluk Bor National Park within the Orenburg Province. Comparing the historical and current bird lists, we used a relative assessment of changes in the composition of various bird groups based on the observed and expected frequencies according to the χ2 test. Long-term data on average annual temperatures and precipitation from a nearby state weather station were also used. As a result, it is shown that by now the list of birds of E.P. Knorre decreased from 153 to 109 species (28.8%). When comparing by orders, the water birds were found to be the most affected group. The number of species in orders Podicipediformes, Ciconiiformes, Gruiformes decreased by 80–100%, and it dropped by more than 50% in orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes. There was also a slightly smaller decrease in the number of species in orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes – by about 40%. An assessment of the relative changes in various bird groups from Knorre’s list based on expected and observed frequencies showed significant differences in the portion of avifauna associated with water. It decreased between 23.5% and 9% in the group ‘Limnophiles’ (χ2 = 11.7, df = 1, p = 0.0006) and between 24.8% and 9% in the group of orders represented by waterfowl and waterbird species (χ2 = 13.4, df = 1, p = 0.0002). The change in the portion of birds of prey was statistically non-significant. The same portion assessment method did not statistically confirm the decrease in the rest ecological and order groups. Comparison of groups by occurrence status found no significant changes in the portions of all groups of birds in the past and present, but the largest reduction was recorded in the group of migrating species. The portion of migrants decreased from 8.7% to 3.0% (χ2 = 3.2, df = 1, p = 0.07, Yates corrected χ2 = 2.2, p = 0.1). A dramatic decline in group of bird species associated with wetlands was suggested to be due, among other factors, to the progressive desiccation of the Buzuluk Pine Forest, as E. Knorre himself wrote in his report. The ongoing aridization of the climate, as shown by the graph of average annual air temperatures, has been taking place since at least the 20s of the twentieth century and led to the drying-up of wetlands, and also to migration of groundwater to deeper horizons. The emerging trend towards a reduction in the portion of migrants could be explained by the fact that a number of migratory bird species, mainly ducks and waders, disappeared in the study area, and several other migrants began breeding species. In addition, large-scale fires and logging led to formation of burned wasteland areas inside the forest at the beginning of the twentieth century and also probably contributed to fragmentation and desiccation of this biome.

A new species of terrestrial toad of the Rhinellafestae group (Anura, Bufonidae) from the highlands of the Central Cordillera of the Andes of Colombia.

The genus Rhinella (Bufonidae) comprises 92 species of Neotropical toads. In Colombia, Rhinella is represented by 22 recognized species, of which nine belong to the Rhinellafestae group. Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence of cryptic diversity within this group, particularly in the context of Andean forms. Specimens of Rhinella collected in high Andean forests on both slopes of the Central Cordillera in Colombia belong to an undescribed species, Rhinellakumandaysp. nov. Genetic analyses using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene indicated that the individuals belong to the festae species group. However, they can be distinguished from other closely related species such as Rhinellaparaguas and Rhinellatenrec by a combination of morphological traits including the presence of tarsal fold, a moderate body size, and substantial genetic divergence in the 16S rRNA gene (> 5%). Through this integrative approach, the specimens from the Central Cordillera of Colombia are considered an evolutionary divergent lineage that is sister to R.paraguas, and described as a new species. Rhinellakumandaysp. nov. is restricted to the Central Cordillera of Colombia inhabiting both slopes in the departments of Caldas and Tolima, in an elevational range between 2420 and 3758 m. With the recognition of this new species, the genus Rhinella now comprises 93 species with 23 of them found in Colombia, and ten species endemic to the country.

Pollinating insects form different modules with Malvaceae crops in a global meta-network

ABSTRACT This study aims to build a global meta-network of interactions between Malvaceae crops (cocoa, cupuassu, cotton and okra) and their pollinators. The network structure was described by connectivity and modularity, and centrality metrics were used to analyze the role of species. A total of 217 pollinator species was recorded, distributed in four orders. The network has four modules, low connectance (C = 26%) and a high modularity (Q = 0.58). Apis mellifera was the only network connector species. Each crop is pollinated by a very specific group of species, indicating that productivity maintenance may be favored by the conservation of pollinators diversity.

Confirmation of the valid specific status of Dolichovespulakuami Kim & Yoon, 1996 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) based on molecular and morphological evidence.

The taxonomic validity of Dolichovespulakuami, especially in relation to D.flora, has been the subject of a long-term debate. Herein, the valid specific status of the former was supported through an integrated analysis of morphological characters and DNA barcodes. The pronotal rugae and male genitalia of the two species are different, and partial mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase subunit I, COI) indicate that they form significantly distinct lineages. The hitherto unknown male of D.kuami is described for the first time, and a brief discussion of the D.maculata species group is provided.